The Online Classroom: Trust, Explore, Engage – Faculty Focus

Many of you reading this article are online teachers and I would like to start by asking two questions: Are you a good online teacher? What are you doing that truly engages your students? The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant growth in how often higher education institutions offer online coursework and provided K-12 schools with the chance to begin their journeys into allowing students to take online coursework. We have been provided a unique opportunity to shape a newer teaching methodology, but we must take care to become informed crafters.

One unfortunate consequence of the pandemic was its impact on the perception of online learning. When the world shut down, schools in most countries were vastly unprepared for this monumental shift in teaching. Teachers learned quickly how teaching online is very different from teaching face to face. Teachers had to learn new ways to communicate, how to deal with technology issues both for themselves and their students, and how they could adapt their lessons for success. For many educators during the pandemic the best they could do for online learning was take already existing lessons and assignments, copy them and upload them into the learning management system they were using. This was not online education, this was educational triage. This is in no way a slight on teachers, they were doing their best and deserve every accolade for keeping the system running. However, this triage is now what resonates with many people when they think of online learning. Despite this perception, online learning’s popularity grows as it allows students to access diverse educational opportunities beyond geographical limitations in a cost-effective manner.

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How to Start the Change

Most of us grew up in this profession using more ‘traditional’ methods of teaching. That is our first problem. We must ‘unlearn’ traditional methods and acquire new skills, such as facilitating online interactions and assessing student learning online (Garnham and Kaleta 2002, 1-5). While videos, discussion boards, and online texts provide a solid foundation for online courses, we can enrich the learning experience by integrating innovative tools and techniques. Let’s explore ways to enhance these existing methods and introduce new approaches that foster deeper engagement and understanding. For example, when showing a video, use EdPuzzle to ask questions DURING the video to keep them engaged. Want better discussion boards? Try using Wakelet or Padlet for a little boost.These platforms offer diverse options for how you can have your students engage with each other, beyond a traditional discussion board where you see such engaging responses as: ‘that’s a great point’ and ‘I agree’.

Online learning excels because it transcends the limitations of the traditional four walls of our classrooms. We no longer have to think of how students will move around a room, or what technology a school can provide, because students are already using technology just to attend class. This provides unique opportunities for teachers to engage their students with lessons that would not work or even be possible in a traditional face-to-face classroom. So what can teachers do now to reach out and engage their students and give them an education that is unique and memorable?

Building Trust

Building trust is crucial, which can be achieved through community-building activities and ‘hangout’ meetings that foster mutual understanding. This fosters mutual understanding and strengthens the teacher-student connection. Once trust is established, we can empower students to explore their passions within the curriculum, engaging with real-world contexts and documenting their learning through photos and videos. This offers students a great deal of freedom and ownership in their learning. For example, as a professor in teacher education, I can have my students take pictures or videos of non-traditional teaching they see in the world. We can then expand their view and discuss why they chose specific subjects and if that teaching method would work in a more traditional classroom. I have now created a way for them to get out and take control of their learning, while still fitting into the lesson I want them to take from my class. This is where we have a wonderful opportunity to be creative and design the lessons many of us always wanted to create.

Modeling

To balance this freedom we can also model structure for our students. Instead of relying solely on traditional testing, encourage students to design projects, outlining their goals, alignment with course objectives, and criteria for success. Regular check-ins provide support and ensure students remain on track. This exploration will also enrich class discussions, whether done through an online meeting or on a discussion board. Another option would be to allow students to participate in problem based learning. Let them identify an issue within the context of your course and work together on creating a solution. This can allow you to create small groups and have small meetings to guide groups instead of a large classroom environment that may not be as beneficial.

The Impact of AI on Course and Lesson Planning

To address the challenge of creating engaging and personalized lessons, especially given the many demands on educators’ time, we can leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI). AI can serve as a valuable tool in online course and lesson planning, offering support in multiple ways. For educators looking to personalize instruction, AI can be used to generate variations on lesson plans based on student interests. Simply input your plan and prompt the AI to tailor it to individual needs. AI can also be a source of inspiration, providing engaging examples that spark new ideas and guide lesson development. From there, you can select a few or it might trigger your own ideas. It’s a thought partner that will help you take a step in the right direction for online student engagement. While AI models still have a long way to go, for our purposes, they are a great partner. I would also add the caveat that if you have not worked with AI much before, be aware of data privacy practices such as not entering identifiable student data and algorithmic bias. Always double check any AI recommendations to make sure they fall within the bounds of your course goals.

As online learning continues to evolve, it’s crucial for educators to embrace new approaches and technologies that enhance student engagement and learning. By unlearning traditional methods, building trust with students, leveraging tools like AI, and fostering a sense of community, we can create online learning experiences that are both effective and inspiring. I urge you to reflect on your own online teaching practices and consider how you can implement the strategies discussed in this paper to create a more engaging and enriching learning environment for your students.

Dr. Joshua Tabor is an assistant professor in Teacher Education at Texas Woman’s University specializing in online learning and the use of AI in education. With over 22 years in education, he brings extensive experience from his time as a digital learning specialist in the Denton Independent School District. Dr. Tabor’s research includes effective online learning strategies, AI integration in educational settings, and gamification techniques. Additionally, he serves as an adjunct professor at the University of North Texas, Department of Learning Technologies.