Running head: ENGAGING ONLINE STUDENTS

Engaging Online Students

Ruth Coleman
EDU625
Dr. Kathy Milhauser

ENGAGING ONLINE STUDENTS

Engaging Online Students

Project Overview
Student engagement in an online course is a hot topic in higher education. Engaging
students in the content, activities, and assessment will contribute to the ultimate learning
experience. Associate Faculty (AF) are the primary point of contact with a student during the
course infusing the human element into the course. Providing Associate Faculty will the tools
needed to create engaging environments is part of the key to success for a student.
Audience
The audience for the training is Associate Faculty at XYZ University who are scholarly
practitioners who have significant academic and applied experience in his/her field of study.
AFs have various educational degrees, which include Masters, Ed.Ds and Ph.Ds, as well as
varying levels of experience with Blackboard and teaching in an online environment.
Rationale
Colleges and universities with online learning communities must prepare faculty to be
effective in the online environment. This goes beyond simply ensuring faculty understand the
mechanics of the online system or program used (Lesane, 2013). All new Associate Faculty
begin their journey with XYZ University by participating in the Online Instructor Training.
However, there are many seasoned AFs who have either never had training or took it a long time
ago. Online courses require more, not less, from instructors: more communication, more
engagement, and more feedback (Norman, 2014).
At XYZ University, online AFs are provided courses populated with content to facilitate.
It is the Universitys responsibility to prepare AFs to be effective in the online environment. To
ensure AFs bring the course materials alive and create an engaging environment for students,
instructors need to be well-trained. A critical component of an online course to be effective is an

ENGAGING ONLINE STUDENTS

instructor-student connection. In an online learning environment, students need to see evidence

of engagement (Kelly, 2014). Keeping face-to-face students engaged is challenging. Keeping
students engaged in online learning presents new challenges when students and instructors are
separated by a computer screen. Online instructors need to be intentional about creating a sense
of presence in their courses so that students know that somebody is leading their educational
experience (Kelly, 2014).
Sub-Topics
The following subtopics will be explored:

How do faculty engage online students?

Faculty Support
Effective Communication
Instructor Resources

Together, these topics will provide new and seasoned Associate Faculty with the tools
necessary to engage students in their courses to be successful.
Content Module
Sub-topic one is answering the question How do faculty engage online students? This
will allow AFs to reflect about their own experiences, both personally and as an instructor
receiving feedback from students. AFs will create a mind map brainstorming all the strategies
instructors use or could use to engage online students. Mind mapping will allow AFs to have
topics and subtopics and map them together based on how the AF feels the topics fit together.
Objectives
At the end of this activity, Associate Faculty will be able to:

Use a technology tool to create a mind map.

Identify at least four strategies to create an engaging environment for students.
Discuss faculty engagement in an online environment.

ENGAGING ONLINE STUDENTS

Instructions
Creating an engaging environment in an online course is a challenge for instructors. For
this activity, you will research how faculty engage online students. You will create a mind map
using a mind mapping tool. You can use one listed below or chose one of your own. Reflect on
your both your personal experience, if you have taken an online course, and your teaching
experience receiving feedback from students. Capture the strategies you found to engage
students in your mind map. Include at least two graphics/images you feel represents your
project. When you have completed your mind map, you will submit it.
Possible Resources:

Activity

XMind
Freemind
MindMup
Mindomo
Mind42

ENGAGING ONLINE STUDENTS

5
References

Kelly, R. (2014). Creating a sense of instructor presence in the online classroom. Retrieved from
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/creating-a-sense-of-instructorpresence-in-the-online-classroom/
Lesane, K. (2013). Online training for the online instructor. Elearn Magazine. Retrieved from
http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=2545106
Norman, M. (2014). Faculty memebers must own the online learning process (essay). Inside
Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/11/21/facultymembers-must-own-online-learning-process-essay