Shark Notes: How to Structure Your Online Class for Inclusion, Part 2

Shark Notes

Shark NotesShark Notes is a collection of article summaries that our staff has found valuable. We hope that you enjoy the latest article: How to Structure Your Online Class for Inclusion, Part 2.

Summary: 

This article provides faculty with two principles to foster engagement with their online students to (1) build community to foster engagement online, and (2) create options for students to engage online and is the second part to “How to structure your online class for inclusion.” 

Highlights: 

  • Principle #1: Build community to foster engagement online – This is the first step to safeguard that all students feel included, that they are part of a community, to promote their engagement while in online classes. The Council For At Risk Student Education and Professional Standards Accreditation (2020) recommends the following evidence-based standards to help create that sense of community for online students. 
  • Understand what students’ responsibilities should be in your online class 
  • Create an objective statement that will let students feel they belong to this learning community 
  • Build and post a rubric that is specially designed to build a sense of community for online students.  
  • Co-create acceptable standards that will foster a sense of community with your online students 
  • Ask students’ opinion of what it means to be engaged in an online class 
  • Identify times and allow students to teach the online class with you. 
  • Principle #2: Create options for students to engage online – This is the second step to aid student inclusion, give them a sense of belonging to a community, to boost their engagement in online classes. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), created by the CAST Organization, recommends the following three principles educators can use to engage students online: 
  • Offer multiple means of student engagement  
  • Create multiple means of representation for course materials 
  • Make multiple means of action and expression for student learning available. 

All students learn differently from one another and differently from educators. Students may have obstacles such as poor internet speed which may prevent them from participating if they are only given one option to engage in student activities. So, educators need to see things from students’ perspectives and create structures and options that will give students a sense of community and empower them to learn and engage in online class. 

  • Activities for engaging students online – can be achieved by using Kanevsky and Keighly (2003), five “Cs” which are control, choice, challenge, complexity, and caring. 

Here are several popular goals educators can use to incorporate the five C’s and foster student engagement online:  

  • If your engagement goal is to check in on your students’ understanding of a difficult idea …  
  • Meet with your students via remote access, and help answer their questions; 
  • Provide a short reading assignment that students can work on in small teams; and  
  • Encourage students to create resource and study guides for the course.  
  • If your engagement goal is to facilitate a discussion of a controversial topic … 
  • Be prepared to lead, actively listen and step in if differences of opinions escalate to unprofessional conduct  
  • If your engagement goal is to offer experimental learning … 
  • Create options where students can share and explore the course material online, encourage them to build connections with other students and foster their curiosity, for example, by giving them opportunities to reflect on their assignments.   
  • If your engagement goal is to group projects … 
  • Start out by defining the purpose of collaborative learning, the class’ common goal, and be supportive of the class’ group development. 
  • You are not alone 
  • We are living in a challenging time and faculty need to do their best to find creative, fun and innovative techniques that will nurture student online engagement, promote learning while having students feel a sense of belonging, that they are part of a learning community that really cares about them and wants them to succeed. 

If this topic is of interest be sure to check out our SharkNotes on Part 1.  

Viewing the article may require Free registration to the Faculty Focus. 

Cohn, J. & Plotts, C. (2021, March 24). How to structure your online class for inclusion: Two principles for fostering Engagement, Part 2. Faculty Focus. Higher Ed Teaching Strategies. Magna Publications. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-student-engagement/how-to-structure-your-online-class-for-inclusion-two-principles-for-fostering-engagement-part-2/?st=FFdaily;sc=FF210324;utm_term=FF210324&utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=How+to+Structure+Your+Online+Class+for+Inclusion:+Two+Principles+for+Fostering+Engagement,+Part+2&utm_campaign=FF210324