Strategies for securing participant motivation and engagement in a 19 week online course
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This document summarizes strategies used in a 19-week online course to motivate and engage 54 participants from 8 higher education institutions. The strategies included e-tivities with peer feedback, practical skills training that integrated with work, a mix of asynchronous and synchronous activities, and module badges. A survey found that the majority of participants felt motivated by the strategies and planned to use e-learning more in the future. Some strategies like frequent deadlines caused participants to fall behind. Overall the course design was satisfactory but could be improved for the next run.
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I liked the "encounter", as the
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Strategies for securing participant motivation and engagement in a 19 week online course
- 1. Strategies for securing participant motivation and engagement in a 19 week online course By Inger-Marie F. Christensen University of Southern Denmark
- 2. Agenda • The Teaching for Tomorrow course • Survey results: To what degree have participants been motivated and engaged by the strategies employed: – E-tivities – Peer feedback and collaboration – Practical skills training – Opportunity to integrate work and learning – Mix of asynchronous and synchronous activities – Module badges 2
- 3. The Teaching for Tomorrow course • Joint venture between 7 HE institutions in southern Denmark and northern Germany. Participants from 8 institutions. 3 University College Lillebælt University College South Denmark University of Southern Denmark Uni. of Applied Science, Flensburg Uni. of Applied Science, Kiel Europa-Universität Flensburg Christian-Albrechts-Universität International Business Academy
- 4. Course details • Offered to lecturers interested in flipped, blended and/or distance learning • 54 lecturers enrolled No experience teaching online: 50 % No experience being an online student: 49 % • E-moderator team of 12 • 19-week online course • CourseSites.com, Adobe Connect, Twitter and Google+ • Start : 20 October 2014 • End : 28 February 2015 4
- 5. Entry survey results: Why did participants enrol in the course? 85%
- 6. 6 modules • The virtual learning environment and e-learning tools • Introduction to online learning • Design of flipped, blended and distance learning, course materials and activities • Delivery of online courses/ The online lecturer • Web 2.0 and social media • E -assessment 6
- 8. Effect of strategies used to motivate and engage participants 8 • Link to electronic questionnaire sent via e-mail • Exit survey sent to 54 participants (initially enrolled) • 50 % completed the survey fully = 27 participants • 11 % gave some answers = 6 participants
- 9. To what degree are you satisfied with the overall learning experience you gained during the course? 9 High or some degree = 74 % Low/somewhat low degree = 11 %
- 10. Will you be using e-learning to a greater extent in the future than before? 10 Most certainly/ certainly = 81 % No/not likely = 15 %
- 11. Course completion Completed on time = 17 participants • 35 % of participants who started on the course Intend to complete = 12 participants • Total of 59 % of participants
- 12. E-tivities - Gilly Salmon’s concept used 12 • Resources • Spark • Individual contributions • Dialogue begins • Frequent deadlines to secure interaction
- 13. Gilly Salmon’s five stage model used 13 • Scaffolding participants’ learning • Building sense of community • Securing access to and familiarity with platform and tools From http://www.gillysalmon.com/five-stage-model.html
- 14. To what degree do you feel that the e-tivities provided clear instructions that helped you complete the tasks? 14 • All (27 informants) • Completed (14) • Intend to complete (10) • Will not be completing (3) Somewhat low degree = 7 % High or some degree = 67 %
- 15. To what degree did the deadlines motivate you to complete the tasks set in each e-tivity? 15 • All (27 informants) • Completed (14) • Intend to complete (10) Low/somewhat low degree = 19 % High or some degree = 56 %
- 16. Peer feedback and collaboration 16 • Creating a dynamic VLE • Interaction • Inspiration • Reflection • Retention
- 17. Peer feedback and collaboration To what degree did giving feedback to fellow participants increase your learning outcome? 17 • All (27 informants) • Completed (14) • Intend to complete (10) Low/somewhat low degree = 38 % High or some degree = 41 %
- 18. To what degree did receiving and acting on feedback from fellow participants increase your learning outcome? 18 High or some degree = 41 % • All (27 informants) • Completed (14) • Intend to complete (10) Low/somewhat low degree = 37 %
- 19. To what degree did receiving and acting on feedback from fellow participants motivate you to continue on the course? 19 • All (27 informants) • Completed (14) • Intend to complete (10) Low/somewhat low degree = 37 % High or some degree = 45 %
- 20. Hands-on approach to support participants in achieving skills and competences 20 To what degree did you find this hands-on approach useful? High or some degree = 55 % Low/somewhat low degree = 19 %
- 21. Opportunity to integrate work and learning • Making learning meaningful for participants The generally most decisive factor for significant learning in adults is the requirement for motivation rooted in direct interest, something they feel like doing and are committed to, or a realized necessity, something they have understood and accepted to be beneficial to learn in relation to something they want to achieve. (Illeris and Associates, 2004 quoted from Illeris, 2000, p. 61) 21
- 22. Opportunity to integrate work and learning • 24 participants = 89 % of respondents combined learning and work tasks – It was very useful, because I believe my learning outcome was better and I could actually think about my current lectures and create new ideas and solutions that I can use. – It was very inspiring to be able to apply what we learned to authentic teaching tasks. – I have an end product I can use. This motivated me during the course and the usefulness has kept me reflecting on further development of additional course/modules. 22
- 23. Opportunity to integrate work and learning • 3 participants = 11 % of respondents did not manage to combine learning and work tasks – Time pressure – Did not see relevance – New at institution – lacked overview 23
- 24. Mix of asynchronous and synchronous activities 24 • Create a safe and welcoming learning environment • Build a sense of community • Retention • 1 f-2-f day at start of course • 9 live, online sessions via Adobe Connect (1 – 2 hours) • 27 asynchronous e-tivities, incl. instructions for the live sessions
- 25. How did you experience this combination of asynchronous and synchronous activities? 25 Suitable = 55 % More live sessions = 30 % Fewer live sessions = 22 %
- 26. To what degree did the live sessions help create a sense of community? 26 High or some degree = 48 % Low/somewhat low degree = 37 %
- 27. Live sessions created a sense of community 27 I liked the "encounter", as the sessions were the only times where we "met", so it was supportive for me giving the feeling of taking part in this course with other people […] Comment from a participant
- 28. To what degree do you feel that the course managed to provide a safe and welcoming learning environment? 28 High or some degree = 66 % Somewhat low degree = 11 %
- 29. Module badges 29
- 30. Purpose of using badges • ”An inherent assumption from the gamification perspective is that an external indicator, such as a badge, can act as a motivator to encourage individuals to participate, act or pursue tasks.” • “In systems where badges are visible to the learner they can serve as a way to visualize the learning path of content and activities.” (Ahn et al. 2014) 30
- 31. Badges awarded • Module 1: 45 • Module 2: 36 • Module 3: 29 • Module 4: 23 • Module 5: 20 • Module 6: 17
- 32. To what degree did you experience the badge assignments as a suitable way of assessing your learning? 32 • All (27 informants) • Completed (14) • Intend to complete (10) Low/somewhat low degree = 11 % High or some degree = 63 %
- 33. To what degree did the badge assignments help you reflect on your learning? 33 • All (27 informants) • Completed (14) • Intend to complete (10) Low/somewhat low degree = 22 % High or some degree = 63 %
- 34. To what degree did receiving a badge motivate you to complete the modules of the course? 34 • All (27 informants) • Completed (14) • Intend to complete (10) Low/somewhat low degree = 30 % High or some degree = 59 %
- 35. Conclusions & next run of the course • Too frequent deadlines – Participants lagged behind – Loss of interaction / lack of feedback • Overall course format and design satisfactory • Next run – Fewer, more substantial e-tivities – Fewer deadlines – room for reflection and interaction – Spare time in between modules to catch up – Keep mix of synchronous and asynchronous activities – Make live sessions more interactive and engaging – Keep f-2-f kick off – Keep badge assignments35
- 36. References • Ahn, j.; Pellicone, A. and Butler, B. S. (2014). Open badges for education: what are the implications at the intersection of open systems and badging? In Research in Learning Technology. Vol. 22, 2014. • Illeris, K. and Associates (2004). Learning in working life. Learning Lab Denmark. Roskilde University Press. • Salmon, G. (2013). E-tivities – The key to active online learning. Second Edition. Routledge. • Gilly Salmon’s website on e-tivities: http://www.gillysalmon.com/e- tivities.html • Gilly Salmon’s website on the 5-stage model: http://www.gillysalmon.com/five-stage-model.html • Images from colorbox.com 36