Tag: Active

Redefining active learning in a digitally transformed higher education landscape

Join HEPI for a webinar on Thursday 11 December 2025 from 10am to 11am to discuss how universities can strengthen the student voice in governance to mark the launch of our upcoming report, Rethinking the Student Voice. Sign up now to hear our speakers explore the key questions.

This blog was kindly authored by Dr Andrew Woon, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management, Monash University Malaysia.

After teaching in the UK for nearly five years, I returned to Malaysia and joined Monash University. There I noticed a striking difference in the approach to teaching and learning methodologies.

Many universities have been grappling with low student attendance, a trend particularly acute since the onset of COVID-19. Additionally, the increasingly diverse student body (including a higher proportion of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, mature-age learners and those studying with disabilities) requires greater flexibility in learning modes to accommodate their varied responsibilities and commitments. These pressures have significantly altered the traditional image of a bustling university campus filled with students, prompting institutions to rethink how education is delivered and experienced.

Some universities have taken dramatic steps to address these challenges, Adelaide University decided to discontinue face-to-face lectures, and many other major Australian universities have redefined their course delivery formats to incorporate digital content and self-paced modules.

Monash University has implemented both asynchronous and synchronous learning approaches as part of its transformative teaching and learning initiatives, aligned with the Impact 2030 strategic plan. At Monash, we view the Moodle learning platform not merely as a content repository, but as a dynamic “classroom” space. It serves as an interactive environment where educators can engage students through structured modules, collaborative activities, and timely feedback – going beyond simply sharing materials and resources.

At Monash, we have transitioned lectures to an asynchronous format, which we refer to as “own-time learning.” This allows students to engage with content at their convenience. Our tutorials, which represent the synchronous component of learning, are designed to be interactive and focused on higher-order thinking and practical application.

The goal is to redefine active learning across both asynchronous and synchronous learning spaces to empower students to take ownership of their educational journey. With the rapid advancement of AI fundamentally reshaping the educational landscape, it is high time for bold, intentional changes in how we design, support, deliver, and assess learning.

In an era where information and knowledge are readily accessible, we have reimagined passive lecturing by breaking it down into microlearning blocks. Traditional lectures are now delivered as short, topic-specific videos accompanied by thought-provoking questions and scaffolded learning activities. This structure prepares students for synchronous sessions by stimulating curiosity, promoting cognitive engagement, and cultivating practical skills.

Of course, this method is not without its challenges. Many educators rightly raise concerns about how many students actually complete the pre-session “own-time learning” and how effectively they engage with the material before attending tutorials. Yet, this very concern also applies to traditional live, large lecture sessions, where passive attendance does not necessarily equate to meaningful engagement or preparation. The shift to asynchronous formats simply makes this issue more visible and measurable, prompting us to rethink how we scaffold, motivate, and support student learning across modalities.

This transformation not only responds to the diverse needs of our student population (including those balancing work, caregiving, or accessibility challenges), but also enables more effective utilisation of physical classroom spaces. Traditional lecture theatres can be reimagined as interactive, collaborative learning environments that foster deeper engagement, peer dialogue, and practical application.

In addition, shifting classroom activities to online spaces enables students to better plan their timetables, reducing scheduling conflicts and long gaps between classes. This flexibility not only supports time management but also cultivates essential skills in online collaboration, digital communication, and self-directed learning — competencies that are increasingly vital in both academic and professional spheres.

The shift to asynchronous lectures represents a significant cultural change in learning, requiring adaptation from both students and educators. As educators, we must evolve from being mere content deliverers to becoming facilitators who thoughtfully design learning activities that promote engagement, critical thinking, and autonomy. This pedagogical shift challenges us to create meaningful learning experiences that guide students through inquiry, application, and reflection, rather than relying on the passive delivery of content typical of large lecture formats.

As a result, I do not see asynchronous lectures as a lesser form of teaching or an intellectual compromise, but rather as a strategic shift that empowers students to learn at their own pace, revisit complex concepts, and prepare more meaningfully for interactive sessions. When thoughtfully designed, asynchronous learning fosters autonomy, deepens engagement, and complements synchronous tutorials in cultivating higher-order thinking and practical skills.

I believe UK institutions should take a bold step forward, as the current format of delivery is unlikely to drive meaningful progress. The traditional reliance on large, live lectures and rigid timetabling no longer aligns with the evolving needs of students or the realities of a digitally transformed educational landscape. Embracing asynchronous and blended learning models that are paired with thoughtful curriculum design can foster deeper engagement, greater flexibility, and more inclusive learning experiences for all.

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December 2, 2025
ACTIVE SHOOTER” at Villanova University was a “cruel hoax.

News sources in the Philadelphia area were alerted today that there was an active shooter at Villanova University. Students received text messages and rushed for safety. About two hours later, the university President Rev. Peter M. Donohue called it a “cruel hoax.”

Campus hoaxes are not mere pranks. They are crimes and a dangerous reflection of a society where the line between reality and rumor blurs under the shadow of violence. Each false alarm chips away at the sense of security that universities promise their students. Until the United States addresses the root causes of both gun violence and the culture of fear it breeds, campus hoaxes will remain part of higher education’s uneasy reality.

The Broader Context: America’s Culture of Violence

The threat of harm is not abstract. In the U.S., campus shootings have become a recurring tragedy: Virginia Tech (2007), Northern Illinois University (2008), Umpqua Community College (2015), and Michigan State (2023), among many others. This context makes hoaxes especially dangerous: police and students cannot know in the moment whether the threat is real. A single misstep could cost lives.

Accountability and Prevention

Universities and local authorities have begun tracking and prosecuting hoaxes and swatting calls, but enforcement is difficult. Prevention may require better technology, coordinated responses, and clear communication with students. Most importantly, it requires addressing the broader conditions that make both real shootings and hoaxes possible: widespread access to firearms, untreated mental illness, and a culture desensitized to violence.

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August 21, 2025
Shots fired, major police action, active shooter at Emory University campus in Atlanta

Higher Education Inquirer : LIVE SWAT: Shots fired, major police action, active shooter at Emory University campus in Atlanta

LIVE SWAT: Shots fired, major police action, active shooter at Emory University campus in Atlanta

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August 8, 2025
Faculty better get active on AI and academic freedom.
Is AI an academic freedom issue?

Of course.

Education technology as a whole is an academic freedom issue, unfortunately, the encroachment of technological systems which shape (and in some cases even determine) pedagogy, research and governance have been left in the hands of others, with faculty required to capitulate to a system designed and controlled by others.

AI is here, rather suddenly, pretty disruptively, and in a big way. Different institutions are adopting different stances and much of the adaptation is falling on faculty, in some cases with minimal guidance. While considering how these tools impact what’s happening at the level of course and pedagogy is a necessity, it also seems clear that faculty concerned about preserving their own rights should be considering some of the institutional/structural issues.

Personally, I have more questions than answers at this time, but there’s a handful of recent readings that I want to recommend to others to help ground thinking that may lead to better questions and actionable answers.

A report, Artificial Intelligence and the Academic Professions, just released by the AAUP, should be at the top of anyone’s list. Based on a national survey, the report examines a number of big-picture categories, all of which have a direct relationship to issues of academic freedom.
1. Improving Professional Development Regarding AI and Technology Harms
2. Implementing Shared Governance Policies and Professional Oversight
3. Improving Working and Learning Conditions
4. Demanding Transparency and the Ability to Opt Out
5. Protecting Faculty Members and Other Academic Workers.
The report both summarizes faculty concerns as expressed in the survey and offers recommendations for actions that will protect faculty rights and autonomy. Having read the report, in some cases the recommendations initially seem frustratingly vague but looked at in total, they are essentially a call for active faculty involvement in considering the implications of the intersection of this technology (and the companies developing it) with educational institutions.

In a way, the report highlights, in hindsight, how truly absent faculty have been as existing educational technology has been woven into the fabric of our institutions, and that it would be a disaster for that absence to be perpetuated when it comes to AI.

After checking out the AAUP report, move on to Matt Seybold’s, How Venture Capitalists Built A For-Profit “Micro-University” Inside Our Public Flagships, published at his newsletter, The American Vandal. It’s a long and complicated story about the ways outside service providers conceived in venture capital/private equity have insinuated themselves into our universities in ways that undermine faculty roles and educational quality.

It would take a full column to do Seybold’s piece justice, but here are two quotes that I hope induce you to go consider his full argument.

Here Seybold pulls the lid back on what it means for these third-party provider offerings to exist under a university brand “powered by” the third-party provider:

The “powered by model” is a truly absurdist role reversal. A private, unaccredited company founded and run by sales and marketing professionals is responsible for the (pseudo)educational coursework, while the accredited university is employed only for its sales and marketing functions, getting paid by commission on the headcount of students who enroll from their branded portal. University partners are incentivized to flex their brand power and use their proprietary data, advertising budgets, and sales forces to maximize this commission, while Ziplines provides cookie-cutter landing pages and highly reproducible microdegrees, the content of which is largely created by gigworkers.

And here, Seybold pinpoints the downstream effect of these kinds of “partnerships.”

EdTech is not only always a Trojan horse for elite capture of public resources; it is also always a project in delegitimizing the project of public education itself.

The applicability of Seybold’s analysis to the “AI partnerships” many institutions are busy signing should be clear.

As another thought experiment exercise, I recommend making your way through a Hollis Robbins’s piece at her Anecdotal website, How to Deliver CSU’s Gen Ed with AI.

Robbins, a former university dean, perhaps intends this more as a provocation than an actionable proposal but, as a proposal, it is a comprehensive vision for replacing human labor with AI instruction that relies on a series of interwoven tech applications where humans are “in the loop,” but which largely run autonomously.

If realized, this sort of vision would obviate academic freedom on two fronts:
1. The curriculum would be codified and assessed according to a rigid standard and then be delivered primarily through AI.
2. Faculty would barely exist.
I read it as a surveillance-driven dystopia from which I would either have to opt-out (if allowed), or more likely have to flee, but you can check the comments to the post itself and find some early enthusiasts. The complexity of the technological vision suggests that such a vision would be difficult to impossible to realize, but the underlying values of increased efficiency, decreased cost and increased standardization are consistent with the direction educational systems have been going for decades.

Many of the factors that have eroded faculty rights and left institutions vulnerable to the attacks that have been coming were, indeed, foreseeable. Adjunctification is at the top of my list.

When it comes to technology and the university, we’ve seen this play before. If faculty aren’t prepared to assert their rights and exercise their power, you won’t see me writing the kinds of lamentations I’ve offered about tenure over the years because there won’t be enough faculty left to worry about such things.
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July 25, 2025
Expanded AI Makes Active, Personalized Learning More Accessible

Top Hat’s AI-powered assistant, Ace, just got even better. Two new features—example generation and personalized practice—make it easier than ever for educators to personalize learning and give students the support they need to stay on track.

Ace was designed to take the heavy lifting out of creating assessments and provide students with help when they need it. Now, it’s enabling educators to make learning more relevant by connecting course content to student interests and career goals and by offering targeted practice based on where students are struggling most.

“Each of these features reflects our belief that great teaching and learning happens when technology helps people do what they do best,” said Maggie Leen, CEO of Top Hat. “With Ace, we’re building an experience that empowers busy educators and motivates students to connect, explore, practice, and succeed.”

Since its introduction in 2023, Ace has become a trusted partner for instructors seeking to deepen engagement and boost learning outcomes. The new enhancements make it simple for educators to implement teaching practices shown to improve learning, and enhance student success through on-demand, personalized study support.

Example Generation: Make Content More Relevant and Engaging

One of the biggest challenges in teaching is helping students see why what they’re learning actually matters. With Ace’s new example generation feature, educators can highlight any part of their course material and ask Ace to create a scenario that ties the concept to something students might encounter in their future careers—or even in everyday life. For instance, an educator teaching anatomy to nursing students might ask Ace to show how muscle function affects patient mobility. When content is connected to students’ goals or lived experiences, it becomes more relevant and meaningful.

This new capability builds on Ace’s popular question generation tool used by faculty to create formative assessments from their content with just a few clicks. With example generation, educators have another fast and flexible way to personalize course material and make learning more engaging.

Personalized Practice: Turn Mistakes Into Learning Opportunities

Many students want more chances to practice but often don’t know what to review or where to start. Ace’s new personalized practice feature gives them just that. As students work through assigned readings and questions, Ace pinpoints where they’re struggling and creates targeted practice sets based on those areas. Feedback is instant, helping students stay on track and build confidence before high-stakes tests.

More than 100,000 students have used Ace for on-demand study help—from chat-based explanations to unlimited practice questions tied directly to their course content. The new personalized practice feature builds on these tools by offering even more tailored support. It’s a smarter, more continuous way to learn, to build confidence, and deepen understanding over time.

“Ace shows what’s possible when AI is used thoughtfully to empower instructors, reflect students’ interests, and elevate the learning experience,” said Hong Bui, Chief Product Officer at Top Hat. “As Ace continues to evolve, we’ll add new capabilities to help educators teach more efficiently and create more impactful, engaging experiences for their students.”

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July 11, 2025
Bridging the Gap: Active Learning Strategies for Traditional and Online Classrooms – Faculty Focus

There I was, standing in front of my face-to-face Introduction to Psychology class on a sunny Monday afternoon in spring 2024. I was watching as a few of my students took notes while the remaining students sat passively, perhaps hoping my animated gestures and pacing would somehow osmotically transfer my explanation of classical conditioning into their brains. Meanwhile, in my online section of the same course, students worked through carefully crafted modules at their own pace, their participation in discussion boards ebbing and flowing unpredictably. That’s when it hit me—despite years of teaching experience, I’m still searching for ways to spark the same level of engagement whether I’m interacting with students face-to-face or through carefully designed asynchronous activities. These parallel yet distinct teaching environments demand intentional strategies that can adapt while maintaining their power to actively engage students in the learning process.

Rethinking Active Learning for Asynchronous Spaces

Traditional active learning techniques that work beautifully in my face-to-face classes often fall flat in the asynchronous online environment. Take the classic “turn to your neighbor and discuss” prompt that energizes my traditional classes—there’s no direct equivalent when students are logging in at different times throughout the week. Yet simply abandoning these proven engagement strategies isn’t the answer. Instead, we need to reimagine active learning for both spaces, maintaining the core principles while adapting the execution. The key is finding techniques that preserve what makes active learning so powerful—student engagement, peer interaction, and immediate application of concepts—while acknowledging the unique constraints and opportunities of each learning environment.

One of the most powerful techniques in my traditional classroom is the think-pair-share discussion format. Students have those precious moments to gather their thoughts before turning to a classmate to discuss concepts like confirmation bias or the impact of classical conditioning on everyday behavior. The students are energized as pairs merge into small groups, building on each other’s insights before sharing with the whole class. But how do we capture that same collaborative energy in an asynchronous environment?

I’ve found success by structuring online discussions in three distinct phases that mirror the in-person experience. First, students post their initial response to a thought-provoking prompt (the “think” phase). Then, they must meaningfully respond to two classmates’ posts, building on their ideas rather than simply agreeing (the “pair” phase). Finally, students return to their original post and reflect on how their understanding has evolved after engaging with their peers’ perspectives (the “share” phase). The key is crafting prompts that demand critical thinking—instead of asking “What is classical conditioning?” I might ask “How would you use classical conditioning principles to help someone overcome their fear of public speaking?”

Timing matters, too. In my face-to-face class, I allow two to three minutes for individual reflection, five minutes for pair discussions, and 10 minutes for group sharing. Online, I’ve found success with a similar proportional structure: two days for initial posts, three days for peer responses, and two days for final reflections. This creates a rhythm that keeps the discussion moving while accommodating varied schedules.

Designing Collaborative Learning Experiences

Interactive content creation transforms how students engage with course material in both environments. In my traditional classes, I divide students into small groups to create concept maps exploring the relationships between different psychological disorders. Armed with markers and paper, they work collaboratively to connect concepts like anxiety, depression, and trauma responses, discovering links they might have missed studying alone. The energy is palpable as groups share their maps, debating connections and building on each other’s insights.

For my online students, I’ve adapted this activity using collaborative digital tools. Students work in small groups throughout the week to build their concept maps using shared online workspaces. Each student must add at least three concepts and make meaningful connections to their groupmates’ contributions. The asynchronous format actually offers an advantage here – students have time to think deeply about their contributions and can watch their group’s map evolve over several days. I provide specific deadlines for initial contributions and peer feedback to maintain momentum.

I have found that the key to success in either environment lies in providing clear examples of strong concept maps at the outset, establishing specific criteria for meaningful connections, and requiring students to explain their reasoning for each link they create. Deadlines for each phase keep the momentum going, while incorporating peer evaluation into the final grade ensures consistent participation. The resulting maps often reveal insights that surprise both me and my students, demonstrating how collaborative learning can deepen understanding regardless of the teaching modality.

Measuring Engagement and Refining Strategy

One-minute papers serve as powerful self-assessment tools in my traditional classes. For example, at the end of our discussion on memory formation, I ask students to quickly write down the most important concept they learned and one question they still have. This simple exercise reveals gaps in understanding and helps students consolidate their learning. In our next class, I address the most common questions, creating a feedback loop that keeps everyone engaged.

For my online students, I’ve transformed this into structured reflection journals. After completing each module, students must identify their key takeaway and pose one substantive question about the material. The asynchronous format allows for deeper reflection, and I’ve noticed online students often make fascinating connections to their personal experiences. Each week, I compile the most thought-provoking questions into a FAQ document, creating a collaborative resource that benefits the entire class.

Success in both formats require clear guidelines about what constitutes a meaningful reflection versus surface-level observations. Students stating that “the limbic system processes emotions” won’t suffice—they need to explain how this knowledge changes their understanding of human behavior. This approach not only reinforces learning but also develops critical thinking skills that serve students well beyond our course.

Measuring engagement across different learning environments requires that I use a systematic approach. In my traditional classroom, I track participation through observation and collect quick feedback via index cards. For my online students, I monitor not just the frequency but the quality of their discussion posts and collaborative work. The key metrics that I use remain consistent across both spaces: depth of analysis, peer interaction quality, and concept application.

I use a simple framework that examines three elements: initial engagement (participation in discussions or activities), sustained interaction (meaningful responses to peers), and learning application (connecting concepts to real-world scenarios). For each component, I look for evidence of critical thinking rather than mere completion. This approach helps identify which strategies are working and which need adjustment.

Beyond quantitative measures, I pay attention to qualitative indicators like the sophistication of student questions and the complexity of peer-to-peer discussions. These insights guide my refinement of teaching strategies in both environments, ensuring that active learning remains effective regardless of delivery method.

As the spring semester progressed, I saw the impact of the adapted strategies in both my traditional and online psychology classes. Those initially passive students in my traditional class began to engage in our active learning exercises, while my online students built an active learning community through their thoughtful asynchronous interactions. In my experience, the key isn’t choosing between traditional and online teaching methods—it’s understanding how to preserve active learning while adapting strategies to fit each unique environment. By reimagining rather than simply transplanting these strategies, we can create engaging learning experiences that work effectively across both spaces.

Dr. Dunja “Dee” Trunk, a professor of psychology at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, has a passion for teaching and a genuine belief in the transformative power of education.

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May 5, 2025
Bridging the Gap: Active Learning Strategies for Traditional and Online Classrooms – Faculty Focus

There I was, standing in front of my face-to-face Introduction to Psychology class on a sunny Monday afternoon in spring 2024. I was watching as a few of my students took notes while the remaining students sat passively, perhaps hoping my animated gestures and pacing would somehow osmotically transfer my explanation of classical conditioning into their brains. Meanwhile, in my online section of the same course, students worked through carefully crafted modules at their own pace, their participation in discussion boards ebbing and flowing unpredictably. That’s when it hit me—despite years of teaching experience, I’m still searching for ways to spark the same level of engagement whether I’m interacting with students face-to-face or through carefully designed asynchronous activities. These parallel yet distinct teaching environments demand intentional strategies that can adapt while maintaining their power to actively engage students in the learning process.

Rethinking Active Learning for Asynchronous Spaces

Traditional active learning techniques that work beautifully in my face-to-face classes often fall flat in the asynchronous online environment. Take the classic “turn to your neighbor and discuss” prompt that energizes my traditional classes—there’s no direct equivalent when students are logging in at different times throughout the week. Yet simply abandoning these proven engagement strategies isn’t the answer. Instead, we need to reimagine active learning for both spaces, maintaining the core principles while adapting the execution. The key is finding techniques that preserve what makes active learning so powerful—student engagement, peer interaction, and immediate application of concepts—while acknowledging the unique constraints and opportunities of each learning environment.

One of the most powerful techniques in my traditional classroom is the think-pair-share discussion format. Students have those precious moments to gather their thoughts before turning to a classmate to discuss concepts like confirmation bias or the impact of classical conditioning on everyday behavior. The students are energized as pairs merge into small groups, building on each other’s insights before sharing with the whole class. But how do we capture that same collaborative energy in an asynchronous environment?

I’ve found success by structuring online discussions in three distinct phases that mirror the in-person experience. First, students post their initial response to a thought-provoking prompt (the “think” phase). Then, they must meaningfully respond to two classmates’ posts, building on their ideas rather than simply agreeing (the “pair” phase). Finally, students return to their original post and reflect on how their understanding has evolved after engaging with their peers’ perspectives (the “share” phase). The key is crafting prompts that demand critical thinking—instead of asking “What is classical conditioning?” I might ask “How would you use classical conditioning principles to help someone overcome their fear of public speaking?”

Timing matters, too. In my face-to-face class, I allow two to three minutes for individual reflection, five minutes for pair discussions, and 10 minutes for group sharing. Online, I’ve found success with a similar proportional structure: two days for initial posts, three days for peer responses, and two days for final reflections. This creates a rhythm that keeps the discussion moving while accommodating varied schedules.

Designing Collaborative Learning Experiences

Interactive content creation transforms how students engage with course material in both environments. In my traditional classes, I divide students into small groups to create concept maps exploring the relationships between different psychological disorders. Armed with markers and paper, they work collaboratively to connect concepts like anxiety, depression, and trauma responses, discovering links they might have missed studying alone. The energy is palpable as groups share their maps, debating connections and building on each other’s insights.

For my online students, I’ve adapted this activity using collaborative digital tools. Students work in small groups throughout the week to build their concept maps using shared online workspaces. Each student must add at least three concepts and make meaningful connections to their groupmates’ contributions. The asynchronous format actually offers an advantage here – students have time to think deeply about their contributions and can watch their group’s map evolve over several days. I provide specific deadlines for initial contributions and peer feedback to maintain momentum.

I have found that the key to success in either environment lies in providing clear examples of strong concept maps at the outset, establishing specific criteria for meaningful connections, and requiring students to explain their reasoning for each link they create. Deadlines for each phase keep the momentum going, while incorporating peer evaluation into the final grade ensures consistent participation. The resulting maps often reveal insights that surprise both me and my students, demonstrating how collaborative learning can deepen understanding regardless of the teaching modality.

Measuring Engagement and Refining Strategy

One-minute papers serve as powerful self-assessment tools in my traditional classes. For example, at the end of our discussion on memory formation, I ask students to quickly write down the most important concept they learned and one question they still have. This simple exercise reveals gaps in understanding and helps students consolidate their learning. In our next class, I address the most common questions, creating a feedback loop that keeps everyone engaged.

For my online students, I’ve transformed this into structured reflection journals. After completing each module, students must identify their key takeaway and pose one substantive question about the material. The asynchronous format allows for deeper reflection, and I’ve noticed online students often make fascinating connections to their personal experiences. Each week, I compile the most thought-provoking questions into a FAQ document, creating a collaborative resource that benefits the entire class.

Success in both formats require clear guidelines about what constitutes a meaningful reflection versus surface-level observations. Students stating that “the limbic system processes emotions” won’t suffice—they need to explain how this knowledge changes their understanding of human behavior. This approach not only reinforces learning but also develops critical thinking skills that serve students well beyond our course.

Measuring engagement across different learning environments requires that I use a systematic approach. In my traditional classroom, I track participation through observation and collect quick feedback via index cards. For my online students, I monitor not just the frequency but the quality of their discussion posts and collaborative work. The key metrics that I use remain consistent across both spaces: depth of analysis, peer interaction quality, and concept application.

I use a simple framework that examines three elements: initial engagement (participation in discussions or activities), sustained interaction (meaningful responses to peers), and learning application (connecting concepts to real-world scenarios). For each component, I look for evidence of critical thinking rather than mere completion. This approach helps identify which strategies are working and which need adjustment.

Beyond quantitative measures, I pay attention to qualitative indicators like the sophistication of student questions and the complexity of peer-to-peer discussions. These insights guide my refinement of teaching strategies in both environments, ensuring that active learning remains effective regardless of delivery method.

As the spring semester progressed, I saw the impact of the adapted strategies in both my traditional and online psychology classes. Those initially passive students in my traditional class began to engage in our active learning exercises, while my online students built an active learning community through their thoughtful asynchronous interactions. In my experience, the key isn’t choosing between traditional and online teaching methods—it’s understanding how to preserve active learning while adapting strategies to fit each unique environment. By reimagining rather than simply transplanting these strategies, we can create engaging learning experiences that work effectively across both spaces.

Dr. Dunja “Dee” Trunk, a professor of psychology at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, has a passion for teaching and a genuine belief in the transformative power of education.

Source link

May 5, 2025
5 High-Presence Teaching Tactics for Active Online Learning – Faculty Focus
Could you run 100 miles? Or climb Mount Everest? Or pass college algebra online? These tasks might seem overwhelming and possibly insurmountable, yet with components of social interaction and fun distractions, more can be accomplished. For any task that feels impossible, adding pieces of social engagement and active learning can be a significant variable toward success.

For many university students, participating in an online math course brings about the distressing emotions of a monumental chore. Within the Purdue Global’s Math Department within the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies, many innovative and inspiring ideas are combined with active learning tactics to promote high-presence teaching in the online classroom.

1. Anything but Text

Personalize your communication with avatars, emojis, Animojis, Memojis, Bitmojis, whatever it takes. If there is a way to convey a message using something other than text – try it out! The variety of media will likely hold attention and engagement more than any text string of characters could.
- bitmoji.com – Create your own personal emoji with expressive cartoon-like poses and sayings. They are easily integrated as a Chrome extension and with mobile and desktop Gmail. Images can be saved and then used in any number of other contexts such as announcements or DB posts.
- emojicopy.com – A searchable way to copy/paste emojis easily accessed via Chrome extension or website. Their emoji library includes a range of accessible-related emojis as well as embedded alt text making them Unicode ADA compliant.
- Animated Memojis – (Apple devices only) – Create and save short memoji video messages, called clips. Short phrases such as “Great job.”, “Thanks for your hard work!”, “Good effort.”, can be recorded and saved for easy distribution via messages, emails and course announcements. More details at https://support.apple.com/en-gb/111115
- Genmoji (iOS 18.2 only) – The latest and greatest of the emoji world. Now, you are able to create your own emoji based on a description – the sky’s the limit. As they say…Imagine it. Genmoji it.
2. Bring on the Game

Everyone likes to play games. There are many ways to mix up the monotony of skills practice using games. Many websites have free online game makers/templates.
- Bingobaker.com – Create a bingo game using your own pictures, and formulas, (even bitmojis!) to review terminology, concepts or even make it a formative assessment quiz.
- roomescapemaker.com – Create point-and-click games with puzzles, riddles, and clues. A fun escape room experience for an online course of any subject.
- triviamaker.com – Create games of jeopardy, trivia, wheel of fortune or tic-tac-toe. Easy way to grab your students’ attention during live seminars
3. Chat it up

It is imperative to meet your online students where they are at, reaching out to them through communication channels that are currently used rather than requiring them to… well, check their email (specifically their university-assigned student email!)
- Google Voice is a great way to connect with students through a phone number whether it is a phone call or text message. Google Voice allows you to share a professional phone number that will be routed through your personal device (thus hiding your personal info from students.) Since students are more apt to reach out with questions using their mobile devices, the messaging option is important. Google Voice additionally has a desktop interface (great for typing – or copy/pasting – longer text messages!)
- Google Spaces (Gmail users only): This is a fantastic group chat that can be used as a study chat with file sharing and easy photo/video sharing, whereby the whole class can benefit from questions and answers. Instructors can monitor the chat but allow a student-driven community to converse and share. Furthermore, given Spaces is accessible outside of learning management systems (included in the Gmail interface), it may seem more visible to the – creating an informal space of class community.
4. Make it Mobile

Mobile devices may not be optimal (or encouraged) for completing every assignment in a course, but there are benefits to matching course activities to mobile use. Given that 85% of Blacks and Hispanics own smartphones as opposed to only 69%/67% (respectively) owning a desktop or laptop (Pew Research Center, 2021), non-traditional students are more apt to access their courses via mobile devices (Galanek et al. 2018). Mobile learning is best for:
1. Delivering microlearning content such as short videos/animations, how-to-guides, games, and low-stakes tasks (i.e. checklists, calendars, exit polls, or pulse check quizzes.)
2. Social learning / human interaction pieces such as discussion forums, social networks, or interviews with experts in the field.
3. Any task that is conducive to time efficiency. Allowing students to be productive by taking advantage of small learning moments whereby they can “sneak in” learning tasks during a busy day.
“Research has shown that we learn more (and retain it better) when we study in short, focused bursts than when we’re forced to sit through hour long classes — but of course your younger self that was bored to tears at school knew that already.” (Andriotis, 2015)

5. Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate

Online learning is inherently isolating, so whatever can be done to build community and help students make connections will be worthwhile.
- Small group discussions – Many learning management systems allow for groups/teams to be built within the discussion. Making use of small group (5-8 students) vs. whole class (30 students) discussions has the opportunity to close the geographically-isolating quality of online education.
- Collaborative software – Many websites/apps allow for multiple parties to work together at the same time. The simplest (for Gmail users) is probably any within the Google Suite – Doc, Sheets, or Slides, since most students are familiar with the interface and functionality. Additional sites include collaborative whiteboards such as FigJam (figma.com/figjam/), padlet.com, and mathwhiteboard.com.
These suggestions provide a superficially simple, yet practical approach to learning where the social and interactive components are important engagement tactics and inhibitors to learning difficult math concepts and skills. Let the fun begin!

Credit – Many thanks go to contributing members of Purdue Global’s Math Department within the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies including, but not limited to, Leslie Johnson, Peg Hohensee, Nancy Reck, Nikki Williams, Michael Heeren, Rebecca Calahan, Tiffany Eaton, Nicolae Borota, and many College Algebra Instructors.

Kirsten K. Meymaris earned her MS in Mathematics with an emphasis on Educational Technology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She earned a BS in Mathematics and BS in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology. These degrees provide Kirsten with the foundation for experience across the entire spectrum of online education including content development, management and maintenance of online courseware and direct course facilitation. She joined Purdue University Global (PG) in 2009 as an adjunct, and in 2014, became full time for the Mathematics Department within the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies. Kirsten has been recognized numerous times for her high standards and teaching practices at Purdue Global including 2024 nominee for Outstanding Fulltime Faculty and 2018 Curriculum Revision/Innovator. She has published works in scientific journals for innovative citizen science work and a contributor to recent mathematics and educational texts. At Purdue Global, Kirsten teaches many of the undergraduate courses from Survey of Mathematics to Business Statistics and Quantitative Analysis. Specifically, she manages the high-enrollment course College Algebra, emphasizing the integration of technology and active learning tactics for accessible mathematical understanding in the online world.

References:

Andriotis, N. (2015, September 01). Everything you wanted to know about micro-learning [Web log post]. Retrieved from
https://www.efrontlearning.com/blog/2015/09/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-micro-learning-but-were-afraid-to-ask.html

Ben-Eliyahu, A., Moore, D., Dorph, R., & Schunn, C. D. (2018). Investigating the multidimensionality of engagement: Affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement across science activities and contexts. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 53, 87– 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2018.01.002

Borup, J., Graham, C. R., West, R. E., Archambault, L., & Spring, K. J. (2020). Academic communities of engagement: An expansive lens for examining support structures in blended and online learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(2), 807–832. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09744-x

Galanek, J. D., Gierdowski,D. C., Brooks, D. C. (2018). ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology. EDUCAUSE.
https://www.educause.edu/ecar/research-publications/ecar-study-of-undergraduate-students-and-information-technology/2018/introduction-and-key-findings

Gardner, K., & Leary, H. (2023). Online learning for first-generation and underrepresented minoritized students: A literature review using a model of student engagement. Online Learning, 27(1), 263-291. DOI: 10.24059/olj.v27i1.3392

(April 7, 2021). Mobile Fact sheet. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
Source link
April 21, 2025
5 High-Presence Teaching Tactics for Active Online Learning – Faculty Focus
Could you run 100 miles? Or climb Mount Everest? Or pass college algebra online? These tasks might seem overwhelming and possibly insurmountable, yet with components of social interaction and fun distractions, more can be accomplished. For any task that feels impossible, adding pieces of social engagement and active learning can be a significant variable toward success.

For many university students, participating in an online math course brings about the distressing emotions of a monumental chore. Within the Purdue Global’s Math Department within the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies, many innovative and inspiring ideas are combined with active learning tactics to promote high-presence teaching in the online classroom.

1. Anything but Text

Personalize your communication with avatars, emojis, Animojis, Memojis, Bitmojis, whatever it takes. If there is a way to convey a message using something other than text – try it out! The variety of media will likely hold attention and engagement more than any text string of characters could.
- bitmoji.com – Create your own personal emoji with expressive cartoon-like poses and sayings. They are easily integrated as a Chrome extension and with mobile and desktop Gmail. Images can be saved and then used in any number of other contexts such as announcements or DB posts.
- emojicopy.com – A searchable way to copy/paste emojis easily accessed via Chrome extension or website. Their emoji library includes a range of accessible-related emojis as well as embedded alt text making them Unicode ADA compliant.
- Animated Memojis – (Apple devices only) – Create and save short memoji video messages, called clips. Short phrases such as “Great job.”, “Thanks for your hard work!”, “Good effort.”, can be recorded and saved for easy distribution via messages, emails and course announcements. More details at https://support.apple.com/en-gb/111115
- Genmoji (iOS 18.2 only) – The latest and greatest of the emoji world. Now, you are able to create your own emoji based on a description – the sky’s the limit. As they say…Imagine it. Genmoji it.
2. Bring on the Game

Everyone likes to play games. There are many ways to mix up the monotony of skills practice using games. Many websites have free online game makers/templates.
- Bingobaker.com – Create a bingo game using your own pictures, and formulas, (even bitmojis!) to review terminology, concepts or even make it a formative assessment quiz.
- roomescapemaker.com – Create point-and-click games with puzzles, riddles, and clues. A fun escape room experience for an online course of any subject.
- triviamaker.com – Create games of jeopardy, trivia, wheel of fortune or tic-tac-toe. Easy way to grab your students’ attention during live seminars
3. Chat it up

It is imperative to meet your online students where they are at, reaching out to them through communication channels that are currently used rather than requiring them to… well, check their email (specifically their university-assigned student email!)
- Google Voice is a great way to connect with students through a phone number whether it is a phone call or text message. Google Voice allows you to share a professional phone number that will be routed through your personal device (thus hiding your personal info from students.) Since students are more apt to reach out with questions using their mobile devices, the messaging option is important. Google Voice additionally has a desktop interface (great for typing – or copy/pasting – longer text messages!)
- Google Spaces (Gmail users only): This is a fantastic group chat that can be used as a study chat with file sharing and easy photo/video sharing, whereby the whole class can benefit from questions and answers. Instructors can monitor the chat but allow a student-driven community to converse and share. Furthermore, given Spaces is accessible outside of learning management systems (included in the Gmail interface), it may seem more visible to the – creating an informal space of class community.
4. Make it Mobile

Mobile devices may not be optimal (or encouraged) for completing every assignment in a course, but there are benefits to matching course activities to mobile use. Given that 85% of Blacks and Hispanics own smartphones as opposed to only 69%/67% (respectively) owning a desktop or laptop (Pew Research Center, 2021), non-traditional students are more apt to access their courses via mobile devices (Galanek et al. 2018). Mobile learning is best for:
1. Delivering microlearning content such as short videos/animations, how-to-guides, games, and low-stakes tasks (i.e. checklists, calendars, exit polls, or pulse check quizzes.)
2. Social learning / human interaction pieces such as discussion forums, social networks, or interviews with experts in the field.
3. Any task that is conducive to time efficiency. Allowing students to be productive by taking advantage of small learning moments whereby they can “sneak in” learning tasks during a busy day.
“Research has shown that we learn more (and retain it better) when we study in short, focused bursts than when we’re forced to sit through hour long classes — but of course your younger self that was bored to tears at school knew that already.” (Andriotis, 2015)

5. Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate

Online learning is inherently isolating, so whatever can be done to build community and help students make connections will be worthwhile.
- Small group discussions – Many learning management systems allow for groups/teams to be built within the discussion. Making use of small group (5-8 students) vs. whole class (30 students) discussions has the opportunity to close the geographically-isolating quality of online education.
- Collaborative software – Many websites/apps allow for multiple parties to work together at the same time. The simplest (for Gmail users) is probably any within the Google Suite – Doc, Sheets, or Slides, since most students are familiar with the interface and functionality. Additional sites include collaborative whiteboards such as FigJam (figma.com/figjam/), padlet.com, and mathwhiteboard.com.
These suggestions provide a superficially simple, yet practical approach to learning where the social and interactive components are important engagement tactics and inhibitors to learning difficult math concepts and skills. Let the fun begin!

Credit – Many thanks go to contributing members of Purdue Global’s Math Department within the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies including, but not limited to, Leslie Johnson, Peg Hohensee, Nancy Reck, Nikki Williams, Michael Heeren, Rebecca Calahan, Tiffany Eaton, Nicolae Borota, and many College Algebra Instructors.

Kirsten K. Meymaris earned her MS in Mathematics with an emphasis on Educational Technology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She earned a BS in Mathematics and BS in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology. These degrees provide Kirsten with the foundation for experience across the entire spectrum of online education including content development, management and maintenance of online courseware and direct course facilitation. She joined Purdue University Global (PG) in 2009 as an adjunct, and in 2014, became full time for the Mathematics Department within the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies. Kirsten has been recognized numerous times for her high standards and teaching practices at Purdue Global including 2024 nominee for Outstanding Fulltime Faculty and 2018 Curriculum Revision/Innovator. She has published works in scientific journals for innovative citizen science work and a contributor to recent mathematics and educational texts. At Purdue Global, Kirsten teaches many of the undergraduate courses from Survey of Mathematics to Business Statistics and Quantitative Analysis. Specifically, she manages the high-enrollment course College Algebra, emphasizing the integration of technology and active learning tactics for accessible mathematical understanding in the online world.

References:

Andriotis, N. (2015, September 01). Everything you wanted to know about micro-learning [Web log post]. Retrieved from
https://www.efrontlearning.com/blog/2015/09/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-micro-learning-but-were-afraid-to-ask.html

Ben-Eliyahu, A., Moore, D., Dorph, R., & Schunn, C. D. (2018). Investigating the multidimensionality of engagement: Affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement across science activities and contexts. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 53, 87– 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2018.01.002

Borup, J., Graham, C. R., West, R. E., Archambault, L., & Spring, K. J. (2020). Academic communities of engagement: An expansive lens for examining support structures in blended and online learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(2), 807–832. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09744-x

Galanek, J. D., Gierdowski,D. C., Brooks, D. C. (2018). ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology. EDUCAUSE.
https://www.educause.edu/ecar/research-publications/ecar-study-of-undergraduate-students-and-information-technology/2018/introduction-and-key-findings

Gardner, K., & Leary, H. (2023). Online learning for first-generation and underrepresented minoritized students: A literature review using a model of student engagement. Online Learning, 27(1), 263-291. DOI: 10.24059/olj.v27i1.3392

(April 7, 2021). Mobile Fact sheet. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
Source link
April 21, 2025