Dana Fowler, Associate Professor in the College of Nursing, explains how she uses online PowerPoint documents to facilitate meaningful, interactive learning experiences for her students.
Meaningful Student Engagement
Spark student curiosity through real-world application
Online discussion forums are a common feature of online courses, but they often fail to capture the excitement and spontaneity of face-to-face interactions. Instead of trying to mimic the classroom online, why not explore strategies that make the most of online tools? Consider using online collaborative documents that enable students to present what they have learned. For example, students can summarize findings from current events in the field, report on experiential learning activities, and practice communicating key concepts through multimedia presentations.
Real-time edits and collaborative knowledge creation
In Dana’s courses students are divided into small groups, and each group is assigned to their own slide on shared online PowerPoint documents. Dana can see edits as they are made, and she provides timely and helpful comments while students are working. The slides become a valuable resource for the class - they contain current internet research and real-world medical analyses. Students can download the files and refer to them in subsequent semesters.
"Using collaborative documents has really made my courses come alive. I enjoy teaching asynchronous courses more than I did previously. I find it more interesting and less dull. The students are not only learning something from me, they are also learning from other students, and I am learning from them. My online courses no longer feel disconnected and static, but instead dynamic and interactive.” – Dana Fowler
View Online Course Model HELP GUIDE: Sharing online PowerPoint Files
Boost student engagement and motivation in your online course
Would you like to improve student interactions in your online course? The Distance and Online Education Effective Instruction Guide shares strategies to increase online student engagement and motivation. Our staff can assist you at all stages of course development – from initial conception to final implementation – following evidence-based best practices. DOE instructional designers will partner with you to provide customized course design recommendations that fit your teaching style, course goals, and address your students’ needs to enhance your online course.