EDUCAUSE Quarterly Articles and Interaction and Engagement

In order to evaluate student opinion as well as the impact on students of an active learning methodology of two face-to-face presentation styles, during a 50-minute session of library research skills, participants attended either a traditional presentation or a modified one, incorporating the use of the PRS. The Personal Response System is a wireless technology in which students, equipped with clickers, respond to a variety of questions posed by the librarian in the course of the presentation. Both types of sessions, offered by the same librarian, included the same research skills content.  Created for the purpose of evaluating various aspects of the library presentation, a questionnaire completed by all students was analyzed.  In the evaluation, the PRS group not only indicated a greater enjoyment of the session but found the presenter to be well organized.  The authors also discuss aspects of using clickers versus employing a traditional classroom setting.

The instructor’s inclusion of authentic activities improves the quality of student interaction and learning in online classrooms.

Successful online students share their secrets for getting the most from online classes, focusing on time management, active participation, and practice.

A survey substantiates some ideas about online learning and refutes others.

The first review, "Learning by Doing: A Comprehensive Guide to Simulations, Computer Games and Pedagogy in e-Learning and Other Educational Experiences", discusses games and simulations as learning tools. And although the examples come from industry and the military, the book could still be useful to the higher ed community.

Successfully fostering interaction in online courses requires incorporating both instructional and social types of interaction in discussion boards.

Learning management systems influence student engagement and learning outcomes in ways that we do not properly understand—and should.

Shifts in students' learning style will prompt a shift to active construction of knowledge through mediated immersion.

Answering 10 questions will help guide faculty in adopting digital technology for the classroom.