Fostering Fun: Engaging Students with Asynchronous Online Learning
Fostering Fun: Engaging Students with Asynchronous Online Learning
Fostering Fun: Engaging Students with Asynchronous Online Learning
By Lisa K. Forbes
June 17, 2020
Summary
Today, faculty are being asked to abruptly expand their teaching practices in ways many of us would never have imagined. For many, teaching online is something they’ve never done and for some, it’s something they never desired to do. I have some experience with digital pedagogy but for me personally, asynchronous online teaching holds the highest level of difficulty because my style of teaching induces and relies on a sense of community, connection, and interaction within the classroom.
Not Your Typical Module
If you are already creating modules that make up your course, just change the modules to something fun—something outside the typical pedagogical-language box.
Hidden “Easter Eggs”
An “Easter egg” is some type of hidden clue or hidden prompt that you place within your recorded lecture or other documents that students must view/read for their asynchronous work.
Games for Prizes
Including fun and play in your courses is easier than you think. You can take your existing lesson plans, discussions, or activities and simply add elements of game design to make them more fun.
Alternatives to Recorded Lectures
I started making recorded lectures for content that I wanted students to learn in their asynchronous time. But, I started to get tired of listening to myself talk, so I knew my students were most likely getting tired of recorded lectures, too. Now, I provide alternative ways to convey information rather than solely recording lectures. I think asynchronous learning needs to be dynamic and unpredictable, or you lose students’ attention and focus. Instead of a lecture, I prompt students to research a certain idea to bring back to our synchronous class time.
Reference
Forbes, L. K. (2020, June 17). Fostering Fun: Engaging Students with Asynchronous Online Learning: Faculty Focus. Retrieved June 19, 2020, from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/fostering-fun-engaging-students-with-asynchronous-online-learning/