Internet Learning Volume 4, Number 2, Fall 2015 | Page 55

Internet Learning
opportunities by utilizing technology to
empower learners to solve problems, access
information, and create relationships
outside the classroom using the digital
tools (November, 2010). In the online
environment, this challenge is exacerbated
by several factors, including the lack of faceto-face
contact, a hindered ability to share
emotions like enthusiasm, encouragement
or concern, learner/instructor isolation, and
the unrealistic expectations of students that
online coursework is easier and requires
less time (Cull, Reed, & Kirk, 2010). These
challenges are likely further compounded in
a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC),
where the sheer number of students lessen
the ability of the instructor to engage
individual students, and can manifest
into high withdraw/dropout rates in
MOOCs, as reported by Koutropoulos
and Hougue (2012). Jordan (2013) found
that the average MOOC course is found
to enroll around 43,000 students, 6.5% of
whom complete the course. Despite these
challenges, the online learning environment
has unique components for fostering
student engagement and learning, including
flexibility, interactivity, and creativity for
online instructors to generate a variety of
learning experiences that are both structural
and pedagogical in nature.
The flexibility of learning anytime/
anywhere can empower students to take
charge of their own learning, and focus
on important intellectual tasks at optimal
times. Flexibility of learning has been cited
as a major factor in the sustained growth of
online courses over ten years from less than 2
million in the early 2000s to 6.7 million in the
fall of 2011 as reported in Changing Course:
Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in
the United States (Allen & Seaman, 2013).
Additionally, online courses afford a unique
platform for interactivity, collaboration,
and community building using tools like
discussion boards, blogs, wikis, collaborative
documents/presentations, and social media
groups. When carefully scaffolded by the
instructor, these activities can allow for rich
communication and collaboration, as well
as creativity to build upon ideas and projects
using the vast resources of the Internet.
Moreover, the Internet allows students to
connect with experts in the field, and bring
in perspectives from outside of the online
classroom.
Finally, online instructors can
call upon imagery, audio, video, music,
and interactive elements to enhance the
design of an online course, and express
creativity in the design of instruction for
online students. In terms of pedagogical
strategies for engaging online students,
the online learning environment allows
instructors to establish course goals
and relevance and clearly communicate
expectations before the course begins, and
at each assessment benchmark during the
semester. Because of the ‘backwards design’
of an online course, and the necessity to
view it through the learner’s lens, an online
instructor can set online students up for
success through organization and good
design. Communication can be enhanced
in an online course through behaviors
congruent with immediacy and presence,
both of which have been shown to enhance
student engagement (Richardson & Swan,
2003; Witt, Wheeless, & Allen, 2004).
Online instructors can use asynchronous
tools like email and discussion boards,
and synchronous tools like chat, Skype
or Google Hangouts to connect with and
support students. Finally, online learning
environments allow for multiple forms
of formative and summative assessment.
Online instructors can provide timely
feedback in written/text form, as well in
audio/video format.
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