How to Better Engage Online Students with Online Strategies.
Abstract Online education is growing at a phenomenal rate. This growth in online education offers many opportunities to colleges and universities to reach students who may not have attended a traditional (brick and mortar) college or university. Online education also gives students more control over their education along with a more flexible schedule. As with every opportunity there comes a responsibility. For colleges and universities, this responsibility includes the need to effectively engage students in the online classroom to ensure learning. This paper will review the theories that can be used to foster online learning and education, as well as some of the best practices for effectively engaging the online student in the classroom. Don't despair --these best practices do not require an investment in expensive technology or resources--they just require the creativity and imagination of the instructor to redesign the learning experience and adapt it to the online platform. Authentic learning which includes the use of problems based on real world situations, scenarios and role playing exercises, case studies and problem based activities will be reviewed as one of the most effective ways to encourage engagement of the online student as well as their academic growth and development. As the paper discusses, these concepts can also be utilized with great success with the adult learner in the online classroom. ********** The online education growth has been phenomenal for several years. 62.4% of colleges offered online degree programs at the end of 2012 which is up significantly from 32.5% in 2002 (Sheehy, 2013). When universities experience this type of growth, one of the major questions that educators ask is what new strategies can be used to better engage these types of students? This paper will attempt to answer these questions. The Theories Behind Online Learning There are several theories that can be used for online learning and education. The best theory to use would be Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb, 1984). Kolb defined this as "a process whereby concepts are derived from and continually modified by experience" (p. 28). Chan (2012) defined experiential learning as "learning by actual experience ... it requires the learner to experience, reflect, think and act in a cyclic process in response to the learning situation and what is learned" (pp. 405-406). Baasanjav (2013) described Kolb's theory with respect to e-learning. "The term experiential e-learning, or ee-learning, refers to the possibility of bringing together everyday experience and communication technologies" (Beard, Wilson, McCarter, 2007; Carver, King, Hannum, & Fowler, 2007; Murphey, 2010; Riedel, Endicott, Wasescha, & Goldston, 2007; Trevitte,& Eskow, 2007). He explained that Kolb actually used the theories of Lewin, Dewey, and Piaget concerning direct experience. Baasanjav (2013, p. 576) said, "Kolb (1984) asserts that for the learner to be effective in gaining knowledge or skill, he or she has to fully engage in four main stages: (1) concrete experience; (2) reflective observation; (3) abstract conceptualization; and (4) active experimentation" (p. 576). The research of Foote and Mixson-Brookshire (2014) confirmed the strategic use of Kolb's model to enhance student online learning. Hence, this blend of experiential learning with e-learning brings together the best of the student's experiences with the use of technology. In an online classroom, there are no limits as to what can be learned from the experiential use of the technologies. It should be noted that students desire more control over their education along with a flexible schedule in the learning process which is a distinct advantage of online education (Carver, King, Hannum, & Fowler, 2007; Drake, Drake, & Ewing, 2010; Dunlap, Dobrovolny, & Young, 2008; Kennedy, 2004; Lalonde, 2011). Adult Learners in an Online Environment Malcom Knowles is the theorist who said that adults' learning is vastly different from children's learning. …