1. Tapping Student Engagement
Engage your students to help them learn better
Auburn University – College of Agriculture Picture

2. Agenda Today we’ll cover: Twitter feeds Discussion Boards Wikis
Journals/Blogs
Increased Learning

3. Twitter Feeds
Uses:
Not About Tweeting but about keeping current in the field

4. Discussion Boards Discussion Boards can help to:
Demonstrate and share understanding of key concepts
Foster critical thinking
Allow for in-depth reflection
Facilitate peer review
Develop writing skills
Build community
Discussion boards can open the door to a more rigorous type of class participation that is often not possible on ground.

5. Discussion Board -Learning Objectives
Ask the following questions when creating a discussion thread:
What do I want my students to do or learn?
What do they need to know to participate effectively?
How will I know that they’ve learned?
Effective discussion boards are designed with specific learning objectives in mind.

6. Discussion Board - Clarifying Expectations
Be clear about what’s expected:
Be specific about length, tone, “netiquette,” deadlines, responding to classmates
Consider using a rubric when grading
Remind students about resources required for an adequate response
While most students are internet savvy, not all are familiar with how academic discussions work in an online context.

7. Wikis
Wikis provide a shared virtual space for students to share and edit ideas. These are skills that students will need in the work world which increasingly involves these skills.
Collaboration across time and space

8. Wikis Students are required to contribute their ideas
Students are required to review, comment on and sometimes edit other students comments
Provide a place to “store ideas” from a group or an entire class for future reference.
Easy to see who contributed what
All contributions are recorded and can’t be erased.
Engage students because:

9. Journals, Blogs
Reflective thinking and sharing between student and instructor or students and other students

10. Journals, Blogs
Helpful Hints

11. Engaging Students Start with one that makes sense
Get student’s reaction
New software is constantly coming online.
Not just for fun but for serious learning