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Thriving in an Online World
A Guide for Higher Education Instructors
Faculty of Education – Ontario Tech University
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Thriving in an Online World – For Busy K-12 Educators is licensed under a Creative Commons
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This publication is licensed under a Creative Commons License (see
www.creativecommons.org). The text may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes,
provided that credit is given to the original author.
First published Nov 2020
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Chapter 2
How to Thrive in Online Learning Environments
Dr. Robin Kay
Overview
Many higher education instructors have a solid grasp of effective pedagogy and the strategies
needed for students to succeed in the classroom. Translating those strategies into a blended
or online format can be challenging in the beginning. With a focus on pedagogy first, this
chapter will provide practical suggestions and resources to help higher education instructors
make this transition.
When I first started teaching online over ten years ago, I felt like a first-year teacher. I was
anxious, unsure and worried that the technology could be problematic. I would guess that most
instructors new to blended and online learning would feel this way.
This chapter will focus on what I have learned from teaching in an online environment for over
a decade. Key areas covered include:
1. Overview - Learning Framework
2. Video Creation Tips
3. Learning Outcomes and Assessment
4. Pre-Course Ideas
5. Technology Needed for Class
6. Useful Technology Tools
7. Your First Class/Week
8. Starting Any Class
9. Online Activities
10. Consolidation
11. Home Activities
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Overview - Framework & Approach
Community of Inquiry Framework
● The approach that we follow is the Community of Inquiry Framework (brief overview)
and is well supported in the research (Garrison, 2017)
● Three components
○ Social Presence - the ability of participants to identify with the community,
communicate purposefully in a trusting environment and develop interpersonal
relationships by way of projecting their personalities
○ Cognitive Presence - the degree to which students can construct and confirm
meaning through sustained reflection and discourse
○ Teaching Presence - design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social
processes to realize personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile
learning outcome
● All three components are mutually dependent
● Social Presence is challenging in an online environment but critical to develop and
maintain - I believe virtual connection, in some format, are critical
○ Our M.Ed./MA program has experienced a 95%+ graduation rate where virtual
classes are used regularly
○ 55% graduation rate (the average among top higher education programs in the
United States) when a predominately asynchronous format
Video Creation Tips
Tools
● Screencast-O-Matic - So easy to use, free, and you can upload to YouTube
● Snagit (one-time cost of $40 for educators) - I use this, and it works well
Creation Tips
● See if someone has already created a good video
● 5 to 6 minutes in-length - no longer
● Conversational in tone (as if you are talking with one student)
● Don’t try to be perfect - one or two takes are enough
● No background music
● Establish - big picture/context
● Clear layout and labelling
● Highlight key areas on the screen
● Put them on YouTube with Closed Captioning
● Other research-based features you should consider
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Video Activities are Essential
● Make sure students are doing something with the video during or after they watch it
(EDPuzzle, TED-Ed, Perusall, Google Forms Quiz, Group summary in Goggle Docs)
● Students need to interact, answer questions, complete formative assessment quizzes,
or they will quickly forget the knowledge presented
Learning Outcomes & Assessment
Clear Learning Outcomes
● Make sure to list clear, attainable learning outcomes in your class/unit/assessments/
term outline.
Example 1 and Example 2
Include Assessment Guides/sheet
● Create clear assignments and detailed criteria about what you want from students. I
often include my grading sheet. This clarification is very important online because
students cannot quickly (or are reluctant to) check with the teacher to clarify
Example 1 and Example 2
Video Explanations of Assessment
● Create a video walkthrough of each assignment (use Screencast-o-Matic - 10-min
tutorial).
● Students will have permanent, anytime access to your explanations. It is easy, free, and
a snap to upload to YouTube. These recordings will save you a lot of emails and
questions. I would include a link to the video within the actual posted written
assignment.
Examples: Tech & the Curriculum course or Web-Based Learning Tools course
Offer Choice, Creativity, Authenticity when Possible
● I try to allow for choice, creativity and authenticity in most of my assignments. This
suggestion is challenging to apply in some subject areas like mathematics and science.
● Choice increases motivation and often leads to exemplary assignments. I list the critical
criteria I am looking for, but let them choose the content/problem/area of interest.
Collaborative Assessment
● Collaboration, if done well, can help students connect and build online personal learning
networks (PLNs).
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● Small learning networks are essential in online learning because students need to
develop the social and cognitive connections that they would otherwise miss in face-to-
face environments
New Types of Assessments
● There are many different types of digital assignments. For example:
○ Blogs – where students can post their work online
○ Flipgrid assignments
○ Formative to provide feedback to students
○ Kialo – a very organized, thoughtful online debating tool
○ Perusall for readings/videos and generating discussion (Intro video)
○ Quizlet for mastery testing of content
○ Socrative create quizzes, get instant feedback from students
○ 10 Ideas for Using Video Assignments
Individual Video Feedback
● You cannot always provide individual video feedback - especially with a large class.
Sometimes, though, I find it easier to give video feedback on assignments. I add brief
comments to the written document to guide my video comments. Then I bring up the
assignment on the screen and walk through it, recording it on video (Screencast-o-
Matic). It takes a little bit of time (not much more with complicated assignments), but
the students appreciate the personal touch and the level of detail provided.
Group Video Feedback
● Creating a video (no longer than 7-10 min) can help point out general problem areas for
a test or an assignment. It can replace an in-class review of a test.
Quizzes
● Google forms are useful for developing quizzes to provide formative assessment and
check for Mastery (see Using Google Forms for Tests or Google Forms Resources Area)
Tests
● One way is to consider alternative forms of assessment (e.g., See examples from Guelph,
Minnesota, Ryerson, Top Hat, Western, In other words, ask yourself whether a test is
the best approach for an assessment? Often, in higher education, students cram for
tests or exams and remember little after. This practice does not make sense from a pure
learning perspective. I understand that tests, especially multiple-choice, are easier to
grade, but it may be time for higher education to think about more productive,
authentic forms of assessment.
● See examples from
○ Guelph University
○ Ryerson University
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○ Top Hat
○ Western University
○ University of Minnesota
Pre-Course Ideas
Intro Video
● Create a brief introduction video of the course/unit/you using Screencast-o-Matic - no
longer than 2-5 minutes – Example 1 (0:50)
Provide Introduction Videos to Virtual Meeting Software
● Google Meet Playlist (Kay) or Google Meet (Official)
● Zoom Playlist (Kay)
● Kaltura (7:24)
Introduction to Online Learning
● Online Learning Survival Guide for Students
● Online Netiquette Rules
● Student Intro to Online Learning (3:45)
● Quick example (1:30)
Pre-Survey
● Create a pre-survey in Survey Monkey (Survey Monkey Tutorial) or Google Forms asking
for useful information that may help your teaching - for example
○ Technology experience/comfort level
○ Online learning experience/comfort level
○ Issues with online learning
○ Interests
Flipgrid
● You may want to use Flipgrid for students to create one-minute introductions of
themselves
Sample: Student Introduction Video Activity (6:55)
Course Platform
● Create a course platform /portal (e.g., Canvas, Course website)
● LMS Resources
○ Canvas Playlist for creating a course website
○ Google Classroom
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● Website
○ Course Web Page
■ Weebly (20-min tutorial)
■ Wix (11-min tutorial) is pretty easy to use and create professional-
looking websites
● I use a website so that students have resources available to them after they finish the
course.
● Here is a clear example of one of my course websites – I created with Weebly
Technology Needed for Class
Technology Needed
● It is helpful to provide a list of technology tools required for students to participate in
on and offline and resources to support the learning on those tools (if they are school-
specific, e.g., Kaltura, Canvas)
● That said, many students are adept at using YouTube to find tutorials to support their
learning
Classroom Software
● Google Meet Playlist
● Zoom Playlist
● Kaltura (7:24)
Internet Speed
● Ask students to check Internet Speed with Speedtest (Download should be at least 5
Mbps Upload must be at least 1-2 Mbps)
● 2 Mbps second upload for Google Meet and Kaltura (for video)
● 1 Mbps per second Upload for Zoom
Wired Connection
● Encourage students to use a wired connection if the Internet bandwidth is slow (e.g.,
less than 1-2 Mbps)
Good Headset
● See 7 Best Headsets for Online Learning
● Do not use your laptop sounds system – it is generally not very good
● Do not use Mac earbuds – they are very distracting for other users because you can hear
a constant scrapping sound of the mic on your clothes
● Get a good headset with a microphone - you are the instructor, so your sound needs to
be excellent - The Jabra headset works well for me, but it is expensive ($150 CND).
Logitech is reasonably priced and is just fine
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Useful Technology Tools
An Amazing, Simple to Technology Use Guide for Teachers
● If you are serious about expanding your technology use, the Teacher's Guide for Tech
(see preview) is a wonderful guide providing short, clear explanations of 200+ tools. I
bought it for $25US (Go Here), but you can also buy it as a group (50% off here)
Learning Modules
● Blendspace - an organization tool that allows an instructor to create interactive lessons
● EDPuzzle lets you create video lessons and ask questions of students while the view the
lesson
● TEDEd allows you to create a video module where you insert any YouTube video, then
add multiple-choice or open-ended questions, explore further options where you can
post links and discussion questions
Mind Mapping
● Google Drawings of Google Jamboard (collaborate and create)
● Popplet (5-min tutorial) is an excellent collaborative tool to create mind maps
Online Discussions
● You will probably use the one that comes with your LMS, but you could also use
○ Flipgrid - Video discussions
○ Perusall for discussion about readings or videos
○ VoiceThread (multimedia discussion)
Polling/Survey
● Answer Garden - real-time audience participation, online brainstorming and classroom
feedback
● StrawPoll – Simple to use, no voting limitations, provides feedback quickly
● PollJunkie – Multiple choice, but you can add comments
● Google Forms Resources Area
● Many LMS Classroom systems have polling tools
● PollEveryWhere (Tutorials) is an excellent tool to bump up the quality of polling in
Adobe - Give students the link and have them answer closed and open-ended
questions.
Sharing Ideas/Thoughts
● Answer Garden - real-time audience participation, online brainstorming and classroom
feedback
● Padlet students can post their thoughts and ideas on a webpage in real-time
● Google Slides – each group gets a slide
● Google Jamboard – each group gets a board – allows for writing/drawing
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Submitting Student Work
● Local LMS assignment submission
● Google Drive (2-min Tutorial) works well as an organizing and sharing tool.
● Google Docs (5-min tutorial) to have students to share a single file with you
Readings
● Perusall for discussion about readings or videos - students can post comments about
readings, respond to each other’s comments, and an AI system rates their response
patterns (Intro video)
Watching Videos and Interacting
● Edpuzzle lets you create video lessons and ask questions of students while the view the
lesson
● Perusall for discussion about readings - students can post comments about readings,
respond to each other’s comments and Artificial Instructio algorithm rates their
response and contribution patterns (Intro video)
Web Page Creation
● Weebly (tutorial) is an excellent tool for creating a solid, professional-looking web page
● Wix (11-min tutorial) is pretty easy to use and create professional-looking websites
Video Recording
● Use for describing assignments, giving instructions for a task or home activity,
asynchronous classes, feedback to students, responding to emails that require a
complicated and nuanced response
○ Screencast-o-Matic
○ Snagit ($40 one-time fee - see education pricing)
First Class
Agenda
● Go over an agenda (for each class). This organization comforts students and makes
them feel that there is a clear plan
Sample Lesson Plan
Classroom Culture/Etiquette/Tips
● Provide a set of guidelines for what you expect in the classroom culture
Example 1 – Online Discussion Rules
Example 2 – Ideas for Developing Community
● Example 3 – Online Netiquette Rules
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Icebreakers
21 Free Ice Breakers - Large class or breakout group
Personal Presentation
● Create a personal presentation, so students get to know you (Example 1)
Graphic of Course Overview
● Present overview of course - I create a one-page graphic that I start every class with so
the students get the big picture (Example 1, Example 2)
Learning Goals
● Go over key learning outcomes for the course
Lesson Plan Link
● An example of what I did in Lesson 1 for Technology and the Curriculum
Student Information
● It is pretty dull and time-consuming to listen to 25 introductions and not the ideal
energy for a first-class. Alternative ideas might include:
○ Organize
breakout rooms
of no more than four students and have them
introduce themselves, answer an icebreaker question or maybe
generate
questions for the instructor
○ Create a whiteboard (e.g., Ziteboard or Google Jamboard) and ask students to
place themselves in defined areas of the whiteboard in terms of experience,
area of focus, interests (Example 1)
○ Create a series of polls so students and ask students a combination of useful
(area of interest, computer experience) and fun questions
○ Ask open-ended
questions using chat
- read answers and talk to specific students
○ Use at least 3 to 4 breakout sessions in your first class and mix up the groups, so
students get to know other students slowly
Starting Any Class
Agenda
● Post and go over a brief agenda for the class
Big Picture Graphic
● I go over big picture graphic for the course to show students where we are (Example 1)
Learning Goals
● I list and go over the key learning goals/tasks/outcomes for the class (see sample lesson
plans here)
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Home Activities
● I post a list of tasks/activities they were supposed to have completed before class
Social Presence
● I am not very good at this (because I am too task-focused), but I spend the first 10
minutes on warm-up tasks. This time investment is vital for building community. Ask
students (using chat):
○ 2-3 words to describe how they are feeling (in Chat)
○ The most exciting event that happened during the week?
○ The interesting thing they did during the week?
○ A good book/movie they would recommend
○ Any questions/concerns they might be having?
Video Hooks
● Find or create a short video hook to engage students in the class learning goals/topics
Activities in Class
10-min chunks - Short lectures
● I am not a fan of long lectures or presentations. After 10 minutes, you will start losing
students. They can quickly shift to any number of online activities while you drone on.
If you insist on lecturing, you need to break the lecture into chunks and have mini
activities/questions/polls/whiteboard activities after each 5-10-minute chunk. So, for
example, present a theory then ask students to apply the theory to different scenarios
that you offer
Breakout Rooms
● Have students move to breakout rooms (3-min tutorial) and
○ Discuss a question/reading and create a summary of ideas
○ Produce a visual summary
○ Create a definition or list of characteristics
○ Create a one slide presentation
○ Debate a topic
○ Review a learning tool
○ Evaluate a video and generate questions
○ Solve a problem in teams
○ Post ideas on a Padlet Wall (13-mun tutorial)
Class Discussion
● Inspiring discussion is one of the most challenging activities for me. Students seem
reluctant to raise their hands and speak in front of the larger group. However,
the Chat
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feature can be useful
. I ask a general question of the class and ask them to post their
answers in chat. I then read some of the answers out loud. When I find answers that I
do not quite understand or want more information about (and I always do), I ask the
commenter to please elaborate. This approach gets folks talking more, and I can bring
at least 5-6 students into the conversation. If you ask a more controversial question,
you tend to get more engagement and debate.
Create and Present
● This activity often happens in breakout rooms. So, students are asked to create a
summary, presentation, visual representation or some other artifact. You can easily do
this in Google Drive, where the creation of Google Slides is collaborative or give
students the choice of how they wish to present. Encourage creativity. All groups focus
on different topics. Keep the verbal presentations short - 5 minutes maximum
Debate
● I arrange students in groups to work on different sides of a debate. So, one group is for,
one group is against, one group provides the “for” rebuttal, and one group provides the
“against” side. It works well when students select the pick sides/positions that they do
not usually agree with
Problem Solving/Case Study
● Students work in groups to address a fuzzy, open-ended problem. They must
brainstorm, come up with solutions, and prepare a summary of their thoughts. The key
here is picking something that requires considerable depth of thought.
Polling Students
● Create an Answer Garden Poll to get feedback from the class. Share the results on a
screen
● Run a poll to ask questions of your students (e.g., PollEveryWhere, StrawPoll)
● Run Kahoot online by sharing your screen, but tell students to take their time (set
timer for 4 minutes) because the correct answers are important and will be recorded
(class leaderboard and speed are not necessary)
Produce an Artifact
● Using Google Docs, Sheets or Slides in the breakout room or bring the link back to the
group
○ Consider pre-assigning groups, so students get to work with different people
○ Assign a leader, recorder, and presenter ahead of time (works much better
when you report back to a large group)
○ Groups size from 2 to 4 - not too much larger
○ Use webcams in breakout rooms
○ Continually move around breakout rooms
○ Give time reminders using the Broadcast tool
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Student Presentations (Brief)
● Please encourage effective presentation strategies (e.g., lots of visuals and VERY few
words, converse with the audience, do not read). Make sure ALL students understand
effective presentation strategies - have them watch this 2 min video. Poor student
presentations can suck the life out of a class
Student Seminars
● Students work in teams to create an interactive seminar about an important topic.
They must create a resources page for their work and develop activities that will
engage students. Emphasize to students that they cannot present at any one time for
more than 5 minutes. It works well in teams of 4 or 5, as each person in the group can
monitor breakout groups individually (kind of like having 4-5 teachers)
Video Watch and Discuss
● I send students out to watch a video with a particular focus and ask them to come back
with at least two questions. Students post questions in the chat, and we start to
discuss them. This approach is another way to start a large group discussion.
Consolidation
Possible Ideas
● You will want to set aside significant time for consolidation because students will need
direction when they are at home, especially if there is an extended time between the
current class and when you will meet them next
● A reminder of learning goals/tasks that the class was assigned to achieve, possibly
with an overview graphic
● Chat - Remaining Questions. Have students post remaining questions (or on shared
Google Doc)
● Create One-Page Summary (e.g., Google Doc) - with instructions about what they are
to do offline (must be detailed and clear, ideally with video(s) + resources they will
need
● Gather Anonymous feedback using Google Forms within the first two weeks to ensure
there are no serious issues and see what students are responding to - I try to use this
form every two weeks. I ask
○ What is going well in the course?
○ What suggestions/concerns do students have?
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Home Activities
Ideas
● Try to use a variety of homework/home activities ideas to avoid boredom and
encourage authenticity
● Perusall for readings and watching videos
The goal of this tool is to change the nature of reading and watching videos — from
the traditional solitary experience to an engaging and collective one
● TEDEd Modules
This tool allows you to insert a video into modules to set up questions and/or activities
for students to complete. There are many pre-made modules by teachers that you can
use AND edit for your use.
● EDPuzzle - ask questions of students while they watch the video
Insert questions into a video while students are watching to keep them focussed and
engaged
● Collaborative Course Web Page (Google Sites) for Concept Summary
Have students collaboratively create a meaningful and authentic webpage to
summarize/extend their understanding and application of concepts addressed in class
● Collaborative Google Slides
Students can co-create presentations and summaries
● Collaborative Mind Map (Google Drawings)
Students can co-create mind maps to summarize their understanding of concepts
● Create a Thinglink
Students can create interactive images and 360-degree material to demonstrate
understanding or apply concepts
● Video discussion in VoiceThread or Flipgrid
Instead of text-based discussions, which generally do not work well and are not at all
engaging, have students engage in video-based discussion
● Mastery questions (Quizlet or Google Forms)
Thousands of quizzes have already been created on Quizlet to test for student
understanding (or almost anything). Use and modify one of these quizzes or create
your own Google Forms/
● Video creation (Screencast-O-Matic)
Student can create videos to demonstrate understanding
● Search for videos that explain problems well. Instead of creating your own video, find
other videos that explain problems well (this could take some time, though)
● Create a Blog Post
Have students contribute to a Blog Post to demonstrate and apply their
understanding
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Summary
Teaching and learning online is a journey that I have personally been pursuing for over ten
years in our Master of Education in Digital Technologies program. The best “quick” advice I
could give is to
● Maximize social connection among and with students (e.g., quick feedback, respond to
emails, short videos to class, establish a virtual presence
● Regularly collect feedback from the students about what is and is not working
● Learn a few new tools each time you run a course (see Teacher’s Guide for Tech)
Author
Dr. Robin Kay
Dr. Kay currently the Dean of and a Full Professor in the Faculty of Education at Ontario Tech
University in Oshawa, Canada. He has published over 160 articles, chapters and conference
papers in technology in education is a reviewer for five prominent computer education journals.
He taught computer science, mathematics, learning and development and educational
technology for over 25 years at the high school, college, undergraduate and graduate levels.
Current projects include research on laptop use in higher education, BYOD in K-12 education,
web-based learning tools, e-learning and blended learning in secondary and higher education,
video podcasts, scale development, emotions and the use of computers, the impact of social
media tools in education, and factors that influence how students learn with technology. Dr.
Kay received his M.A. in Computer Applications in Education at the University of Toronto and
his Ph.D. in Cognitive Science (Educational Psychology) at the University of Toronto.