In parts one and two of this series, we discussed how to build strong relationships in virtual learning environments and how to optimize live instructional time for maximum student engagement. Now it’s time to turn our attention to where virtual learners spend the majority of their time: asynchronous learning activities. The challenge and opportunity for students in a virtual environment is the necessity of continually growing the mindset of an autonomous learner—one who uses resources, asks questions, and reflects on their learning. As teachers, the challenge and opportunity is not just to teach, but to empower students to take ownership of their learning journey. We can foster a sense of empowerment and independence by providing touchpoints for students beyond the often-limited synchronous time together. In virtual learning environments, asynchronous learning activities become the linchpin for driving student engagement, and we are the architects of this empowering process.
Helping Students Take Ownership of Learning
Amy Berry describes engagement as a continuum of learning behaviors that moves from passive participation to active investment in learning activities. When virtual students log into a learning management system (LMS), it’s far too easy to view lessons simply as tasks to complete rather than as a learning experience that requires sustained effort and attention. Without classmates modeling strong learning behaviors around them or teachers continually redirecting, prompting with questions, and encouraging sustained effort, teachers must find other ways to promote engagement. The learning objects and types of activities teachers provide can be the key to pushing students to be curious, ask questions, reflect on their understanding, and think more deeply. The ideas below offer ways to leverage familiar questioning strategies, discussions, and feedback opportunities from live classroom settings and translate them into virtual environments.
Asynchronous Learning Activities That Activate Engagement
1. Interactive Video
Interactive videos can dramatically increase engagement. They prompt viewers to respond to prepared questions at set points throughout the video, creating intentional pauses for students to reflect or check their understanding. Consider using Edpuzzle (reviewed here) to embed questions into YouTube videos or Screencastify (reviewed here) to create question-enhanced screen recordings. These platforms prevent skipping and promote sustained attention. They also offer valuable analytics on student engagement and instant feedback on answers, making the learning process more dynamic and effective.
2. Self-Checking Practice
Self-checking practice is a versatile strategy that offers students the ability to persist until they reach mastery without a teacher present. Teachers can create them in many formats and with a variety of free tools. For example:
- Use Google Sheets to create self-checking question sets, leveraging conditional formatting to mark correct and incorrect answers with different colors. This blog post by Eric Curts includes examples and free templates with directions for use.
- This on-demand OK2Ask workshop demonstrates how to build branching Google Forms. These forms allow teachers to create question sets that offer immediate feedback and include embedded student remediation. When students get a question wrong, they receive an alternative question (which may include additional support such as a video or hyperlinked resource) instead of moving on to the next topic.
- Capitalize on Google Slides’s ability to create links between slides to create a quiz game. (We covered this functionality in an OK2Ask workshop about choose-your-own-adventure stories—watch it on demand to learn how it works!) Create question slides with hyperlinked answer options where the correct answer links to a “Congratulations!” slide and incorrect options link to a “Try Again!” slide that could potentially provide a hint or resource for support.
3. Digital Discussions
As educators, our role is to impart knowledge and foster a sense of community among our students. Asynchronous discussion boards give students a platform and an audience of their peers so they can cultivate conversations, share their learning, and build a community of critical and creative thinkers. Consider using Parlay (reviewed here) to create a robust “round table” discussion prompt with multimedia content options for support. You might also consider Padlet (reviewed here) as an intuitive way for students to post and comment on others’ posts without needing an account. Padlet offers a variety of format options for student posts and responses, including video and audio. By fostering community, we can make our students feel connected and part of a larger educational mission.
Ultimately, teachers can level up asynchronous learning by implementing well-designed activities that drive student engagement and cultivate autonomous learners. The options above illustrate the importance of making asynchronous learning a dynamic journey instead of a passive experience.
What are your go-to independent student activities to build engagement? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments so we can add to our collective toolbox!