LOEX Conference Proceedings 2010

Document Type

Expansion: Utilizing Nontraditional Instruction Methods

Publication Date

2012

Abstract

There are different ways to teach in an online course, but getting students, especially undergraduates, to reflect on what they are learning and how they might improve their learning strategies can be particularly challenging in the online environment. Recently, the presenters developed a new component for an existing online course to teach students specific techniques for detecting bias, a skill critical to their academic success, and one which is often difficult for students to understand and practice. Using self-assessment in the teaching module and reflective questioning in the assessment module, the authors were able to develop effective metacognitive prompts.

In this session you will learn:

-What others have said about the important role of metacognition in learning and strategies for enhancing student reflection and learning outcomes.

-The results of a research study we recently conducted to improve metacognition in one of our for-credit online courses, including how we moved from open-ended, instructor-graded reflection questions to multiple-choice, auto-graded questions with equally effective results, and the impact of this activity on a final capstone assignment for the course.

-Other examples of questions we have developed in our online courses that seek to enhance student reflection and self-awareness of skill.

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