Student-Content Interaction (S|C)

Students need to interact with instructional material. Plan ways to require students to dig deep into content. Content also occurs outside the class – students can talk to people, go on field trips, make their own observations, do experiments, etc.

Examples:

Complete a course reading and …

Write a summary
Create a PPT slide that shows your key take-away from the reading
List five take-aways and one question based on the reading
Identify the reading’s clearest point and its muddiest point
Create a concept/mind map
Diagram a process
Make an infographic
Suggest quiz questions based on reading
Create study aids (flashcards, mnemonic devices)
Critique the reading
Write an Op-Ed based on the content

Attend lecture and:

Think-pair-share: Instructor poses a question, asks students to jot notes down independently to form initial thoughts, have small-group discussion, then discuss and synthesize as a class
Participate in a poll
Illustrate ideas on whiteboards
Flip the lecture by having students come prepared to discuss topics they have already read up on
Give students the opportunity to lead a discussion

Other learning activities will vary by discipline and level of study. Consider these examples for inspiration:

Kitchen lab experiments and reports
Backyard or video “field” observations and field reports
Analyzing data sets, creating data visualizations
Preparing and giving multimedia presentations, including Q&A from classmates
Creating infographics, webpages, blog posts, collages, memes, or digital images related to course content

Student-Instructor Interaction (S|I)

By developing a relationship with students, you can facilitate learning and guide students through difficulties.

Examples:

Discussion forums in Canvas, where the instructor participates and engages students in discussion about course content
Introduce a major assignment, then hold a Q&A session
Detailed feedback on assignments (written and/or recorded)
Writing meetings via Zoom or face to face to discuss draft assignments
Regular check-ins to make sure everyone is doing ok
Weekly intro and/or recap video announcements
Open or by-appointment office hours (remote or face to face)
Videos of you with pets, family, etc. to provide social presence

Student-Student Interaction (S|S)

Student to student interaction or engagement is even more crucial to learning than the student-instructor interaction because people construct meaning through social channels, i.e., talking to each other.

Examples:

Discussion forums in Canvas or in class
Peer review for writing assignments and projects
Group projects
Group presentations
Think-pair-share
Study groups
Collaborate on a Case Study
Develop a guide of resources for future students
Participate in a role play/debate using the Discussions
Create or adapt a board game based on course content (Trivia game, etc)

Students can meet during class, or arrange meetings in Zoom. They can collaborate using OneDrive or other web-based tools.

Questions to consider:

How will my students interact with the course content? Beyond reading, listening/viewing lectures, what will they actually DO with the course content? How can they do so in various settings?
How will my students interact with other students? Beyond completing assignments and assessments, how will students work together to ensure that they feel like part of a learning community and have the opportunity to collaborate, think critically, be intellectually challenged, and make meaning with others?
How will my students interact with me, their instructor? How will students be able to interact with you in various settings? How might you guide student learning, while allowing flexibility depending on different student needs? What assignment expectations do you need to convey? What information will you need to clarify for students?

Include reflection!

For active learning to be implemented fully, students need to reflect on their learning:

Easy reflections - invite students to share:
- One thing they feel most confident about and why
- One thing they struggled with and how they overcame it or how they plan to
- One thing they still don’t fully grasp
- One most helpful resource from the week/lesson/etc.
- One resource they wish they had during the last week/lesson/etc.
Consider different kinds of reflection:
- Content-based reflection - ask students to provide evidence and make inferences
- Metacognitive reflection - ask students to think about their thinking, e.g. noting differences between thoughts and feelings
- Self-authorship reflection - students gain distance from earlier thinking and are asked about how feelings and thoughts influence each other
- Transformative and intensive reflection - students note how their thoughts or views have changed over time
Use Ryan’s Levels of Reflection as a guide:
- Reporting and responding - students observe, provide evidence, ask questions and state opinions
- Relating - students make connections between content and prior learning or personal experience
- Reasoning - students analyze content, including discussions of relevant research literature
- Reconstructing - students imagine future applications, such as in future professional contexts

References

Moore, M. G. (1989). Three Types of Interaction. American Journal of Distance Education 3(2), 1-7.

Riggs, S. (2020, April 6). Oregon State University Online Education Tips for Student-Centered Remote Teaching. Retrieved from: https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/osuteaching/2020/04/06/oregon-state-university-online-education-tips-for-student-centered-remote-teaching/

Ryan, M. (2013). The Balancing Act: Teaching Reflection in Higher Education. Teaching in Higher Education 18(2):145-155. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13562517.2012.694104.