Using Group Work Online Part 1: Examples of Practice √ §

How do we keep students engaged in learning online? How do we help students process concepts and think deeply about ideas in the absence of the face-to-face classroom? How can we create student-to-student connections that result in meaningful learning experiences? Research shows that using student groups can promote engagement and learning, helping students stay motivated, feel connected, and generate meaning.

Whether you are experienced or a novice in using groups online, we invite you to join this discussion. We’ll share some general information and best practices for group work and hear examples from two faculty who use groups online: Elisabeth Arevalo-Guerrero (MLLI) and Ivan Erill (Biological Sciences). There will be a follow-up Bring Your Best Idea session later in the semester where you can continue to share your examples and ideas.

The emphasis in this session will be on the pedagogy of using groups for active learning online--how these approaches can help you achieve your goals for student learning during remote instruction. While we will discuss the affordances that the tools provide for achieving your goals, this session will not provide step-by step instructions for using online tools. Please see the training programs offered by instructional technology for specific help in using tools.