Learning in a Digital Environment
As we approach the start of a new year, there are many things to consider. Do I have my Moodle course setup? Are my lessons interactive and engaging? Do I have all of my assessments prepared? Although all of these are important, there is something else we must consider...are my students prepared to learn in a digital environment? Some of your students may have participated in this style of learning before, but there may be some who are new to it. It is imperative that they know their way around Moodle, and that they understand what it takes to be successful in this style of learning environment. All students can be successful in a digital classroom, but it takes a different set of skills to work in this way.
Providing some time to let your students explore who they are as digital learners, and how they best work, will allow them to take control of their own learning. Here are some ways you can allow your students to explore their own personalities and learning styles; they can then use this information to create a personal learning profile to share with you and others in your Moodle environment.
This link will take your students to an online survey that will assess their study skills and give them feedback, specific to their answers, on learning in an online environment.
Once done with that, have your students explore their learning style by following this link. This survey will score them in the following categories:
Active vs. Reflective
Sensing vs. Intuitive
Visual vs. Verbal
Global vs. Sequential
The results are very detailed; they offer students a list of qualities that match each area they landed in, as well as learner tips for each of their styles.
Once they have finished these surveys, you could have students post in a forum in your Moodle Course. That way, you learn about your students, and they learn about each other:
Share your learning styles and summarize what each one tells us about you as a digital learner.
Based on what you’ve learned about yourself as a digital learner, share a goal for this course.
Later, when you ask them to collaborate, they will have a better understanding of how to work with one another based on this knowledge. You will also glean a stronger understanding of how to interact with each student on a personalized level.