Monitoring student engagement in a blended and connected curriculum
The delivery of blended learning draws on principles to engage students; create an inclusive and supportive learning environment; develop staff and student partnerships; and support the aspirations of the student community. Student engagement relies on the active participation of students in the learning process using the curriculum, tools for enabling learning and working collaboratively with their peers and tutors within the learning community.
How will we know if students are engaged in their learning in a blended and connected curriculum?
During the academic year, we will ask students for feedback about their learning and engagement. Students will be asked: What Works Well? What would be Even Better If? Answers to these questions will provide tutors with quick feedback about the most effective parts of the learning experience, what students may be expecting, and how to begin conversations about pedagogy and learner engagement.
Here are some examples of how we already collect feedback from students, information that underpins changes and modifications made by tutors:
Course reps
Let me know pages, e.g. from EDSOC
SVC
Dialogue between students and tutors
Mid-module evaluation
End of Module/Course evaluations
National Student Survey
How can we monitor how students are engaging in their learning in a blended and connected curriculum?
Using feedback from students to inform teaching at module level is one way in which we can improve student engagement, participation, outcomes and satisfaction. The following tips have been gathered from academics from across the University to 'check the temperature’ of your students in the blended and connected learning environment.
Digital Tools for Collecting Informal Student Feedback
The following are suggested tools, which should enable staff and students to have conversations about learning and teaching and facilitate co-created curricula.
Google Apps
Google Slides –Q &A Feature
Allows students to ask questions (when used in presenter view) during a teaching session
Students can vote on the questions they would like answered
Allows the slide creator to revisit a presentation's Q&A History
Gives the presenter a feel for their students' engagement
Gives students the opportunity to get clarification on areas of teaching in real time
Recommended use:
During activity: ✓
Post activity: ✓
Continual Module evaluation: ✗
Google Forms – Question types
Easy to add, import, edit and share questions
Great tool to establish what is working well and suggestions for improvements
Automatically creates a Google Sheet of responses which saves time in collating data
A good example is the Let me know form used in EDSOC and the Student and Academic Representation Tool (StART)
Collect student feedback from course representative(s)/volunteer(s)
Recommended use:
During activity: ✗
Post activity: ✗
Continual Module evaluation: ✓
Moodle
Forum – Weekly Q&As
Weekly Q & A Forum can be set up on Moodle on the module page and be a space for regular responses to student questions about the module
The module leader can respond to questions and the same answers given to students in a common area. (This tip reduces lots of individual emails saying the same thing over and over.)
Create a space for communication and discussion, thoughts, opinions and issues that may be impacting student learning and engagement
Recommended use:
During activity: ✗
Post activity: ✗
Continual Module evaluation: ✓
Moodle activities – Knowledge checks
Moodle allows you to create engaging activities that can check your students' understanding and thus engagement of a particular topic
Formative assessment style activities including the Quiz and H5P allow you to create questions from a variety of question types
Creating Interactive Content in Moodle Using H5P – training session recording
How to use TEL to Create Knowledge Checks to Support Student Learning – training session recording
Recommended use:
During activity: ✓
Post activity: ✓
Continual Module evaluation: ✗
Other technology
Nearpod – Collaborate boards
Easy to set up and share - Contact elearn for a licence
Create asynchronous collaborative feedback board activities (let students comment anonymously) to give feedback on what is working well, what things to continue, and what isn't working well
Use synchronously to present and gather feedback from Nearpod's audience response tools
Recommended use:
During activity: ✓
Post activity: ✓
Continual Module evaluation: ✓
Padlet – Online virtual collaboration board
Easy to set up and share
Create a Padlet feedback board (let students comment anonymously)
Set up a Padlet and ask students to collaborate on topics such as what is working well and what isn't, and share ideas on solutions for things that could be improved
Create a Padlet which allows students to ask questions during a session. Save time at the end of the session to answer and explain questions that have arisen
Multiple templates available to support different activities
Can be embedded into Moodle
Top Tips for Creating Engaging Collaborative Content using Padlet – training session recording
Recommended use:
During activity: ✓
Post activity: ✓
Continual Module evaluation: ✓
Vevox – Live polling and Surveys (PP integration)
Live polling can be used to test students' understanding of materials being delivered to them
Surveys allow students to give honest feedback in their own time
Allows the presenter and students to share ideas and questions which can inform future teaching sessions
Allows students to rate their teaching session
Presenters can add questions, polls and word clouds directly into previously created Power Point presentations
Using Vevox to Create Live Conversations with Students – training session recording
Recommended use:
During activity: ✓
Post activity: ✓
Continual Module evaluation: ✗
Zoom – End of session survey
Allows students to give a thumbs up/down rate for a session. If student gives a thumbs down, Zoom adds some additional questions relating to the user's experience. However, students can also add in their own additional comments
Presenters can view survey responses from their Zoom account dashboard
Recommended use:
During activity: ✗
Post activity: ✓
Continual Module evaluation: ✗