Cynthia Mormino

Intrinsic motivation is key. Students that required more hands-on teaching are struggling. Deadlines are still a must and periodic "reminders" are very helpful.

Having taken several online college courses, I have to agree that time management is very important. Setting intermittent checkpoints is a great way to encourage students to stay on time with their tasks. Using discussion boards is a very good way to get feedback from students and their progress on their tasks and to see if anyone will need additional help or clarification. Gamification is also a great way to motivate the student to be productive and to set "goals" or "levels" for completion of a task or assignment.

I really like the idea of using wikis and blogs for student engagement. I also like the idea of having students create these for outside responses and critique. I am going to integrate badges or certificates at the end of each unit for my classes. I think this is a great idea to get students engaged not only in the actual learning of content and skills but also in some friendly competition.

I really was thrilled about the core elements of asynchronous learning. The student taking responsibility for their own learning aspect stated that those needing more assistance from the instructor would seek it out. However, their search for assistance was not immediate or urgent and could be handled in a timely manner. I do like the idea that all material resources are available 24/7. I also liked the idea of an online laboratory and using synchronous materials.

Student learning outcomes drive the assessment learning. New knowledge assessments continue to change the way students learn, process, access, and apply what they have learned. Student learning must have taken place if the outcomes include new knowledge,  information, and content. New Knowledge Assessments not only affect the learning process but also the student learning outcomes.

The benefits of using technology tools are: able to customize student learning and output, promote individual learning, provide a dynamic learning environment, provide students with real-world application of knowledge, allow students to customize their own learning. Project-based learning provides opportunities for students to use critical thinking skills and is able to apply their new knowledge to a real-life situation such as employment.

When discussing the possible options for student learning and input, the only possible way to reach all learners is to customize each of their learning experiences. Customization means that students will learn in multiple ways( using textbooks, videos, audio, etc) at different times and with different materials (textbooks, internet, alternate materials). Providing multiple ways for students to learn the content and providing multiple ways for students to input their learning is the kind of customized learning environment teachers should strive to provide for all their students.

I am particularly interested in the way the diagram on communication represents the many opportunities a learner has with multiple outcomes for learning. Then the learning can be applied to real-world situations in a Dynamic Learning Environment and it is what every classroom should be.