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Online learning activities

Evidence has consistently shown that student engagement with asynchronous content can be significantly improved by embedding active learning into the online materials.

There are a number of tools available that can allow the creation of online learning activities for students. These activities will often include individual learning and self-assessment tasks, such as quizzes to check understanding.

It also possible to set-up online activities and tasks that encourage student creation and collaboration, which can be utilised to help reinforce the connections between the synchronous and asynchronous learning.

1. Formative quizzes and tests

Formative quizzes and tests provide a means for students to self-assess their knowledge and progress, and to receive feedback that can inform their learning.

Quizzes and tests can be used to help students prepare for synchronous sessions, by allowing them to review what they have learned through engaging with the asynchronous learning materials. They can also be used to consolidate and check understanding after 'live' teaching sessions.

In a flipped learning context, quizzes and tests can also provide tutors with useful data about individual and cohort-level student engagement and understanding.

Within flipped learning designs, student engagement with formative quizzes and tests will often be strongly encouraged but not compulsory. However, in some circumstances it may be appropriate to present specific quizzes and tests as essential prerequisites, or follow-up activities, for synchronous learning. (E.g. students may be asked to complete a quiz or test on lab health-and-safety procedures as the 'entry ticket' for a follow-up synchronous lab session.)

Well-designed formative quizzes and tests will typically incorporate actionable feedback that can guide students to develop their understanding. For example, when a student answers a question incorrectly or scores poorly on a quiz, automated feedback could direct students to specific learning materials they should revisit, or to additional learning materials that can help them develop their understanding.

  • The York VLE test tool can be used to create self-marking quizzes with a range of question types such as multiple choice and fill in the blanks. You can also set quizzes that require longer, typed answers.

  • Google Forms can be used to deliver simple quizzes, tests, and polls.

  • Replay/Panopto supports the creation of simple quizzes within videos.

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2. Discussion and collaboration

Incorporating online discussion and collaboration can help faciliate overall student engagment with the flipped learning design.

Including these elements creates opportunities to break down the distinction between 'passive' asynchronous learning and the synchronous activity, by drawing both together into an overall active learning journey.

Online discussion and collaboration can be used as means for students to prepare for their synchronous learning session. For example, students might be asked to pre-submit questions for the 'live' teaching time, or to prepare case studies, problems, or presentations that will be discussed in the staff/student contact time.

Asynchronous discussion can also be used as part of the follow-up to 'live' sessions: facilitating students' ongoing discussion and reflection on what you are covering out of formal contact hours.

  • York VLE discussion boards can be used for general FAQs or directed discussion activities to support flipped learning.

  • Padlet is an online collaborative tool that acts as a virtual noticeboard for sharing a variety of content. Padlet boards can be used as a way to gather together thoughts and ideas, and can be incorporated as part of a variety of online collaborative activites.

  • Google Docs and Jam boards can be used as a basis for collaborative online exercises.

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