What's the Secret to Keeping Students Motivated in Online Learning?
. . .Or listen instead on Apple, Spotify, or a different platform.
This week on the BRIGHT podcast, I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Chris Harrington, who serves as the director of the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute, where he leads a team of researchers who study the most effective practices for online and blended learning.
This year, Chris’ research team released a landmark study — “Key Strategies for Engaging Students in Virtual Learning Environments” — based on a survey of over 1,800 virtual educators from 17 state virtual programs that are part of the nationwide Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance.
Chris and his team are hopeful that the findings of this study can ignite a larger conversation on how educators can leverage the expertise of these seasoned virtual instructors to help boost the engagement of online learners everywhere.
In this episode, we chat about:
Why student engagement served as such a challenge during “pandemic teaching”
Common misconceptions about online learning
The findings of his team’s latest study on student engagement in online learning
The balance between synchronous and asynchronous instruction in the online learning environment
Advice for teachers looking to try new strategies for keeping students motivated in a virtual learning environment
Related resources
Research: Key strategies for engaging students in virtual learning environments
Explore: Keep Michigan Learning: Free resources for Michigan educators
Free PD series: Transitioning to Remote Teaching
Virtual workshop: Moving forward: A 2021 virtual workshop for school teams and teachers
See also: Chris on the Mitch Albom Show!
https://youtu.be/pMdb0sCOriA
Michigan Virtual
For more than 27 years, Michigan Virtual has partnered with K–12 school districts across Michigan to expand learning opportunities for students and educators alike. Through our high-quality online courses, taught by Michigan-certified, highly qualified teachers, we empower students to learn anytime, anywhere. We also provide affordable, impactful professional development to help educators grow in their craft. Most recently, Michigan Virtual has been at the forefront of innovation and artificial intelligence in education, offering consultation services and professional learning to guide schools in thoughtfully integrating new technologies and learning pathways.
Related Posts
How Students Really Use AI (with Karle Delo from Michigan Virtual)
In a recent episode of Make It Mindful: Insights for Global Learning, host Seth Fleischauer sits down with Karle Delo, AI Strategist at...
Self-Efficacy, Culture, and the Path to AI Adoption in Schools (with Dr. Nikolas McGehee)
In this episode, Dr. Nikolas McGehee talks about how confidence, curiosity, and a supportive school environment influence the way...
AI Can Fix What’s Broken in Schools—If We Do It Right (with Aaron Baughman from Michigan Virtual)
Why Equity, Policy, and Practice Must Evolve Together In this episode of Make It Mindful, host Seth Fleischauer sits down with Aaron...
The Human Side of Systems Change (Part 2) with Dr. Tovah Sheldon
Why Real Innovation Starts With People Educational change often takes a top-down approach—fast, structured, and impersonal. In this...
3 tips for bringing hope into the alternative classroom
Or listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, or another platform. Alternatively, you can read along with the transcript. For students who...
3 things to consider when implementing restorative practices
Getting ready to take restorative practices to the next level in your school community? Check out this list of strategies first!