Social Constructivism and Student Interactions By Dr. Kim Welch for the international version of ASU Master Class for Teaching Online Last update: 24 October 2022 Student-to-student interactions, when done strategically, can be the most compelling learning moments for students. As learners explain, discuss, draw, write, build, create, or engage in any other topic-related activity, they are constructing the building blocks of their own learning. When they construct with others: ● ● ● their level of personal responsibility in outputs tends to increase the quality of their outputs tends to develop to higher levels and they receive valuable feedback from multiple perspectives to help them learn better Here are some ideas and examples of online activities and technologies that support student-to-student interaction. Please note: These are not exhaustive. There are several other technologies and methods that support interaction. These are included solely to give ideas. Also note, there are links to the main pages of many technologies. This is for educational purpose only and does not mean to promote any particular product. Asynchronous student interactions Discussions Discussions are the most used and easiest to implement since they’re typically part of any learning management system. Here are a few considerations: ● ● ● When possible, connect prompts to the topic in personally relevant ways Make prompts clear regarding expectations (time of original and reply posts, content, word count if important, etc.) If courses are large, break participants up into smaller discussion groups Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Google Workspace is well-known for its collaboration capabilities, and Microsoft 365 has more recently added many similar components. From documents to spreadsheets to presentations, learners can work together in both synchronous and asynchronous ways. If they’re working asynchronously, here are considerations for a smoother workflow: ● Create a space for their work. For example, in a document, spreadsheet, or presentation, make sure they have a specific area (like a named row/column or a personally-dedicated slide) so they can work offline and upload their work when ● ● bandwidth is good without writing over someone else’s work. This also helps if a grade needs to be given to individual work. Make sure the prompts and expectations are clear. A common issue with sharing documents in Google Workspace and Microsoft Office is that people fail to open the access for all to edit. When sharing a document, make sure full editing access is given to all involved in the collaboration. Bulletin Board Posts Bulletin board posts can allow students to share small pieces of information in a more visual way than a typical discussion board. Many students appreciate the ease of sharing in a typical bulletin board. Popular bulletin board technologies include the following, but there can be limitations based on their current pricing practices (they’re free at some levels but may charge for additional users or components): ● ● ● Padlet is a well-known bulletin board that allows students to post text, video, graphics, gifs, and documents in an easy-to-use interface. Learners can comment and “like” each other’s posts. IdeaBoardz has fewer components than Padlet, but it can be easier to use in areas of low bandwidth. It allows posts and voting. Mural or Miro serve as both bulletin boards and whiteboards. They are both robust but their use may be difficult in areas of low bandwidth. Adobe Express If your learners don’t mind learning a new technology, Adobe Express has free access for collaboration in presentations, graphics, infographics, and other creative spaces. Students can share and collaborate. WhatsApp and Slack WhatsApp and Slack groups and communities are great ways for students to stay connected around learning. This can include: ● ● ● Specific teacher- or student-led prompts for discussion Student backchannels for help with work Smaller group chats for specific purposes Synchronous online student interactions Online meeting space Synchronous interactions are often synonymous with video conference tools, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Here are some considerations: ● ● ● Learners can use video, microphones, and chat to interact. If bandwidth is an issue, it is best to stop the use of these items in the same order (video then microphones then chat) in order to preserve bandwidth. Chat can be used strategically to engage students. For example, some like the use of the “waterfall” exercise where students type in the chat but wait for the instructor’s prompt to push send. This helps to gather more responses, especially for right/wrong answers, and they can compare their answers to each other. Many video conferencing platforms also have polling capability, which can be used strategically to keep students involved. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 As stated before (see above), Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 allow learners to work in the same documents at the same time. They can be used as a stand-alone synchronous working document (meaning learners don’t have to be conferencing) with students writing or adding content together while also commenting on the side as simultaneous communication. They can also be used during a video conference or while students are talking to each other through calls/WhatsApp. Polling Polling mechanisms can help to engage students, especially if given with instant feedback during synchronous sessions. Apart from the basic polls typically found in video conferencing platforms, here are some other recommended platforms: ● ● Mentimeter also has several polling types and is typically more available for larger classes. Poll Everywhere has several different polling types and capabilities, including open-ended questions, images, and up-voting on audience questions. Although it has historically had a free version, it is limited on numbers of users, so large classes will have to use the paid version. Whiteboards Many instructors appreciate the use of collaborative whiteboards during synchronous sessions. A range of whiteboards exist, including the following: ● Many video conferencing tools have their own whiteboard space built into the system. These are not necessarily robust, but they have basic annotation capabilities. ● Google Jamboard is part of the Google Workspace. It allows multi-page whiteboards that accept text, freestyle writing, post-it notes, and images. If a tablet is available with a good pen, Jamboard does fairly well with handwriting recognition. ● Miro/Mural whiteboards are robust whiteboard spaces with multiple assets, such as text, freestyle writing, instructor- or self-paced presentations, mind-mapping, post-it notes, and even voting. Although entry-level is free, add-on assets and capabilities are not. This type of whiteboard has the disadvantage of drawing on bandwidth rather heavily.