LEARNING TO

TEACH ONLINE

Online learning activities

Module 4
Designing online activities for your students, and knowing which technology to use to facilitate them can be
difficult and sometimes overwhelming. This module highlights issues you should keep in mind when making
these decisions. Considerations include the importance of beginning with pedagogy and not technology, the
benefits of starting with something simple, and the need to provide adequate technical support and training
for your students. To help you get started, it also includes links to matrix to help you understand the relationship
between online activities and appropriate technologies.
Written by Karin Watson & Dr Negin Mirriahi

“When you use online components you can use multiple

technologies, but the technology is just a means to an end,
you need teaching strategies to support them.”(Lubna Alam)

“They [students] value technology when it adds to their learning,

not when it is seen as a gadget and a bolt-on.”(Professor Kerri-Lee Krause)

“Sticking to the basics can be good for someone who is just getting
to know an online learning environment…”(Andrea North-Samardzic)
 Module 4: Online learning activities

Designing online activities

There are a vast array of online technologies available that can help enhance learning activities. It is
important however, to carefully select the ones that are most appropriate for your class learning outcomes.
It is important also to remember that the Internet is not purely used in an educational context - it is part of
our everyday life and has become integrated into contemporary society, and our teaching should reflect
and acknowledge this. Hence, decisions about the choice of technologies and online activities need to be
made in relation to curriculum alignment, and the use of technology that is most appropriate for facilitating
certain types of interactions.

Introducing an online activity to a class can offer many benefits to teachers and students. However success
often relies on how appropriate the activity and the chosen technology are for the learning context, and
how well both are integrated into the learning process. In a blended learning (a mix of face-to-face and
online learning) or a fully online learning environment, the same principles of curriculum alignment apply
as in a fully face-to-face course. The difference is there is a greater range of activities that can help support
teaching and facilitate learning. However, for the online learning and teaching experience to be effective, it
is important that there is strong alignment between the intended learning outcomes and the activities that
will help develop students’ achievement of these outcomes.

How you choose which activity and associated technology to use can depend on a number of factors:

- The intended learning outcomes for the course

- The students’ situation (location, access to internet, number of students in the class, etc)
- The learning experiences or technical requirements of the course content (eg inclusion of large graphic files,
collaborative tools, live chat features, external guest lecturer access, file sharing, discussions, etc)
- The breadth and depth of the teacher’s previous online experience
- The requirements or policies of the institution regarding the use of different online technologies
- Whether a centralised Learning Management System (LMS) or free, open technologies are available or
preferable (refer to Module 2: Open and institutionally supported technologies in the Learning to
Teach Online MOOC for more information).

The importance of considering pedagogy before technology

It is important to examine the reasons for introducing an online activity into your teaching – using it purely
as a gadget because the technology is available does not guarantee a successful learning experience.
Students value technology when it adds to their learning, not when it is used with no apparent relationship
or benefit to how they learn. It is important therefore to consider the following issues:

- Establish the key pedagogical principles and then decide how technology can support activities that
explore them: For example, what are the learning outcomes, what do you want to achieve, what skills do
you want students to learn? Ask these questions and then decide how best you can integrate the technology
in order to achieve or support these outcomes
- Technology is just a means to an end: When you teach online you can select from multiple technologies,
however the technology is just a facilitator of the learning process - you still need to have sound teaching
strategies in place to support the learning

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 Module 4: Online learning activities

- Activities should remain relevant to the learning process: Be discerning - don’t be caught up in allure
of technology and its many features. Ensure that activities, tasks, etc have an educational purpose and
stimulate learning.

Choosing appropriate technologies

The table below, based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, illustrates a range of types of learning outcomes and
associated online activities that may help students develop the skills or knowledge in relation to each
outcome.

Type of Learning Outcomes Examples of types of activities

Remembering - Online self-tests
- Identifying, recognising, listing, naming, retrieving, etc - Flash cards
- Social bookmarking
- Searching for facts

Understanding - Discussion forums

- Summarising, explaining, categorizing, annotating, classifying, etc - Commenting
- Blogging
- Tweeting
- Tagging
Applying - Simulations
- Implementing, operating, using, editing, etc - Podcasts
- Editing wikis
- Virtual labs
Analysing - Annotating videos
- Organising, outlining, integrating, comparing, validating, etc - meta-tagging
- Polling
- Group negotiation
- Reflection

Evaluating - Peer review

- Testing, experimenting, checking, judging, moderating, critiquing, etc - Moderating discussions
- Critiquing blogs/wikis
- Online debates
- Virtual labs
Creating - Presentations
- Designing, publishing, planning, producing, inventing, constructing, - Podcasts, webcasts
etc. - Video recording
- Mixing/remixing
- Digital story-telling

The UNSW Australia’s Teaching Gateway website provides more detailed examples of aligning learning
outcomes, activities, and appropriate technologies. This is by no means a definitive list, and serves as a
starting point for your own individual exploration.

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Research other examples

When you are new to online teaching the large number of available technologies and their possibilities
available can be quite overwhelming. It is often difficult to know where to start, how to determine which
technology would be appropriate, and how best to use it in your teaching. In this situation it can be useful
to first do some research by speaking to colleagues; reviewing similar case studies or scenarios; researching
academic journals and papers that feature the use of these technologies or strategies in teaching; and
checking your institution’s learning and teaching website for advice, information on training sessions,
seminars, etc.

Start simple
If you are new to online teaching or do not have much experience, it can be useful to consider the following:

- Stick to the basics: While it is tempting to use every new tool and feature in your activity, start slowly and
build up your experience and confidence. It is better to introduce one component, use it appropriately,
evaluate its success, and then adjust your teaching where necessary. Slowly introduce more components
once you and your students are more comfortable with the technology
- Use technologies that you are comfortable with: Select technologies that you are already using, that are
easy use or familiarise yourself with, or that your institution provides training and support for
- Ensure that you are familiar with the technology before the semester commences: This allows you
to foresee any potential problems, adjust any content or tasks accordingly, and answer any questions
promptly that students may have when they start using the technology
- Limit the number of technologies used overall in any one class: Using too many online components
can be overwhelming and frustrating for the students (eg remembering several passwords, logging into
different platforms, familiarising themselves with new features, etc) and can distract from the learning
experience. Use only what technology is essential for facilitating your online activity effectively.

The importance of supporting and training your students

While many students are aware of the benefits of using technology in their daily lives for communication,
socialising, banking, shopping and so forth, they may not always be as familiar or comfortable with using it
for learning. As a teacher, it is important for you to:

- Explain why you have introduced an online activity: Reiterate at the beginning of the semester the
purpose of the technology, your reasons for selecting it, how it will benefit their learning, and what the
expected learning outcomes are from using it
- Provide briefing sessions and supporting material: Don’t assume that students are familiar with the
technology. Provide training sessions at the start for students and any additional teachers, as well as
supporting documentation that they can refer to when they need help
- Support students throughout the semester: Answer any technical questions promptly, introduce a Q&A
thread online, provide a list of FAQ, and respond to any queries promptly to ensure that the technology does
not hinder or frustrate the students’ learning

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 Module 4: Online learning activities

- Allow students to help one another: Where appropriate, allow students to respond to one another’s
questions, and to share their technical expertise with the class. This can greatly cut down on the time a
student has to wait to get help from their teacher.

Conclusion
Making an informed decision about what online activities and supporting technology best suits your
teaching can be critical to the success of your students’ learning experience. It is important to ensure that
carefully considered pedagogy guides and informs your use of technology. It is also advantageous to
research which tools or features best facilitate the learning process and outcomes. Similarly, it is important
to provide adequate support and training for your students when introducing new online components, and
to limit the number of technologies used at any one time.

Additional reading
Please check the Resources section in the Learning to Teach Online MOOC website for additional
reading related to this topic. We also recommend undertaking the activities for Module 4: Online
learning activities in the MOOC to further develop your understanding of the concepts discussed in this
document.

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About the Learning to Teach Online MOOC

Simon McIntyre Dr Negin Mirriahi

Director, Learning and Innovation Academic Developer/Lecturer
UNSW Australia | Art & Design UNSW Australia | Learning & Teaching Unit

Linkedin: au.linkedin.com/in/mcintyresimon Linkedin: au.linkedin.com/in/neginm

Karin Watson Based upon the successful OER of the same name
Co-Project Leader developed by Simon McIntyre and Karin Watson, the
Learning to Teach Online OER Learning to Teach Online (LTTO) MOOC is designed
to help existing educators establish or improve their
Linkedin: au.linkedin.com/in/karinthielewatson own online or blended teaching practices.

What is this MOOC about?

Are you an educator? Have you ever wanted to understand more about how to design your course to make
better use of educational technology – whether fully online or in blended contexts? Would you like to learn
from those who have extensive practical experience with online technologies? This Massive Open Online Course
(MOOC) is designed to help you develop a working understanding of successful online teaching strategies
that you can apply in your own practice. The target audience is primarily teachers in higher education, K-12,
community college, and vocational or private education.

Integrating online technologies into your teaching can be a challenging prospect, and it can be difficult to know
how to approach it effectively for the benefit of both students and yourself. No one knows your own content and
teaching strengths better than you, and the “one size fits all” formula doesn’t always suit everyone. No matter
what type of technology you are interested in exploring or your level of experience, this course will help you
draw on your teaching strengths and find the approach that is right for you, your students and your educational
context. To allow both for breadth in personalisation and depth in key areas that interest you, this course will
guide you through your journey of understanding how online technologies can enhance your course design.
Listen to Course Instructors Simon McIntyre and Negin Mirriahi talk about the course.

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