Encouraging social engagement while teaching online is the best way to keep students motivated to participate in the course. Keeping students engaged can be difficult while they mainly watch PowerPoint presentations and video lectures online. How can we spark the students’ motivation to engage in the online course setting? The definition of student engagement is “the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion” students express during the class. In other words, it’s their will and ability to be involved in the learning process.
As a professor who has taught American Sign Language before the COVID pandemic in a face-to-face setting, I always ask my students how they are doing. Students would socially engage with each other and me as their instructor. With online courses, I noticed that social intuition among students is missing. One can develop social intuition by “You have to actually get out there into the world, interact with people, try things, succeed, and fail. That’s how your brain will develop the ability to read situations, read people, and respond effectively to people.” (Aquino 2021). How can we, as online instructors, design courses to be similar to the face-to-face classroom setting in order to stimulate the development of social intuition skills? How can we design online courses where students would interact to do language activities to practice a new language in order to interact with native language users? Online tools such as interactive media, video platforms, and live video sessions can support social intuition. They require people to see each other face to face and observe each other’s body language & facial expressions.
Based on my personal experience teaching a new language such as American Sign Language online, I believe it is essential for educators to become creative with designing and developing courses using online tools that can increase student engagement between students and the instructor. The following interactive media tools that will support student engagement and social intuition in learning a new language are: FlipGrid, GoReact, and a live mentoring program like SignOnConnect. Be ready to learn more about them!
Flipgrid is one tool that supports student engagement and social intuition. It allows educators to become creative in engaging with the students as if they are in a face-to-face classroom. For instance, my students LOVE to videotape themselves and watch each other using American Sign Language via Flipgrid. They also reply to each other’s videos via their own video. It is like goofing off and learning at the same time. Flipgrid use has been found to have significant potential with language skill development in an authentic setting (Keiper, White, Carlson, & Lupinek 2021). Keller and Deimann (2018), said a learner’s curiosity is aroused due to a perceived gap in current knowledge. It helps to increase student engagement and make learning a new language enjoyable and memorable.
GoReact is another online tool that is an interactive cloud-based platform for grading, providing feedback, and critiquing students’ video assignments. Instructors create the video assignments. Students upload or record their video submissions. Instructors and/or peers then leave time-coded text, video, or audio feedback. One of the features I used for my online course that encourages social engagement is where students engage with another student live and record their conversational session. Students have to find a partner who has the same schedule and agree to do the assignment together. After posting their session, the instructor provides feedback or/and peers provide feedback with time-stamped within the recorded video.
In a GoReact live session, students could share their challenges and practice together before they start recording their conversations. This promotes student engagement and builds confidence by helping each other with feedback, suggestions, or praise exactly as if they were in a face-to-face class setting. “Why collaborative group works? It allows English-language learning students to be supported by their peers. It gives them opportunities to orally use and practice the academic vocabulary and other language structures and functions.” (Miller 2015). As I mentioned before, my online students were losing social intuitive skills to the point where they felt isolated and lose motivation. “Instructional designers and teachers can predictably influence motivation and violation in a positive way by applying a systematic process of design. “(Keller & Deimann 2018) As a result, I set up the following GoReact Conversation Live Session Assignment for my students to connect with each other. Collaborative learning has been shown to not only develop higher-level thinking skills in students, but boost their confidence and self-esteem as well. (Gates, 2018).
Sample Module
Here is a sample of a module in my ASL course where I organized ASL video lectures and assignments in order to guide my students in becoming comfortable with FlipGrid and Goreact before doing their video assignments. This allows my students to feel at ease in using it and makes social engagement enjoyable.
Live online mentoring sessions such as SignOn, a “Virtual Immersion Program,” is another tool that encourages social engagement. SignOn connects the Hearing and Deaf communities through authentic learning interactions. Through the program, ASL learners have the unique opportunity to communicate one-on-one online with a Deaf ASL Ambassador that has grown up using ASL as a native user. SignOn gives students the confidence to engage with the Deaf Community while practicing and retaining language techniques. Students connect with their Deaf ASL Ambassador via a two-way video portal on a proprietary Web-based platform. During their live 30-minute sessions, students can personalize their experience choosing to practice everything from basic vocabulary to daily conversational skills. Instructors can communicate their expectations, dialogue topics, and rubrics for their students with the Deaf ASL Ambassadors. In addition, the Ambassadors are qualified to give feedback instead of the students’ instructors.
In order to become fluent in ASL, it is required to practice communicating with a Deaf person daily. The challenging part about ASL online courses is that they don’t offer enough practice sessions with a Deaf person. Students may live in an area where there are not enough Deaf community events or not enough Deaf people to interact with. As a result, students often only experience chatting in ASL with their peers or their ASL instructors. It is a good experience to meet with a variety of Deaf people who have different signing styles instead of only becoming accustomed to the instructor’s signing style. SignOnConnect is a great tool where students can become fluent with comprehensive and expressive ASL skills. This allows students to develop social intuition as they feel confident to go out in the real world and chat with a Deaf person. Interaction with a real person especially a native speaker who can respond to and stimulate the language learner to use the language as a communication tool would be an extremely important component of this kind of a language. (Kung 2002) Online live mentoring sessions are a vital tool for learning a new language and for encouraging social engagement.
Conclusion
You can see how incorporating online tools that encourage social engagement and stimulate social intuitive skills helps prevent students from feeling isolated or lost. My intention is to make ASL online courses to be very similar to face-to-face class settings. I care for the students to thrive in learning ASL and to stay in the online courses. Keep in mind that online teaching is not only about teaching, it is also about making social engagement a priority. Just because the students and instructor are not seeing each other in person, it doesn’t mean we have to lose social intuition online. The tools that I shared allow a new place for engagement online. It is our job as educators to be creative in designing online courses to help boost social engagement.
Reference
Margaret C. Keiper, Amanda White, Cameron D. Carlson & Joshua M. Lupinek (2021) Student perceptions on the benefits of Flipgrid in a HyFlex learning environment, Journal of Education for Business, 96:6, 343-351, DOI: 10.1080/08832323.2020.1832431
Shaio-Chuan Kung (January 2002) A Framework for Successful Key-pal Programs in Language Learning, ISSN 1442-438X, CALL-EJ Online, Vol. 3, No. 2
Keller, J. & Deimann, M. (2018). Motivation, Volition, and Performance. In R.A. Reiser, & J.V Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th ed.) New York, NY: Pearson
Miller, A. (2015). Supporting ELLS in PPL Projects. George Lucas Educational Foundation, Edutopia
Gates, S. (2018). Benefits of Collaboration, Learning Collaboratively Helps Students. neaToday
This is a great case study read and watch. The tools descriptions were perfect. I have heard of flip grid and now can add go react and sign on connect to my arsenal. I feel you have done an excellent job with incorporating this on line tool into your curriculum.
I really like that explanation giving about video and how these platforms can be used for students to interact with teachers and peers when virtual. I teach video and having those components in the classroom would be of great value when keeping students engaged throughout the learning process.
CURIOSITY FROM GAP IN KNOWLEDGE
In your module sample the students are going to learn to use the platform as well as…
Jamie,
What you’ve done in adapting and sharing your class online is just wonderful. It appears you have found many great resources in helping your students stay motivated and socially connected. I actually have a daughter who’s a senior in high school who is interested in learning American Sign Language. I’ll be excited to share with her about what you’re doing and the options available for her own learning and growth. You covered so much and seem so efficient that it’s difficult to know what to share with you in research or resources! I did find one article that discusses different options and considerations for maximizing Flipgrid. The authors also included a link to a blog with fifteen more ideas…