Developing Online Modules for a “Health and Wellness” Course: Adapting Active Learning Strategies to the Online Environment

Abstract

In traditional learning environments, students learn from paying attention to the instructor and reading textbooks and other materials. Today, higher education is in a revolution of knowledge. With technology advancing at a fast pace and a large array of health information available on the Internet, educators must adapt to the changing environment and be creative in their approaches to student learning. Research in pedagogy indicates that students learn more and retain information longer if knowledge is acquired actively (Fink, 2003, 2013). Active learning refers to instructional methods that engage the students in the learning process; it can happen in the classroom and through online activities. To increase active learning, educators must add opportunities for reflection and application (Barkley, 2009; Fink, 2003). Active learning creates a learner-centered environment, influencing students to move beyond taking notes and memorizing course content. This environment strengthens the process of understanding the content, and most important, aids in developing critical thinking skills. The goal is to engage students in solving problems, discussing possible controversial aspects of the topics, making applications beyond the classroom, interacting with the content to create their own knowledge, and creating a self-paced learning environment (Lumpkin, Achen, & Dodd, 2015). In other words, higher education should evoke a paradigm shift that gives responsibility to students for their own knowledge creation. For instance, Grebennikov and Shah (2013) found that guided reading questions, the use of personal 750167P HPXXX10.

An Electronic Teaching Module for Improving Knowledge of Self-Management of Vaso-Occlusive Pain Crises in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease: Pilot Questionnaire Study

“…Given that 5 participants fell asleep at some point during the ETM and no patients re-accessed the ETM within 6 months of the study, revisions may be necessary. In a recent study assessing online module development, students were more engaged when the module content was applicable to their personal life or community and provided opportunities for critical thinking [13]. The study also highlights the value of emphasizing qualitative feedback over traditionally quantitative feedback [13].…”

“…In a recent study assessing online module development, students were more engaged when the module content was applicable to their personal life or community and provided opportunities for critical thinking [13]. The study also highlights the value of emphasizing qualitative feedback over traditionally quantitative feedback [13]. Possible changes to make the ETM more engaging include adding a playback speed control button per study participant survey comments, modifying the ETM to make it more interactive by adding questions after each section and adding a summary at the end of the ETM.…”

A Comparison of Interteaching and the Learning Pathway in a Community Health Undergraduate Course

“…Active learning strategies are examples of innovative teaching methods that are more successful than traditional teaching methods (i.e., lecture; Freeman et al, 2014) and institutes of higher education recommend these strategies (Center for Teaching Excellence, 2018). Active learning strategies focus on studentcentered collaborative strategies that aid in critical thinking by requiring more than notetaking and listening to lectures (Kas-Osoka, Bradley, Coffman, & Orpinas, 2018;Pinahs-Schultz & Beck, 2016). These strategies use activities, such as discussion (Svinicki & McKeachie, 2013), and engage students in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Bonwell & Eison, 1991).…”

Flipping Online Learning in Public Health Graduate Education

“…Typically, online technologies such as prerecorded video lectures (i.e., Vodcasts) are created and assigned as homework, which frees up face-to-face class time for deepening understanding and applying content alongside peers and the instructor (O'Flaherty & Phillips, 2015). The flipped classroom model prioritizes discussion, problem solving, and active learning activities that engage students in the learning process in meaningful ways (Kas-Osoka et al, 2018).…”

“…Compared with the conventional lecture-based approach that is most commonly applied in higher education, the flipped classroom approach requires students to engage with materials independently at their own pace and then actively apply and engage with course content and each other during face-to-face sessions (O'Flaherty & Phillips, 2015). The conventional lecture-based approach "reduces education to a transfer of information" (Mazur, 2009, p. 50), while the flipped classroom approach employs active learning and problem-solving and prioritizes higher-order cognitive work (i.e., analysis and synthesis) and engagement (Kas-Osoka, Bradley, Coffman, & Orpinas, 2018).…”