At a time when technology is often seen as a cause of isolation between students, self-directed learning strategies can help faculty build a stronger sense of community in online courses.
SPIN activities help instructors create more structured opportunities for students to show up to class, interact, share challenges, and surface confusion.
In a recent webinar, researchers and partners from the Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative explored how colleges can provide more deliberate support for students in online courses with a new Self-Directed Learning Instructional Model.
A new Collaborative research brief examines an approach designed to help students strengthen self-directed learning habits in online courses.
Despite the increasing popularity of online learning, remote and hybrid courses pose challenges for students. To help address these challenges, the Collaborative has developed an Instructional Model with simple strategies that target belonging, metacognition, and other self-directed learning (SDL) skills students need to succeed in online courses.
Collaborative researchers Hannah Cheever and Ellen Wasserman unveiled a set of research-based strategies designed to improve teaching and learning in online college STEM courses at a recent conference for instructional designers.
Three students enrolled in courses that piloted the Collaborative’s Instructional Model share their experiences using evidence-backed strategies to foster and reinforce learning skills.
Collaborative researcher Louise Yarnall recently presented a new Self-Directed Learning Instructional Model at the annual symposium of the International Society for Self-Directed Learning.
How can instructors help students navigate the unique challenges of learning in a virtual environment? Explore key takeaways from the Collaborative’s Spring 2025 public webinar.
Meghan McIntyre, a senior professor of mathematics at Wake Technical Community College in North Carolina, is no stranger to online learning or employing innovative strategies to engage her students. Meghan’s work with the Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative (the Collaborative) builds on her earlier efforts to improve online learning for her students.