Responsive Teaching in Online Learning Environments: Using an Instructional Team to Promote Formative Assessment and Sense of Community

Abstract

Online teaching and learning have become widespread in higher education over the past two decades, and accelerated during the pandemic. Although online learning is expanding and has many benefits, instructors teaching online courses must deal with a variety of demands in online learning environments. Formative assessment and sense of community have been recognized as significant factors for enhancing meaningful student learning in online platforms. While existing technological resources create opportunities for students to engage with course materials and collaborative tasks, it can be quite daunting for a single instructor to meet the needs of a diverse student population. Typically, online instructors often do not have learning assistants (LAs), and/or lack models for how to effectively deploy these human resources in online environments. In this paper we describe how the creation of online instructional teams with specialized LA roles (online learning researchers [OLRs] and online instructional managers [OIMs]) can support formative assessment and community building in online courses. The OLRs and OIMs were trained to fulfill specialized roles to support formative assessment and the development of a more cohesive community of learners had a positive impact on asynchronous online courses at our institution.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Young Ae Kim

Young Ae Kim ([email protected]) is a research associate in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Lisa Rezende

Lisa Rezende is an associate professor of practice in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Elizabeth Eadie

Elizabeth Eadie is a lecturer (career track) in the School of Anthropology, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Jacqueline Maximillian

Jacqueline Maximillian is an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Katelyn Southard

Katelyn Southard is a coordinator of teaching partnerships for student success in the Office of Instruction and Assessment, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Lisa Elfring

Lisa Elfring is an associate vice provost in the Office of Instruction and Assessment and an associate specialist in biology education in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Paul Blowers

Paul Blowers is a distinguished professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.

Vicente Talanquer

Vicente Talanquer is a distinguished professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.