Are You a Robot? Revitalizing Online Learning and Discussion Boards for Today’s Modern Learner

Abstract

Engagement and motivation of online students have been explored by many online instructors and researchers. This article presents the rationale that online engagement is best achieved when both students and instructors are actively motivated by course learning and objectives. Modern learners enjoy interactive and practical exercises to demonstrate their knowledge in addition to student-instructor contact. Instructors can bring their best to the class when they use creative and innovative teaching strategies that foster student learning and its application. Tips to enhance student and instructor engagement in online courses, particularly through online discussion boards, are explored which can help to positively impact the online class experience.

Keywords:

• Online learning
• faculty engagement
• student engagement
• online discussion boards

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lesley Page

Dr. Lesley Page is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Organizational Leadership in Lewis University’s College of Business. Dr. Page has been active in organizational research and consulting for over 20 years. She has served clients from a wide variety of industries including financial services, consumer products, retail, and healthcare. Her expertise is in employee and customer satisfaction measurement, organizational culture analysis, training evaluation, and leadership development/assessment. Dr. Page has earned both a MA and PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from DePaul University.

Elizabeth Millea Hullett

Elizabeth Millea Hullett is a Graduate Student at Lewis University, pursuing a Master’s in Organizational Leadership with a focus on Professional and Executive Coaching. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theater and Dance from Muhlenberg College. She has led training programs in the restaurant industry, provided corporate consulting for a Fortune 100 insurance company and other small businesses, and is a professional theater director, choreographer, and actress.

Sheila Boysen

Dr. Sheila Boysen is an Associate Professor within the College of Business at Lewis University. Dr. Boysen currently serves as the Director of the graduate-level programs in the Organizational Leadership Department. She is a master-certified executive leadership coach specializing in talent and leadership development and coaching. Her industry experience includes roles that have spanned a number of industries as well as both public and private organizations. Dr. Boysen’s doctoral studies at Benedictine University in Organization Development included extensive research on coaching and talent management. She holds an MBA in Organizational Behavior from Northern Illinois University and a Professional Human Resources certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and SHRM.