Learning Without Boundaries: Strategies for Engaging and Active Online Learning

In Oh the Places You’ll Go, Dr. Seuss wrote: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” (Dr. Seuss, 1990)  Web-based technologies have removed the barriers of time, cost and location from the learning activities and experiential learning opportunities available to students. Using the tools available on the web and a dose of creativity faculty can design innovative and engaging learning opportunities for their students.  Grounded in a constructivist pedagogy this presentation will outline the process of moving beyond discussion board, papers and quizzes to make an online course become and active and engaging learning activity.  Examples of virtual field trips, scavenger hunts, conversations with historical figures or leaders, cultural exchanges and other learning activities that facilitate student learning from real world places, people and artifacts will be shared.  Having students explore beyond the walls of the classroom, brings a real-world perspective to concepts discussed in course text-books as well as provides a national and global perspective to the material being studied. In addition, learners often find tools and resources that are useful in their academic studies as well as in their current or future professional practice.