8 Ideas Designed to

Engage Students In Active

Learning Online
I’ve spent the last four months working with teachers all over the country (virtually, of
course) as they navigate the uncharted waters of online and blended learning. The
majority of teachers I have spoken with did not enjoy their initial experiences with
distance learning. A big issue for many teachers was a general lack of student
engagement online. I cannot say I am surprised given the lack of clarity about
expectations for participation online, the “no harm” grading policies adopted by many
districts during school closures, and issues around equity and access.
This fall, students will likely be learning, at least in part, online. Given that reality, I
wanted to share a collection of strategies designed to engage students in active learning
online.

1. Sort It Out

This is a digital spin on a traditional concept mapping exercise. Sort it Out challenges

students to think about how key concepts in a unit, lesson, or chapter relate to one
another. Students can work independently or in pairs on a Google Drawing to complete
this digital concept mapping activity. The directions ask that they combine text and
visual media to show the relationship between concepts.
2. Online Fishbowl

The classic fishbowl activity splits the class into two groups. While one group engages in
a discussion or attempts to solve a problem, the second group observes and captures
their observations, questions, and comments. If teachers are hosting small group virtual
sessions, this strategy can be adapted for a virtual conferencing session. Prior to the
video conference, the teacher will split the students into two groups–group A and group
B. I’d suggest sharing your screen and having the students’ names clearly listed in a two-
column chart.

Once students know what group they are in, the teacher presents group A with a
discussion question or a problem to solve and sets the timer (e.g., 5 minutes). The
students in group A will unmute and engage in a discussion or talk through the problem.
While they engage with one another, group B will watch and observe. Their job will be to
post their observations in the chat window or on a shared Google Document.
When the timer goes off, the teacher can invite members of group B to unmute and
share their thoughts. What did they notice as they observed their peers? What questions
do they have? What suggestions would they make? After group B has had the
opportunity to comment, the groups switch roles and group B engages in a discussion or
problem solving task while group A observes.

3. Expert Group Investigations

Teachers are going to have less time for direct instruction if they are working with
students on a hybrid schedule or if they are entirely online. This is an opportunity to
have students become the experts responsible for conducting research and curating
online sources. Instead of using precious class time to tell kids everything we know
about a topic, why not put them into expert groups and let them lead the learning?

Teachers can group 4-5 students on a shared Google Slide presentation and ask them to
spend some of their online learning time investigating a specific topic or concept with
the goal of becoming the experts on that topic or concept. They will need to work
collaboratively to pull their information together in a cogent and visually compelling
presentation that mixes text and visual media.

Teachers can ask students to present during their face-to-face time (blended) or during a
video conferencing session (online).

4. Collaborative Annotations

Teachers can make annotating a piece of reading, which is typically an individual

endeavor, and make it more engaging by simply grouping students on a shared
document to annotate collaboratively. Teachers can insert a two-column chart into a
Google Document then copy and paste text in the left-hand column. Students can
highlight keywords and phrases in the text and capture their annotations in the right-
hand column.

As they work they can use the chat feature inside of the document to discuss the
reading if they are working synchronously or insert comments with questions for the
other members of the group to answer asynchronously. This adds a social component to
the learning task, which can help students who are working on the assignment at home
feel connected to their peers.

5. Google Map Adventures

Finding fun ways for students to surface their learning is critical for increasing
engagement online. The more creative the assignments, the more likely students are to
lean into the learning. Google Maps is a versatile tool that can be leveraged for learning
in all subject areas. Students can chart the path of a story on a map, they can connect
the historical information they are learning to the geographic location where events took
place, and students can use maps to design creative mathematical challenges. The
possibilities are limitless!

Students can create their own maps or collaborate on shared maps, drop pins with text
and media in specific locations, and share their maps as evidence of their learning. Click
here to learn more about My Maps.
6. Spotify Playlist

Encourage your students to get creative with their review. At the end of a chapter or
unit, challenge pairs of students to work collaboratively on a shared Google Document
to identify the main ideas, concepts, and/or themes from the chapter or unit. Then ask
them to create a Spotify playlist. The goal is to use music, something most kids enjoy, to
inspire them to think more deeply about the ideas, concepts, or themes covered in a text
or unit.
7. Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are a fun way to encourage students to research and explore. If
teachers are struggling to “get through” content given limited face-to-face time, they can
create an online or offline scavenger hunt.

Scavenger hunts can encourage students to do a close read of a text or conduct informal
research to answer questions when they are learning remotely. This strategy makes it
possible for teachers to identify relevant information that students will need to know
while making the experience of finding that information engaging and fun. Teachers can
use Google Documents or Google Slides to create their scavenger hunt activities, making
the tasks individual or collaborative.

8. Online Discussions

Scavenger hunts are a fun way to encourage students to research and explore. If
teachers are struggling to “get through” content given limited face-to-face time, they can
create an online or offline scavenger hunt.

Scavenger hunts can encourage students to do a close read of a text or conduct informal
research to answer questions when they are learning remotely. This strategy makes it
possible for teachers to identify relevant information that students will need to know
while making the experience of finding that information engaging and fun. Teachers can
use Google Documents or Google Slides to create their scavenger hunt activities, making
the tasks individual or collaborative.

8. Online Discussions