An Online Pedagogy Reading Circle Sponsored by the OIT Mentors, led by Andrew Higgins

Studies show that pre-COVID students were 10-20% less likely to complete online classes, with even lower rates for first-generation college students and students from historically marginalized communities. Given the added stressors of life during COVID, the question of how to best reach and motivate our students is of utmost importance. In this reading circle we will discuss “Motivating Elements,” chapter 5 in Online Teaching at Its Best: Merging Instructional Design with Teaching and Learning Research, by Lunda B. Nilson and Ludwika A. Goodson (Jossey-Bass, 2018). This book aims to deemphasize the role of technology in online teaching and place the focus on pedagogy. Nilson and Ludwika survey the scholarship on classroom teaching, online teaching, and instructional design in order to identify best practices for online teaching that are grounded in research rather than anecdote.

We hope to use this 23-page chapter to spark conversation and ideas about how we can help motivate students to invest time and effort in their coursework.

See the recording below. * This recording is available to all campus members. You must be logged into any New Paltz Campus account to view.