Learning Circle Sessions Online

Does group work online seem mysterious to you? Have you wondered about how you might flip a university classroom using online tools? When you move online, professors often find that their role shifts more towards providing direction and feedback to students who become more active in the learning process. The availability of learning materials-- lectures, animations, articles, tutorials, books, movies, TEDtalks and podcasts--is so rich that students could most likely find many different ways to listen, watch or read about concepts or ideas.

What students want from their professors is something that is much harder to find online. They want direction, guidance, and feedback as they work to transfer what they learn into usable knowledge. The transfer of learning to new settings is where students need the most help. Instead of passively wondering if the lecture content will transfer to new settings, I think that university professors need to help learners figure out how to use what they are learning. Students should be making new connections and solving problems they care about. Here are some ideas that move in that direction- learning circles paired with action research-- and some forms of technology that can support this learning.