Approaches to Online Instruction That Are Engaging for Students

By Breaunna Alexander

In a series of online conversations hosted by the CSU Student Success Network in July and August, over 150 faculty and staff across 21 CSU campuses shared strategies and learned from each other about student-centered online practices. This memo summarizes existing literature in that area. Key findings from the literature indicate that opportunities for collaboration appear to be particularly crucial for online learning environments, and that by actively building a strong “teaching presence” and “social presence” faculty can facilitate collaboration and engagement among students.