The unique affordances of Action Research, including flexibility, playfulness, accessibility, and a focus on practical problem solving provided crucial strategies for generating knowledge and developing solutions to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The move to online research settings, in particular, required action researchers to…

"Zoom class" has become a prevailing norm for online synchronous learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Zoom classes are often associated with fatigue and lack of student engagement. Theories of computer-mediated communication suggest that text-based, low-bandwidth, online communication may yield more positive communication…

In recent years, several role-modelling initiatives have been testing and exploring the use of digital technologies to facilitate young people's encounters with role models in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The aim of this article is twofold. Firstly, through a literature review, the article aims to provide an…

Today our period is marked as the age of science and technology. There is no aspect of human civilization today where the influence of science and technology has not been felt. 'Education' is a very important field of human life. So very naturally and for good reason this technology is being used in many ways in the field of education. The overall…

Educators constantly wrestle with the question of how to engage students in an environment in which students are increasingly distracted. This issue has become more relevant as instructors have been forced to pivot to the use of a variety of online learning modalities to administer instruction. While the synchronous online class session allows for…

Facilitating discussions is an integral part of virtual, synchronous and asynchronous adult and higher education settings. This article offers effective strategies for supporting learners and guiding discussion, particularly about social and critical content.

Rural schools face unique and complex challenges and opportunities specific to rural contexts. Recognizing this, the Region 15 Comprehensive Center (R15CC) created and facilitates a community of practice (COP), the Rural COP, focused specifically on rural education in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. The goals of this COP are to share…

Challenged by COVID-19, we sought ways to increase engagement in the virtual classroom, capitalizing on a popular multiplayer game to teach persuasion to undergraduate students. In the game "Among Us[R]," players ("Crewmates") work together to repair their spaceship before it explodes while being attacked by other players…

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is tragic, yet we can still learn a great deal about the virus and its effects. The biochemistry of the virus is rather interesting despite its ill effects, and it is important to know how it works to understand how to defeat…

Remote learning communities are peer groups that meet regularly by connecting online and via video and telephone conferencing, to work toward shared learning objectives in a structured virtual environment. Led by skilled facilitators who act as guides and sounding boards for these groups, the ongoing discussions may help staff incorporate new…

This chapter describes the Integrated Online Team-Based Learning (IO-TBL) model, an online TBL course design which utilizes both asynchronous and synchronous modes of engagement to maximize the benefits of TBL in an online environment. Students' perceptions of the effective and ineffective aspects of the IO-TBL model are also reported.

The Networking "Menu" is a customizable learning experience for online students to explore various ways to network virtually and to sharpen their networking skills. The "menu" offers four networking options for students to select from. Some networking options require that students network with their peers via virtual platforms…

This article describes how one honors leadership team adapted a traditional in-person Forum to a digital platform during the coronavirus crisis. Integrating a variety of asynchronous and synchronous remote technologies created a positive virtual learning experience for honors practitioners and students.

Online learning discussion formats provide an opportunity for learners to share their experiences, negotiate meaning, and take ownership of the subject matter. Chat rooms also provide learners with anyplace and real-time ways to participate in academic discussions. Shared understanding occurs when individual experience mediated through group…

The rush to remote learning during the COVD-19 pandemic has caused instructors to rapidly adapt mechanisms of learning. Here, I describe an online concept mapping activity for membrane transport mechanisms that can be accomplished by students working together remotely and either synchronously or asynchronously.