Digital transformation has forced higher education institutions to adapt new models of education and learning. In pandemic times, higher education institutions have started to practice online learning experiences. In this respect, the time comes to consider the active learning in higher education by the merits of online learning environments. Experiences of graduate school students were examined on the use of six hats and station methods in online course activities. These experiences and thoughts were gathered through story-based reflections through reflection task. It is revealed that active learning in higher education models is possible by integrating different learning activities in the online context. Learners developed research and project management skills through personalized learning and collaborative learning. They gained the ability to look at topics from different angles and ability to accept criticism.
TopIntroduction
World is changing due to health needs and protection. As adaptation requires change, the life styles and learning styles all have changed. Pandemic times have forced us to focus on new ways of learning and teaching at all levels of education. The use of online practices led to strategic innovation at higher education institutions in fostering quality in education services. In this respect, higher education institutions have started to become social agents to diffuse transformation in both social responsibilities for learners and technological innovations (Kaplan, Haenlein, 2016).
Higher education institutions play a great role to create a sense of online community by initiating online education. Online community is important in learning and teaching process by encapsulating motivation, student centered learning, interaction and social presence (Gray, Ulbrich, 2017). Making stories, scenarios in online learning and teaching experiences foster learner driven education based on specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time based strategies as a smart policy.
Future of learning relies on strategic decisions of higher education with accepting the transformation and becoming social agents in process of adaptation. As a result, future of learning is becoming more active and personalized in online context. Therefore, changing roles of teachers as facilitators are crucial in providing qualified services in online learning. Connecting, informing, engaging, collaborating, contextualizing, personalizing and reflecting through assessment are key elements in order to give support to online learning (Zhao, 2003).
In higher education institutions, online learning requires personalized learning and process evaluation for adding meaningful learning and social involvement to the value of learning. Belonging is important in teaching and institutional support to provide student engagement for the personalized learning. In this respect, cultural, historical activity theory enhances the importance of engagement and personal learning and underlines the importance of activities based on gaining experiences while learning. Designing learning activities to foster skills and competences on online courses is crucial.Based on personalized learning and active learning process, using constructive teaching strategies lead to learning activities that make learners become more engaged to the course. Creating the learning context and activities that learners can explore, collaborate, connect, share and reflect is needed to foster merits of CHAT theory and social theory in online context (Foot, 2001). The open education resources and practices play a great role to internalize project based learning and engaging learning activities. Therefore, it is essential to use valuable assignments for adding value for the next time use. Giving only one assignment without any meaning is not helpful. Making learning meaningful relies on the learning activities and learning processes.
Learner driven education plays an important that active learning is essential to make learners become engaged to learning activities. In this respect, using methods of active learning such as group work, role play, etc in education are the heart of instruction and shows the art of teaching. In this respect, students’ active involvement in the course can be enriched by learning activities. In online context, roles of teachers are managerial and also pedagogical. Therefore, creating variations in online learning activities enhance the richness of personalized learning in conducting student centered education in this digitalized active context (Dwivedi, Dwivedi, Bobek, and Sternad Zabukovšek, 2019; Brieger, Arghode, McLean, 2020).