What does the research tell us?

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So, the general consensus in the literature is that the use of digital whiteboards does increase student engagement and enhance learning in online classroom. However, this is dependent on the factors relating to the instructor’s teaching methods, the instructor’s technical expertise, and the level of scaffolding that they actually offer their students in an online class environment. Students tend to work better when they have instructional scaffolding offered to them, for example, guided prompts or templates with precise instructions on Miro, so that it helps them work their way through any task on the digital whiteboard that they have to do.

One research that I would like to draw your attention to is that of of Thompson and Yuen 2022’s study on “Using Miro for a Science Communication Module.” Using Redmond’s 2018 Online Engagement Framework, Thompson and Yuen evaluated the various dimensions of student engagement, achieved through Miro for their “Science Communication Module.” So what they found is that all types of engagement was evident in the use of Miro for their online activities with their students. Cognitive engagement was evident because students were able to synthesize information and draw conclusions using Miro.

Emotional engagement was there because students actually shared their emotions, their thoughts and feelings using stickers and emojis, and personally, I have experienced this in my classrooms as well, where I have seen whenever they were confused they would put a confused emoji, or in Miro or whenever they were very happy with an activity they were pleased, they would put happy faces, so that was evident in their research as well.

Behavioral and collaborative engagement was there in the form of students collaborating together with their peers, and they felt that they were participating in a learning community, and they were also willing to actually provide constructive feedback to the other classmates who were acting and collaborating together with them in the digital whiteboard. In summary, use of digital whiteboards like Miro can actually promote active learning. However, careful planning is required and also realities of access has to be considered. Instructors have to think about students with special needs and see how they can integrate them into Miro as well.

There are three primary modes of delivery for online courses: asynchronous, synchronous, and blended. In an asynchronous learning environment, students can access lectures and tutorials at their own pace and participate in discussion forums at their convenience. In contrast, synchronous learning facilitates real-time interaction between students and instructors using electronic learning management systems and web conferences. A blended learning approach combines both online and face-to-face teaching methods. Miro can be used in all three modes; however, it has particular benefits when used in synchronous learning. With the use of virtual classroom tools such as Miro, instructors are able to guide students through lectures and address their questions in real time, allowing students to gain a deeper understanding of the course materials.

In their science communication module, Thompson and Yuen (2022) utilized Miro to enhance students’ online learning and engagement. Miro was used to help students achieve the key learning outcome of effectively communicating scientific concepts to educated non-specialist audiences. To facilitate this, team-based templates were designed for students to structure their discussions in breakout rooms. Using Redmond et al.’s (2018) online engagement framework for higher education, they evaluated the various dimensions of engagement achieved through Miro.

The framework proposed by Redmond et al. (2018) expands on the conventional definition of engagement, as originally conceptualized by Fredricks et al. (2004). While the traditional definition considers the behavioural (participation in classroom activities), cognitive (comprehension, analysis, and synthesis of learning materials), and emotional (affective responses to classroom activities) dimensions, Redmond et al.’s (2018) framework includes collaborative and social dimensions.

According to Redmond et al. (2018), collaborative engagement pertains to the involvement of students in academic activities such as discussions, group work, and assessments, where they collaborate with their peers and instructors to cultivate professional relationships. On the other hand, social engagement encompasses informal interactions outside the classroom that promote the development of trust and community among students and instructors.

Thompson and Yuen (2022) found that Miro enabled all forms of online engagement, except for social engagement. Cognitive engagement was evident as students used Miro to integrate and synthesize information from supplementary texts. The students’ emotional engagement was demonstrated by their use of stickers and emojis, which were creatively employed to express their enthusiasm and convey emotions like agreement or disapproval during their learning journey. Their interaction with peers and instructors was indicative of their collaborative engagement. Furthermore, the students exhibited behavioural engagement by providing constructive feedback to other teams, thereby offering peer support and encouragement.

A study conducted by Campbell, Detres, and Lucio (2019) examined students’ perceptions of faculty efforts to promote student engagement by using digital whiteboard technology. According to their findings, digital whiteboard tools such as Miro facilitate social, intellectual, and emotional connections between students. Students were stimulated to learn and engaged with each other through creative activities on the digital whiteboard. This format of teaching was considered very interesting and a welcome change from the typical discussion questions.

Despite the potential benefits of the use of digital whiteboards in the classroom as evidenced through the findings of the studies mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, researchers caution that engaging and effective delivery of lessons depends heavily on how instructors conduct their lectures. It is essential for educators to consider their teaching styles and online manners when communicating with students in this context. Students may perceive a lack of subject knowledge if instructors experience difficulties with the technical aspects of online learning. To run successful online classroom activities using digital whiteboards, instructors must provide a certain level of scaffolding. To scaffold the development of critical thinking skills in students, templates can be utilized, much as an expert skeleton concept map can be used to guide students in constructing a more complex diagram using suggested concepts. For online classroom activities on digital whiteboards to be successful, this scaffolding element is essential.

It is important to consider the realities of access, particularly for students with special needs, who may find digital whiteboards to be a barrier to learning and engagement. In summary, while the use of digital whiteboards can promote active, critically engaged, and reflective practices, careful planning is required to ensure their effective and inclusive use.

References:

Campbell, M., Detres, M., & Lucio, R. (2019). Can a digital whiteboard foster student engagement? Social Work Education, 38(6), 735-752.

Chen, J. C., Dobinson, T., & Kent, S. (2020). Lecturers’ perceptions and experiences of Blackboard Collaborate as a distance learning and teaching tool via Open Universities Australia (OUA). Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 35(3), 222-235.

Frank, J. J., & Bellini, J. (2005). Barriers to the accommodation request process of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Journal of Rehabilitation, 71(2), 28.

Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of educational research, 74(1), 59-109.

Kilpatrick, C. D. (2019). Faces or fingers: Building community with synchronous chat. In Educational technology and resources for synchronous learning in higher education (pp. 1-22). IGI Global.

Mendez, A., Brioso, J., Jaramillo, A., Premawardena, D., Cunningham, E., Sarran-Armogan, L., & Zhou, C. (2022). Use of Digital Whiteboard to Engage Undergraduates in Online Studies of Instructor-Generated Biological Diagrams. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 23(1), e00195-21.

Redmond, P., Abawau, L., Brown, A., Henderson, R., & Heffernan, A. (2018). An online engagement framework for higher education. Online learning, 22(1), 183-204.

Shackel, R. (2012). Beyond the Whiteboard: e-learning in the Law Curriculum. QUT Law and Justice Journal – Special Edition in Legal Education, 12 (1), 105-132.

Thompson, A. A., & Yuen, B. P. L. (2022, Aug 29). Using Miro to enhance students’ online engagement and learning in a science communication module. Teaching Connections.