ONLINE TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENGAGED LEARNING A Meaningful Synthesis for Educators

Online education is well established in academia; however, the effectiveness of course design and student engagement remains uncertain. To deliver the highest quality online education, students should be engaged in learning exercises. Appropriately integrated technology can be used to foster student engagement, build a learner-centered environment, and make course content come alive. This article synthesizes information about well-established and relatively new technologies, such as discussion boards, chat sessions, blogs, Twitter, Skype, YouTube, and so on, to provide guidance for educators interested in integrating these tools within their online learning environment. Instructors who effectively incorporate technology as learning tools in their online courses can expect to achieve enhanced student engagement as well as higher levels of learning and more efficient classroom management.