When people work together, they fill in one another s knowledge gaps. The interactivity of groups promotes active learning, but it can be difficult for people to get together outside of class. A. Provide students with additional ways to engage with the content of the course. For example, have them use Web sites through which they can interact and share a task, even if they don t all work on it at once. Web activities provide an opportunity for extended interactions that can take place asynchronously.
People tend to be less inhibited when communicating through electronic media.
On their Web sites some instructors put self-testing tools such as course notes, outlines or text from lectures, and hyperlinks to resources. This gives students an opportunity to follow up on material covered in class. The Web allows for homework to be sent and received, student questions to be answered by e-mail, peer collaboration and tutoring to take place via discussion boards, and student work to be shared and critiqued. This Web site focuses on implementation strategies and learning outcomes. A Handbook for Teaching Assistants at the University of Minnesota.