Get them outside! An online program’s use of community-based activities and technology to engage online students

The purpose of this general forum session will be to share techniques used in the the newly developed, “Children’s Healthy Living Summer Institute” online program. The program has been designed and built through a partnership between the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and the Distance Course Design and Consulting Group (DCDC). The mission of the program is to elevate the human capacity of the Pacific region to promote childhood health through formal training that is globally relevant and locally applicable.

The program provides hands-on, community-based, culturally-sensitive, and practical learning opportunities in child health, to promote meaningful and engaging experiences for students. This session will highlight several specific activities and online tools used across the program’s eight courses. The activities highlighted will provide audience members with online examples of getting students into “real-life” situations and discuss the technology tools used to share those experiences in an online setting. Course activities use a variety of techniques and tools such as photo blogs, video, and Google apps.

The session will include a discussion section in which audience members can ask questions, and will be encouraged to reflect on and share how the techniques and tools reviewed in the session could apply in their own learning environments.