The focus of this presentation is an approach to increasing student engagement in online environments using multimedia flash presentations as part of a blended learning environment. Such presentations can be used to provide context to assist with student motivation (e.g. practical applications, news / current affairs, industry case studies), as well as an active learning environment, both of which are vital for student engagement, and hence student learning experiences and outcomes. The approach is illustrated for an Environmental Engineering course at the University of Adelaide, where it is used aspart of a hybrid Justin-Time Teaching / Project Based Learning approach.
Holger Maier is Professor of Integrated Water Systems Engineering in the School of Civil, Environmental & Mining Engineering at the University of Adelaide. He teaches in water and environmental engineering and is the co-developer of the multi-award winning Mekong e-Sim. His research interests in engineering education include online roleplay-simulations and student engagement.
He has in excess of 200 publications and has received a number of national and international awards for his teaching and research, such as the Australian Award for University Teaching and the Biennial Medial from the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society.