Rich Environments for Active Learning on the Web: Guidelines and Examples

This paper provides guidelines for creating REALs (Rich Environments for Active Learning) on the World Wide Web and demonstrates how those guidelines have been applied in a variety of Web-based learning environment contexts. The paper is organized according to the following attributes of student-centered REALs: (1) promote intentional learning by encouraging the growth of student responsibility, initiative, decision making, and intentional learning, including support for transition to an online learning environment, setting goals, metacognitive awareness, and time management; (2) apply dynamic, generative learning activities that promote high level thinking processes (i.e., analysis, synthesis, problem solving, experimentation, creativity, and examination of topics from multiple perspectives) to help students integrate new and old knowledge and, thereby, create rich and complex knowledge structures, including creating and providing access to resources; (3) utilize authentic learning contexts to promote study and investigation, including contextualizing learning, making learning complex, increasing meaningfulness and realism of activities, and encouraging research; (4) encourage collaboration to cultivate an atmosphere supportive of knowledge building communities; and (5) reinforce reflection by embedding opportunities to reflect on the learning process as well as on the content acquired to promote both learning and metacognitive skill