Search
There are 45 results.
Category
Tag
Tag
All (45)
Active Learning (3)
Assessments (1)
Asynchrony (2)
Authentic Activities (2)
Backwards Design (2)
Canvas (1)
Case Studies (1)
Collaboration (1)
Communication (2)
Community (3)
Competency-Based Education (1)
Content Creation (6)
Copyright (2)
Course Maintenance (1)
Course Materials (5)
Course Preparation (4)
Discussions (1)
Diversity (1)
Equity (1)
Feedback (5)
Formative Assessments (7)
Game-Based Learning (2)
Gamification (1)
Generative AI (1)
Group Work (2)
Inclusion (2)
Infographics (1)
Learning Objectives (2)
Multimodality (3)
Presentations (1)
Representation (1)
Rubrics (1)
Scaffolding (1)
Synchrony (2)
Third-Party Tools (1)
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (2)
Video (4)
Visual Design (1)
Written Assignments (1)
Audio-Only Content to Support Learning
In comparison to instructional videos, the role of audio-only instructional content in online learning has received scant attention. When audio-only content is discussed, the research often centers on the use of audio feedback or student-created podcasts, rather than instructor-created instructional audio. Additionally, few studies have compared learning outcomes from recorded video lectures versus from audio alone, except within the context of specific disciplines, such as second language acquisition (Berner & Adams, 2004).
Creating Learning Objectives
Learning objectives help inform students about what they will learn and how they will be assessed. Objectives are meant to align with course expectations. Therefore, any assigned exercises should be guided by the course’s specific learning objectives. Everything in the course should work together to ensure students achieve the course objectives.
How to Set Up Your Canvas Notifications
Did you know you can elect to receive notifications via email related to specific actions in your Canvas account? Notification preferences are applied across your account to all of your courses. However, you can change notification settings for individual courses by clicking View Course Notifications from the home page of the course.
Rubric Best Practices Guide
When used effectively, rubrics facilitate clear and consistent assessment, enhancing the learning experience for both students and instructors. In the online classroom environment, where students do not have the frequent, physical access that a traditional classroom provides, rubrics can provide the added benefit of increasing student engagement with course material and clarifying an instructor's expectations (Keengwe, Adjei-Boateng, & Diteeyont, as cited in Haught et al., 2017). In fact, according to Martin & Bolliger (2018), online learners have reported that grading rubrics are highly important for learner-to-instructor engagement. For instructors, too, rubrics simplify the grading process, promoting consistency across students and terms. Eliminating the guesswork from grade determination, well-designed rubrics can save professors precious time and energy.
Group Work Best Practices Guide
Group work in online courses can facilitate student learning in unique ways. In particular, group assignments can provide students with opportunities to engage in authentic tasks and develop collaborative skills applicable to their future careers. Williams et al. (2006) argue that team learning stimulates student thinking at the higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, including application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Group projects can serve a variety of different purposes across a wide range of academic programs and subjects. Additionally, group projects can foster interaction and community building amongst students, which can be especially valuable in an asynchronous online classroom (Martin & Bolliger, 2018).
Accessing Open Educational Resources
While open educational resources (OERs) can take on many forms, including assignments, videos, and articles, open textbooks have provided students with more affordable options for accessing and purchasing required course materials.
Copyright
From time to time instructors may want to include in their courses copyrighted materials like images, print content, audio recordings, or videos. The University of Minnesota Libraries define copyright as “the area of law that deals with creation, ownership, sale, and use of creative and expressive works” (2011, What can have a copyright? section).
Choosing Tech
“How do I choose the right technology?” is generally a common question in education, and in online program management in particular, where it is usually asked in the context of developing an online course or other virtual learning experience. After all, the subject matter expert and instructional designer are hoping to create an experience for students that is both meaningful and valuable. Knowing how to orchestrate content and pedagogy is already hard enough, but add in the fact that there are thousands of technology options, and the task can feel even more daunting.
Peer Review Best Practices Guide
Peer review is an active learning technique in which students evaluate peer assignment submissions and provide each other feedback. There are several benefits to using peer review in a course, including increased attention to detail and quality and engagement in constructive critique (Chong et al., 2012). Peer review may also help students develop effective problem-solving strategies (Wagner & Rutherford, 2019). Peer reviews can impart cognitive benefits for both students who conduct reviews and students who receive peer feedback (Knight & Steinbach, 2011). When implemented effectively, the peer review process equips students with valuable feedback and promotes classroom community.
Multimodal Models
Designing a successful multimodal course means, at each step of the process, considering what each format does well—structuring the course such that each piece of content, each activity, and each interaction uses the most effective delivery method available. But what does that look like in practice? This piece describes three approaches to structuring a multimodal course. In each model, asynchronous and synchronous time complement one another and further module and course objectives. Where the models differ is in the relative importance of asynchronous activities in enabling students to complete synchronous activities and vice versa.