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Implement Student Video Introductions to Foster Social Presence

February 19, 2020
Description Online learning can cause students to miss the peer-to-peer connectiveness of the face-to-face classroom and feel isolated in their studies, which can lead to lower motivation, achievement, and retention in online classes (Angelino, Williams, & Natvig, 2007; Kanuka & Jugdev, 2006). To remedy students’ feelings of isolation, discussion forums are commonly utilized by instructors…

Press Release: Entries from April 2019’s “Mini-Call”

November 18, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Online Teaching Practices Added to Open Repository Orlando, Florida, US – November 18, 2019 – The editors of the Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository (TOPR) are pleased to announce the new entries accepted for publication from the April 2019 TOPR “Mini-Call” for Submissions. Entries were received from faculty and designers in multiple disciplines…

Create Structured Discussion Prompt to Reduce Ambiguity, Reinforce Purpose, and Promote Discourse

October 24, 2019
Asynchronous online teaching is fundamentally a communications challenge. What is gained in online learning by extending access through a Web-based LMS is offset by the loss of the immediacy and semantic richness of in-person instructional communication (Daft, R. L., & Lengel, R. H., 1986; Moore, M., 1993). In online discussion forums, students, in isolation, are…

Create a Case Method Group Activity to Engage Students in Critical Thinking

September 30, 2019
The case method group activity is an instructional design strategy that involves faculty members providing one or more case studies to which groups of students respond. The case(s) could be a real-life case or simulation. It could be description of key concept(s) applied, a story or scenario, an actual case study, a problem or mystery,…

Using “Start, Stop, and Continue” to Gather Student Feedback to Improve Instruction

September 24, 2019
Providing feedback to students in courses is important so they understand how they are performing. However, it is equally important to gather feedback from students. Seldin (1997) stated there are two reasons to gather feedback: “first, to improve teaching performance, and second, to provide a rational and equitable basis for personnel decisions” (p. 335). Feedback…

Build an ePortfolio to Showcase Mastery of 21st Century Skills

August 12, 2019
Today’s employers expect their potential workers to be conversant in the 4Cs of 21st Century Skills: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking identified through the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (NEA, 2012). Spires (2012) states that, “digital literacy practices involve the ability to locate and consume, create, and communicate digital content, while simultaneously employing a…

Use Web Conferencing and Videos to Improve Interview Skills

December 4, 2018
As university graduates enter into complex and rapidly changing job markets, they often face a competitive and challenging employment search process. Well-developed employment search and interview skills are essential, and practicing techniques can improve successful outcomes (Ward, Leuty, & Corie, 2016). Web-based video employment interviews, both synchronous and asynchronous, have become more common in industry…

Using Video Discussion Boards to Increase Student Engagement

December 4, 2018
Discussion boards in online courses are widely known to encourage higher-order thinking and reflection. However, text-based discussions may not be the best choice for all students or all learning outcomes. Student-created video is used increasingly in the form of video discussion boards. For example, instructors may have heard of Flipgrid, a popular video discussion software…

An Alternative Strategy for Using Online Discussions for Learning Course Content in STEM Courses

December 4, 2018
Online discussion boards offer students an opportunity to engage with their peers and instructor in a course outside of the classroom.  The discussion boards are often used to replicate a classroom discussion and have many positive benefits.  It is relatively straightforward to setup and facilitate online discussions where students weigh in on a certain topic,…