Description It is very important to design an online course in a way that supports students to get started on the right foot (Chico, 2009). When a student starts an online course, they read the essential course information (syllabus, course expectations, instructor introduction) and learn about the course policies and expectations. Otherwise, miscommunications can happen …
Continue reading “Create Contracts to Improve Communication and Reduce Anxiety”
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Assessment,
Course Organization,
Course Protocol,
Introduction
Description Similar to the six-word story from the flash fiction genre, the Six-Word Memoir is a writing genre for telling a personal story in six-words. In popular culture, it has become a global movement now featured in the book Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs: by Writers Famous and Obscure, on [in the …
Continue reading “Assign Six Word Memoirs for Reflection and Synthesis”
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Assessment,
Content,
Digital Storytelling,
Interaction,
Memoir,
Mobile,
Reflection,
Six-Word Memoir,
Synthesis,
Text Message
Description Individualizing assignments in an online course promotes student and instructor interest, challenges students to strengthen their research skills, and prevents students from paraphrasing other students’ work and presenting it as their own. This entry describes a strategy used to teach an online course in Urban Sociology, however, this strategy could be applied to many …
Continue reading “Individualize Assignments in an Online Course”
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Assessment,
Assignments,
Project-Based Learning,
Sociology
Description Nonlinguistic strategies require students to create a representation of new information that does not rely on language. Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock (2001) define non-linguistic representations as the use of visual, kinesthetic, and whole body systems to acquire and store knowledge. Mental images and physical sensation combined with linguistic modes allow students to better reflect. …
Continue reading “Provide Non-Linguisitic Representations to Foster Reflection”
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Assessment,
Concept,
Critical Thinking,
Discussions,
Image,
Interaction,
Non-Linguistic,
Reflection,
Visual
Description Changing the culture of the online university classroom from one of passivity to active engagement requires purposeful planning by the university professor (Kuh, 2005). Related to the so-called “minute paper,” exit slips offer easy, quick, and informative assessments that help encourage student connections to content, self-reflection, and a purpose for future learning (Marzano, 2012; …
Continue reading “Require Online Exit Tickets for Active Engagement”
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Assessment,
Feedback,
Formative,
Image,
Muddiest Point,
Reflection,
Visual
Description When the majority of instruction takes place in an online environment, it may offer more challenges for monitoring student learning and understanding of course content. Certain pedagogical techniques that combine theories and practices from face-to-face instruction can be infused in online teaching to help address these concerns and keep instruction engaging, rigorous, and responsive …
Continue reading “Stop and Pause for Engagement in Online Video Lectures”
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Assessment,
Engagement,
Lecture,
Online Accountability,
Video
Description Weekly lab reports are an integral part of the foundational engineering curriculum. In many conventional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula, students are required to write a report after each weekly experiment, documenting the lab process. Recent research by Vargas and Hanstedt (2014), however, indicates limitations of weekly lab reports, including reduced effectiveness …
Continue reading “Strengthening STEM Laboratory Assessment Using Learner Portfolio and Electronic Assessment”
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Assessment,
Critical Thinking,
Engineering,
ePortfolio,
Laboratory,
STEM,
Student Centered,
Writing
Description It can be difficult to build a sense of community in an online course (Moskal et al., 2010), especially in mathematics where written work is usually somewhat limited. I find that regular class discussions provide a considerable benefit in this process. But the practice that has most effectively improved connections between students and between …
Continue reading “Present Homework through Videos”
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Assessment,
Assignments,
Interaction,
Social Presence,
Student Choice,
Student Presentation,
Video
Description Aligning students’ instructional preferences with course activities and providing opportunities for learner choice are widely recognized as educational best practice, helping students to engage with content and learn more effectively (Kern & State, 2009; Patall, Dent, Oyer, & Wynn, 2013; Patall, Cooper, & Wynn, 2010), and researchers and practitioners have started extending this instructional …
Continue reading “Use Academic Challenges and Experiential Missions to Provide Learner Choice and Engage Students in Online Course Activities”
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Assessment,
Course Design,
Experiential Learning,
Instructional Preference,
Learner Choice
Description A debate is a formal competition between two teams, usually with three members each, arguing a discussion statement known as “the moot”. Shaw (2012) believes that debates stimulate critical thinking and can be a highly effective way to actively engage students in research in the online classroom. Student-generated debate presentations can become a welcome …
Continue reading “Use Online Debates to Enhance Classroom Engagement”
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Assessment,
Communication,
Debate,
Engagement,
Interaction,
Rubric