Peer review badge Encourage Transparency and Accountability for Group Oral Presentations

Description Developing oral communication skills is included as a learning objective for many general education programs and courses, however, implementation and assessment of such skills varies by course and instructor (Sapia et al., 2020).  Different forms of oral communication are incorporated into online introductory or upper-level courses. These include synchronous discussions as well as more …

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Peer review badge Create Weekly Introduction Videos to Facilitate Successful Course Navigation

Description When teaching in an online course it is vital to engage students and create a connection and sense of community (Flock, 2020). Student engagement is an important component of student success and increased academic outcomes (Rioch & Tharp, 2022). The Community of Inquiry theoretical framework suggests addressing three components when designing online courses that …

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Peer review badge Build Community Through Food Poetry

Description Online classes suffer from student isolation and a lack of participation. Yet, research has shown that interaction is important for building communities in online courses (Swan, 2010; Thurston, 2007). Presentations can create community (ODLI, 2023), especially through poetry (Christensen, 2000). One way to increase interaction is to assign slam poetry, a form of spoken …

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Peer review badge Capture Student Attention with a Digital Writing Makeover

Description As an online instructor, do you feel frustrated when students do not read your course announcements, discussions, e-mails, or other written communication? What if we could capture attention by borrowing online marketing copywriting secrets designed to cut through life’s distractions? Online marketers are copywriting masters. Copy is text-based content that persuades readers to act …

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Peer review badge Who We Are: Building Community in an Online Class, One Meme at a Time

Description Anyone involved in an online course, whether that person is the instructor or student, can find the absence of face-to-face communications challenging for one primary reason: interaction or the lack thereof.  To address the interaction issue, Krause (2020) stresses the importance of building a community through exercises that involve connectedness and shape relational trust. …

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Peer review badge Enhancing Competency-Based Education with Virtual Reality Simulation

Description Competency-based education (CBE) is an alternative modality of learning. Instead of courses, a CBE program is comprised of competencies and rigorous assessments. Students progress through the program by successfully passing competency assessments. CBE is a valuable option for non-traditional students who have work experience. With prior knowledge of a specific competency, a student may …

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Use Rubric Rationale to Improve Student Performance on Peer Review Assignment

Description Research shows that students perform better when the rubric provided by an instructor is deconstructed for them (Jones 2017). This allows the students to see not only how they are going to be graded, but why they are going to be graded that way. The ideas for the evaluation categories on the rubric came …

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Use Twitter @replies/mentions to reach out to professional networks beyond the class

Description Twitter is a social network that allows individuals to follow other users, post their own tweets, and create a network within which they can communicate. Participants on Twitter receive a Twitter “handle” or username, which is preceded by an “at” symbol: @. For example, this author’s Twitter username is @digirhet. Discussions and conversations among …

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Use Digital Communication Tools to Enhance Online Communities of Inquiry

Description Learning online may be an isolating experience which may lead to student attrition. Digital communication tools may help to enhance online communities of inquiry and address students’ feelings of social connectedness, perceived instructor presence, cognitive engagement, and persistence. Research shows that faculty use of various new media and communication tools (including social media) may …

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Use Online Debates to Enhance Classroom Engagement

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 …

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