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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Assessment,
Assignments,
Communication,
Peer Review,
Rubric
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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Assessment,
Communication,
Debate,
Engagement,
Interaction,
Rubric
Description A welcome message to students before the course begins is an important step in establishing your online persona (Bellafiore, 2007; Gibson & Blackwell, 2005; Mensch & Ali, 2007; Phillips, 2011). The message should include vital information for the course and not be your entire syllabus. The purpose of this communication is to welcome the …
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Communication,
Course Orientation,
Instructor Presence,
Interaction,
Social Presence
Description The concept of “Three Before Me” pushes the responsibility of locating an answer to commonly asked questions to the student. The student must prove to the professor that he/she has contacted three different sources prior to contacting the professor. Link to example artifact(s) Here is an example of “Three Before Me:” If you have …
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Communication,
Course Protocol,
Email,
Interaction,
Large Classes
Description Many faculty members begin their online courses by contacting students in advance of the course start date or during the first week of classes with an introductory email message (Bellafiore, 2007; Gibson and Blackwell, 2005; and Mensch and Ali, 2007). The purpose of this communication is to welcome the students, establish a comfortable class …
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Communication,
Email,
Instructor Presence,
Interaction,
Social Presence
Description One of the biggest challenges instructors face with large class sizes is connecting with students individually. Often students will make use of office hours for that personal connection, but there are only so many hours in the day and teaching online adds another layer of complexity. What are targeted office hours? Have you ever …
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Communication,
Efficiency,
Engagement,
Interaction,
Large Classes,
Office Hours,
Time Management
Description Discussion prompts are the written “springboard” from which online discussions are launched and are essential to encourage shared understanding (Du, Zhang, Olinzock, & Adams, 2008). Discussion prompts can vary from pithy (e.g., “Discuss [Topic X]”) to verbose (e.g., an entire printed page of instructions). However, the best standard for gauging the effectiveness of a …
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Blog,
Communication,
Discussions,
Interaction,
Problem-Based Learning
Description Blogs offer an easy way for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and acquisition outside of the learning management system (EDUCAUSE, 2005). Link to example artifact(s) Example Instructor: UCF’s Dr. Thomas Brueckner Course Title: PSC1121 Physical Science UCF physics professor Dr. Thomas Brueckner uses a blog as a tool to communicate with students. He posts class announcements, …
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Announcements,
Blog,
Communication,
Interaction,
Social Media,
Student Centered
