Flip the Classroom with Student-Generated Online Lectures

Description When a classroom is typically “flipped,” course materials are introduced online before face-to-face class time, and face-to-face class time is focused on application of what the student has learned online. The instructor’s primary role in the face-to-face classroom is to coach and facilitate, rather than lecture. But how best to blend the two learning …

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Peer review badge Using Class Announcements to Make Content Connections Across Weeks or Units

Description This strategy consists of sharing content-related announcements (either via email or through the Learning Management System) to help students see how topics being addressed at various points throughout the term are connected.  This strategy is useful because online students value the clarity of information presented in the course (Sheridan, 2010), and courses that poorly …

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Peer review badge Create Intentional Communities through Meaningful Student Introductions

Description Student introductions are a high-impact practice: they build community within the course, set the stage for more substantive forms of student-student and student-instructor engagement, and can reveal unknown issues or strengths on the part of students (Dolan, Kain, Reilly, & Bansal, 2017). Building community in online classes (Nelson & Goodson, 2018) through introductions helps …

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Peer review badge Deliver Content Using Short, Focused, Instructional Videos

Description Learning management systems provide different ways to deliver content.  Linking presentations, uploading documents, and embedding articles make course materials easily accessible to all students.  Embedding or linking videos in an LMS can also be effective content delivery methods, however, whether or not the videos are engaging or even watched is often an issue.  According …

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Peer review badge Adopt Adaptive Courseware in First Year Online Math Course to Support STEM Retention

Description Approximately about half of students entering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) change majors or leave college without completing a degree or certificate (Chen & Soldner, 2013). Researchers found that one of the main contributors for students to switch to non-STEM majors is the type of math courses taken in the first year (Chen …

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Utilizing Active Learning Techniques to Promote Application of Knowledge

Description In today’s complex world, acquiring knowledge and using tools in a single domain is insufficient to remain competitive as individuals. Students must also learn to apply tools and knowledge in new domains and different situations (Grabinger & Dunlap, 1995). In addition, the spread of misinformation is becoming a common concern among education and society …

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Embed Interactive Questioning within Course Content

Description Faculty are often using images and other artifacts to “chunk” content and embed them within content text to keep the interest of the learner and break-up large chunks of course materials. By using the strategy to embed questions and polling within course content, the instructor can promote student-to-content, student-to-student, and student-to-instructor interactions throughout the …

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Promote Active Learning in Group Projects Through the Use of the Transparent Assignment Framework

Description Active learning features a generative component whereby students process the educational material of interest and articulate its relevance within the context of both coursework and their own lives (Fiorella & Meyer, 2015). The effectiveness of active learning may be enhanced through the use of problem-based projects which promote collaboration and higher-order thinking (Grabiner & …

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Use Web Conferencing and Videos to Improve Interview Skills

Description 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 …

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Integrate Real-World Examples in an Online Course

Description Learning retention can be encouraged and reinforced through the integration of real-life examples and artifacts into course material (Chrestensen, 2007). A simple way to do this in an online course is to include a section of the course that references real-life examples. These examples should be directly related to the learning objectives and content …

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