June 10, 2021
With instruction shifting from face-to-face to online modalities, instructors at all levels are lecturing synchronously using video-conferencing platforms. As an unintended result, instructors and students alike have reported feeling overwhelmed and drained due to the amount of time they have spent on these platforms (Wiederhold, 2020). In fact, the term “Zoom fatigue” has been coined…
June 7, 2021
Discussions in asynchronous online courses provide an opportunity for students to share their thoughts and learn from classmates in a fashion emulating in-class discussions. This allows students to contribute their thoughts and take time to respond to classmates’ comments. In a large enrollment online course, dividing the class into groups provides the opportunity for students…
December 4, 2018
A challenge most academics experience is delivering courses which assumes that the student has the required prerequisite knowledge. A great example of this is a course which assumes that a student has completed the prerequisite course at a previous level. This challenge more often than expected, occurs and with key topics, where the prerequisite knowledge…
October 24, 2016
Asynchronous discussions are often utilized in online courses and while they can be effective toward creating and sustaining a learning community, they are not effective if not optimally designed. It can sometimes be difficult for students to converse in a way in which knowledge is co-constructed, and a way in which students can constructively critique…
October 20, 2016
It has been a challenge to engage students in large-enrollment classes, especially in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The larger the class size is, the less likely students will actively engage in class activities (Rocca, 2010). The lack of engagement creates information overload (Hewitt & Brett, 2007), which consequently resulted in student…
April 16, 2015
Description One of the primary concerns reported by online students is feelings of isolation (Abrami & Bures, 1996), and according to Wang et al. (2009), one of the most effective predictors for student satisfaction is their perceived ability to respect students and show genuine interest in their learning. One way to bridge the distance is…
April 13, 2015
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) If you have questions regarding the material, assignments, technical issues, and/or…
April 9, 2015
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…
April 9, 2015
Description In a distance learning environment, Moore (1989) suggests there are 3 different interaction types: student to student, student to instructor, and student to content. Given various variables such as class size, student location, student needs, teaching load, and content complexity, managing student to instructor interaction can be a difficult and time consuming process. How…
April 6, 2015
Description Holding effective, engaging discussions in large classes can be a challenge. However, they provide an opportunity for online students to engage with each other and the instructor in a way not possible with other kinds of assessments. Here are some ideas to structure this effectively. Instructor Testimony LIT 3313: Science Fiction is taught as…