How to make your webcam video look good
These days, your webcam is likely one of the most important tools you use in your courses. Here are a few tips to make your webcam video look as good as possible.
Insights from UAF’s new online organic chemistry labs
This fall, UAF’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry debuted its asynchronous online organic chemistry series with labs. There’s a reason this has not been done before: It requires an enormous amount of planning. But we’re doing it, and with some of the wisdom shared here, you might think about taking your lab course completely online as well.
Preventing academic dishonesty in online courses
Instructors are the first line of defense in preventing academic dishonesty in online courses. Solutions are as easy as creating connections with your students, utilizing real life practices and creating a culture of integrity.
Quick guide to professional online communication for your students
This tip is meant for you to share with students to help set expectations for a successful semester. With the abundance of new-to-online learning and teaching happening this fall, it’s important to remember your online manners.
Personalizing communication with your students
Many students struggle with staying engaged in their online courses. Others lose track of deadlines. Some students feel that the lack of communication makes it hard for them to stay involved in their courses. In some situations, students have been through online...Three tips for semester startup
At UAF eCampus, we are focused on creating win-win scenarios for new-to-online instructors and students. This article is focused on creating that win-win scenario from the start using Blackboard.
How to get students to read your feedback
The type of assessments you give will direct the nature and method of feedback you provide students. Feedback provided through the semester can be essential for guiding student learning. However, if students miss seeing your feedback or if they don’t understand...Setting up your course in Blackboard
You may not have used Blackboard much in the past, but with the uncertainty of how COVID-19 will affect in-person classes, Blackboard can be a reliable tool to help you prepare. Here are some steps to get started.
Strategies for emotionally connecting with students
Emotionally connecting with students supports engagement and helps ensure high-quality teaching and learning outcomes. Here are some strategies to help students develop connections with the course content, the instructor and their peers.
Reflecting on 30 years of distance and online education
Heidi Olson managed paper-based correspondence courses in the ’80s, supported UAF’s first online offerings in the late ’90s, and has handled thousands of online courses since. She retired last week. Read her reflections on these changes over time and advice on giving students the best possible learning experience.
Is your course organized?
There is no one right way to organize a course, but there are some basic principles that will help students navigate and stay on path.
Address uncertainty in your syllabus
Recommended strategies and language to include in your syllabus to help address the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, try surveying students about their current routines and internet access.
Scheduling for success
Course schedules are tried-and-true tools that provide a bird’s-eye view of your course, and can effectively communicate to students your plan for the semester. A well-crafted course schedule clarifies structure, facilitates planning and explains pacing.
Where to find inspiration for course design
Course Showcase We can learn a lot from each other. You may be curious to see what other faculty are doing in their online class, like how they are organizing content and managing activities. Touring other courses can be a great way to get inspired about creating...Finding community and humor in a changed classroom
Despite the initial challenge, my spring semester students created an environment filled with community and humor, and it ended up being one of the most memorable classes I have ever taught.
Effective distance teaching through flexibility
Pros and cons of three distance-education methods — audio conference, video conference and online — from UAF’s rural-oriented programs.
Fostering engagement in online discussion
Creating active discussions in a course can be challenging. In times of COVID-19, fostering that space for community exploration and making connections between content and the current world can become the anchor that keeps the momentum.
Existing online courses not immune to COVID-19 changes
Courses that were already being taught online were not immune to the rapid changes brought on by COVID-19. After all, online courses exist in the world of humans and that world was not normal.
Early reflections about what worked and what we learned
With an unprecedented semester behind us, some faculty share their perspectives on how they adapted their teaching in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
OLC Innovate 2020 Virtual Conference
UAF eCampus has secured registration fees for anyone associated with UAF to virtually attend the Online Learning Consortium’s (OLC) “Innovate 2020” Virtual Conference. This virtual conference is from June 15-26 with daily sessions on weekdays. (There...Keeping the door open
Now more than ever, you are an important tether between our students and campus. Here are some tips for keeping the door open to maintain a relationship with your students.
End-of-semester grading for an extremely unusual semester
The end of spring semester is coming at us like a freight train and if you don’t usually use the Blackboard Grade Center, you may be wondering how to adjust the way you share grades with students while staying FERPA-compliant.
Impermanence, vulnerability and slowing down: Lessons from meditation
In times of uncertainty, we can apply principles from meditation to our teaching practices. Let’s reflect on a few of these principles: impermanence, slowing down and vulnerability.
Connecting with your students during crisis
Empathy is a powerful tool for social connection. Reaching your students now is critical not only to their academic success but also their overall health and wellbeing.
Roundup of relevant Teaching Tips during coronavirus pandemic
As you begin teaching via distance, these tips from the eCampus archives can help you modify your course without losing quality.
Collaborative student research brings diversity to course content
Course content in the Arts is often lacking in diverse perspectives. Involving your students in collaborative research can help in a variety of ways to reinvent that curriculum to reflect our modern world.
A Gentle Reminder to Take a Pause – Revised
This Teaching Tip has been revised from the original version for off-campus options. A default answer to ‘How are you?’ is often currently ‘Busy!’. In addition to forces beyond our control, we take on so much right now and sometimes feel overwhelmed as a result. ...Try Flipgrid for more engaging discussions
Flipgrid is one way to engage students in an interactive discussion and can be utilized without creating additional work for the student or faculty member.
Three ways to encourage student resilience
Today’s college students are excessively stressed. These suggested strategies can make your course less stressful without reducing rigor.
Easter eggs in videos can increase student engagement
See how two UAF instructors are using Easter eggs – hidden features – in their instructional videos to retain student engagement in their online classrooms.