by Jennifer Moss | Dec 7, 2020
You may have plans to work on your course over the winter break, and this is the perfect time to do some focused reflection on how things went this semester. This Teaching Tip presents suggestions for questions to ask when doing a self-critique in preparation for revision.
by Janene McMahan | Oct 20, 2020
Everyone’s pinched for time and we need real solutions that are quick to implement with regard to accessibility. This tip provides a look at three areas you can improve in your course using simple ideas that are easy to execute.
by Jenn Pedersen | Oct 13, 2020
Incorporating mid-semester evaluations into normal classroom routines is one way to improve student motivation and engagement in class, while simultaneously identifying ways to remove barriers and support student learning.
by iTeachU Guest Author | Oct 5, 2020
Learn some tips for self-care that you can practice daily to help counteract the stresses of living online.
by Eric Lonn | Sep 21, 2020
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.
by Dan LaSota | Sep 15, 2020
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.
by iTeachU Guest Author | Sep 8, 2020
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.
by Amy May | Jul 21, 2020
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.
by Kendell Newman | Jul 14, 2020
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.
by Clara Noomah | Jul 10, 2020
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.
by Janene McMahan | Jul 9, 2020
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.
by Christen Bouffard | Jun 22, 2020
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.
by iTeachU Guest Author | Apr 24, 2020
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.
by iTeachU Guest Author | Mar 30, 2020
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.
by Jennifer Moss | Mar 20, 2020
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. ...
by iTeachU Guest Author | Mar 9, 2020
Today’s college students are excessively stressed. These suggested strategies can make your course less stressful without reducing rigor.
by Janene McMahan | Feb 24, 2020
UAF adopted Quality Matters as a framework for continuous improvement of online and blended courses four years ago. Gary Copus, professor emeritus, shares highlights, benefits and challenges of certifying three UAF Justice courses.
by iTeachU Guest Author | Feb 17, 2020
Explore the value of mentorship in academia and get ideas for how you can intentionally promote peer mentorship via course design and departmental initiatives.
by Kendell Newman | Feb 10, 2020
Research shows that the relationships between students and their instructors in a university-level course is “one of the most important factors’ contributing to student success. Use student conferences to give and receive feedback and build relationships that will improve everyone’s engagement in the course.
by iTeachU Guest Author | Jan 14, 2020
The first six weeks are critical to student success (and UAF’s retention goals). Here are three small things you can do to help your students succeed this semester.
by Heidi Olson | Jan 6, 2020
A new semester is starting in just a few days and there’s so much to do! Start here with these four step-by-step priorities.
by Dan LaSota | Dec 17, 2019
Taking an online course can sometimes be like walking through an airport — distractions everywhere. Here are some simple and not-so-obvious ways to remove distractions from your course content.
by Jennifer Moss | Oct 28, 2019
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. This year has been unsettling for most of us on some level and many of our workloads...
by Clara Noomah | Oct 18, 2019
It’s probably old news to you that it matters what appears when people Google you. However, the pesky thing about managing your web presence is that it’s a continual practice. Here are tips to help you spruce up your online image.
by Janene McMahan | Oct 6, 2019
A few ideas on how to easily increase your communication with students while possibly reducing your time performing course management.
by Kendell Newman | Sep 29, 2019
As the semester settles into a rhythm, the more daunting but less urgent projects that we’ve put off are beginning to demand attention. But where to start? Make a plan, commit to a practice and voila, the only work you’ll have to do is the work, not the managing of the anxiety about the work.
by Joseph Jackson | Sep 23, 2019
In the online learning environment, instructional videos can go a long way in enhancing student understanding, building community, and creating lasting learning experiences. There is no shortage of research pointing to the impact of educational media (Hibbert, 2014...
by Kendell Newman | Sep 8, 2019
If we learned anything this summer, it’s that working under conditions of uncertainty and crisis makes it hard to get the work done. This is equally true for students, and it is true at the macro-level of statewide budgeting as well as the micro-level of individual...
by iTeachU Guest Author | Sep 3, 2019
You may see an increase in the number of service members in your online courses, the result of a new UAF program for deploying military. Here are suggestions for supporting these students and their unique needs.
by Clara Noomah | Aug 18, 2019
Come join us for a round-up of eCampus’s resources on accessibility and learn how to assess the accessibility of your course by considering three major categories.