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.
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.
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.
Learn some tips for self-care that you can practice daily to help counteract the stresses of living online.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Today’s college students are excessively stressed. These suggested strategies can make your course less stressful without reducing rigor.
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.
Explore the value of mentorship in academia and get ideas for how you can intentionally promote peer mentorship via course design and departmental initiatives.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A few ideas on how to easily increase your communication with students while possibly reducing your time performing course management.
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.
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.
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.