Aim for progress
At UAF, Student Progress Reports and Nanook Navigator Alerts are two mechanisms for providing feedback, which can lead to better student performance.
Unlocking your “hidden curriculum” to help high schoolers
We have been welcoming an increasing number of high school students into our courses. Helping these go-getters achieve a passing grade while still working on their high school diploma is easily achieved by following a hidden curriculum.
Trauma-informed practices for finals
For some of us, the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the deepest experiences of trauma we’ve had. Trauma can be defined as “any experience in which a person’s internal resources are not adequate to cope with external stressors” (Hoch et al., 2015). Between the pandemic, a...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.
My journey teaching an online course
I have been teaching Principles of Genetics (BIOL F260) face-to-face at UAF for the past 15 years. It’s a required course for biology majors and a prerequisite for medical school. In 2019, my department chair asked if I would consider developing the course for online...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.
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.
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.
How to update due dates in Blackboard
You may have noticed the familiar Set Grade Center Due Dates tool has not been available recently. This handy tool has become incompatible with the current version of Blackboard. While we hope that it can return in the future, there is another way to edit all of your...Students communicate strategies and pitfalls
During National Distance Learning Week UAF eCampus conversed with students via Facebook. Here’s a light read on student strategies to stay on task as well as a few shared challenges we all face. Read on; it might spark a small change to make in your course as a result.
To withdraw or not to withdraw
Withdrawing a student results in a “W’ on her transcript (as opposed to the possible “F’ you foresee without significant improvement) and would not factor into her GPA. There are multiple considerations when deciding whether to withdraw a student. Consider the following scenarios, options and implications.