instructional technology

Sep 12, 2024

Step-by-Step Moodle Course Creation Guide

This guide provides a step-by-step approach to creating a basic Moodle course at NC State. It walks you through planning, structuring, and building your course—from developing an outline and setting up your gradebook to adding content and exploring additional resources. Along the way, you’ll find suggestions that incorporate instructional design best practices to make your…

Jul 7, 2024

How To Choose and Assess a Learning Tool

Selecting and evaluating a learning tool requires careful consideration. It involves various steps, such as choosing instructional tools that align with your goals for student learning. It’s also essential to assess how well the chosen tool fits your educational objectives and desired learning outcomes. This article aims to provide guidance and resources for selecting and…

Jan 19, 2024

Student Blogging Assignments

When we think of blogs, memories of early internet diaries may come to mind. However, the evolution of this writing genre has given it limitless potential, making it a relevant and engaging form of expression for students. In this article, we’ll explore the versatility of student blogging assignments and practical tips for using student blogs…

Jul 13, 2023

Hybrid Teaching: Best Practices

At NC State, there are a number of course modalities offered, including in-person (aka face to face), hybrid (a mix of online and in-person instruction), and fully online. This article provides helpful tips and examples for course design and instructor-to-student interaction in a hybrid class. Table of Contents Research (Johnson et al., 2022) highlights the…

May 31, 2023

HyFlex Teaching: Best Practices

Table of Contents Modes of Learning While some students prefer learning online (particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic), many NC State students still prefer in-person instruction. Research (Johnson et al., 2022) highlights the need to clearly define various modes of learning, and the diagram below does a nice job of clarifying the differences: Faculty may be…

Mar 20, 2023

Cognitive Load Essentials for Effective Instructional Videos

An effective instructional video effectively communicates information and knowledge to its audience in a clear and engaging manner. There are several key elements that can make an instructional video effective, and cognitive load theory is an important element to consider. This article covers the twelve principles of multimedia learning developed by Dr. Richard Mayer on…

Jan 24, 2023

Gradescope: Streamline the Grading Experience

Gradescope is a grading software that is designed to make assignment submission and grading easier. It allows instructors to create variable-length assignments (problem sets & projects), as well as fixed-template assignments (worksheets, quizzes, or exams). Students can easily submit their work and view their grades and feedback from the instructors. In this article, we will…

Nov 3, 2022

Using Top Hat for Student Engagement

Do your students struggle to stay engaged during class? Do you want to encourage more participation, engagement and active learning, even in large courses? Top Hat is a teaching tool that can enable you to engage students with compelling content and activities, whether online or in person. What is Top Hat? Some ways to use…

Sep 26, 2022

Digital Whiteboards for Teaching and Learning

Table of Contents Accessibility Note Warning! Just like in-class whiteboards, doing an activity on a whiteboard exclusively means it will not be accessible to students using screenreaders. Find out more about accessibility and digital whiteboarding in this article. Getting Started There are many different digital tools available for online whiteboarding. To get started, determine your…

Sep 7, 2022

Turnitin: Writing Feedback, Plagiarism Checks, and Peer Review

In this article: How to get started Turnitin Assignment: Students will use the Turnitin interface from within Moodle to submit their work, and instructors will grade work from the Turnitin Feedback studio. Instructors can add a rubric to make grading easier. Moodle Assignment or Forum: Instructors enable the Turnitin settings within the assignment or forum…

Jul 5, 2022

Perfectly Imperfect: On-The-Fly Videos

Table of Contents What are perfectly imperfect videos? Perfectly imperfect videos (PIV’s) typically have some if not all of these features: Michelle Pacansky-Brock shares some great examples of perfectly imperfect videos on her website. Benefits of perfectly imperfect videos Videos make communication feel more personal, creating a stronger connection than text alone. Through a perfectly…

Feb 18, 2021

WeVideo PlayPosit: Interactive Video

PlayPosit is a multimedia tool that allows you to create “bulbs” (video lessons) by combining interactivity and video content from YouTube, Panopto, or Vimeo. Using bulbs, instructors can transform any video into a learning experience by embedding questions, images, discussion, audio and other media elements. A unique feature within PlayPosit is the ability to require…

Jan 12, 2021

Google Assignments in Moodle

Harness Google’s rich feedback tools and grade directly from a Google Drive file right inside Moodle. In this article, we will discuss how Google Assignments can simplify grading, feedback, and file sharing between you and your students. Table of Contents Features and Limitations Here’s what to consider as you decide whether Google Assignments in Moodle…

Nov 11, 2020

Using Breakout Rooms in Zoom

When teaching synchronously on Zoom, hosts and co-hosts can use the Breakout Room tool to divide students into smaller meeting spaces for group work. Activities like discussion, collaboration, and problem-solving are often more effective and manageable in small groups, making them a powerful strategy for fostering student engagement through active learning. How to Get Started…

Oct 21, 2020

Academic Technology

How to Choose and Assess a Learning Tool — Selecting and evaluating a learning tool requires careful consideration. This article aims to provide guidance and resources for selecting and assessing DELTA’s instructional tools, enabling you to integrate them into your courses effectively to enhance student outcomes. Moodle Assessing Student Learning With Core Moodle Tools — Moodle…

Sep 2, 2020

Administering Online Exams

In this article Moodle Exam Resources For in-person classes seated in a classroom, instructors can administer bring-your-own device (BYOD) testing in the classroom using Safe Exam Browser (SEB) with the Moodle Quiz activity. If you need help setting-up your exams online in Moodle, please contact the LearnTech Help Desk. Unmonitored Assessments If possible, use alternative…

Dec 28, 2019

Real-time Assessments and Check-ins

Great teachers understand that learning is a conversation, not a monologue. – Sir Ken Robinson. Real-time assessments and check-ins spark conversation with your students, preventing your class from being a one-way transmission of information and holding student attention. Interactive tools make real-time assessments and check-ins possible in both face-to-face and synchronous online classrooms, as well…

Dec 6, 2016

Best Practices and Tips for Shooting Smartphone Videos

Smartphones with a great camera and the ability to record high-definition video are no longer difficult to find. Professional video content creators are finding that using their mobile phones to record video has several major advantages. They’re ubiquitous, and compatible with both iOS and Android. At NC State, you can store recorded videos in Panopto…

Mar 15, 2016

Group Work With Digital Tools

Group work is one way to facilitate interaction between students, but it is often challenging for instructors. Group work can be made easier with digital tools that offer valuable features for collaboration and communication, help streamline the process, and support productive group interactions in online and hybrid environments. This article identifies some of the group…