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student-instructor interaction

Oct 31, 2024

Assessment and Evaluation of Group Work in Moodle

Group work can produce anxiety for students, and much of that anxiety comes from not knowing how much their grade will be affected by other group members’ performance and engagement, and how much control they have over the end product. This article presents options or strategies for group work evaluation and provides pros and cons…

Sep 25, 2023

Supporting Neurodiverse Students Through Course Design

In this article: Definitions and statistics You’ve doubtless heard the expression “Great minds think alike.” In reality, great minds work in countless different ways, with no “right” or “wrong” way to think or learn. Different peoples’ brains simply work differently. When we appreciate the variability in our students and design with that variability in mind,…

Jan 26, 2023

Use an Online Learning Expectations Template

Providing online learning expectations will clearly communicate your expectations for behavior and participation in your online course.  An online learning expectations document describes what is expected of students and provides tips to help students be successful.  In this article: Make a copy of the template Follow these steps to make an editable copy of the…

Jan 24, 2023

Use a Welcome Letter Template

Sending a welcome letter that gives students necessary information and resources to get started,  to students before class begins will help build a sense of community. A welcome letter will help students feel comfortable and connected to the course. In this article: Access the template Follow these steps to make an editable copy of the…

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…

Jan 24, 2023

Use a Course Overview Template

Providing a course overview can help your students orient themselves to your course and connect with you as an instructor. A course overview provides details about the objective and purpose of the course, explains the course structure, and provides guidelines and tips for succeeding in the course. In this article: Make a copy of the…

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…

Oct 25, 2022

Mid-Semester Check-Ins

Mid-semester is a great time to check in with your students in order to make any adjustments or course corrections based on feedback from them. Mid-semester check-ins are simple information-gathering tools that you use to find out how your course materials and activities are working for your students. This article outlines how to collect and…

Oct 25, 2022

Humanizing Your Online Course

Humanizing your course means taking intentional steps to cultivate connection- with and among learners. Without humanizing moves, learners may interact mostly with content and the interface, without a sense that there is a thoughtful, caring teacher behind the course.This article shares practical, high-impact moves you can plug into your course—especially early on—to build trust, make…

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…

Jan 19, 2021

Engagement in Synchronous and Asynchronous Environments

Students must engage in their courses in order to learn. But what, exactly, do we mean by “student engagement?” And what teaching practices and strategies help our students engage in an online class? This article will discuss three dimensions of engagement (emotional, behavioral and cognitive) and teaching practices that encourage engagement including humanizing your course,…

Nov 19, 2020

Creating Community Online (Overview)

Sometimes “online learning can be a lonely experience” (Kaufmann & Vallade, 2020). Intentionally building community in an online course can help, and also “has positive effects on the quality of student learning, increases student engagement, and encourages motivation of students in online courses” (Fiock, 2020). This article provides an overview of strategies for building community…

Nov 10, 2020

Helping Students Get Started in an Online Class

First impressions make a big difference in the online classroom. How can you ensure online learners feel welcome in the class and have all the information they need to get started successfully? In this article, we will discuss strategies for introducing students to the components of your online course and creating a welcoming online environment.…

Jun 24, 2020

Communication

Instructor Presence and Communication Developing an AI Syllabus Statement for Your Course— It’s important to have a conversation with students regarding how you expect them to use (or not use) AI tools in your course. Helping Students Get Started in an Online Class – Check out these strategies for communicating and establishing connections with students at…

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

Rubric Best Practices, Examples, and Templates

In this article: How to create and use rubrics Step 1: Analyze the assignment and clarify your purpose Rubrics are evaluation tools that outline the criteria for an assignment or learning outcome. They define levels of achievement in clear, measurable terms. Before building a rubric, ask yourself about: Step 2: Select a rubric type Step…

Jul 14, 2016

Providing Effective Feedback

Instructor and peer feedback have a profound effect on the quality of student learning. When teaching online, it is important to foster both learner-instructor interaction and learner-learner interaction (Quality Matters, 2023). NC State offers numerous options to enhance feedback for the online learner. How to Get Started Step 1: Review learning objectives and assignments and…

Mar 26, 2016

Netiquette—Or Best Practices for Interacting Online

Netiquette is the term used to describe the special set of rules for online communication. Because students in the online learning environment are unable to experience the body language, tone of voice, or facial expressions of their peers, it is important to make them aware of netiquette guidelines at the beginning of the course. Instructors…