Posts Tagged ‘learning environment’
August 9 - Digital Storytelling Brings a Human Connection to Online Education
By: Deborah A. Raines, PhD in Instructional Design
Once upon a time people told stories to share experiences and to teach. With the growing popularity of distance learning modalities educator have been searching for ways to enhance social presence and reflective thinking in the online learning experience. The use of digital storytelling might be a strategy to bring human thought and emotion into online education.
May 10 - Teaching Outside Your Area of Expertise
By: Mary Bart in Effective Teaching Strategies
For most teachers, a room full of bright students is the stuff dreams are made of. Unless, of course, you’re teaching a course that’s outside of your area of expertise – then it can be a nightmare. You feel like an imposter, and worry that your students will call you out. You cram for each class like you’re back in school.
February 15 - Learning Spaces that Facilitate Student Learning
By: Mary Bart in Instructional Design
As a college student, I always liked it when I had a course that met in Edwards Hall – if for no other reason than a lot of the classrooms in that building had theater-style seating with chairs that swiveled. The fact that I would remember that after all of these years is an indication of the effect a more welcoming learning space can have on students.
January 13 - Making the Most of the First Day of Class
By: Rob Kelly in Effective Classroom Management
The first day of class is an important time. In addition to the usual housekeeping tasks that need to be accomplished, there are other critical functions of the first day of class – not the least of which involves setting the tone for the course.
November 3 - Helping Your Learning Community Reach Its Goals
By: Barbara Leigh Smith in Learning Communities
Learning communities come in all shapes and sizes. Some simply link courses and put students in a cohort; many go considerably beyond that to build a learning environment around core practices known to promote student learning. Some are new, while others have been in place for nearly 20 years. If you would like to take
September 9 - PICM Feedback Model Helps Keep Online Students Motivated
By: Elwin Jones in Distance Learning Administration, Teaching and Learning
In an online learning environment, it’s easy for students to feel isolated or unsure of themselves, particularly if they’re adult students who’ve been away from school for a long time. In the absence of frequent and relevant instructor feedback, these students can get discouraged and may even become reluctant to submit assignments. Soon satisfaction and
September 2 - Assumptions about Setting the Right Classroom Climate
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Effective Classroom Management
For quite some time now I’ve been interested in a widely held set of assumptions faculty make about the need to assert control at the beginning of a course. The argument goes something like this: When a course starts, the teacher needs to set the rules and clearly establish who’s in charge. If the course goes well, meaning students abide by the rules and do not challenge the teacher’s authority, then the teacher can gradually ease up and be a bit looser about the rules.
August 31 - Using Rubrics to Improve Online Teaching, Learning, and Retention
By: Cindy Rippé in Online Education
I have always enjoyed teaching in the classroom environment. There is something special about watching a student’s eyes light up as a new concept changes perceptions. When I first taught in the online environment, I wondered how I would communicate with students without seeing them in person. Would they get my assignments? Would they understand the requirements? Could they produce the level of work I expected? Could we overcome the potential miscommunications of the written word?
July 23 - Eight Tips for Facilitating Effective Online Discussion Forums
By: Rebecca Owens in Asynchronous Learning and Trends
At the heart of every online course is the discussion forum. This is where ideas, information, and new material are shared, discussed, analyzed, built upon, etc. In many ways, the discussion forum mimics the classroom in a face-to-face environment. “Discussion is one of the most effective ways to make students aware of the range of
July 1 - Creating an Online Presence for Your Online Students
By: Rob Kelly in Online Education
No one doubts the assertion that online students are more likely to be successful if they feel connected to their instructor and fellow students, but just what is the best way to build those connections? In a recent interview, Todd Conaway, an instructional designer at Yavapai College, shared a few tips on building student engagement,
