Blogging can be a tool that aids learning. “Blogs provide students with an opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ to make meaning through interaction with the online environment. …” (p. 398) They provide learning experiences described as “discursive,” meaning, students learn by discussing, which makes blogs
Faculty generally view texting as the Devil’s work. It distracts students from the lecture—and even from ordinary activities such as eating and walking. But while it’s true that uncontrolled texting in class splits student attention, controlled texting via in-class polling questions can be a great
A well-organized syllabus is essential for any online course, particularly large online courses. Peggy Semingson, associate professor of literacy studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, teaches online courses to groups of up to 300 to 400 students and finds that the syllabus plays
Discussion boards. Google documents. YouTube videos. TED Talks. Khan Academy. These are just a few of the many resources some of us have used in our ever-growing arsenal of techie tools. We want to stay on the cutting edge. The Online Learning Consortium predicts this
Many instructors feel that they need to be experts in mathematics in order to understand analytics. But according to John Vivolo, director of online and virtual learning for New York University, every faculty member can learn to use the course analytics available through their LMS
Many of us have encountered cohort groups in our teaching, and by that I mean those groups of students that proceed together through a program, typically a professional one. They take all or most of their courses together, often in lock step. Cohort
Educational research is full of studies that show today’s students learn more in an active-learning environment than in a traditional lecture. And as more teachers move toward introductory classes that feature active-learning environments, test performance is improving, as is interest in these classes. The challenge
What kind of homework assignments promote learning? We don’t need research to confirm that doing homework benefits most (maybe it’s all) college students. But there are some vexing issues. If the homework is graded and if those grades count, students will do the homework. But
This semester I stumbled on a creative teaching tool that surprised both me and my students. It turned out to be effective and enjoyable, and it was a quiz. I used the tool in a survey of church history course. Like most history courses, this
It’s hardly a new subject. Every teacher knows it’s essential, and every teacher tries to motivate students. But it’s just as true that all teachers have experienced those days when they don’t feel particularly motivated, when the content seems old and tired, and when students
Magna Publications © 2024 All rights reserved
