Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, the authors of Understanding by Design describe their instructional design technique as backwards, and it has come to be one of the most … [Read more...]
Ensuring Academic Honesty in the Online Classroom
What is cheating? I'm sure we'd all agree that copying answers from someone else's exam is cheating. But what about discussing the options and then answering? Is that … [Read more...]
The Course Wrap Up
You’ve spent weeks teaching a course, and the final week is here. You figure your students are busy preparing for their final project or exam, and the last thing they … [Read more...]
Elements of Meaningful Feedback
One of the most important learner-instructor interactions occurs when instructors leave feedback. Online students need communication and feedback on their assignments. … [Read more...]
Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which is a model for developing content that is accessible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability, or situation. … [Read more...]
Overcommunicate with Skill
Said it once? Said it twice? Say it again! Overcommunication is especially important in an online course. Communicate using multiple methods (e.g., announcements, … [Read more...]
Welcome them with a Note
Imagine you are taking an online course for the very first time. You get logged in and you enter the course, now what do you do? When you logged into this course for … [Read more...]
The Importance of Announcements
Announcements are a primary means of establishing instructor presence in a course. This is the place where you can bring in your teaching expertise--your personal … [Read more...]
Using Multimedia with Announcements
Got your attention with that image, didn’t I? What would a rock concert be without the special lighting, smoke machines, dancing, and other elements designed to draw the … [Read more...]
Free Images to Use in Your Online Courses
Contrary to popular belief, you do need to worry about copyright when you're hunting for images for use in your news and commentaries. Unlike in a face-to-face classroom, … [Read more...]