tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41766171027584348012024-03-05T10:09:58.847-07:00ITRC NEWS @ Idaho State UniversityWelcome ISU Faculty!Instructional Technology Resource Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221960005775108108noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-65812064346611045772020-03-24T14:48:00.002-06:002020-03-24T14:48:44.835-06:00Asynchronous Videos for Distance Based Instruction - part 1: Advantages and Considerations<br />
In today's tech-friendly world, we have access to a wide range of media tools that can be used to enhance distance based instruction. "From interactive presentations to visually stunning images, eLearning professionals have the power to create eLearning resources that are not only beautiful, but also highly engaging for the learner" (Pappas, 2014). Multi-media resources can be used to draw in learners without taking away the value of the core content of the course. One such resource is asynchronous video. Asynchronous means that the learners can view the video independently at a time of their own choosing.<br />
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<h3>
Asynchronous Video has many advantages:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Caters to a wide variety of learning needs</li>
<li>Can be used to convey any type of subject matter</li>
<li>Transfers knowledge in an appealing and engaging way</li>
<li>Does not require a set time or place to view </li>
<li>Can be viewed by learners over and over</li>
<li>Can be re-used each semester </li>
<li>Improves memory retention</li>
<li>Provides real-world application by showing rather than telling</li>
<li>Connects instructor to student</li>
<li>Immerses the viewer with the content</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Before you sit down to record your video there are a few things you should consider:</h3>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Videos should contain small chunks of information that emphasize key points. Shorter videos have the potential to be easily absorbed and more memorable than reading a text. Whereas long videos often lead to cognitive overload due to the sudden influx of ideas and concepts (Pappas, 2013).</li>
<li>Videos are more effective when they demonstrate something. Think about immersive scenarios or case studies with a real-world application that demonstrate skills in action. For example, a screen capture as the instructor works a problem by applying a formula.</li>
<li> Images help learners retain information more effectively, and the addition of audio allows them to make an emotional connection with the content. For this reason, images should be carefully chosen and not just used for decorative purposes.</li>
<li>Planning is fundamental to creating a quality video. The better prepared you are, the easier it will be to record the video. Drafting a storyboard for the video and/or writing a script will help you focus in on what you want to cover.</li>
<li>The video should align with the course learning objectives and it should be clear to the learner why the video is being used in the course. </li>
<li>Videos should be accessible for all types of learners. The audio content should have closed captions available. </li>
</ol>
<div>
<b>References:</b></div>
</div>
<div>
Pappas, C. (2013, September 12). <a href="https://elearningindustry.com/10-tips-to-effectively-use-videos-in-elearning" target="_blank">10 Tips to Effectively Use Videos in eLearning</a>. eLearning Industry.com</div>
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Pappas, C. (2014, May 5). <a href="https://elearningindustry.com/7-tips-to-choose-multimedia-for-your-elearning-course" target="_blank">7 Tips to Choose Multimedia for Your eLearning Course</a>. eLearning Industry.com</div>
Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-15091705717692261682020-03-24T12:17:00.003-06:002020-03-24T14:32:24.284-06:00Transitioning to Distance Based Instruction on Short NoticeThe campus is closed and you have been charged with the task of transitioning your courses to distance based instruction. Whether or not you have experience teaching online, this post provides some advice to help you get started and put the task into perspective.<br />
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<b>Start with the Basics</b>: Your course in Moodle does not need to be perfect or complete. It's okay to add content one week at a time. When students log into your course on March 30 they need to know that you are there for them and that you are working on transitioning your course to an online format. Go back to your syllabus and review the learning outcomes. When you originally planned your course, what did you want students to learn? This will help you determine what is essential for your students as you transition to online. Evaluate what learning outcomes are yet to be achieved and use that information as your starting point for preparing the remaining activities in the course.<br />
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<b>Set some ground rules</b>: Anxiety shows up in unanticipated ways when you are teaching online. People don't understand the social norms. Establish those norms so that during a Zoom session, no one takes their computer into the bathroom, or participates while laying in bed, or forgets to tell their roommate that they are online and the roommate is getting dressed in the background! It has happened! However, we do want everyone to be seen and feel like they belong and have the opportunity to contribute to the conversation. Your objective as the instructor should be to create a space that feels safe and connected. Let your students know that this is new and awkward for everyone, including you.<br />
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<b>Offer a Zoom practice session</b>: If you are planning to use Zoom for synchronous meetings, a practice session can provide the opportunity for students to practice keeping themselves muted when not talking, raising their hand when they want to talk, and posting to the chat. You can use the practice session to get used to sharing your screen, using breakout rooms, and recording the session. Start by going over the rules of engagement and ask students to contribute their ideas of what those rules should be. You could get the conversation started with a check-in such as asking participants to give one word that describes how they are feeling about finishing the semester online. This will provide an opportunity to practice taking turns speaking and muting, etc. in a low-stakes atmosphere.<br />
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<b>Check your expectations</b>: Do not assume that every student has the same attention span, the same level of Internet connectivity, access to a private space, and supportive people in their housing situation. Check your expectations and work with students at the level they are comfortable with.<br />
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<b>Provide small chunks of instruction</b>: Best practice is to provide instruction that is no more than 30 minutes for synchronous sessions or for recorded lectures. Watching a recorded lecture in which the instructor is a talking head is much different than a 75 minute in-class session. Consider recording a series of short videos rather than one long one. This will not only help with attention span, but also with Internet bandwidth while viewing. If you do plan to use videos in your course it is essential that you provide captioning so that all students have equal access to the content. The Instructional Technology Resource Center can assist you with checking your videos for accessibility.<br />
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<b>Schedule Synchronous (Live) Class Discussions</b>: If class discussions are in integral aspect of your course, you can schedule synchronous class sessions via Zoom. However, be sensitive to the fact that your class probably isn't the only one your students are having to participate in online. If you have a large class, utilize the break-out rooms feature to send students into smaller groups to make the discussion easier to manage and participate in.<br />
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<b>Adapt to Asynchronous (Moodle-based) Class Discussions</b>: Consider adapting some discussions to an online format. You can post the readings, videos, and other materials in Moodle and have students respond to guided forum discussion prompts. The time lag for asynchronous discussions does take away from some of the spontaneity, but on the other hand those students who prefer to think before they enter a conversation may make more contributions in an online format. Be sure to participate in the discussions so that the students know that you are present and ready to offer your expert insights.<br />
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<b>Keep Communication Flowing</b>: Students will be wondering how the closing of the campus will affect their grades. They will be anxious about finishing the semester and/or graduating. Keep the communication flowing with your students and reassure them that you are there for them and are committed to their success. If you need to change the method of assessment, clearly communicate those changes to your students so that they have plenty of time to prepare. For example, if you were planning to give a seated final exam, look for ways to change this final assessment to something students can do at home and then submit through Moodle. If group presentations were scheduled, encourage your students to use collaborative tools such as Google slides to do the planning and then schedule Zoom sessions in which the groups can give live presentations.<br />
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<b>Remain Flexible</b>: Students are just as stressed about this transition as you are. A simple note to students that you're doing your best on short notice and that their support and ideas are welcome will help to decrease some of the anxiety and expectations that everyone has. According to Quirk (2020), it is important to consider the context of these hectic, uncertain conditions as you transition your course content to a distance based format. Students want flexibility, feedback, and connection. Grade and comment on work quickly and in ways that demonstrate empathy. Make yourself available through Q&A forums in your courses and answer emails promptly. Schedule Zoom or Google Hangout sessions in which students can "drop-in" to see you and their classmates. All of these considerations will show your students that they are part of a supportive educational environment.<br />
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You can ace this transition if you are someone who is driven to show up for your students; if you are willing to be a learner and agent of change; if you are willing to stay curious; and if you are willing to change course when something isn't working (Brown, 2020). Don't hesitate to ask for help. The staff at the <a href="https://isu.edu/itrc/" target="_blank">Instructional Technology Resource Center</a> are willing and ready to assist you.<br />
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References:<br />
Quirk, James (March 12, 2020). <a href="https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2020/3/online-learning-some-notes-for-going-online-midsemester" target="_blank">Online Learning: Some Notes for Going Online Midsemester</a>. <i>Educause Review</i>.<br />
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Brown, Brene' (March 21, 2020). <a href="https://brenebrown.com/blog/2020/03/21/collective-vulnerability/?utm_source=BBEARG&utm_campaign=5e09430882-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_22_12_59_COPY_06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6af12a6111-5e09430882-39479157" target="_blank">Collective Vulnerability, the FFTs of Online Learning, and the Sacredness of Bored Kids</a>.<br />
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<br />Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-20013155402404662712018-03-19T08:00:00.000-06:002019-06-14T12:55:17.077-06:00What is Turnitin?<h3>
</h3>
Turnitin is a cloud-based program that provides a comprehensive solution for grading assignments, preventing plagiarism, and safeguarding an institution's reputation. For students, Turnitin provides personalized and timely feedback while identifying areas for individual growth and improvement. For faculty, Turnitin streamlines the grading and feedback loop through integration with Moodle. Turnitin keeps an institution's reputation top of mind by reducing unoriginal content and fostering confident writers.<br />
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Moodle ISU instructors can now add Turnitin to their course using the Add an Activity or Resource function. The ITRC has made getting started information available for both students and faculty at <a href="https://isu.edu/itrc/turnitin">https://isu.edu/itrc/turnitin</a>. Feel free to also call the ITRC at 282-5880 or stop by the lab for more information and assistance with using this new tool.<br />
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<h3>
<b>The Pluses and Minuses of Turnitin According to One Faculty</b></h3>
In the article, "<a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/My-Love-Hate-Relationship-With/232887" target="_blank">My Love-Hate Relationship with Turnitin</a>", author Ry Marcattilio-McCracken (2015) candidly admits that he loves Turnitin. He states that it is "Painless, effective, and just as important, already there for me to use" and saves him significant time each term "Google-searching" student papers. Additionally, when he is forced to pursue an incident of academic dishonesty, Turnitin provides a tidy, official-looking report that "tends to convince students of the authority and weight behind the meeting'" he is having with them.<br />
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In spite of how much Marcattilio-McCracken (2015) "loves" Turnitin, he has reservations about the company's "fair-use" and profitability from the submission of student work. Marcattilio-McCracken ends his article with the admission that at some point he will have to decide which is more important: his time, or his overriding philosophical concerns about the company.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Turnitin's Privacy Pledge</b></h3>
"Integrity is at the heart of all we do; it defines us." --Chris Caren, CEO of Turnitin<br />
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<a href="http://turnitin.com/en_us/privacy-center/overview#policy" target="_blank">TurnitIn's privacy policy</a> covers the kind of data they collect, what they do with it, and how they protect any personal information that is provided by the student or instructor.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Turnitin Can be Used as a Writing Coach for Students</b></h3>
Turnitin recognized that there was a gap for student writing between what the instructor needed to see and what students needed to do and launched its <a href="https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/01/21/turnitin-launches-service-designed-to-improve-student-writing.aspx" target="_blank">Revision Assistant in 2017</a>. This tool is designed to be a personal writing coach for each student. Instructors can assign writing prompts from a bank available in Turnitin and using a machine learning model, the system adapts to each new essay written by the student and scores it against a changing rubric (Ravipati, 2017). For more information about Turnitin's Revision Assistant read Ravipati's complete article, "<a href="https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/07/06/plagiarism-powerhouse-turnitin-revises-the-writing-process.aspx" target="_blank">Turnitin 'Revises' the Writing Process"</a> and watch the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsEpqUJNfAM" target="_blank">Revision Assistant Walkthrough video</a> (2:21).<br />
<h3>
<b> </b></h3>
<h3>
<b>References</b></h3>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Marcattilio-McCracken, R. (2015, Sep 08) <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/My-Love-Hate-Relationship-With/232887" target="_blank">My Love-Hate Relationship with Turnitin</a>. <i>The Chronicle of Higher Education. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Ravipati, S. ( 2017, July 06). <a href="https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/07/06/plagiarism-powerhouse-turnitin-revises-the-writing-process.aspx" target="_blank">Turnitin 'Revises' the Writing Process</a>.<i> Campus Technology.</i></div>
Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-33165885588510278242018-03-08T14:55:00.002-07:002018-03-12T16:58:23.384-06:00Allowing Mobile Devices in the Classroom - Are You For or Against?In the August, 2016 blog post "<a href="http://itrcnews.blogspot.com/2016/08/student-dependece-on-technology.html" target="_blank">Student Dependence on Technology - Interesting Facts</a>" the following statistics about college students and technology were provided:<br />
<ul>
<li>73% of college students (sample size of 500) said that they cannot study without technology.</li>
<li>38% of students cannot go more than 10 minutes without checking their email, tablet, laptop, or smartphone.</li>
<li>70% of students use keyboards to take notes instead of pen and paper.</li>
<li>91% of students used email to communicate with their instructor. </li>
<li>Digital textbooks cost approximately 40% less than printed textbooks.</li>
</ul>
With those statistics in mind, what is your stance on whether or not mobile devices and phones should be allowed in the classroom? In the article, "<i>Laptops and Phones in the Classroom: Yea, Nay or a Third Way</i>?" Kamenetz (2018) provided some of the pros and cons of this debate.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Arguments Against Allowing Personal Devices in the Classroom</b></h3>
The naysayers worry that phones are distracting to students in the classroom. One faculty stated, "If something on their desk or in their pocket dings, rings or vibrates--they will lose focus". In addition, there may be missed opportunities for social interaction if each student is sitting quietly and independently accessing their phone. Some students prefer to take notes on their laptop during class but research has found that note-taking by hand can lead to better recall than note-taking by typing.<br />
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<b></b></h3>
<h3>
<b>Arguments For Allowing Personal Devices in the Classroom </b></h3>
Those who are open to the use of technology in the classroom also make some valid points. The first is that some students use their device to accommodate for special needs and requiring them to ask for permission to use it in class is an invasion of their privacy and singles them out from the other students. The second reason listed by Kamenetz (2018) is that personal devices can be used as a tool during class to look up difficult terms, participate in live polls, and work collaboratively on a project. For some students, their phone may be the most powerful computer they have access to. The third reason for allowing phones in the classroom is for emergency notifications from campus security - it is essential for those messages to be received immediately.<br />
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Regardless of your personal stance on allowing mobile devices in the classroom, the reality is that students do not want to put their devices away during class. Kamenetz (2018) suggested that faculty "fight technology with technology". <br />
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<h3>
<b>Suggestions for "fighting technology with technology"</b></h3>
Kamenetz (2018) suggested the use of phone apps like Flipd that can be used to set a timer that locks out all of the phone's functions except for basic texts and phone calls. This provides a way for students to eliminate the distractions that come from push notifications from Facebook, Instagram, and other apps while still being able to receive emergency information. Some faculty are offering their students extra credit for installing the app and using it during class.<br />
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One of the hottest trends in teaching with technology is turning wi-fi ready, used smartphones into handheld computers. Secondary schools are taking donations of used phones and removing all apps except for ones that are useful in the classroom for video capture, imagery capture, and immersive virtual reality activities. See the article, "<a href="http://www.centerdigitaled.com/Virtual-Reality-Gives-Cell-Phones-a-New-Purpose-in-the-Classroom.html" target="_blank">Virtual Reality Gives Cellphones a New Purpose in the Classroom</a>" for more information on that trend. Students in higher education could be encouraged to use their personal device for these same type of activities.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Conclusion</b></h3>
With a little forward thinking and creativity, faculty in higher education can meet their students where they are at and provide positive opportunities for them to pull out and use their mobile devices. With that mindset, students will not only use their phones, tablets, and laptops to consume content, but to create it as well (Kamenetz, 2018).<br />
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<h3>
<b>Reference</b></h3>
Kamenetz, A. (2018, Jan 25). <a href="https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/50048/laptops-and-phones-in-the-classroom-yea-nay-or-a-third-way" target="_blank">Laptops and phones in the classroom: Yea, nay or a third way?</a> KQED Live.Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-83013239176395861902017-12-13T14:44:00.000-07:002017-12-13T14:44:01.166-07:00Skills Instructors Need to Facilitate Online Group WorkThe facilitation of group collaboration in an online course is one of the most challenging factors of teaching online. The skills required go beyond teaching and sharing one's area of expertise. "Specific strategies are needed to effectively implement online group projects. These include such things as how to help the students get to know one another, form groups, assign grades, explain group functions, use online tools to maximize interaction, and how to deal with non-participation of group members..." (Facilitation of Online Group Projects: Insights from Experienced Faculty Members, 2012).<br />
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<b>Assigning Group Projects</b><br />
The resource, Facilitation of Online Group Projects: Insights from Experienced Faculty Members (2012) provides sound advice for educators starting out with group projects and recommends that faculty members ask themselves the following questions before undertaking group projects:<br />
<ul>
<li>What is the desired learning objective?</li>
<li>Will the groups be assigned or will students choose their members?</li>
<li>How will students get to know each other and develop trust?</li>
<li>Will students receive direct experiences and assignments to help them learn group processes, or will they discover those during their projects?</li>
<li>How will students be graded?</li>
</ul>
<b>Vital Skill #1 for Online Course Instructors: Creating a Social and Active Learning Community</b><br />
Effective teamwork in any setting requires a level of trust among team members, including those in an online learning environment. In a virtual learning space such as Moodle, the implementation of activities and a sense of community in which students feel "safe" to be themselves and to be real is up to the course instructor to create, model and encourage (Rourke et al, 2001).<br />
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"It is always important to remember that in the online environment, we present ourselves in text. Because it is a flat medium, we need to make an extra effort to humanize the environment. In the face-to-face classroom, students have the opportunity to get to know one another as people--before or after class, during classroom discussions, and in other campus locations such as the student lounge. In the online environment, we need to create these opportunities more purposefully" (Palloff & Pratt, 2001, p. 32). <br />
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The creation of a short welcome video (no longer than two to three minutes) to post at the beginning of the online course that welcomes the students to the class, and tells the students about him or herself--both professionally and personally will set a positive, interactive tone for the course. This also makes the instructor appear to be approachable.<br />
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<b>Vital Skill #2 for Online Course Instructors: Demonstrating Leadership</b><br />
The online instructor is more than a subject matter expert, he or she is also a champion of student learning. Instructors should be a role model by modeling effective communication; showing presence by posting messages on the course site about the class's progress and participation; giving feedback on participation to individual students using email, chat, or a web conferencing tool; clearly outlining expectations for group collaboration and following up with students who are not meeting those expectations; and posting strategies for effective team work.<br />
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<b>Vital Skill #3 for Online Course Instructors: Communication</b><br />
Consistent and plentiful communication is central to helping students be successful. Feedback can be given in many different ways such as audio and video clips, synchronous communication tools such as Zoom, or on social media. Morrison (2014) acknowledges that the hardest part to using feedback modalities other than text is the initial learning curve associated with a new technology, but the rewards are great. The ITRC can be of great assistance in discovering and learning new communication tools.<br />
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<b>Vital Skill #4 for Online Course Instructors: Dealing with Conflict</b><br />
No one likes conflict and most of us avoid it at all costs, but conflict is part of team work. "When a conflict surfaces, welcome it and view it as a sign that a group is developing" (Palloff & Pratt, 2001). It is helpful to give students resources on how teams work and emphasize that conflict and disagreement is a by-product of teamwork and shows that the group is growing and learning. Some strategies shared by online instructors for dealing with conflict:<br />
<ul>
<li>Outline in the instructions, steps to resolve team conflict, ie. address the problem early on; contact and discuss with the team leader; and contact the course instructor as a last resort.</li>
<li>Include a regular mechanism for peer evaluation for group projects so that students can communicate with you about the group's functioning.</li>
<li>If needed, schedule a synchronous group meeting where you act as a moderator to help the team get back on track. This can be done in Zoom or Google hangouts.</li>
</ul>
<b>Vital Skill #5 for Online Course Instructors: Monitoring Student Progress and Providing Feedback</b><br />
The job of the instructor is to facilitate the group process behind the scenes by reviewing the individual group discussion forums to see who is participating, who is not, and following up as needed. It will also be helpful for the instructor to post feedback on the progress of the group assignment and respond to student concerns and questions promptly.<br />
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Opportunities for instructor feedback can be established through small benchmarks of assignment due dates that lead up to the final assignment submission. For example, the outline for the final project might be due on xxx, draft of final assignment due on xxx, etc. This strategy builds in opportunities for the instructor to provide feedback and support during the group process instead of waiting until the assignment has been submitted.<br />
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<b>References and Resources</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Bonk, C.J., Kirkley, J., Hara, N., & Dennen, V.P. (2001).
Finding the instructor in post-secondary online learning: Pedagogical,
social, managerial and technological locations. In Stephenson, J. (Ed.),
Teaching and Learning Online: Pedagogies for New Technologies
(pp.76-97). London: Routledge/Falmer.</li>
<li> Morrison, D. (February 17, 2014). <a href="https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/five-vital-skills-instructors-need-to-facilitate-online-group-work-collaboration/" target="_blank">Five Essential Skills Instructors Need to Facilitate Online Group Work & Collaboration</a>. Online Learning Insights.</li>
<li>Palloff, R.M., & Pratt, K. (2001). <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Lessons_from_the_Cyberspace_Classroom.html?id=36GLHRvTELMC" target="_blank">Lessons from the cyberspace classroom: The realities of online teaching.</a> San Francisco: Jossey-Bass<span style="font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.625;"> </span></li>
<li>Rourke, L., Anderson, T. Garrison, D. R., & Archer, W. (2001). <a href="http://auspace.athabascau.ca:8080/dspace/bitstream/2149/732/1/Assessing%20Social%20Presence%20In%20Asynchronous%20Text-based%20Computer%20Conferencing.pdf" target="_blank" title="Assessing social presence in asynchronous, text-based computer conferencing">Assessing social presence in asynchronous, text-based computer conferencing</a>. <i>Journal of Distance Education</i>, 14(3), 51-70.</li>
<li>Vonderwell, S. & Turner, S. (2005). <a href="http://editlib.org/p/18892/" target="_blank">Active learning and preservice teachers’ experiences in an online course</a>: A case study. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 13(1), 65-84</li>
<li>Williams, K., Cameron, B., Morgan, K. & Wade, C. (2012). <a href="http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/63461_2012.pdf" target="_blank">Facilitation of Online Group Projects: Insights from Experienced Faculty Members</a>. 28th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning. </li>
<li><a href="http://wp.me/p1N30w-2yK" target="_blank">Five Elements that Promote Learning Collaboration</a> & Group Work in Online Course, [post one], Online learning Insights</li>
<li><a href="http://wp.me/p1N30w-1RZ" target="_blank">Speaking to Students with Audio Feedback in Online Courses</a>, Online Learning Insights</li>
<li><a href="http://cnx.org/content/m15059/latest/?collection=col10453/1.2" target="_blank">Monitor Student Progress and Encourage Lagging Students</a>, Larry Ragan, Penn State World Campus</li>
<li><a href="http://web.byui.edu/LearningAndTeaching/post/2010/02/Faculty-Voices-Giving-Timely-Student-Feedback.aspx" target="_blank">Faculty Voices: Giving Student Timely Feedback</a>, BYU Idaho</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/communication/feedback.asp" target="_blank">Strategies for Providing Feedback in Online Courses</a>, Illinois Online Network</li>
<li><a href="http://cnx.org/content/m15042/latest/?collection=col10453/1.2" target="_blank">Deal with Conflicts Promptly</a>, Larry Ragan, Penn State World Campus</li>
<li><a href="http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=1229760" target="_blank">Mitigating conflict in online student teams,</a> Richard Dool, eLearn Magazine</li>
<li><a href="http://www.academia.edu/1184591/Conflict_Management_in_Student_Groups_-_a_Teachers_Perspective_in_Higher_Education" target="_blank">Conflict Management in Student Groups – A Teacher’s Perspective in Higher Education</a>, Markus Borg</li>
<li><a href="http://cnx.org/content/m14875/latest/?collection=col10453/1.2" target="_blank">Prepare your Students for Learning Online</a>, Larry Ragan, Best Practices in Online Teaching</li>
<li><a href="http://cnx.org/content/m15030/latest/?collection=col10453/1.2" target="_blank">Model Effective Online Interaction</a>, Larry Ragan, Best Practices in Online Teaching</li>
<li><a href="http://cnx.org/content/m14874/latest/?collection=col10453/1.2" target="_blank">Specify Course Goals, Expectations and Policies</a>, Larry Ragan, Penn State World Campus</li>
<li><a href="http://cnx.org/content/m15030/latest/?collection=col10453/1.2" target="_blank">Model Effective Online Interaction</a>, Larry Ragan, Penn State World Campus</li>
<li><a href="https://coi.athabascau.ca/" target="_blank">The Community of Inquiry</a></li>
<li><a href="https://coi.athabascau.ca/coi-model/description-social-presence/" target="_blank">Description: Social Presence</a>, Community of Inquiry</li>
<li><a href="http://cnx.org/content/m14877/latest/?collection=col10453/1.2" target="_blank">Create a Warm and Inviting Atmosphere to Build a Learning Community,</a> Larry Ragan, Best Practices in Online Teaching</li>
<li><a href="http://www.westga.edu/%7Edistance/ojdla/spring61/woods61.htm" target="_blank">Being a “Communal Architect” in the Online Classroom </a>– Integrating cognitive and affective Learning for Maximum Effect in Web-Based Learning, Robert Woods & Samuel Ebersol</li>
<li><a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/2012/10/how-to-collaborate-in-a-virtua/" target="_blank">How Successful Virtual Teams Collaborate</a>, Keith Ferrazzi, HBR</li>
</ul>
Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-6551630711126846052017-11-22T13:56:00.000-07:002017-11-22T13:56:00.468-07:00Elements for the Facilitation of Online Group Work and CollaborationInstructors and students often cringe at the idea of group work--especially in an online course. Instructors often think that it is impossible to take group activities that they used to do in the face-to-face class and incorporate them into an online format. However, through the help of an instructional technologist, many of these activities can be successfully implemented in an online course. Collaboration in virtual environments has become an essential skill in the 21st century and teaching students how to work effectively in online groups becomes just as critical to the learning experience as the benefit of the knowledge gained through the learning experience itself. Research supports the premise that students, in well designed learning environments experience meaningful learning, develop higher order thinking, and learn to evaluate and acknowledge multiple viewpoints of their peers (Morrison, 2014).<br />
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Though we know the benefits and acknowledge the value of group work, the question remains--how can faculty create an experience that facilitates this kind of learning in an online course?<br />
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<b>Developing a Strong Learning Community</b><br />
The traditional classroom provides students with the opportunity to work in groups in order to build trust and cohesiveness through verbal cues, facial expressions, and physical presence. In order to create a social presence and safe learning environment in an online class, certain elements should be considered. "Currently, online collaborative learning tends to focus on the cognitive process by emphasizing task-oriented communication, while assuming that the social dimension will occur automatically via communicative technologies (Kreijns et al., 2003). However, individuals will not willingly share their tentative ideas or critically challenge others' opinions unless they trust group members and feel a sense of belonging (Kreins et all, 2003; Rourke, 2000). Therefore, collaboration often remains shallow due to the lack of effective group support."<br />
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<b>Elements of Effective Collaboration</b><br />
<ol>
<li><b>Social Presence: </b>For students to be successful in an online learning environment, they should be given the opportunity to introduce themselves, make connections with their classmates, and establish themselves in the learning community. According to Morrison (2014), student anonymity in learning spaces is a barrier to establishing trust and the building of a learning community. Establishing presence can be facilitated through, 1) introductions at the beginning of the course, 2) synchronous lecture sessions in which students can chat on back channels such as Twitter, etc., 3) orientation activities at the beginning of the course, 4) a social media platform for the class outside of Moodle. It is also a good idea to wait until two weeks into the semester before assigning group work.</li>
<li><b>Presence of a Leader: </b>There are two aspects to this element. The leadership of the instructor in which he or she supports the group work, ie. dealing with group members who don't participate, helping to solve problems, and providing feedback to groups in the process. Second, the presence of a positive leader within the group is necessary. A student can be assigned by the instructor to be the leader of the group and that group leader acts as the liaison between the group and the instructor.</li>
<li><b>Purpose and Clear Instructions: </b>Outlining why students are completing a given learning activity is critical so that students don't perceive the activity as busy work. When they understand the purpose of the activity, students are more likely to engage and commit to a group project when it is aligned closely with the learning objectives. State the purpose clearly in the activity instructions, "the purpose of this activity is __________" and provide details such as due date, grading scheme, and group structure.</li>
<li><b>Skill Development for Working in a Team: </b>Students rarely possess the skill set required for effective group collaboration, sharing and/or discussions in online spaces. This makes it necessary for the instructor to provide skill development resources for group interaction such as specific guidelines for communicating (Netiquette rules, whether they can use emoticons, etc.); and steps to solve group problems, including an option that involves the instructor as a resource. Stepping in as a mediator may be necessary for the instructor at times, so that students can be walked through problem solving steps via a group meeting using synchronous tools such as Zoom or Ultra.</li>
<li><b>Technology:</b> Instructors may need to guide students to the best platforms for communicating synchronously and asynchronously. Students often cite technology as a barrier to group projects, so minimizing that barrier will be helpful. </li>
</ol>
Next month: Vital Skills Instructors Need to Facilitate Online Group Work<br />
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<b>References and Resources</b><br />
Morrison, D. (February 10, 2014). <a href="https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/five-elements-that-promote-learner-collaboration-and-group-work-in-online-courses/" target="_blank">Five Elements that Promote Learner Collaboration and Group Work in Online Courses</a>. Online Learning Insights.<br />
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Williams, K.C., Cameron, B.A., Morgan, K. & C. Wade, (2012). <a href="http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/63461_2012.pdf" target="_blank">Facilitation of Online Group Projects: Insights from Experienced Faculty</a>. Paper presented at 28th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning<br />
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An, H., Kim, S., & Kim, B. (2008). <a href="http://editlib.org/d/24290%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">Teacher
perspectives on online collaborative learning: Factors perceived as
facilitating and impeding successful online group work</a>. <i>Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education</i>, <i>8</i>(1), 65-83.Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-52189802678244206902017-10-18T06:00:00.000-06:002017-10-18T06:00:12.596-06:00Grading Student Participation in Online Discussions<b>Components of Effective Online Discussions</b> (Review from previous posts)<br />
Motivating students to participate in forum discussions is not an easy task. It requires strategic effort by the instructor while designing the course, and while the discussion is taking place. Below are core elements that will create and sustain dialogue in an online discussion.<br />
<ol>
<li>A well designed course that ties in to the course objectives and learning outcomes.</li>
<li>Clear, concise guidelines and expectations for student participation.</li>
<li>Well constructed topics and questions.</li>
<li>A skilled facilitator or moderator.</li>
<li>An assessment component for giving student feedback.</li>
</ol>
<b>Should Forums Be Graded?</b><br />
Some educators feel that grading a discussion forces students to participate and that students will only do what is necessary for the grade and not engage further. Other opponents suggest that with a prescribed set of questions the discussion becomes narrow with no opportunity for creativity. However, experience and research shows that grading participation is effective in promoting and encouraging meaningful discussion when the essential assessment elements are included.<br />
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<b>Grading with a Rubric</b><br />
One of the core elements of effective discussions are clear, concise, quantitative guidelines that students can follow. A standard rubric can be tweaked and customized to fit a course and used as a method for the evaluation of student discussion posts. The grading of discussions can be much easier with a tool such as a rubric available. For examples of grading rubrics, see the Resources posted at the bottom of the page.<br />
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Below is a preamble to the rubric that is suggested by Morrison (2012).<br />
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<i>"The participation/contribution grade is based upon the content, depth, and quality of your contributions to the forum discussions using the standards found withing the grading rubric below. Contributions to weekly discussions represent xx points, which makes up xx% of your final grade. Participating consistently, with thoughtful answers early in the week, and responding to, and engaging in discussion with your peers will have positive effects on your overall grade."</i><br />
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<b>Timing and Feedback</b><br />
The timing of feedback is a determining factor on whether or not students participate. It is best to post grades within the week following the close of a discussion. If a student has not participated at all, he or she gets a "0" - which will usually prompt that student to participate the next week. Timely feedback allows students to assess his or her participation, and improve upon or continue with behaviors that support learning in the next week. Timing also builds momentum and aids in sustaining dialogue.<br />
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Besides assigning a grade to discussion postings, instructors on occasion may want to provide feedback to individual students. This could be in the form of one or two sentences of encouragement or the reason for a given grade. A more efficient method is a collective post or announcement at the end of the discussion period that summarizes the instructor's observations and provides comments and suggestions.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
Online discussions have great potential to engage students and support meaningful learning that can lead to student understanding of the subject matter. The assessment component gives a sense of instructor presence. The receiving of grades or comments on discussion posts indicates that the instructor is reading the posts and cares enough to give feedback. Having a rubric and timely grading practices in place focuses the evaluation process and provides a structure that is more likely to lead to student learning.<br />
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<b>References and Resources</b><br />
Morrison, D. (June 28, 2012). <a href="https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/the-methods-and-means-to-grading-student-participation-in-online-discussions/" target="_blank">The Methods and Means to Grading Student Participation in Online Discussions</a>. Online Learning Insights.<br />
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<a href="http://www.udel.edu/janet/MARC2006/rubric.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #333399;">Rubric for asynchronous Participation</span>,</a> by Barbara Frey<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333399;"><a href="http://www.tltgroup.org/resources/flashlight/rubrics.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #333399;">The TLT Group</span></a></span>, A non-profit organization for performance and learning<br />
<br />
Rubrics for Higher Education, <span style="color: #333399;"><a href="http://rubrics.kon.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #333399;">click here</span></a></span>Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-80158645180578850942017-09-20T11:49:00.000-06:002017-09-20T11:49:01.745-06:00Facilitating Robust Online DiscussionsA discussion forum in an online class can be an effective learning tool if it is used effectively. There should be a goal or purpose for the discussion so that students know it is not just busy work. Morrison (2012) illustrates this with an analogy of playing a soccer game without goal posts. Players would be running up and down the field aimlessly with no goal, no purpose. This is similar to a discussion forum without focus or direction. Students are posting and trying to engage in the discussion aimlessly just to fulfill the posting requirement.<br />
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<b>Creating Good Questions</b> <br />
The online discussion should be tied to the learning objectives or outcomes so that students understand the purpose for the discussion. It is also important that good questions are asked of the students. Questions must meet two criteria, be open-ended and prompt students to reflect an analyze; and lead students to construct and develop knowledge in support of the learning objectives.<br />
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<b>Promotion of Controversial Discussions</b><br />
The promotion of a discussion on a topic that may be controversial is a tactic that can be effective in supporting the development of critical thinking skills. Instructor attention and facilitation is needed more with this type of discussion, but the results may well be worth the extra effort. An instructor might use this method by selecting a recent "hot" news topic, and prompting students to take one "side" and explain his or her position. Students would then be instructed to respond to a classmate with an opposing viewpoint.<br />
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<b>Peer or Guest Moderators</b><br />
The discussion moderator does not always have to be the course instructor. Other options include, class participants given the responsibility of peer moderating (with guidelines and established support skills); a teaching assistant; or a "guest" moderator/speaker such as a librarian or content expert.<br />
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<b>Role of the Moderator</b><br />
There is an art to moderating a discussion as the course instructor. Too much involvement where the conversation becomes instructor focused could make students reticent to participate. Students may also be fearful of making a "wrong" statement or feeling like they have nothing worthwhile to contribute. "The role of the moderator is to promote thinking, challenge learners to think, consider a problem or situation from alternative viewpoints and to develop new knowledge through thinking and constructing" (Morrison, 2012).<br />
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<b>Examples of Questions that Promote Robust Discussions</b><br />
<ul>
<li>That is an interesting point. What might someone who disagrees with you say to challenge your opinion?</li>
<li>Can you compare your response to xxx (other student post)? Are you both saying the same thing? Why or why not?</li>
<li>You make a good observation, can you give us some examples to support your view?</li>
<li>What are alternatives to the one you suggested? Are there other solutions/options?</li>
<li>What is your reasoning for this? Can you compare this with xxx post? What is different or similar to yours?</li>
</ul>
Course instructors have much to say and much to contribute and share with their students. With an effective course design, well crafted discussion questions and skilled moderation, online discussions will be active and robust where critical thinking skills flourish (Morrison, 2012).<br />
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<b>References and Resources</b><br />
Delaney, S. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/18iQTLXLwQ6UexoxrNZk6XZnibD1ogrZItNdzw-to5ig/edit" target="_blank">Beyond the Discussion Board</a>: 10 Tips for Engaging Online Students.<br />
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Morrison, D. (June 25, 2012). <a href="https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/how-to-create-robust-discussions-online/" target="_blank">How-to Facilitate Robust Online Discussions</a>. Online Learning Insights.<br />
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Muilenburg, M. & Zane L. Berge. (2006). A framework for designing questions for online learning. <span style="color: #333399;"><span style="color: #333399;"><a href="http://smcm.academia.edu/LinMuilenburg/Papers/440394/A_Framework_for_Designing_Questions_for_Online_Learning" target="_blank">Academia.edu</a></span></span><br /><br />
Seo, K.K. (2007). Utilizing peer moderating in online discussions:
Addressing the controversy between teacher moderation and
non-moderation. <em>The American Journal of Distance Education, 21(1)</em>. p 21 -26.<br />
<br />Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-59634487534024956892017-08-23T11:14:00.000-06:002017-08-23T11:14:06.456-06:00Getting Students to Participate in Online Discussions<br />
You have probably experienced the blank stares from students in the classroom when it is time to have a discussion. It can be a challenge to get students to interact with each other. Online discussion forums present more challenges due to its "virtual" space. Research conducted by Wang & Chen (2008) suggests that online discussions often fall flat because they are shallow, superficial, and fail to engage students.<br />
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From a student's perspective, poorly designed forums can feel like busy work, a pointless exercise that they have to complete in order to get a decent grade. Is it really worth the effort to develop effective online discussions? The answer is yes--online class discussions are an essential tool in developing engagement and mostly importantly, cognitive presence which builds critical thinking skills (Morrison, 2012).<br />
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What can we do to create effective online discussions? The instructional design of the course, or how it is set-up is critical. Course discussions are most successful when they are embedded into the design of the course and are tied to the learning objectives or outcomes. Below are some key components to effective online discussions.<br />
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<ol>
<li>A solid course design strategy where discussion forums support the learning objectives will help the students to see that they are a meaningful activity. The ITRC can provide assistance with designing this type of course. In addition, the Quality Matters Rubric provides a road map to effective course design.</li>
<li>Clear and concise guidelines and expectations for the students are important. Be consistent with due dates and posting requirements. State how participation will affect the student's overall grade. In the instructions for the discussion forum include a sentence that states the purpose for the discussion, thus alleviating the feeling that it is pointless busy work. Morrison (2012) provides some additional tips for <a href="https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/how-to-get-students-to-participate-in-online-discussions/" target="_blank">discussion guidelines</a>.</li>
<li>A skilled facilitator or moderator will make all the difference in the quality of the discussion. </li>
<li>Well constructed topics or questions are critical.</li>
<li>An assessment component like a rubric should be used for giving students feedback on their posts.</li>
</ol>
There is much upfront effort required to set the stage for effective online discussions, even before the first discussion is opened, yet it is well worth the effort if it is done right. Online discussions have tremendous potential to promote critical thinking skills, force students to engage with the content, use higher order thinking skills, and construct new knowledge (Morrison, 2012). Numerous studies suggest it is the act of writing, thinking about and composing a text-based post that encourages students to engage their higher order thinking skills (Wang & Chen, 2008). <br />
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<b>References</b><br />
Morrison, D. (June 22, 2012). <a href="https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/how-to-get-students-to-participate-in-online-discussions/" target="_blank">How to Get Students to Participate in Online Discussions</a>. <i>Online Learning Insights.</i><br />
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Wang Y. & Victor Der-Thang Chen (2008). Essential Elements in Designing Online Discussions to Promote Cognitive Presence<i>, <em>Journal of Asynchronous Communication. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks</em>, 3-4</i> (12).<br />
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Wade, D. A., Bentley, J. P. H., & Waters, S. H. (2006). Twenty
guidelines for successful threaded discussions: A learning environment
approach.<em> Distance Learning, </em><em>3</em>(3), 1-8.<br />
Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-38039899201599249032017-07-19T08:00:00.000-06:002017-07-19T08:00:10.145-06:00Technology is Changing the Way Students StudyGone are the days when students camp out in the library all night to write research papers and study for their midterms and finals. Instead, students are in their residence halls and apartments with a laptop or mobile device.<br />
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<b>Students consider laptops to be their most important resource for studying</b>. Based on a survey conducted by McGraw-Hill Education (2016), students consider their laptops to be the most important resource available to them for studying. Twenty-two percent of survey respondents find the ability to study on their mobile devices "extremely important," and mobility continues to be student's favorite aspect of digital learning technology. Laptops make tasks such as taking notes simpler than using a notebook and pen for class.<br />
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One example of how students are using technology to study can be found on student blogger Sabrina Leung's post on the <a href="http://studentstoolbox.com/take-notes/" target="_blank">Students Toolbox website</a>. She said that she uses OneNote to organize and color-code her class notes, bring PowerPoint outlines into her notes, and record audio that is synced with the notes she typed. This feature allows students to click the play button next to a particular bullet point and OneNote will play the audio associated with that note. She also uses the <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201740" target="_blank">Apple Preview</a> app to add textboxes and highlighting to annotate her notes, lecture handouts, and pdf documents. For PC users there are other apps available such as <a href="https://pdf.wondershare.com/pdfelement/" target="_blank">WondersharePDFelement </a>available.<br />
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<b>Technology plays an important role in students' study practices</b>. Over 70% of the survey respondents find it at least moderately important to study on mobile electronic devices, and they report that technology is most helpful with doing homework (81%) or preparing for exams and tests (79%). Respondents most strongly agreed that technology increases their engagement with course materials (71%), professors (58%), and the college community (51%).<br />
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<b>Students believe that digital learning technology helps them learn</b>. Eight-one percent (81%) of the survey respondents agree that technology improves their grades and allows them to spend more time studying through increased accessibility to the course materials and improved efficiency. Students are using <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-12-best-apps-for-students-studying-productivity-and-homework-2016-8/#refme-will-put-together-your-citations-and-bibliographies-for-you-5" target="_blank">apps on their mobile devices</a> as class and homework planners, annotation devices for PDF's, document scanners, citation generators, creation of flashcards, and as a tool for learning other languages. <br />
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<b>Students want the learning platform to be adaptable to their needs</b>. Nearly all students surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that digital learning technology should be adaptive to their learning style (89%). About half indicated that being able to personalize the technology like they do in social media feeds is very or extremely important (49%). Two thirds report that online quizzes and adaptive learning technology are very or extremely helpful in retention of the materials (66%).<br />
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Nearly all students surveyed (91%) reported that their study experience at home is contingent on access to Wi-Fi, personal devices, and digital learning platforms. Over half of the respondents indicated similar contingencies at the library.<br />
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For the instructors preparing the materials in the digital learning system, it is useful to know what types of technology students prefer to use. The chart below illustrates the survey results.<br />
<a 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" 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Z3dIqPVRj3l78VicXR0pDfENrDxeCyXZ1kmTZNWGFU1ukWvuV1uURRGV1R1Ky1py6dPnwwDa6rSarUy7tHd3Z19a+yyWi4cMbBIknsY7EzIBjB0/bgMzF732AZm5NHXEMZKwpisdUGZbdUDvr2YqDUMlb/2csPVsizL89xukdHqyrLDLMs+fPigT9xNKzDJoCpfW9XqRxvQa26Xu1gsbLtSR9SaKUmSyWRiG1hTlex79ObNG/vW6D2pF4SBkSS5h8HOhGwAQ9d/gQZmbyHK+mBnA2t6SHcYmCp6Op3qe4BGZuNvld/4KZcHYmB2VW1PUh/RtDcwfWXWtAJzGJhxj2pvjVw4m82MgjAwkiT3MNiZkA1g6Pov0MD0vaaqqvI8b3rT08bAVquV2owy0OdcYwtRzyaGoe+b6Xtu9jcmxscXWZadnZ0ZW4j21pnDwOwLjRnfro/XwFQRt7e3Td8fZlmmFmqqr5q2EHUvkVvW3sDse1R7a6q/DMwoCAMjSXIPg50J2QCGrv8CDaz6y8OMPaLdDEzmXLVDZZiN+h7h/fv3s9lMCarjahVifFWhdrEuLy9ns9nNzY2e37jc3mQTY2hayQm6ERoX2isPoz4OAzOqakgZNTfKVRWzP+LQr724uEjTtL2B1d4j+9aoC42CMDCSpCdOM20J2QCGrv8yDQx+Gnme/7SP9Z8LDCyS1N/46UkZfQwMdme73arFzQsGA4sk9Td+elJGHwMD8ICBRZL6Gz89KaOPgQF4wMAiSf2Nn56U0cfAADyEHMDoox+zPgYG4CHkAEYf/Zj1MTAADyEHMProx6yPgQF4CDmA0Uc/Zn0MDMBDyAGMPvox62NgAB5CDmD00Y9ZHwMD8BByAKOPfsz6GBiAh5ADGH30Y9bHwAA8hBzA6KMfsz4GBuAh5ABGH/2Y9TEwAA8hBzD66Mesj4EBeAg5gNFHP2Z9DAzAQ8gBjD76MetjYAAeQg5g9NGPWR8DA/AQcgCjj37M+hgYgIeQAxh99GPWx8AAPIQcwOijH7M+BgbgIeQARh/9mPUxMAAPIQcw+ujHrI+BAXgIOYDRRz9mfQwMwEPIAYw++jHrY2AAHkIOYPTRj1kfAwPwEHIAo49+zPoYGICHkAMYffRj1sfAADyEHMDoox+zPgYG4CHkAEYf/Zj1MTAADyEHMProx6yPgQF4CDmA0Uc/Zn0MDMBDyAGMPvox62NgAB7u7+9//eMXUpypk/Gzvwj6TddiYAAuMLCYUyfjZ38R9Juujd3ANpvN6enper1+7op0g2pOlmXz+XwfqbIsz8/PHx8fa88a+kF1o7cT3E0zwMBiTvuPxpANYOj6GNiTZ97tdnt1dVUURa+12pkOjSTP88Vi8fPL3Z82lXn37l3Lm4iBxZz2H40hG8DQ9TGwmsmuLMvDw8MkSZIkkef3PM/l5+Xl5XQ6lb/TNNWvlb+Lonj9+vV0Op1MJvKAb6vJQT2bo8Q0Te1aLRYLQ2G5XMqpi4sLqVKe5/P5fLPZpGl6fX2tLtxut6oJcqSqqizL5OdoNJLm6D6dZZlk0w+Kvl1ubZONyuv9726Xukfj8VjyHBwcFEVh9/x6vW7qhNoKqFNeMLCY006Tijl+9hdBv+laDOwHA9N/yny9WCyOj49VBn0SrzWwo6Mj9Whvq8mpsixVNm+Jkufk5ETlPzk5WSwWuoI6m+e5mJAysPF4rCbx8/PzL1++iCkul0vjj6ZuURn0nbc8z9++fWuXazfn7u7OqLzeP4521SJ1eHh4MHp+tVo5OsGuQPtdRAws5uQdHm3Gz/4i6Dddi4H9YGD6o7pwdnamP6p7DUyfFm01efzXZ09viZXlMVmWffjwQSnoZ1WV1Nxt1PDz58+Gb4nJycpGFaHX0NCUDHmen52d2eXazXnz5o1RebUIc7fL6AElOJlMbANT7bIrbJciSz0MjORN3uHRZvzsL4J+07UYmGlgxrxm7DU91cBqZ0nDwNwlVp0aWFEUYjCGY8nWotpCNGqVZdnt7a3+8s9hYEZzav2jTbv07lJL0qYVGAZG6iN5h0eb8bO/CPpN12Jg5haivsdV/Th7Vj8amPFOaDQaGQZmqylNfX3jLtHII2f1gvT89u6ZMdHf3Nw4Ps1Q7mJ0y3K5fPXqld60PM9ns5ldrt0cu/K1vW23q7a78jyfTCbfv3+3e97RCXYFMDBSm+QdHm3Gz/4i6Dddi4H9/wMBmfX0TTA5or5xkAd5+cJCbcTJqcvLy9lsZs+/tlplrW+8JeoFycrJUFAffbx//342m7m3EPW9uMfHR3WtXpzxsaX+Lk2VOJ/P7XJrm2NUXu9/d7v04tQHGmma6t+tSM9Lk2s7wS6l4iMOUrvUZoR4x8/+Iug3XRu7gcVG7SeFtbSf4ocIn9GT2qT9R1rIBjB0fQwsOvTlkf3xoZGz/b/2HRb8Q2ZSy7T/YAvZAIauj4EBeMDAYk6djJ/9RdBvuhYDA3CBgcWcOhk/+4ug33QtBgbgIuQARh/9mPUxMAAPIQcw+ujHrI+BAXgIOYDRRz9mfQwMwEPIAYw++jHrY2AAHkIOYPTRj1kfAwPwEHIAo49+zPoYGICHkAMYffRj1sfAADyEHMDoox+zPgYG4CHkAEYf/Zj1MTAADyEHMProx6yPgQF4CDmA0Uc/Zn0MDMBDyAGMPvox62NgAB5CDmD00Y9ZHwMD8BByAKOPfsz6GBiAh5ADGH30Y9bHwAA8hBzA6KMfsz4GBuAh5ABGH/2Y9TEwAA8hBzD66Mesj4EBeAg5gNFHP2Z9DAzAQ8gBjD76MetjYAAeQg5g9NGPWR8DA/AQcgCjj37M+hgYgIeQAxh99GPWx8AAPIQcwOijH7M+BgbgIeQARh/9mPUxMAAPIQcw+ujHrI+BAXgIOYDRRz9mfQwMwEPIAYw++jHrY2AAHkIOYPTRj1kfAwPwcH9//+sfv5BIbVLt+Ol7fEarj4EBeMDASO1T7fjpe3xGq/+cBrbZbE5PT9frdYeaWZbN5/OnVmM8Hk8mk8fHRzmy3W6n0+loNOq2bi+SsizPz89V1+1G57dADa08z2vHw5OqjYGR2qfa8bPDGG5PzPovzcB2q8bJycnZ2VlRFHKkLMuzs7Pj4+Nnr5uD7XZ7dXWl6vwsClVV5Xm+WCz2Uah6uAVeA6uq6t27dy3bjoGR2qfa8bPDGG5PzPphGVhZloeHh0mSJEkyn8/lwVx+HhwcFEVRluXr16+n0+lkMnl4eEjT9Pr6WjLINCoT1mazMU7JE33yF/qcK9W4ublRM12e53meS93sOtjidh67OLtpSmQ0GhVFIWdVHRz5kyS5vb1V+mma6r2aZZkcH41Gv/32m7RUeZU6e3Bw8I9//ENXeGoNK8sCDQU9W1Pnt7kFhrK63D64XC7l58XFhWFgdt0c3maAgZHap9rx02aY7UzM+gEZmP7TXhzIns/Xr1+Pjo7kuNiGmp5kR0gZmHHqy5cvMk0vl0tjxpdyi6IQhe12O5vNVquVvToUqYeHB7tcI49RnN20u7u78Xgs026WZbJXVpalrDma8uuFfv/+3V4/Ga1TP41aCXonP7WG9i1z3D5VDbvz29wCWZ+pesrf9sG7uzt1JM9zqbAaD3bd2u8iYmCk9ql2/HjH2D7ErB+QgenPyOqxWj1TJ0kymUy+fv2qJp3a2dOesOTvz58/uw1svV5nWSYlGpZj1OHh4cEu18hjGJjdtDzP0zSVhqilgFKrzW8U+u3bN9vAxLllFVjbLfpZ3WaeWkN1y9TtqL19kq2lgTXdAuMqPY9+8M2bN+qI0fDaumFgpD5S7fjxjrF9iFk/LAOzVzPqeV+twHYzMLUDpqZvuxoyJ8r8qHuJUQfbwIqisOupF2c3TTboHAZm529jYIL+BUSWZbe3t3pOdVZXeGoN7Vvm8APlH3bnt7kFnRiYXTcMjNRHqh0/3jG2DzHrB2Rg+qaQoE8xeZ7vswK7ublp+tZAZZYFisz7tV4idag1MCPPp0+fjNdsRtPc9lCbv72BCWqif/XqlT1TG8b21BrW1spQUHg/9HDfAl1Z32U1DuqPEfYWol03DIzUR6odP94xtg8x6z+zgalvH9QrFrXVoyYg9Vo+TdN9thD1Lb6mxY36Cl8/aNShdgvRyPPlyxejOKNpq9XKbQ92/qZC9YWIqoY6rr8OtM/qCk+tYeX8iEO++5AXlvY+sHqR2fIWKAV9DWcfVA18//79bDZr+ohD97Y2AxUDI7VPteOnzTDbmZj1Y/mHzLIcqTr6djy04hw4Fkad0MYGwukNHT6jJ/WRasdP14MX/f9fG4WB6Q/gtd8RDLo4B03fTXRFm424cHpDwT9kJvWUasdP1+MX/f9fG4WBAewMBkZqn2rHT9/jM1p9DAzAQ8gBjD76MetjYAAeQg5g9NGPWR8DA/AQcgCjj37M+hgYgIeQAxh99GPWx8AAPIQcwOijH7M+BgbgIeQARh/9mPUxMAAPIQcw+ujHrI+BAXgIOYDRRz9mfQwMwEPIAYw++jHrY2AAHkIOYPTRj1kfAwPwEHIAo49+zPoYGICHkAMYffRj1sfAADyEHMDoox+zPgYG4CHkAEYf/Zj1MTAADyEHMProx6yPgQF4CDmA0Uc/Zn0MDMBDyAGMPvox62NgAB5CDmD00Y9ZHwMD8BByAKOPfsz6GBiAh5ADGH30Y9bHwAA8hBzA6KMfsz4GBuAh5ABGH/2Y9TEwAA8hBzD66Mesj4EBeAg5gNFHP2Z9DAzAQ8gBjD76MetjYAAeQg5g9NGPWR8DA/AQcgCjj37M+hgYgIeQAxh99GPWx8AAPIQcwOijH7M+Bgbg4f7+/tc/fiGRBp32Gf8dRlO3+hgYgAcMjPQC0j7jv8No6lYfA4PBsNlsTk9P1+v1T7tQwMBILyDtNvgrDAygEzAwEmnntNvgrzAwgPaUZXl4eJgkSZIk8/lcPyU+dHNzo5/V8y8Wi9ojysCWy+VoNFqv11mWSQb56a4SBkZ6AWnnkMTAAFqhL5W22+3V1VVRFPrZ8XgsvrXZbE5OTu7u7k5OTiRP05GiKES2KIrj42OxsTRN29cKAyO9gLRzVGJgAK3QF0/C2dmZWksZO4FZlr1580a3otojcuF4PFaLLfl5cHCgu6MDDIz0AtLOUYmBAbSiLMvz8/PHx8fas/sYmOw96qe22+10OmULkRRJ2jkqMTCAVqhNv6azaguxLMvj4+PVaqXyNx1Zr9fK+bIsM96ricO5a4WBkV5A2jkqMTCAtui7iMbyaLPZpGl6fX2tf6CxXC7lp9oStI8oAxOD/P3339UWZZuXYRgY6QWknUMSAwMYMBgY6QWkfcZ/h9HUrT4GBuABAyO9gLTP+O8wmrrVx8AAPGBgpBeQ9hn/HUZTt/oYGIAHDIz0AtI+47/DaOpWHwMD8BByAKOPfsz6GBiAh5ADGH30Y9bHwAA8hBzA6KMfsz4GBuAh5ABGH/2Y9TEwAA8hBzD66Mesj4EBeAg5gNFHP2Z9DAzAQ8gBjD76MetjYAAeQg5g9NGPWR8DA/AQcgCjj37M+hgYgIeQAxh99GPWx8AAPIQcwOijH7M+BgbgIeQARh/9mPUxMAAPIQcw+ujHrI+BAXgIOYDRRz9mfQwMwEPIAYw++jHrY2AAHkIOYPTRj1kfAwPwEHIAo49+zPoYGICHkAMYffRj1sfAADyEHMDoox+zPgYG4CHkAEYf/Zj1MTAADyEHMProx6yPgQF4CDmA0Uc/Zn0MDMBDyAGMPvox62NgAB5CDmD00Y9ZHwMD8BByAKOPfsz6GBiAh5ADGH30Y9bHwAA8hBzA6KMfsz4GBuAh5ABGH/2Y9TEwAA8hBzD66Mesj4EBeLi/v//1j19IpKiSPv77jq99rsXAnoE8z+fz+XPXAlqBgZEiTPr47zu+9rnWY2Db7XY6nSZJkiTJaDRar9dNOdWknGXZ887OPVWgK9ntdnt1dVUUhSPPZrM5PT119LaDHerZoaH20fnL5dI7/PoDAyNFmPTx33d87Ytwl9YAAAfPSURBVHOty8DEvdR8lOe5YxJ5xlVFG0sIh7Isz8/PHx8fHXmeZGD7Nz/wFWGWZYvFonqmG42BkSJM+vjvO772udZlYMvlcjKZqKlW/GyxWGw2mzRNr6+vZWUmk4uaBOWP2jxlWR4eHsoRfcaUzJ8+fVKnyrJ8/fr1dDqdTCYPDw/j8VhOHRwcyPyV57kcuby8VGvENE2NmujHm0qv/nrGF7XZbLZarZR/KC8RWaUpNTF+2kVkWWasX1X1NpuN0S5VjYuLCynUzmP01fv372ubb0/6jubLJUYGu2jjptj3V6Tevn1rn9KX8np+u4v0aiwWC3XWuNGqgWqUSkvv7u4c1X58fHT0Q1OQPPtsQiL95KSPf2+M7EOPBpbnucyJCpk1ZGqT4FfrCdvAjDwPDw/KFYxHaT3zZrM5OTlZLBZHR0f2s7ZIff369fj4WC1QDDU1Het59DWNXfrJyYnyxdFo5DAwucSwdvlpN/Djx49GBzatIcqyPDs7U02uXeyqbjT66v7+3m7+crlUtu3u/Oov13FkUN2ualg7BpSUfUrVR/2huk7/qd8L9XftCkxdeHt7e3Z2pqxdX9rWVtvRzFowMFKESR//7gDZk+cxMMf8rgzMyFMUhXryNR7DjR2zLMs+fPig77OppUmSJJPJ5NOnT/qzc62BGdti+nO3Ubo+h0pN3AZmFFe7xBHyPB+Px2rVWFn7h3q71BLK6BCj7boVSV/d3t7azTeq7Wi+XDKbzewMRtFfv35Vla8dA5XlhepUk4GJEaouMs7KeKs1MFH+9u3bbDb7/Pmz1FYV0VRtdz/UgoGRIkz6+HcHyJ781C1EmT52NrCmdz9uA9PXUmIAuxlYU+lPNTBDWf1sKkJ2z2RFpV9rtOvw8NA2MLvtLQ3MOOV+8SYGZmSwi97HwJRz6HZud9Hnz59bGpjaMPzXv/5VluXvv/8u2dzVbvMC0gADI0WY9PHfPlh2oEcDk6dj/fWG+NluBrZardTuUG1BygaOj491tzN2qOSZeoctxKbS9Zyyd/ft2zclqHbzlKw+A+o/HUVUdU5jtCv58T2ZeiFktF3fQpSa67WtNANbLpevXr2Sy911E9cxMtR2+84Glue5d62TZVme56oa6r40fcSR5/nZ2ZkMtsvLy8vLy9oeM6rt6IdaMDBShEkf/+2DZQf6/Yxef5OvVmO7GZjxfl5/xyMZfvvtN7WrY/iE+lbi4uJC3nOod/vqy4XE+ojDyNNUuq6vJl/jsw77Iw6pp/HTKOLm5kbfHrQf/4126Z9mSKF2HlmB6X3V1Hz9scDbfGObUXm2XvSeW4j6tp59Z1X9VU61VlMGZrRUKiynsixTSzdHtd390BQkzz6bkEg/Oenj3x0ge/IS/iHzPv/saUA1abMK8RJOXz2J5/0Ufh8wMFKESR//fcfXPtdiYD+pJtvtVi2q9iGcvnoS+rrH+DIocDAwUoRJH/99x9c+1wZhYADBgoGRIkz6+O87vva5FgMDcBFyAKOPfsz6GBiAh5ADGH30Y9bHwAA8hBzA6KMfsz4GBuAh5ABGH/2Y9TEwAA8hBzD66Mesj4EBeAg5gNFHP2Z9DAzAQ8gBjD76MetjYAAeQg5g9NGPWR8DA/AQcgCjj37M+hgYgIeQAxh99GPWx8AAPIQcwOijH7M+BgbgIeQARh/9mPUxMAAPIQcw+ujHrI+BAXgIOYDRRz9mfQwMwEPIAYw++jHrY2AAHv7zn/+gjz76AepjYAAAMEgwMAAAGCQYGAAADBIMDAAABgkGBgAAgwQDAwCAQYKBAQDAIMHAAABgkGBgAAAwSDAwAAAYJBgYQCN5nidJkiRJmqYdym632+l0OplMHh8f+ygoyzJRm8/nQ9Svqqosy8PDwz70N5vNeDwWNXULuq2/KuLg4KAoim71lZR+C3q6vz31T4fjBwMDqKcsy+Pj4/V6vdlsTk5OZCbaH1FbLBbn5+cyO3RbUFmW//73v3XZYekL7969+/jxo0xw3epvNps0TdWjQ+f68nSyWCx60tcLurq6Koqi8/srI1M1pFv95XIpvqjU9tHHwADqyfNcf0JUf3eCmib6K0hNBz3pqyZ0rr9cLtM0XS6XannRob5tYN3q63e2D327oJ7qrwyyW31dIcuyxWKxjz4GBlDP0A2sP4ORLaDRaLRer6uu67/dbmez2Xq97s/A1BZiH/rL5VLt70kX9XR/Zfavehg/akOvD/08z9U+YZZl8/kcAwPonkEbmHp87km/qqqyLI+Ojvp7Qu/JwBQ9rVBl+Sh/7z9BN7HZbE5PT/t4gKiqKsuyNE2zLJO9vs4fUKbTqfJ4VmAAvTBoA5Op09bstiH7bwEZGLObvNUfUP2rHw1M1Pqof5Nmt1t8/dVfePfu3Z4PEBgYQD09vXtX4j19xCEeoM8Cnb+El52lTl7Cuwvq4yMOhVpBdv4RhKj19BFEpfW8UWIn+vYWX3/3V1Z4fMQB0Av29777o7+DUa8ZOixIfwejBDvU1+uvvrXro6OUgXWrn2ufofdU/9z6KLxbfTX1qyMd6uuLYFVKh/ryDyT0d6j76GNgAAAwSDAwAAAYJBgYAAAMEgwMAAAGCQYGAACDBAMDAIBBgoEBAMAgwcAAAGCQYGAAADBIMDAAABgkGBgAAAyS+/v7vxVFcQ8AADAoiqL4Hy1fN49UKXCAAAAAAElFTkSuQmCCAA==" 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<b>References</b><br />
Cortez, M. B. (2017, Jun. 9). 3 ways technology is changing studying. <a href="https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2017/06/3-ways-technology-changing-studying" target="_blank"><i>EdTech</i></a>.<br />
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Heath, A. (2016, Aug. 15). 12 apps that every student should have. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-12-best-apps-for-students-studying-productivity-and-homework-2016-8/#refme-will-put-together-your-citations-and-bibliographies-for-you-5" target="_blank"><i>Business Insider.</i></a><br />
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Leung, S. (2016, Sept. 20). How I take notes for lectures and tutorials. <a href="http://studentstoolbox.com/take-notes/" target="_blank"><i>Students Toolbox</i></a>.<i> </i><br />
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McGraw-Hill Education. (2016, October). <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/ecommerce-prod.mheducation.com/unitas/highered/explore/sites/study-trends/2016-digital-trends-survey-results.pdf" target="_blank"><i>2016 Digital Study Trends Survey</i>.</a> <br />
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Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-13339098193141314952017-06-19T11:38:00.000-06:002017-06-19T11:38:03.277-06:00Tips for Lecture Capture - It Doesn't Have to Be Complicated!Whether you are flipping your courses, creating videos to help your students understand specific concepts, teaching a fully online course, or recording lectures for exam review and/or assignment feedback, these tips can make producing your own lecture much easier and effective.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li> <b>Record in an optimum location</b>: When setting up a space for good video and audio recording, sound dampening is the key. You want to choose a space that will not collect noise from outside the room such as a toilet flushing (no joke - I really have heard that on an instructor video), machines such as elevators or air conditioning, or voices from next door or in the hall. Sometimes you cannot entirely avoid these factors but most can be easily addressed. The ITRC has a room specifically set-up for video and audio recording which is available to all faculty. Just call the <a href="http://www2.isu.edu/itrc/" target="_blank">ITRC</a> at 208-282-5880 to schedule a time to use it.</li>
<li><b>Invest in a microphone</b>. Do not rely on the microphone or video camera integrated into your computer. Using the on-board microphone can result in muffled or low sound. Our recommendation is that you use a headset with a microphone attached so that mic is right by your mouth. You could also use a "boom mic" which also plugs into your computer via a USB port but can be placed near you so that the best sound is recorded.</li>
<li><b>Lighting</b>. Many instructor-produced videos show a person hunched over their laptop with no additional lighting so that the only light you see is the glare of the monitor on their face. With the simple addition of a reading light turned toward your face, you will be illuminated and students will have a clear view of you as you speak. Record a 30 second test video and play it back to see if the lighting and sound are sufficient.</li>
<li><b>Reconsider being a "talking head"</b>. Do you really need to appear in the video or will it just be a distraction from the content of the video? In the situations where a "talking head" is essential such as an introduction video to a course, contact the <a href="http://www2.isu.edu/itrc/" target="_blank">ITRC</a> and we will arrange for our "camera crew" to video you. They will also assist you with editing the video for the purpose of creating a quality video that you can use every semester to introduce yourself to your students.</li>
<li><b>Keep Your Recording Devise Steady.</b> You don't need to use a fancy camera to create a video - your mobile device such as your tablet or phone may already have an exceptional camera built into it. Keep these bullets in mind when recording:</li>
<ol>
<li>Find a way to stabilize the recording device. If you are using your smartphone or tablet, get a tripod for it. At the very least, stabilize the device against books or rocks. </li>
<li>Set your device to record horizontally. Video that is recorded with the vertical setting may not look good when it is played on a desktop platform.</li>
<li>If your phone or device allows you to do so, flip the camera image around so you can see yourself to make sure that it is positioned correctly. This step is sort of like taking a "selfie". We all know a "selfie" is better when the device is held above you and pointed down rather than holding it below you and pointing upward to your chin.</li>
</ol>
<li>If possible, <b>avoid using the camera built into your laptop computer</b>. If the camera is positioned at the bottom of your device it can result in the viewers basically looking up your nostrils. Or a camera that is at chest level will result in a video with your head cut off. If you must use your on-board camera, position the laptop on a stack of books so that it is actually pointing directly at you. The best solution would be to purchase a low-cost Logitech webcam that can be attached by a cable to a USB port on your computer. The webcam can be clipped or placed in a spot that will provide your viewers with the best image possible.</li>
<li><b>Consider Your Recording Software Options</b>. If you are using your smartphone or tablet to record videos, it probably already includes software to handle the capture. To take your production a step further, you will need additional software such as the following:</li>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://screencast-o-matic.com/" target="_blank">Screencast-O-Matic</a> is a free option that allows you to record up to 15 minutes and save your recording as a file or post it to YouTube. A $15 per year "pro" version expands your options and allows you to make longer recordings.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.techsmith.com/video-editor.html" target="_blank">TechSmith Camtasia</a> is much more than a screen recorder. It allows you to edit your videos, caption them, split them in order to add external media and produce them as an mp4 file that can either posted directly to your course, loaded on YouTube, or loaded to your Google Drive. The ITRC offers a workshop on how to use Camtasia with participants receiving a free Camtasia license for their PC or Mac.</li>
</ol>
<li><b>Don't Stress About Editing Your Videos</b>. Editing scares a lot of people who do not consider themselves to be tech savvy. We make the following suggestions for video recording:</li>
<ol>
<li>Keep your videos at two to five minutes in length so that if you do make a mistake, it is easy to re-record the lecture without a huge investment of time. It is a lot easier to delete your first attempt and produce another three-minute recording that it is to spend 30 minutes trying to edit out all the "ums" and "ahs" in a longer recording.</li>
<li>Another advantage to shorter videos are that students are more likely to watch them all the way through so that the concepts that are presented are more likely to be retained. </li>
<li>Chunking up your material or cutting your content into very small consumable bits will result in more students actually watching your videos and less frustration for you in the final production of the video.</li>
</ol>
<li><b>Remember Accessibility.</b> It is paramount that we produce instructional materials that are accessible to all students regardless of their disabilities. </li>
<ol>
<li>Software like Camtasia makes it relatively easy to import your video script and then time it to your video so that closed captioning is available. </li>
<li>Or you can upload your video to YouTube and have it apply their automatic transcription to the audio. However, this would only be a starting point because the captions will need to be edited for punctuation, sentence structure and words that did not get captioned correctly. You can do this editing directly in the YouTube caption editor or download the captions into a caption editor such as Camtasia.</li>
<li>Contact the ITRC for information on the FREE captioning services that we provide.</li>
</ol>
<li>And lastly, <b>plan before you record</b>. Write out what you want to say, and practice your script to see how long your video will be so that you know if it needs to be "chunked" into smaller pieces. Invest in the equipment necessary to produce a quality video that your students will want to watch. Keep in mind that the ITRC is available to provide technical assistance with the recording of your lectures.</li>
</ol>
The ITRC has the following instructional videos available:<br />
<ul>
<li>The essentials of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdRLywKcTEc" target="_blank">lecture capturing</a></li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/9tJhdZjrxms" target="_blank">PC PowerPoint Tutorial</a>: Recording Narration, Set Timing, and Export to Video </li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/5ks9tXP6p5A" target="_blank">Uploading a Video to YouTube</a> </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>References:</b><br />
Schaffhauser, D. (5/17/17). <a href="https://campustechnology.com/Articles/2017/05/17/8-Tips-for-Lecture-Capture-on-a-Shoestring.aspx?Page=1" target="_blank">8 tips for lecture capture on a shoestring</a>. <i>Campus Technology</i>. To view this article close the advertisement window that pops up and scroll past the advertisements at the top of the page.<br />
<br />Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-32046281046433008042017-06-01T10:29:00.003-06:002017-06-01T11:15:54.938-06:00Instructional Technologist and Faculty CollaborationThe Instructional Technology Resource Center (ITRC) provides not only assistance with Moodle and other educational tools but they also have a team of experienced technologists who can help faculty design a new online course or revamp an existing one.<br />
<br />
During course development, technologists and content experts spend months together to meet, brainstorm, and exchange ideas in order to build or edit course material. In order to make this collaboration work, faculty need to be willing to let their guard down and trust that the technologist is there to assist them and not tell them what to put into their course.<br />
<br />
With regard to the technologist and faculty collaboration, one faculty member said, "As an instructor, you feel like you own that classroom and the classroom interaction, but if you're willing to let your guard down a bit, reassess and have someone challenge you, I really do think it helps" (Tate, 2017).<br />
<br />
There are many methods for creating successful collaboration teams. A few of these methods are described below.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Create a Perfect Match:</b> Establish a relationship and rapport with one of the instructional technologists and work with them through the entire project so that there is consistency. If you do not like a particular approach or you feel conflict, ask to work with another technologist.</li>
<li><b>Let Your Guard Down: </b>Many instructors still have never taught an online course, but now are required to teach one. That situation may make the instructor feel pressured and could lead to a shaky start with the technologist/faculty collaboration. Rest assured that the instructional technologists in the ITRC will patiently acclimate you to the online teaching environment. They can provide examples of successful online courses and assist with the building of a new course without taking over the class and materials. Instructional technologists are there to make the faculty member's job easier and to take the stress out of developing a new course.</li>
<li><b>Clarify Roles:</b> The most common cause of strife between instructional technologists and subject matter experts comes from a misunderstanding about what each person's role is and what is expected (Tate, 2017). In order to eliminate this strife, keep in mind that both people are professionals with complementary skills and expertise. Instructional technologists will offer suggestions and ideas, but they know that ultimately, the instructor gets the final say.</li>
<li><b>Communicate:</b> The instructor needs to familiarize the technologist with their teaching approach, goals, concerns, and priorities. This will enable the technologist to make recommendations that will work best. There may be some initial tension when the technologist suggests changes to a faculty member's teaching methods or course structure but keep in mind that the technologist wants what the faculty member wants--the best learning experience possible. When the subject matter expert is responsive to a technologist's feedback, it can be a constructive experience for everyone involved (Tate, 2017).</li>
<li><b>Account for Time: </b>Development of an online course can take months and sometimes multiple semesters. The technologist and instructor should set a goal for the amount of time that they are willing to invest in the course. This will reduce tension by being clear about the expectations of both parties.</li>
</ul>
To learn more about the Instructional Technologists at Idaho State University, visit the <a href="http://www2.isu.edu/itrc/staff.shtml" target="_blank">ITRC staff </a>page.<br />
<br />
Reference<br />
Tate, E. (May 3, 2017). <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2017/05/03/easing-conflicts-between-instructional-designers-and-faculty" target="_blank">Easing Instructional Designer-Faculty Conflicts</a>. Inside Higher Ed. Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-76370983526721139732016-10-05T13:48:00.000-06:002016-10-05T13:48:16.794-06:00Contract Cheating - What We Should Do About It<h3>
How Contract Cheating Works</h3>
Contract cheating providers make students believe that if they
use the services they are being smart students who will deliver
what their professors want such as a 10 page paper or an excellent score on the final exam.
Students may also believe that if they use these services, they will be
able to deliver what their parents want (good grades) and what employers
want (a degree) (Gallant, Oct. 5, 2016).<br />
<br />
<h3>
Why Do Students Use Contract Cheating Services?</h3>
The underlying reasons may
be complex and are shaped by individual and situational factors,
but perhaps at the heart of it, contract cheating providers deliver
services that we do not -“help” on their academic work 24 hours per day,
7 days a week (Gallant). Students often do not work on their
assignments between 9 and 7, Monday-Thursday and 9 to 2 on Fridays, when the <a href="http://www2.isu.edu/success/writing/index.shtml" target="_blank">Student Success Center</a> offers assistance in the Writing and Tutoring Center. So where else can students go when they need help?<br />
<br />
Gallant (2016) wrote that students often use Google
to find things and when she Googled “essay writing help”, the 7<sup>th</sup> hit was “strategies for essay writing” from Harvard’s Writing Center and the 25<sup>th</sup> hit was Purdue’s Owl site, but the rest of the hits were all possible contract cheating sites.<br />
<br />
Essay “help” is just the beginning. Many of these contract
cheating companies or freelancers, will offer to take exams or entire
courses for your students (whether online or in person). Be aware that contract cheating providers exist, they exist to
serve your students, and your students are using them. Brad Wolverton,
in <a href="http://www.chronicle.com/article/The-New-Cheating-Economy/237587">“The New Economy of Cheating”</a>
(Chronicle of Higher Education, August 28, 2016, subscription
required), estimates that the annual revenue for one of the largest
contract cheating providers is “in the millions”. The UK’s Quality
Assurance Agency (QAA) <a href="http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Plagiarism-in-Higher-Education-2016.pdf">“Plagiarism in Higher Education”</a> (August 2016) report also posits that the industry is expansive, likely involving thousands of students every year (Gallant).<br />
<br />
<h3>
Should We Do Something About It?</h3>
We must do something about it! Gallant (2016) argued that this type of fraud
perpetrated on the public, on employers, and on the government, could
crash the knowledge economy. The knowledge economy is built on education
credentials, specifically who has the grades and certifications needed
to fill the jobs that fuel the economy. If these grades and
certifications are fraudulent, the jobs are filled by incompetent people
at best, and ethically challenged people at worst (Gallant).<br />
<br />
Survey studies have found that people who cheat in school are more
likely to cheat at work, and since the rates of cheating are high (as
high as 41% in some studies), that means that at least 41% of those
being hired have cheated in school. And since less than 1% of students
at most schools are reported for cheating, that means that at least 40%
of new graduates being hired have learned that cheating is a strategy
for success, perhaps even for “excellence” (Gallant).<br />
<br />
If students are taking grants and loans from the government to pay
others to do their work for them, then our taxpayer dollars are being
squandered. According to Gallant, we should be morally outraged about the
fraud perpetrated by these contract cheating providers and the students
who use them.<br />
<br />
<h3>
What Can We Do About It?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Respond to cheating when it is detected in order to leverage it as a teachable moment and to ebb the normalizing of the practice.</li>
<li>Refer students to the academic and language support services available through the <a href="http://www2.isu.edu/success/index.shtml" target="_blank">Student Success Center</a> so that they don't feel the need to do business with contract cheating providers.</li>
<li>Create your own bank of questions for exams rather than relying on question banks written by the textbook publishers. These test banks are often available on the internet and available for purchase or for free.</li>
<li>Utilize authentic and alternative assessments and link them to solid learning objectives and integrity standards.</li>
<li>Employ methods to ensure that the people taking your classes and exams are the same people enrolled in the class.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Join the International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating</h3>
October 19th is Carnegie's Global Ethics Day. <a href="http://contractcheating.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Join</a> and receive an Institutional Toolkit with more specific tips and ideas for preventing and detecting contract cheating.<br />
<br />
Click for more information about <a href="http://contractcheating.weebly.com/learn-more-about-contract-cheating.html" target="_blank">Contract Cheating visit the International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating</a>. There are links to government reports, news reports, presentations, and research.<br />
<br />
Information for this article is taken from:<br />
Gallup, T. B. (Oct. 5, 2016). "We need a hero! How Contract Cheating Works". WCET. Retrieved from <a href="https://wcetfrontiers.org/2016/10/05/how-contract-cheating-works/">https://wcetfrontiers.org/2016/10/05/how-contract-cheating-works/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-44579464209420238292016-08-29T06:00:00.000-06:002017-06-19T14:59:46.621-06:00Student Dependence on Technology - Interesting FactsToday's college student has become increasingly dependent on technology which has changed the way colleges and universities go about recruiting new students and keeping them engaged.<br />
<br />
Presta has gathered information from Mashable, Pew Internet, The Chronicle, Science Daily, Campus Tech and other reputable sources to create an infographic that reveals some interesting facts about today's modern college students and their dependence on technology. Below are just a few of those facts.<br />
<br />
<h3>
College Students and Technology</h3>
<ul>
<li>73% of college students (sample size of 500) said that they cannot study without technology.</li>
<li>38% of students cannot go more than 10 minutes without checking their email, tablet, laptop, or smartphone.</li>
<li>70% of students use keyboards to take notes instead of pen and paper</li>
<li>91% of students used email to communicate with their instructors </li>
<li>Digital textbooks cost approximately 40% less than printed textbooks</li>
</ul>
<h3>
The Future of the Classroom</h3>
Textbooks and notebooks are not the only items being taken over by technology on the college campus. Online courses are becoming an increasingly popular option.<br />
<ul>
<li>12 million college students currently take one or more classes online with the figure expected to exceed 22 million in 5 years.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://elearninginfographics.com/modern-college-student-infographic/" target="_blank">Click here for the full Modern College Student Infographic</a> Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-74624446367617409392016-08-01T06:00:00.000-06:002016-08-01T06:00:01.903-06:00Standards for Online LearningAre you aware that there are regulatory standards to which online programs in educational institutions are held? From the federal government to national reciprocity agreements to regional accreditation agencies, universities that wish to offer online programming are held to a complex set of standards.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Distance Education vs. Correspondence as Defined by Federal Regulation</h3>
Federal law defines "distance education" and "correspondence" in section <a href="http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=45333f1baff1fb4eb6289b4caaf4ed50&mc=true&node=se34.3.600_12&rgn=div8" target="_blank">600.2 of the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations</a> as the following:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Distance education</span> means
education that uses one or more of the technologies listed in paragraphs
(1) through (4) of this definition to deliver instruction to students
who are separated from the instructor and to support regular and
substantive interaction between the students and the instructor, either
synchronously or asynchronously. The technologies may include: (1) The internet; (2)
One-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed
circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or
wireless communications devices; (3) Audio conferencing; or (4)
Video cassettes, DVDs, and CD-ROMs, if the cassettes, DVDs, or CD-ROMs
are used in a course in conjunction with any of the technologies listed
in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this definition.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Correspondence course:</span> (1) A
course provided by an institution under which the institution provides
instructional materials, by mail or electronic transmission, including
examinations on the materials, to students who are separated from the
instructor. Interaction between the instructor and student is limited,
is not regular and substantive, and is primarily initiated by the
student. Correspondence courses are typically self-paced. (2) If a
course is part correspondence and part residential training, the
Secretary considers the course to be a correspondence course. (3) A correspondence course is not distance education.<br />
<br />
This distinction is important because according to <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/auditreports/fy2012/a05k0012.pdf" target="_blank">Section 102 (a)(3)(B)</a> of the U.S. Department of Education, an institution is not eligible to participate in the Title IV programs if 50% or more of its students were enrolled in correspondence courses during its latest complete award year. "So, if an institution of higher education wants to engage heavily in online learning, it behooves the institution to make sure it is truly providing 'distance education' and not 'correspondence courses' or else they risk losing federal financial aid" (Becker, 2016). The key is that there is "regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor" (DEA).<br />
<br />
<h3>
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA)</h3>
Institutions that offer online courses and/or programs to out-of-state students must comply with consumer protection laws in the states where those out-of-state students reside. To avoid having 50 different laws, the <a href="http://nc-sara.org/" target="_blank">National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements</a> (SARA) was formed. Currently there are 34 states participating in SARA.<br />
<br />
SARA has established guidelines for the evaluation of distance education that were developed by the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) in 2011. Those guidelines are a set of 9 principles that ensure that course design and delivery supports student to student and faculty to student interaction.<br />
<br />
Each institution must indicate which states they are authorized to offer distance education courses in. For a list of the states that Idaho State University is authorized to serve visit the eISU page: <a href="http://www2.isu.edu/eisu/statesserv.shtml" target="_blank">eISU States Served</a>. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education <a href="http://www.nc-sara.org/files/docs/C-RAC%20Guidelines.pdf" target="_blank">Principles</a></h3>
1. Online learning is appropriate to the institution's mission and purposes.<br />
2. The institution's plans for developing, sustaining, and, if appropriate, expanding online learning offerings are integrated into its regular planning and evaluation process.<br />
3. Online learning is incorporated into the institution's systems of governance and academic oversight.<br />
4. Curricula for the institution's online learning offerings are coherent, cohesive, and comparable in academic rigor to programs offered in traditional instructional formats.<br />
5. The institution evaluates the effectiveness of its online learning offerings, including the extent to which the online learning goals are achieved, and uses the results of it evaluations to enhance the attainment of the goals.<br />
6. Faculty responsible for delivering the online learning curricula are evaluating the students' success in achieving the online learning goals are appropriately qualified and effectively supported.<br />
7. The institution provides effective student and academic services to support students enrolled in online learning offerings.<br />
8. The institution provides sufficient resources to support, and if appropriate, expand its online learning offerings.<br />
9. The institution assures the integrity of its online offerings.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
The federal regulations, state reciprocity agreement guidelines, and expectations of accrediting agencies provide a comprehensive set of standards, guidelines, principles, and expectations for distance learning. The requirements for student and instructor engagement are quite comprehensive.<br />
<br />
Institutions of higher learning <b>will be held accountable </b>for the quality of their online offerings. Those who are negligent may face complaints and/or lawsuits like the one recently filed by students at <a href="http://www.gwhatchet.com/2016/04/13/former-students-file-class-action-lawsuit-over-quality-of-online-program/" target="_blank">George Washington University</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
References:</h3>
Becker, J. (2016, April 17). The rules of engagement for online learning. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.jonbecker.net/the-rules-of-engagement-for-online-learning/" target="_blank">http://www.jonbecker.net/the-rules-of-engagement-for-online-learning/ </a><br />
<br />
Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) (2011).<a href="http://www.nc-sara.org/files/docs/C-RAC%20Guidelines.pdf" target="_blank"> Interregional guidelines for the evaluation of distance education. </a><br />
<br />
Eberhardt, R. (2016, April 13). <a href="http://www.gwhatchet.com/2016/04/13/former-students-file-class-action-lawsuit-over-quality-of-online-program/" target="_blank">Former students file class action lawsuit over quality of online program</a>. <i>The GW Hatchet</i>.<br />
<br />
U.S. Government Publishing Office (2016, June 27). <a href="http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=45333f1baff1fb4eb6289b4caaf4ed50&mc=true&node=se34.3.600_12&rgn=div8" target="_blank">Electronic code of federal regulations</a>. Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-67182051790698946472016-06-29T13:10:00.002-06:002016-06-29T13:10:59.581-06:00Academic Integrity and Cheating on ExamsJust as technology can be used as a tool for learning, it can also be used by students as a tool for cheating. Cheating appears to be part of life. Just when we figure out how to prevent cheating with one strategy, students come up with a way around it. Once it was sufficient to prohibit students from having their cell phones with them during tests, but now there are wearable technology devices that can be used to cheat (Adkins, 2016). <br />
<br />
<h3>
Do Students Admit to Cheating?</h3>
The Josephson Institute on Ethics surveyed 23,000 American high school and college students about their frequency and perception of cheating. More than half (51%) admitted to cheating on an exam one or more times in the past academic year. Fifty-seven percent of students surveyed agreed with the statement, "In the real world, successful people do what they have to do to win, even if others consider it cheating." For more statistics and information visit <a href="http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/cheating" target="_blank">Cheating in College: The Numbers and Research</a>.<br />
<br />
Students have indicated that they cheat by texting answers to other
students, snapping pictures of an exam using their phone or other mobile
device, using their device to search the internet for answers during an
exam, purchasing term papers and test banks, hiring someone to take
online courses for them, and creating fake test scores or letters or
recommendation for college admission (Best College Reviews, 2016).<br />
<br />
When asked why they cheat, students gave many reasons. Those reasons included peer pressure, to help a friend, the gains outweigh the penalties, academic pressure, low chances of being caught, no honor code or rules stated, low impression of the value of the class and/or tests and assignments, and not enough time to prepare. According to Adkins (2016), as we prepare our students to be competent professionals it is important to instill in them a mindset of integrity. In order to foster this culture of integrity, institutions have begun using services that authenticate learner identity and monitor student performance during exams.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Test Proctoring Perceptions</h3>
Many institutions have implemented test proctoring as a way to reduce cheating. The four most common proctoring modalities reported by faculty in the <a href="https://smarterservices.leadpages.co/2016-sp-report-download/" target="_blank">Annual Proctoring & Learner Authentication Survey</a> are: an approved human proctor; test centers; instructor as proctor; and live-virtual proctoring. The survey found that faculty are most satisfied when they proctor their own exams or use a testing center located on campus. The lowest level of satisfaction came from the use of automated virtual proctoring. Faculty perceived an instructor proctored exam as creating the strongest psychological deterrent to cheating with virtual proctoring having the lowest deterrent.<br />
<br />
Those faculty perceptions are echoed by students in the survey findings. Students reported that it is most difficult to cheat when an exam is proctored by the instructor. Students rated comfort and convenience as much stronger factors in their decision about a proctoring modality than cost. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Tools and Techniques to Prevent Cheating</h3>
Here are some ways that educators can reduce the opportunity to cheat:<br />
<ul>
<li>Ban all electronic devices from the exam room (this would include watches, phones, calculators, and other mobile devices).</li>
<li>Check students hands as they come in for the exam - could be done casually with a handshake.</li>
<li>Use teaching assistants to monitor exam room if instructor is not available.</li>
<li>Randomly check student ID's in order to prevent imposters from filling in for students during an exam (especially if it is being proctored by someone who does not know each student)</li>
<li>Walk around the exam room to prevent students from communicating covertly.</li>
<li>Be alert to physical signals such as coughing and tapping.</li>
<li>Create fresh new tests to avoid the possibility of the answers being available online.</li>
<li>Keep test materials locked up and passwords unique and strong.</li>
<li>Create multiple versions of tests and alternate the distribution of the versions to the students or utilize the randomization feature in the Moodle quiz tool.</li>
<li>Remind students of the academic code of conduct before an exam begins. Having students sign a pledge before a test or exam can reduce cheating. For example, before a student can begin the online exam, they must open a separate quiz with only one question - do they agree to honor the academic code of conduct during the exam?</li>
<li>Use open book tests and have students explain their work on the exam. This approach allows them to use whatever study materials they want, but explaining their reasoning indicates their understanding of the concepts.</li>
<li>Prepare students for learning instead of just test-taking by indicating how the course learning objectives will be met.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
How Can We Foster Academic Integrity?</h3>
<ol>
<li>Stay informed about emerging technologies and their impact on testing integrity.</li>
<li>Talk to students about the code of conduct for academic integrity. It is not enough to just bring it up on the first day of class when discussing the syllabus. According to Adkins (2016), one of the most common excuses that students make when confronted with a testing violation is that "no one told me that doing this was wrong." Make your expectations clear and go over the rules for each exam.</li>
<li> Teach your students about academic integrity. Training should affirm and encourage actions that are honorable and inform students about the actions that are not honorable and the ramifications both professionally and academically. Some faculty members have students sign an integrity statement as an early assignment in their course, and others have students sign one every time they take an online exam as a reminder of the expected behavior.</li>
<li>Be involved in your course. When a faculty member is actively engaged in a course then the student is more likely to feel that cheating is a violation of that relationship. When the human element is removed from an online course, the student may feel that they are not letting the instructor down if they cheat.</li>
<li>Take a multi-modal approach. It is a good practice to provide several modalities of proctoring and not allow students to do all their testing with just one. Be creative with this. It may be easy and time effective to re-use the same test banks over and over but students can easily share and/or purchase this information. Moodle makes it easy to build a large test bank of questions that can be rotated, modified and re-purposed. </li>
</ol>
Additional Resources:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/cheating" target="_blank">Cheating in College: The Numbers and Research</a>. www.bestcollegereviews.org </li>
<li><a href="https://smarterservices.leadpages.co/2016-sp-report-download/" target="_blank">2016 Annual Proctoring Learner Authentication Survey Report</a>. Prepared by Smarter Services </li>
<li>Adkins (2016, June 29). <a href="https://wcetfrontiers.org/2016/06/29/instilling-academic-integrity/" target="_blank">Attacking Exam Cheating and Instilling Academic Integrity in Students</a></li>
</ul>
<br />Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-84190942384089388242016-01-06T14:54:00.001-07:002016-01-06T14:54:20.759-07:00Suggestions for Developing Your Online CourseWhether you are a veteran online course developer or this is your first adventure into the world of online learning, the following suggestions may be helpful in developing a course that is student-friendly.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Provide Extra Detail in Your Online Syllabus</h3>
In most face-to-face classes, the first class meeting is devoted to going over the course syllabus and taking time to emphasize important information and answer questions as they come up from the students. In an online class, the syllabus must be specific enough to cover the details that may have been verbally highlighted in a face-to-face class. This is especially true for procedures and participation policies.<br />
<br />
You can also save time answering questions by creating a discussion forum devoted to common questions about the course itself and encouraging students to use this forum for general course and syllabus related questions. This forum would need to be placed in the top block of the course so that it can be accessed throughout the duration of the course. Give the forum a descriptive name such as the "Question and Answer Room" or "General Course Questions".<br />
<br />
For Moodle users, the Book resource is an excellent tool to use for the course syllabus in an online course. The Book tool allows you to create chapters for each section of the syllabus. Students are then able to click on the specific chapter that would address their questions about the textbook, or the late work policy, etc. without having to open and scroll through a lengthy document to find the information they need. The <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=15kQs54djqYxFVniX4gJrxPv6v0_JmC36_sMFa0FdnvQ" target="_blank">Moodle Book</a> resource also allows students to print specific pages such as the course schedule.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Encourage Community Building Early On in the Course</h3>
Building a feeling of community and interaction is one of the most difficult challenges for the online course developer but it is so important for keeping students engaged and interested in the material. Discussion forums are an essential tool for building community and encouraging engagement with the course materials. However, the discussions should not feel like busy work for the students. The discussion topics should be pulled from material being taught in the course and should be related to the achievement of the course and/or unit objectives. Starting with an Introduction Forum during the first week of class is an excellent way to set the pace for forum participation throughout the course. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Use a Consistent Format for the Course</h3>
Students will look for patterns in the course to guide their actions. Design and use a template for each module/week and remain consistent with that template. For example, you might start each module with a list of module-level objectives, then list the resources available, then the activities. Create labels to identify each section of the module. It is also important for you to be consistent with due dates. For example, establish what day of the week students must post to the forum, when quizzes are due etc. so that students can establish a routine for the course. If you must make a change from the normal format, notify your students via an email or course announcement so that they do not miss new content or deadlines.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Design Content for Online Delivery</h3>
The online environment is largely visual and built on videos and Moodle-based activities such as quizzes, forums, and assignment uploads. Rather than just uploading the PowerPoint that you would have used during your face-to-face lecture, add audio and/or video to your slides. In order to encourage student use and to keep the file size small, break up your lectures into smaller sections of no longer than 15 minutes each. In order for the videos to be accessible to all students they should be captioned. For more information on captioning instructional materials, please contact the ITRC. You can also access the <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/isu.edu/document/d/1pMGWkcI-p0Dc_Fqi-bxahHt5jwdKKcqFa8QFIUlBkn4/pub" target="_blank">Step-by-step guide to Creating Narrated PowerPoint presentations</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
If Someone Can Say it Better Than You, Then Let Them</h3>
<br />
Don't limit yourself and your students to content that you have created. It is not mandatory or necessary for you to develop every bit of your information from scratch - if there is an organization with a professional website that covers the information you are presenting, send your students to that site. Use the web to your advantage by curating content whenever possible. YouTube can also be an excellent source for information - just be sure that any videos you use have been properly captioned. Often the automatically generated captions are not accurate and need to be edited through a service like <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vTMA701Yc-wn_Zs7dsn_ROFzxxBIf-xz7d_bARUpuwc/pub" target="_blank">Amara.org</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Provide Content in Different Formats Whenever Possible</h3>
<br />
Take advantage of the many different tools available electronically to present information. Providing content in different formats will not only keep it interesting for your students but will also facilitate different learning styles and students with disabilities. A few examples:<br />
<ul>
<li>Provide written lecture notes that accompany your PowerPoint presentation.</li>
<li>Direct students to an interactive webpage where they could participate in a self-check activity or quiz. For example: <a href="http://watson.itrc.isu.edu/php/online-learning.html" target="_blank">Are You Ready for Online Learning?</a></li>
<li>Add a link to a YouTube or Khan Academy video that explains the concept you are teaching on. It may be helpful for students to see the material from a different perspective or to have it explained in a different way.</li>
<li>Include a graph or visual representation of the material. Google Images is an excellent resource for these types of materials. Chances are - someone else has already created what you need and shared it on Google.</li>
<li>Share content through a podcast or screen capture with a free tool like <a href="https://www.techsmith.com/jing.html" target="_blank">Jing</a> or <a href="http://screencast-o-matic.com/home" target="_blank">Screencast-o-matic</a>. </li>
</ul>
<h3>
Allow Yourself Plenty of Time for Development</h3>
<br />
All faculty members underestimate how long it will take to develop online content. Try to develop your content during the semester prior to when the course will be going live so that you have time to find the materials you need. Keep in mind that online instruction is a work in progress and you might need to try different tools before you find the one that works best to obtain the learning objective.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Reference: </h4>
<br />
Orlando, J. (2014, March 3). Top 10 Rules for Developing Your First Online Course. Faculty Focus.<a href="http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/top-10-rules-developing-first-online-course/" target="_blank">http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/top-10-rules-developing-first-online-course/</a><br />
<br />Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-57652279061398916882015-12-03T10:02:00.000-07:002015-12-03T10:02:02.015-07:00Designing and Teaching Accessible CoursesLearn how to design and teach courses that are accessible to ALL learners through a free 6-week professional development course. This online MOOC offered by Open SUNY will help you gain a better understanding of accessibility as a civil rights issue and develop the knowledge and skills you need to design learning experiences that promote inclusive learning environments. The <a href="https://www.canvas.net/browse/empirestate/empirestate-buffalostate/courses/accessibility-designing-teaching" target="_blank">Access MOOC</a> begins on February 22, 2016 and ends on April 5, 2016.<br />
<br />
During this 6-week course, you will learn how to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Recognize and address challenges faced by students with disabilities related to access, success, and completion.</li>
<li>Articulate faculty and staff roles in reducing barriers for students with disabilities.</li>
<li>Apply the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in designing accessible learning experiences.</li>
<li>Analyze the benefits of Backward Design when developing learning experiences.</li>
<li>Use Section 508 standards and WCAG 2.0 guidelines to create accessible courses.</li>
<li>Determine which tools and techniques are appropriate based on course content.</li>
</ul>
You will have the opportunity to earn badges that recognize your mastery of these competencies. You will engage in thoughtful discussions, participate in peer review assignments, take short self-check quizzes, watch videos, and explore relevant readings.<br />
<br />
Anyone may enroll and participate in the MOOC. It has been designed for faculty and staff in higher education at any type or level of institution.<br />
<br />
Why are we recommending that you take the Access MOOC? Watch this short video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxmaKKCn1vo&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Accessibility MOOC</a>.<br />
<br />
Follow these steps to register and participate in the MOOC:<br />
<ol>
<li>Register at Canvas Network: <a href="http://bit.ly/AccessMOOC">http://bit.ly/AccessMOOC</a></li>
<li>Share and follow the conversation on Twitter using #AccessMOOC</li>
<li>Follow the Access MOOC Facebook Page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/accessmooc/">https://www.facebook.com/accessmooc/</a></li>
</ol>
The course is a collaborative effort of faculty and staff from SUNY Empire State College and SUNY Buffalo State College, funded by SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grant. Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-560438040209922362015-10-08T15:26:00.002-06:002015-10-08T15:26:36.091-06:00Principles for Good Practice in Education Series: Encourage Active Learning<h2 style="text-align: center;">
</h2>
<br />
Chickering and Gamson (1987) recommended seven practices to improve teaching and learning for undergraduates. Those key principles are based on 50 years of educational research and were compiled in a study supported by the American Association of Higher Education, the Education Commission of States and The Johnson Foundation.<br />
<br />
The Seven Principles are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Encourage active learning</li>
<li>Encourage contact between students and faculty</li>
<li>Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students</li>
<li>Give prompt feedback</li>
<li>Emphasize time on task</li>
<li>Communicate high expectations</li>
<li>Respect diverse talents and ways of learning</li>
</ul>
This post will focus on <b>Encouraging Active Learning</b>.<br />
<br />
Active learning is defined as "students [that are] engaged in more activities than just listening. They are involved in dialog, debate, writing, and problem solving, as well as higher-order thinking, e.g., analysis, synthesis, evaluation" (Bonwell & Eison, 1991). Learning is not a spectator sport. Students need to do more than sit in class listening to a lecture, scrolling through a PowerPoint slideshow, and reading the textbook. They must be given the opportunity to talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. Making the material part of themselves is the best way to learn. <br />
<br />
According to research by Prince (2004), twenty minutes of listening to a lecture is the maximum amount of time that students can process information effectively. <br />
<br />
Some tips to Encourage Active Learning:<br />
<ul>
<li>Provide real-life scenarios to help students apply theoretical concepts</li>
<li>Provide application activities that go beyond the topics and activities provided in the textbook</li>
<li>Ask questions frequently that require participation through discussion groups, polling (Moodle Choice or Feedback tools), learning partners, or games</li>
<li>Encourage students to suggest additional resources that relate to the topic such as YouTube videos and articles</li>
<li>After providing test results, ask students what they will do differently to prepare next time</li>
<li>Provide a variety of options for the completion of tasks and major assignments </li>
</ul>
For some excellent examples of how others are engaging their students in active learning visit these articles:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/how-to-remain-relevant-in-higher-ed-with-active-learning/" target="_blank">How-to Remain Relevant in Higher Ed with 'Active Learning' </a></li>
<li><a href="https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/learning-online-is-not-a-spectator-sport-how-to-make-it-active/" target="_blank">Learning Online is not a Spectator Sport: How to Make it Active </a></li>
</ul>
Educators are more important than ever as experts in our chosen areas, the leaders and the role models for our students. It is up to us to engage our students with relevant and current methods, set the standards high, and develop life-long learners (Online Learning Insights). <br />
<br />
Next in the series: Encouraging Contact Between Students and Faculty <br />
<h4>
Resources:</h4>
Bonwell, C., & Eison, J. (1991) <a href="http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/91-9dig.htm">Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom,</a> ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1<br />
<br />
Chickering, A. W. & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). <a href="http://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/cte/teaching_resources/docs/seven_principles.pdf" target="_blank">Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education</a>. <i>Washington Center News</i>. <br />
<br />
Online Learning Insights. (2012). <a href="https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/how-to-remain-relevant-in-higher-ed-with-active-learning/" target="_blank">How-to remain relevant in higher ed with 'active learning'</a>. <br />
<br />
Prince, M. (2004). <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.167.6544&rep=rep1&type=pdf" target="_blank">Does active learning work? A review of the research</a>. <i>J. Engr. Education. 93</i>(3), 223-231.<br />
<br />
University of South Carolina, Center for Teaching Excellence. <a href="http://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/cte/teaching_resources/goodteaching/principles_good_practice/" target="_blank">Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. </a>Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-60656922423915083782014-12-01T08:00:00.000-07:002014-12-01T08:00:07.494-07:00Effective Quiz Practices in Moodle - Part Three: Tips for Creating Questions<div style="text-align: center;">
This is the 3rd article in a series related to using the Moodle Quiz Tool.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJMoY9WBRj2oYPj0FbbzzQ1xCugd7tVnY8fJh3GCO3G6TfNqwXol6-mCUl9MhzuuqJHnuO8_fTlYPqzlQeiIDf_rIjhMvtKgRzSZThBML43ahl3dtx1WYAidNuCRe41Sn-qtFUGyQif0/s1600/Moodle+logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJMoY9WBRj2oYPj0FbbzzQ1xCugd7tVnY8fJh3GCO3G6TfNqwXol6-mCUl9MhzuuqJHnuO8_fTlYPqzlQeiIDf_rIjhMvtKgRzSZThBML43ahl3dtx1WYAidNuCRe41Sn-qtFUGyQif0/s1600/Moodle+logo.jpg" height="79" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Tips for Creating Effective Quiz Questions</h3>
<br />
Assessments are critical to teaching because they allow instructors to evaluate if students have met the course objectives, and to identify areas in the course where improvements need to be made. The Moodle quiz activity is an essential tool for assessment. This article lists tips for writing effective quiz questions.<br />
<br />
<h4>
General Suggestions</h4>
<ul>
<li>Follow the three-step process for creating quizzes: First, create or upload from a textbook quiz bank all of the questions to the question bank. Second, add the quiz activity to your course with the settings for timing, feedback, randomization of answers, etc. Last, add the questions from the question bank into the quiz you just created. Creating the quizzes in this manner will make it easier to reuse questions in the future.</li>
<li>Make sure your questions align with the level of Bloom's taxonomy set in your course objectives. This will help avoid making questions that are too hard or too easy.</li>
<li>Organize your questions in the question bank into meaningful categories. You might group them by chapter, topic, or learning objective depending on the types of quizzes you give.</li>
<li>Naming questions: Be consistent with your question names so that it will be easier to locate questions later. The question bank organizes questions first by type and then alphabetically. Only you see the question name so be descriptive enough that you can tell what the question is about without having to preview it.</li>
<li>Shuffle the order that answers appear (this is the Moodle default
setting). You may have a tendency to place correct answers in the same
position, but you can allow Moodle to automatically reorder these for
you. You can also enable this in the question behavior setting for the
quiz in the "shuffle within questions" setting.</li>
<li>Moodle allows you to add images into both questions and answers. The trick is to first save the image to your computer and then upload it into your question and/or answer with the text editor tool. </li>
<li>Weight your questions in the Quiz. You don't need to match the total points to the maximum grade of the Quiz - you can let Moodle scale it for you. For example, multiple-choice questions might be weighted as one point, and the weight for matching questions would equal the number of matching items (i.e. 5 items to match, a weight of 5 for the question).</li>
<li>Avoid tricky questions. You don't want to confuse your students. If students are consistently missing a question, then evaluate it and find out why.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Feedback Tips</h4>
<ul>
<li>General feedback: If you are going to use a question for a low-stakes test you might want to provide information on where a student would find the correct answer. When the student reviews the quiz, they will be given this information or if you turn on the option for deferred feedback in the quiz settings, this information will available during the quiz.</li>
<li>Feedback for incorrect responses: If you are entering feedback for incorrect responses, provide specific reasons for why an answer is incorrect.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Matching Questions </h4>
<ul>
<li>Avoid having too many items to match in one question. This can be overwhelming for students when presented with too many items at once in the drop-down answer menu. It can also cause unnecessary scrolling, which can affect usability. A general guideline would be about 4 to 6 matching items per question.</li>
<li>Avoid having long answers within matching questions because that is what is placed into the drop-down answer choice menu. This can make it hard for students to read when trying to match the terms. In Moodle, the correct answer and distracters should go into the Answer area and the matching item should go into the Question area. You might consider reversing the two for readability. For example, if you want students to match terms to their definitions, then it would be best to write the definitions in the Question area and the terms in the Answer area.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Multiple-Choice Questions</h4>
<ul>
<li> For multiple-choice questions with multiple correct answers, make sure that you give distracters negative point values so that students are penalized when selecting an incorrect response. If you do not, then students could select all answers and receive full credit even though they selected an incorrect response.</li>
<li>You can use the multiple-choice question type for fill-in-the-blank questions, but with choices instead of requiring the entry of a short answer (which creates problems for automatic grading). If you decide to create a fill-in-the-blank question, always use a standard number of underscores to indicate the blank so that the length of the line does not give any indication of how long the answer should be. You can also use two fill-in-the-blanks in a sentence, but avoid using a blank at the beginning of the sentence. Instead, have the question stem appear first.</li>
<li>Avoid using the option "All of the above" when using randomization. </li>
<li>Make the length of distracters similar to that of the correct answer. The correct answer is typically longer.</li>
<li>Avoid creating question distracters that are obviously incorrect. Well-written distracters should be plausible - this is one of the most challenging parts of question writing. </li>
</ul>
<h4>
True/False Questions</h4>
<ul>
<li>Avoid using the words "only", "never", and "always" within questions - especially True/False statements. </li>
<li>Avoid using too many True/False questions. Make sure that you are assessing the intended level of learning.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Essay Questions</h4>
<ul>
<li>Remember that essay questions require manual grading. If the answer will require more than a few sentences, you may want to evaluate the question in an Assignment instead using the Online text submission type.</li>
</ul>
<b>Coming next: Effective Quiz Practices in Moodle - Part Four: Reports</b><br />
<br />
This information is from the Moodlerooms.com resources blog: Best Practices: 30 Tips for Creating Quiz Questions which can be viewed at:<a href="http://www.moodlerooms.com/resources/blog/best-practices-30-tips-creating-quiz-questions-0" target="_blank"> http://www.moodlerooms.com/resources/blog/best-practices-30-tips-creating-quiz-questions-0</a>Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-12134608118699895922014-11-17T08:00:00.000-07:002014-11-17T08:00:02.306-07:00Effective Quiz Practices in Moodle - Part Two: Quiz Security and Cheating<div style="text-align: center;">
This is the 2nd article in a series related to using the Moodle Quiz Tool.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJMoY9WBRj2oYPj0FbbzzQ1xCugd7tVnY8fJh3GCO3G6TfNqwXol6-mCUl9MhzuuqJHnuO8_fTlYPqzlQeiIDf_rIjhMvtKgRzSZThBML43ahl3dtx1WYAidNuCRe41Sn-qtFUGyQif0/s1600/Moodle+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJMoY9WBRj2oYPj0FbbzzQ1xCugd7tVnY8fJh3GCO3G6TfNqwXol6-mCUl9MhzuuqJHnuO8_fTlYPqzlQeiIDf_rIjhMvtKgRzSZThBML43ahl3dtx1WYAidNuCRe41Sn-qtFUGyQif0/s1600/Moodle+logo.jpg" height="79" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Quiz Security and Cheating</h3>
Online testing presents opportunities for students to be creative in their attempts to "game the system" when it comes to taking quizzes. Most online quizzes are meant to be taken outside of class and for that reason the instructor has limited control over the students' conduct during a quiz. Students can download the questions and print them out, take pictures of questions with their mobile device and send them to other students, have other students take the test for them, use their notes and textbooks during the quiz, and the list goes on and on!<br />
<br />
The anonymity of the online environment may open up new avenues for cheaters, but it's not really much different than your face-to-face classes. A few people will go to great lengths to cheat, but most students will be honest as long as it's not too easy to get away with cheating. A few creative strategies can be employed to eliminate most of the easy cheats and to make cheating more trouble than it's worth for students. Read on for a few strategies for countering cheating schemes.<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Printing and Sharing Questions</h4>
<ul>
<li>If you have the quiz enabled to display feedback and correct answers, students can print the results page from their web browser or take a picture of it and share it with others. Or students can print the quiz questions directly from the quiz while it is in progress (by using the print feature in the web browser or screen capture). According to Moodle, the key to discouraging this behavior is to randomize the question order and the answer order. This makes printouts a lot less useful because students will have to look through the printout for the corresponding questions and pay attention to what the correct answers are instead of just the letters corresponding to the answers.</li>
<li>Another strategy is to create larger question banks and use subsets of questions and let Moodle randomly choose questions from each subset. With this randomizing it is less likely that students will be delivered the same test and it will discourage them from attempting to share tests.</li>
<li>In the quiz settings, under layout choose to have every question delivered on a new page. When this setting is enabled, the student would have to print a separate page for each quiz question which will use up their time limit on the quiz and also deplete the balance on their student print account.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Using the Textbook During the Quiz</h4>
<ul>
<li>During an unsupervised quiz, students have the opportunity to look up the answers in the textbook or their notes. There are ways to make the textbook and notes less directly useful. Timed quizzes are the single most effective tool for eliminating the temptation to use the textbook. A timed quiz requires students to complete the quiz in a certain amount of time. If you add enough question to the quiz and make the time short enough, students won't have time to look up every answer. Moodle.org recommends about 30 seconds per multiple-choice question.</li>
<li>Designing questions that require students to synthesize and apply information will also discourage them from trying to look up answers. These types of questions require that students understand the material and be able to apply it creatively to answer the question. So while students may still take the time to look at the book, they will need to understand what they have read to successfully answer the question.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Working with Friends</h4>
If your students are on the same campus, they may get together in a lab and try to take the quiz together. Random question order, random answer order, and questions randomly pulled from subsets of the test bank will discourage this behavior. If one student's screen doesn't look like the other person's it is harder for them to quickly compare and answer the questions together. A timed quiz also makes it hard for two people to cheat if they have different questions and only a short amount of time to answer.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Having Someone Else Take the Test</h4>
It is sad to say, but students will sometimes pay their classmates or others who have already taken the course in the past, to take online quizzes for them. There are two ways to counter this cheating strategy:<br />
<ol>
<li>Have an occasional proctored exam where students are required take the test in a lab or testing center and show their student ID in order to take the quiz. In the quiz settings, require a password (in the Extra restrictions on attempts section) so that students cannot enter the quiz without the proctor entering the password into Moodle. If students have not taken other quizzes or done the work until then, they will do poorly on the proctored exam.</li>
<li>To eliminate current classmates from taking each others quizzes, only make them available for a short time. You could require everyone take the test within a 2 or 4 hour block. If the test is properly randomized, it will be very difficult to take it more than once during the open test period. The test taker will worry about their own grade first, then about the other student's grade.</li>
</ol>
<b>Coming next: Effective Quiz Practices in Moodle - Part Three: Tips for Creating Quiz Questions</b><br />
<br />
This information is from the Moodle.org document: Effective Quiz Practices which can be found at: <a href="https://docs.moodle.org/27/en/Effective_quiz_practices">https://docs.moodle.org/27/en/Effective_quiz_practices</a>.<br />
<br />
<ol>
</ol>
Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-26682856748373766722014-11-06T13:30:00.001-07:002014-11-06T15:07:38.701-07:00Effective Quiz Practices in Moodle - Part One: Introduction<div style="text-align: center;">
This article will be the first in a series related to using the Moodle Quiz Tool.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<h3>
Introduction</h3>
The Moodle quiz engine is a powerful and flexible tool for assessing certain types of outcomes in a course. Using this tool effectively can boost the effectiveness of your teaching practices and promote student performance.<br />
<br />
In this article you will learn about computer-scored quizzes and how to incorporate good strategies into their design and use.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Quiz Strategies</h3>
Using the Moodle quiz engine effectively takes some work and practice. The first step is to use question design strategies in order to ask good questions that will result in an assessment of your students' understanding of the material. Below are a couple of tips:<br />
<ul>
<li>Tie each question to a course objective or learning goal.</li>
<li>Try to ask multiple questions about each important idea in the material. This will give you more data points about student understanding.</li>
<li>When writing a multiple-choice question, be sure each wrong answer represents a common misconception. This will help you diagnose student thinking and eliminate easy guessing.</li>
<li>Write questions that require your students to think at different levels. Include some recall questions, some comprehension questions and some application and analysis questions. This will help you to determine where students are having difficulty with the material, for example can they recall the material, but not apply it?</li>
<li>Test your questions. As you develop your question bank and incorporate questions into exams, use the system reports to determine which questions are useful and which aren't.</li>
<li>Once you have a few well-written test banks, be sure to use the quiz reports and statistics to monitor your students' performance. The detailed reports and statistics available to you are valuable tools for assessing student comprehension of the material. (Watch for more on this in a future blog.)</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Creative Quiz Uses</h3>
The Moodle quiz engine makes it easier to utilize educationally sound assessment strategies that may have been more difficult to implement with paper and pencil. Instead of thinking of tests as a high-stakes activity - like a midterm or final, a better strategy is to incorporate frequent, low-stakes assessments so that your students are guided through the material throughout the semester. Creating a series of smaller quizzes gives you a flexible system for gauging performance and keeping students engaged in the class. Below are a few ideas for quick quizzes that you can use as part of a larger assessment strategy.<br />
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<h4>
Chapter Checks</h4>
<ul>
<li>As instructors, we know that reading the assigned materials is critical to the understanding of the course content and crucial to success in class, but getting students motivated to complete the reading can be a challenge. Creating a short test for each reading assignment encourages students to do the reading so that they can score well on the quiz, but it also gives students feedback on how well they understood the material. The instructor is provided with information about what aspects of the reading that students found confusing so that you can focus your class lectures on those topics.</li>
<li>For a reading mini-test, set the time restrictions and only allow students to take the quiz once. Because it is a low-stakes activity and you want students to use it for self-assessment, enable the settings to display the feedback and correct answers once the quiz is closed. If you are concerned about students sharing answers after they have taken the quiz, randomize the question and answer order. If you have a test bank with extra questions, make some of the questions random as well. </li>
<li>As an additional assignment, you could have your students view their test attempt and write down one question they have about a quiz question they missed.</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Test Practice</h4>
<ul>
<li>Many students have anxiety about taking tests - especially high-stakes tests. This is often caused by not knowing what to expect on the test. You can help alleviate some test anxiety by creating a practice test that students can take in order to get used to the format of the test, the types of questions that might be asked, and how detailed the questions will be. These tests are usually based on old questions similar to the current test questions such as last year's final exam.</li>
<li>To set up a practice exam, create a zero point test with questions from the year before in random order with random answers. Allow students to take the test as many times as they would like so that they can test themselves as much as they need. Enable the settings to display feedback but not correct answers so that it presents more of a challenge. In the question feedback, give the students an indication of where they might find the correct answer (page number of book, lecture, etc.)</li>
</ul>
<h4>
Data-Gathering Quiz</h4>
<ul>
<li>A data-gathering quiz is similar to a chapter check, but it takes place after a class meeting or lecture. Your goal is to quickly obtain some feedback on your students' understanding of the material that you presented. This will help you to gauge what concepts your students found difficult and what they may have found so easy that they were bored in class.</li>
<li>Set up the quiz to open for a limited time, such as opening an hour after class meets and closing an hour before the next scheduled class meeting. Allow students to take the quiz once and display feedback and correct answers after the quiz closes. </li>
</ul>
<b>Coming next: Effective Quiz Practices in Moodle - Part Two: Quiz security and cheating </b><br />
<br />
This information is from the Moodle.org document: Effective Quiz Practices which can be found at: <a href="https://docs.moodle.org/27/en/Effective_quiz_practices">https://docs.moodle.org/27/en/Effective_quiz_practices</a>.Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-71921674771598283662014-09-22T07:00:00.000-06:002014-09-22T07:00:04.698-06:00Building Rapport with Students in an Online Course<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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Creating an online community and building rapport with your students is essential to an effective learning environment. The concept of social presence is a psychological sense of being "real" and connection with others via technology. We want our students to feel that we value them as a real person in order for them to be satisfied and successful in our courses. This article provides suggestions for building rapport with our online students.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Introduce yourself to the class by providing the following information:</li>
<ul><ul>
<li>Your teaching philosophy</li>
<li>Teaching experience</li>
<li>Personal information such as interests, travel, etc.</li>
<li>Office hours and location (real or virtual)</li>
<li>Contact information (email, Skype ID, phone number, etc.)</li>
<li>Photograph so students can put a face to the name and/or voice</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Provide an ice-breaker activity during the first week of class in which students can introduce themselves. Your students need a way to get to know you and each other. A good student introduction helps to create a supportive learning environment and a sense of community. Students who are new to online learning may be anxious about this method of delivery and will appreciate the chance to get to know their classmates and settle in to the routine by posting and responding to discussion type activities early on in the course. Ideas for student introductions:</li>
<ul><ul>
<li>Have students find a digital image that represents who they are and upload it to the discussion and explain why it represents them</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Have students write 3 things about themselves - two are true and one is false. The class tries to guess which thing is false.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul><ul>
<li>Post a quote and ask students to comment whether they agree or disagree.
Or require them to find a similar or contradictory quote and post it.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Send a video chat inside an email to each student introducing yourself and welcoming them to the course. <a href="http://corp.eyejot.com/" target="_blank">Eyejot</a>.com is a program for creating video emails that offers a free trial version. <a href="http://goanimate.com/">GoAnimate.com</a> is a program for creating animated messages that can be emailed to students or placed directly into a course (there is a charge for this site).</li>
<li>Model the behavior you want from your students. If you want them to log into the course 4 times a week - you should log in 4 times a week. </li>
<li>Set up a discussion or wiki in which students can ask general questions not related to the subject matter. You can call it the Question & Answer Room, the Watercooler, etc. Give clear directions to the students that this is the location for conversations unrelated to the course materials. Encourage students to answer each others' questions.</li>
<li>Front-load your course with "low stakes" assignments or activities such as a syllabus quiz or introduction forum so that students can get used to the technology.</li>
<li>Think outside the box when grading assignments - use a technology like <a href="http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/" target="_blank">Screencast-O-Matic</a> (a free online screen and audio capturing software) or <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html" target="_blank">Camtasia</a> to record yourself talking as you grade a student's assignment. They will receive visual as well as audio cues and it makes the feedback more personal.</li>
<li>Communicate with your students often through announcements, tweets, emails, etc. so that they know you have a presence in the course and the expectations for participation are clear.</li>
</ul>
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Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-57818783878116146392014-08-26T12:00:00.000-06:002014-08-26T12:00:00.568-06:00Tips for Flipping Your Class<h3>
What does it mean to "Flip Your Class"? </h3>
The flipped classroom inverts traditional teaching methods so that face-to-face class time is used to create, collaborate, discuss and make connections as a result of students being introduced to content and the review of concepts outside of class through online content such as video, game simulations and other forms of content delivery.<br />
<br />
The flipped learning model shifts the classroom from being teacher-centered where the instructor is the sole content expert delivering information to students, to a student-centered approach, where in-class time is meant for exploring the subject in greater depth through the creation of rich, interactive learning experiences (Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight, & Arfstrom). <br />
<br />
"As flipped classroom pioneer <a class="external-link" href="http://jonbergmann.com/about-m/" target="_blank">Jon Bergmann</a> says, '<a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flipped-classroom-learning-upside-down-beth-holland?utm_source=EdTechTeacher+Newsletters+%26+Email+Campaigns&utm_campaign=b91efd7684-November_2013_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_78e7f0eb01-b91efd7684-68796213">The flipped classroom helps teachers break the habit of lecture</a>.'
Flipping provides a mechanism to transition toward deeper learning,
opening up avenues for exploration and experimentation by freeing up
class time. Beyond supporting teachers in their transition from "sage on
the stage" to "guide by their side," what really happens in a flipped
classroom is that the students become empowered learners with a host of
tools to demonstrate their understanding. If we see flipped as an
opportunity to break the habit of lecture, then a whole new set of
learning opportunities begins to emerge" (Holland, 2013).<br />
<br />
Another aspect of the flipped classroom is called "Just-in-Time Teaching" (JiTT) and is a technique for getting students to prepare before coming to class. JiTT uses formative assessment to determine student's understanding of course material so that class time can be planned and/or modified accordingly (Schaffhauser, 2014). For more information on JiTT, read Schaffhauser's article: <a href="http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2014/08/13/2-Great-Techniques-for-the-Flipped-Classroom.aspx?Page=1" target="_blank">2 Great Techniques for the Flipped Classroom</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Research supports flipped learning</h3>
A recent literature review, "A Review of Flipped Learning" which is based on teacher reports, course completion rates, and supported methodology research indicates that flipped learning is more than just a fad for teachers and students--it's improving student achievement in classrooms across the country (Stansbury, 2013). According to the review, active learning has been shown to improve the academic performance of students in the areas of engagement, critical thinking and attitude (Stansbury, 2013). "A Review of Flipped Learning" - includes a review of how the model
serves diverse student populations, the role of technology, and the
research base that the flipped learning model is built upon. It also
provides an analysis of implementations and results in higher education (Stansbury, 2013).<br />
<br />
Evidence indicates that the type of active learning that occurs through the flipped learning environment improves academic performance, increases engagement and critical thinking, and improves the attitude of students (Hamdan, et al.).<br />
<br />
<h3>
Tips to Flip Your Class</h3>
<ol>
<li> It is not an "all or nothing" deal. Instructors do not have to present all of their content online. Holland and Morra (2013) recommend that you start small and build a library of resources for your students, choosing carefully when it is appropriate and reasonable to have your students learn independently. Once you get started, momentum will build and it will be come easier as you locate resources and add them to your teaching material.</li>
<li>Recording Lectures:</li>
<ol>
<li>Smile - even if your face is not on screen, people can hear you smile, your video will have more energy, and your students will hear your passion and excitement for the subject.</li>
<li>If you aren't enjoying the process of creating the video, then your students probably won't enjoy listening to it. Seek out a better or different way to present the material.</li>
<li>Test your video once you have placed it into your course to make sure it will play.</li>
</ol>
<li>Use technology such as mobile devices to allow students to respond and give feedback during class. <a href="http://www.socrative.com/">Socrative.com</a> is a free tool that can be used to turn any mobile device into a personal response system.</li>
<li>Have a plan for how you will use the in-class time with structured activities and objectives. For an explanation of the Flipped Classroom Model, see Gerstein's article, "<a href="http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/the-flipped-classroom-model-a-full-picture/" target="_blank">The Flipped Classroom Model: A Full Picture</a>".</li>
<li>Create opportunities for peer instruction. The instructor might start with a short lecture that introduces or reviews the topic and then let students take turns leading class discussions. This encourages students to read the materials before coming to class and in order to have their topic prepared. </li>
<li>For more great ideas on how to flip your class read Beth Holland's blog, <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flipped-classroom-learning-upside-down-beth-holland" target="_blank"><i>The Flipped Mobile Classroom: Learning "Upside Down"</i></a>. </li>
<ol>
</ol>
</ol>
<br />
<h3>
Resources:</h3>
Flipped Learning Network. A website containing case studies, white papers, resources, events, and support for flipped learning. <a href="http://www.flippedlearning.org/">www.flippedlearning.org</a><br />
<br />
Gerstein, J. (2011, June 13). The flipped classroom model: A full picture. <a href="http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/the-flipped-classroom-model-a-full-picture/">http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/the-flipped-classroom-model-a-full-picture/</a><br />
<br />
Hamdan, N., McKnight, P., McKnight, K., & Arfstrom, K. (2013). <a href="http://flippedlearning.org/cms/lib07/VA01923112/Centricity/Domain/41/LitReview_FlippedLearning.pdf" target="_blank">A review of flipped learning</a>. Flipped Learning Network.<br />
<br />
Holland, B. (2013, October 30). The Flipped Mobile Classroom: Learning "Upside Down". edutopia.org. Retrieved from: <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flipped-classroom-learning-upside-down-beth-holland">http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flipped-classroom-learning-upside-down-beth-holland</a><br />
<br />
Holland, B., & Morra, S. (2013, August 14). <a href="http://www.edudemic.com/flipped-classroom-issues-solutions/" target="_blank">5 Flipped Classroom Issues (And Solutions) For Teachers</a>. Edudemic. (This article focuses on using video lectures to present material outside the classroom. It lists free apps for the iPad that can be used to create videos and other types of lecture materials.)<br />
<br />
Infographic on "<a href="http://www.edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/what-is-a-flipped-classroom.jpg" target="_blank">The Flipped Classroom</a>"<br />
<br />
Schaffhauser, D. (2104, August 13). 2 Great techniques for the flipped classroom. Campus Technology. <a href="http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2014/08/13/2-Great-Techniques-for-the-Flipped-Classroom.aspx?Page=1" target="_blank">http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2014/08/13/2-Great-Techniques-for-the-Flipped-Classroom.aspx?Page=1 </a><br />
<br />
Stansbury, M. (2013, September). Does research support flipped learning? <i>eSchool News, 16</i>(8). p. 6. Retrieved from: <a href="http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/07/30/does-research-support-flipped-learning/" target="_blank">http://www.eSchoolNews.com</a><br />
<br />
Stansbury, M. (2013, October). Creating videos for flipped learning. <i>eSchool News, 16</i>(9). p. 26. Retrieved from: <a href="http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b124b13d?page=36#/b124b13d/36">http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b124b13d?page=36#/b124b13d/36</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/flipping-the-classroom-a-goldmine-of-research-and-resources-to-keep-you-on-your-feet/">http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/flipping-the-classroom-a-goldmine-of-research-and-resources-to-keep-you-on-your-feet/</a><br />
<br />
<br />Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4176617102758434801.post-30134133028328359822014-08-25T07:00:00.000-06:002014-08-25T07:00:01.188-06:00What Should be in your Course Syllabus?<br />
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<a href="http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-it-s-on-the-syllabus.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="irc_mut" src="http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-it-s-on-the-syllabus.png" height="200" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 90px;" width="171" /></a>Every academic course has a syllabus that lists at a minimum the course objectives, schedule, textbook requirements, and how to contact the instructor outside of class. In an online course, a detailed course syllabus serves as an essential tool for the communication of expectations and requirements to the students enrolled in the course. In addition, the course and/or institutional policies with which the student is expected to comply should be clearly stated in the syllabus. Below are a list of suggestions for an effective course syllabus:</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Instructor Information</b></span> - how can students contact you? What are your office hours?</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Textbook Requirements</b></span> - provide a link to the bookstore or a website for renting or purchasing the book. Is the book available as an e-book?</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Course Objectives</b></span> - what will the student learn in this course?</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Communication</b></span> - how should students communicate with you and when will you be available? How should students communicate with each other? When are students required to log into the course to view announcements and updated course information? How long will it take for you to respond to an email message or question posted to a forum?</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Attendance</b></span> - how will this be tracked? How often do students need to log into the course?</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Participation</b></span> - clearly state the time commitment with detailed course pacing, due dates and requirements for participating in activities.</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Technology</b></span> - what skills are necessary to be successful in the course? What is the policy if their computer fails or their Internet goes down? What software will they be required to use outside of the LMS? Who do students contact for technical support with the LMS?</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Policies</b></span> - what is the institution's policy and what is your policy on things such as academic honesty, late work, absences, etc. Provide a link to the institutional student handbook or webpage.</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Student Services</b></span> - provide specific information on how to find student resources for disabilities, counseling, tutoring, etc. Provide phone numbers, locations, and a link to the website for each service.</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>Student Conduct</b></span> - explain to students how you want them to behave in the course and what the consequences are of any unacceptable behavior. Provide information on student netiquette - don't assume that your students know how to communicate properly with technology.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0433.pdf" target="_blank">The Importance of Policies in E-Learning Instruction</a> by Waterhouse and Rogers provides excellent examples of the types of student policies that should be covered in an online course; a student code of conduct contract; and examples of intellectual property rights policies.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: blue;">Need Help Developing Your Syllabus?</span></h4>
The Instructional Technology Resource Center at Idaho State University is available to assist you with utilizing tools within Moodle such as the Book or special blocks to deliver the syllabus information in an effective and efficient manner.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: blue;">Additional Resources for Examples:</span></h4>
<a href="http://online.pasadena.edu/faculty/files/2012/02/Online-Syllabus-Example-CANVAS-New-Login.pdf" target="_blank">Online & Hybrid Course Syllabus Example</a> provided by Pasadena city College<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sbcc.edu/distanceeducation/netiquette.php" target="_blank">Netiquette Guidelines</a> - Santa Barbara City College<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.waldenu.edu/experience/support-services/technology" target="_blank">Technology Support</a> - Walden University<br />
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<br />Lori Austillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15879402482450081973noreply@blogger.com0