Center for Teaching Excellence

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Important Reports:

Blue Ribbon Task Force Report, Spring 2024

Teaching resources to support adult learners, Spring 2024

UCC 2.0 tools and resources from Summer Institute

UCC 2.0 Webpage 

Asynchronous Teaching Activities

 

 

Students can…

Produce personal and professional connections 

  • Share video introductions using loom or padlet
  • Incorporate their personal experiences in their assignments

Ask questions

  • Post their questions on discussion board for peers to respond 
  • Develop their own question for an assignment based on their interests/ experience with the topic
  • Use a customized AI bot or Blackboard AI bot to foster socratic inquiry
  • The Question Game: Learners must read the textbook and have access to a course discussion forum. For each textbook chapter, the instructor creates a thread within the forum that asks an “initial question” that starts the game. Learners are encouraged to check the forum before reading the chapter. This way, they know what question to answer. If, as they read, they find the answer, then they’re encouraged to post the answer, specific source, and a new question. The next “participant” in the game should look to answer the newly written question instead of the “initial” question. As each person participates, they should look to answer the newest question in the forum.

Talk with peers

  • Collaborate with smaller discussion groups where each has a predetermined role
  • Answer each other’s authentic questions
  • Use student-only discussion boards to discuss assignments
  • Asynchronous Scrabble Using google slides with unlimited letters

Chunk information

  • Use outlines or graphic organizers to thematically organize material
  • Answers specific questions by video segment (Yuja)
  • Offer alternatives for learners to engage with materials
  • Discussion Board Response Randomizer: Before responding to the question, use the randomizer to designate a role, audience, format and topic
  • Games: https://jeopardylabs.com and https://www.flippity.net/

Hone higher order thinking skills

  • Engage in simulations/ case study analysis 
  • Debate with peers
  • Create a visual/poster, share a podcast audio clip, song or poem
  • Virtual Escape Rooms StudentAffairs.Com Escape Room Quest  

General Teaching Resources

Cult of Pedagogy podcast is a blog site run by Jennifer Gonzalez and her team offering various teaching tips through blog, video, and podcast.

International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI)
International Center for Academic Integrity website has a wealth of information and resources about academic integrity. This page for example lists ten ways to improve academic integrity.

Creating Interactive Engagement During Online Classes

"How to Make Breakout Rooms Work Better" (December 10, 2020. The Chronicle of Higher Ed.)

Beth Mcmurtrie, senior writer at the Chronicles summarizes faculty readers’ tips for making breakout rooms less awkward and more productive.

"How to Make Your Teaching More Engaging" (by Sara Rose Cavanagh, The Chronicle of Higher Ed. March 11, 2019)

This Chronicle’s article provides an understanding of some of the principles helpful to increase interests, energy, and enthusiasm among students.

"How to Hold a Better Class Discussion" (May 23, 2019. The Chronicle of Higher Ed.)

Jay Howard covers topics such as strategies to change the norms of class discussions, keeping the discussion on track, participation grades, and handling divisive topics. This is written in-person classroom settings in mind, but some tips could be used for online classes.

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