Perhaps not the ‘sexiest’ topic in virtual learning, but arguably one of the most important for student success (Joosten & Custis 2019). Simply put, navigating an online course is different – literally. Compare a student’s first day of all ‘online’ courses with their first day of ‘on ground’. Whether enrolled in Statistics or English; the […]
About this Series This summer over 230 faculty participated in our Summer T.H.R.I.V.E program to support their preparation for a fully virtual semester. The letters in T.H.R.I.V.E. stand for: T – Teaching & TechnologyH – High-Touch & Human CenteredR – Revised & ReenergizedI – Interaction & ImpactV – Variability & VulnerabilityE – Equity, Empathy & […]
Virtually Absent? How to connect with the students who need it? Now that the virtual ‘dust’ is hopefully settling, you’ve made the momentous shift and you are resuming ‘teaching’ in this ‘new normal’. Students are ‘attending class,’ but you may have some new concerns now that facilitation is completely virtual. Here are some questions we’ve […]
This is the final part in a series of blog posts to highlight the work of our Teaching & Learning Innovations team. Each team member was asked to write a post about the work of one of their colleagues. The Real Wonder Woman Hollywood depicts superheroes as larger than life super-humans endowed with special powers […]
At Convocation, President Beck shared how the North Star guided her to safety. I have to admit, in light of recent events, I have felt a bit lost. Classes are suspended. Our hearts are broken. We want the best for our students emotionally and academically. How do we proceed? Wednesday morning, several of our Teaching […]
What scares you? Really terrifies you? For me, it’s criticism. Recently I shared an online course with someone whose work I greatly respect and admire. I moused over the ‘send’ button on the email, and literally paused. More terrifying than any B-Rated slasher flick, were the ‘What if’s’ that flooded my conscious: What if it’s […]
Welcome to my first installment of a monthly series, Wired for Presence. High-touch humanized and connected course facilitation is essential in supporting positive student outcomes (course completion, grades, and student satisfaction) for historically underserved and socioeconomically disadvantaged students (Kaup, 2012; Jaggars & Xu, 2016). However, balancing strong presence with a manageable instructor workload is of […]
HAIL Yes! Last week I had the unique opportunity to be a ‘fly’ on the wall at a gathering of some of the most forward thinking ‘rebels’ I have had the pleasure of meeting. Participating in the event as an ‘outsider’ was akin to waiting on the other side of the velvet ropes at an […]
I have been immersed in online course development for almost a year. My primary role is that of an Instructional Designer for the Collaborative Online Doctorate in Educational Leadership or CODEL, a fully online Ed.D. program facilitated by both Fresno State and CSUCI. I work closely with each faculty member in the planning, design, creation, […]
Remember View-Masters? That was as close as I got to Virtual or Augmented reality as a kid. Have you checked out a View-Master lately? It’s come a long way from cardboard disks. The 2018 model allows viewers to explore the Statue of Liberty or fight crime with the Nija Turtles, all from the comfort of […]
