Canvas and many other software apps can be used to encourage interaction and build communication spaces. In McKelvey, the two most straightforward approaches are Canvas Discussion Boards and Piazza. Each can accomplish similar goals; however, each also has its own capabilities. Canvas Discussion Boards can create long discussion chains and foster a sense of student […]
Author: jasoncrandall
Online community building: Engaging students
When planning your course, it’s helpful to think about your course content in terms of the content that students can experience and learn outside of class (asynchronous work), and the content for which you really want to be present (synchronous work). From there, you can build out your course map or plan. To visualize this process, […]
Online community building: Icebreakers
A key part of any online learning community is the building of that community. Students must be made to feel welcome in the digital environment. Getting to know both their peers and instructors sets students up for successful interactions later in the course. There are many strategies that can be used, but frequently, relying on fun, light-hearted […]
Course structure: Online office hours
Office hours are an integral part of a traditional face-to-face course, and they serve an important role in providing your students with support in their learning. Office hours take a different form in an online environment. Using scheduled Zoom sessions for synchronous office hours is a recommended approach. A perennial issue with office hours for […]
Course structure: Instructor biographies
When teaching in traditional brick and mortar settings, most instructors open their courses by introducing themselves. Instructors make these introductions in order to give students a sense of who their instructor is as a person. In online courses, face-to-face introductions are rare. To address this problem, Quality Matters standards call for instructors to include Instructor Biographies […]
Course structure: Orientation modules
The first week of any course is critical. Because we are starting Spring 2021 online, building out your Canvas site and using it as a platform to introduce your course to your students is vital. An Orientation Module can help you in this process. An Orientation Module provides students with critical course information. These details […]
Course design: Objectives
Course Objectives describe specific abilities students should have gained by completing a course. Good Course Objectives are specific and measurable; they, too, focus on student ability. When Course Objectives are explicit, students can take agency of their learning. Students can do this by choosing to align their efforts and resources with the Course Objectives. To articulate good Course Objectives, instructors might […]
Virtual Brown Bag (FRIDAY, December 17, 2021): “Promoting review and retention via reflective homework”
Janie Brennan, a Senior Lecturer in EECE, will discuss her experiences implementing “reflective homework”, a technique that is rapidly gaining popularity in engineering education. The reflective homework strategy is an approach to formative assessment that incentivizes understanding and mastery; encourages review and reflection for long-term material retention; and (as a bonus) disincentivizes cheating. What: “Promoting review […]
SP22 Canvas Template Update
In alignment with our school LMS requirements and with some of the best practices we observed during our remote teaching, the Instructional Support team has made a number of changes to the default course template in Canvas. Starting with the Spring 22 course update (occurring on October 5th), the following changes will be present by […]
Recording: Flipping your classroom do’s and don’ts (July 23, 2021)
During this brown bag, Jason Crandall presented general guidelines on why and how to flip a course, while Patty Weisensee gave a detailed look at her journey with flipping Thermodynamics II. She also provided examples of modules, quiz questions, worksheets, and grading practices from her course. The session recording is linked below and the presentation […]
Recording: Canvas Hints and Hacks (July 9, 2021)
This brown bag was an overview of advanced Canvas topics. Bill Siever and Chiamaka Asinugo presented tips on scraping and simplifying various kinds of data out of Canvas, course design, using quiz banks, and useful third party tools. The session recording is linked below. You may need your WUSTL key to view this recording. If […]
Virtual Brown Bag (FRIDAY, July 23rd): Flipping your Classroom: Do’s and Don’ts
The McKelvey Instructional Design Team will be holding a Lunch and Learn session focused on “Flipping your Classroom: Do’s and Don’ts” on Friday (7/23) @ 12:00pm. Jason Crandall will discuss general guidance for flipped classes, and Patty Weisensee will share insights from four semesters of flipping a mechanical engineering course. What: Flipping your Classroom: Do’s and Don’ts Virtual Brown […]
Virtual Brown Bag (FRIDAY, July 9th): Canvas Hints and Hacks
The McKelvey Instructional Design Team will be holding a Lunch and Learn session focused on “Canvas Hints and Hacks” on Friday (7/9) @ 12:00pm. Bill Siever will show how Python scripts can be used with Canvas (e.g., easily updating all due dates for a new semester) and some useful Chrome Extensions, including one developed for grading in […]
Libraries website redesign
From Lauren Todd, Engineering Subject Librarian: The University Libraries will launch a redesigned website on February 18. You can see a preview and learn more details here. The primary goal is to make it easier and more intuitive for our users to connect and find what they need. The updates are based on long-term feedback, and […]
Kaltura Training Webinars
Kaltura has announced a series of masterclasses on how to use video for better educational outcomes (click to register). Please see the below message from Kaltura for details regarding this training opportunity: “This isn’t a “now click this button” technical training – the Kaltura Academic Media & Pedagogy series will focus on the pedagogical underpinnings of […]
Virtual Brown Bag (FRIDAY, December 11): Intermediate Zoom Features
The McKelvey Instructional Design Team will be holding a Lunch and Learn session focused on “Intermediate Zoom Features” this Friday (12/11) @ 12:00pm. Topics to be covered include: Zoom/Canvas integration, co-hosts and alternative hosts, polling, reports, and managing Zoom recordings. This is primarily intended for faculty (or AIs/TAs) who have limited experience managing and hosting Zoom meetings. […]
Virtual Brown Bag (FRIDAY, December 4): Advanced Testing Options
The McKelvey Instructional Design Team will be holding a Lunch and Learn session focused on “Advanced Testing Options” this Friday (12/4) @ 12:00pm. Topics to be covered include: Kaltura vs Canvas Quizzes for video lecture assessment; extended time for accommodations; take home Canvas Quizzes; bonus questions; student-selected questions; and administering multiple exam versions. What: Advanced Testing Options […]
Syllabus statements
This blog post will be pinned to the top of the blog for the first few weeks of the Fall semester. Here you will find suggested syllabus language regarding student resources and policies for this semester. We intend these statements to be easily adapted for inclusion as a section in your existing syllabus, a separate […]
Recording: Assessment Brown Bag (September 3)
Our eighth brown bag was a moderated discussion facilitated by Jay Turner on various topics related to assessment and academic integrity. Patty Weisensee, Emily Boyd, and Jim Feher shared their experiences with take-home tests, Zoom proctored exams, and Respondus Monitor. Jay also shared thoughts from Young-Shin Jin about using oral exams, and fielded questions and […]
Recording: Zoom moderator training (September 8)
Below is the recording of the Zoom moderator training. We addressed various Zoom settings and roles, and also discussed control of the pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras in university pooled classrooms. I’ve also linked to the slide deck for this presentation here. Click here to view Zoom moderator training. UDPATE: If you are trying to use the […]