Develop/Build

Specifications Grading: A Method to Improve Student Performance

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Last revised: 02/07/2025 by JP

Overview

Are you looking to increase student motivation and the quality of their academic work? If yes, consider specifications grading.  According to Linda B. Nilson, Ph.D., the traditional higher education grading method is broken and specifications grading offers a solution with benefits for both students and faculty. Nilson published her seminal work, Specifications Grading: Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students and Saving Faculty Time, in 2015.  Since then, faculty have adopted her method, including some at UConn.

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An Overview of VoiceThread

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Last Revised 12/31/24 by SW

Overview

VoiceThread is an interactive, multimedia discussion tool that enables dynamic conversations around multimedia content including images, videos, documents, and presentations. It allows users (instructors & students) to create, share, and comment on content using a variety of formats, including text, audio, and video. Online instructors can leverage VoiceThread to create asynchronous discussions, deliver interactive lectures, or facilitate group projects. Its flexibility supports diverse learning styles and encourages participation, making it an ideal tool for building community in online courses. VoiceThread integrates seamlessly with HuskyCT, ensuring a smooth experience for both instructors and students.

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An Overview of Perusall

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Last revised: 12/6/2023 by TJS

Overview

Perusall is a free “social annotation” tool that helps students engage with course material in class groups. When integrated with HuskyCT, instructors can create reading or viewing assignments in which students create & share their own annotations and respond to each other’s comments & questions. Perusall informs instructors of the concepts that generate the most student questions & discussion, and Perusall can assist instructors score assignments quickly and efficiently. Perusall also reminds students of incomplete assignments, prompting higher rates of completion and preparedness.

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Syllabus Templates

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Last revised on 8/12/2024 by cah

Overview

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) offers syllabus templates that meets the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for online documents and is available for download. This post describes how to access the templates, along with some tips on ensuring the document remains accessible.

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Writing Effective Multiple Choice Questions

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Last Revised 08/30/2024 by bjg

 

Overview

This post provides guidelines for constructing multiple choice assessment questions. While multiple choice questions can be used to measure a number of different learning outcomes, the validity of these assessments is greatly influenced by how well the questions are constructed.  Use this guide to write multiple choice questions for both lower and higher level learning outcomes.

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Request an eCampus HuskyCT Template

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Last revised: 8/03/2020 by DSM

Overview

Using eCampus HuskyCT (Blackboard) templates can help in building and designing your HuskyCT course.  The goal is to provide an organized and student friendly structure, that saves course builders time and allows more focus on good pedagogy and, ultimately, teaching. Continue reading →