Plan/Prepare

Key Takeaways from the CETL Online Student Preferences Survey

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Last revised: 04/25/2024 by cah

Overview:

In late 2022, eCampus launched a survey to determine student preferences as related to online courses. The survey went out to all students who completed an eCampus online course, which includes both undergraduate (68%) and graduate (32%) students. The survey was sent to 7300 students and 665 responded (9%).

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Deciding on Your Instructional Materials

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Last revised: 6/14/2022 by ess

Overview:

This article provides instructional material alternatives, with examples, for use in online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses.  Three options will be considered. Should you "make", "buy" or look for "free" materials that support your learning objectives?

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Specifications Grading: A Method to Improve Student Performance

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Last revised: 10/07/2021 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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Authentication of Students in Online Courses

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Last Revised 02/05/2024 by SW

Overview

The purpose of this article is to guide the University community as faculty seek methods of verifying student identity in distance learning and online courses.  These guidelines were designed to meet NECHE accreditation standard 4.48 and Federal requirements under Sec.  602.17(g)of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Additionally, these guidelines are designed to meet Department of Homeland Security requirements for International Students in online and remote learning environments.
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Promoting Student Engagement in Your Online/DL Course

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Overview

The concept of student engagement has become somewhat an enigma as educators move to the online and distance learning (DL) realm. Many instructors find it challenging to maintain a similar level of engagement as their face-to-face classrooms. This article explores the various aspects of online student engagement that aims at delivering a clearer operational definition of engagement together with teaching tips for online/DL instructors.

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Collaborative (Group) Learning, Example Uses and Supporting Technologies

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Last revised: 05/12/2021 by JP

Overview

Collaborative learning, also known as group learning, is an opportunity for students to develop higher-order cognitive skills; promote connection and community; innovate; and engage with different perspectives. There are a handful of UConn supported technologies that enable student collaboration in online courses. Beyond those, there are many applications that faculty can use for free or purchase a single-use educational license and integrate with their HuskyCT site via Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI). This article shares examples of both.

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Alternatives for Online Discussions

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Last revised: 10/13/2020 by dtm.

Overview

When designing an online course, it is important to encourage students to connect with peers to discuss content and concepts.  According to the Quality Matters Standards for Online and Blended Courses, learning activities must provide opportunities for interaction that support active learning. (QM 5.2).  This article will review some alternatives to traditional text-based asynchronous discussion forums in online courses.

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