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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Creating & Managing Videos for Teaching and Learning

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Last Revised 06/29/21 by SW

Overview

Videos are gaining ground in online education as a result of their versatility in promoting learning, satisfaction, engagement, and interest (LSEI; Costley & Lange, 2017). With this fast-growing dependence on videos, online educators need to become mindful of what constitutes quality videos and how they are best integrated into online content delivery and interaction. In this article, we will approach the topic as follows:

  1. The discussion begins with the rationale behind video use.
  2. We will move on to a detailed examination of the different types of video formats, in order to help you determine the kinds of videos you may adopt for your course.
  3. We will then focus on the best practices in video use to further prepare you for quality videos.
  4. Our discussion continues with some final tips on recording, production, and sharing.
  5. Then we will look into the common challenges an instructor might encounter when recording, producing, and using videos.
  6. We will land on a self-evaluation tool that can help you evaluate the effectiveness of your videos.

At the end of this article, we also included a list of special topics to help you further explore themes that have been gaining traction around the topic of educational videos.

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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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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 12/5/2023 by kek

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 in two formats. This post describes how to access the templates, along with some tips on ensuring the document remains accessible. Continue reading →

Using Online Proctoring with eCampus and ProctorU – Overview

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Online proctoring with ProctorU is available for courses where students pay the Online Course Fee. ProctorU and their Guardian Secure Proctoring Browser allows students with an adequate internet connection and computer to take live proctored online exams in remote locations (e.g., their place of residence) that are also recorded for incident review by faculty.

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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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