Inspire Blog Category: Tips & Tricks

Reflection Assignments in Math Courses

(image from pxfuel.com) Reflection assignments as an active learning strategy are commonly seen in humanities courses. The purpose of this writing is to share an example of how simple reflection activities can make a huge impact in two math courses. MTH 251 Differential Calculus covers five units, with one exam for each unit, counting 14% of the final grade. Before students attempt to take the unit exam, they are assigned to read textbook readings, watch instructor-created lecture videos, work on Canvas-based homework assignment and Adaptive Learning based practice assignments in Knewton Lab online platform. After assignment due date expires, students are assigned to complete a weekly written homework reflection. The weekly homework and the weekly homework reflection together count for … Reflection Assignments in Math Courses
by · June 14, 2021

Boost Your Student Engagement with Qualtrics: An Overview

Instructors and course designers often use quizzes or forms for assessment, retrieval practice, self-checks, or collecting information from students. Did you know that Qualtrics surveys can take your interaction game to an even higher level of sophistication? Qualtrics surveys can easily be linked to or embedded in a page in your Learning Management System. They can also be added as an assignment through the LTI integration. The LTI integration has recently become an available feature for Oregon State University Canvas users. The integration links the survey to the student’s LMS account and is useful for awarding points automatically for completing the survey. In addition, several types of questions can be scored; thus, a survey can be used as a quiz … Boost Your Student Engagement with Qualtrics: An Overview
by · June 7, 2021

Don’t Forget the Beret: Getting Ready for a Virtual Trip

People spend more time in virtual worlds than ever before. And educators are leveraging these popular forms of recorded and interactive escapism to increase student engagement. Recently academic departments have begun to experiment with the use of virtual reality (VR) headsets, which have become much easier to use and far less expensive. Headsets can make people feel like they have traveled to a new place, so they are an intriguing new tool for learning. They can create an experience that differs significantly from using a computer to work or play in an online environment. When using a computer to visit an online world, your sense of immersion is affected by many factors, including the quality of video and audio, the … Don’t Forget the Beret: Getting Ready for a Virtual Trip
by · April 19, 2021

Improving Group Work in Asynchronous Courses

chart of five phases of engagement: connect, communicate, collaborate, co-facilitate, and continue

 Why Group Work Is Important  Love it or hate it, group work is an important part of education. Learning to work cooperatively with diverse people is a core 21st century skill, one which employers increasingly value and expect new workers to have mastered. Experience gathered from group work in educational settings directly transfers to and prepares students for successful collaboration in work teams. By collaborating in teams, students learn a wide range of discrete as well as soft skills that make group work worth the effort, including those below. Technology skills Social skills Self-awareness Empathy Coping with stress Creating work plans and schedules Forecasting needs and hurdles Time management & meeting deadlines Working with difficult personalities Managing & navigating unmet … Improving Group Work in Asynchronous Courses
by · March 8, 2021

Tips for Evaluating Textbooks for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Evaluating Textbooks When selecting a textbook, there are a number of factors to evaluate. In addition to assessing the textbook for appropriate content, one category that I recommend looking at is how inclusive the textbook is. Here are a few guiding questions to ask when evaluating textbooks for inclusion: What is the cost of this textbook? Have you looked for open (free) textbooks, perhaps from the Open Textbook Library or considered writing or adapting your own? Affordability is inclusive. Do the textbook images of people represent diverse cultural heritage and lived experiences? Are the contributions to the field that are highlighted in the textbook from a diverse range of scholars in the field? If not, is there discussion about why … Tips for Evaluating Textbooks for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
by · February 22, 2021