This guest post is from Dr. Amy Berndtson, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biology. Last semester, when teaching 300 student online in a gate-way biology course, I discovered the power of using Canvas Gradebook to quickly contact my students about missing assignments as well as poor or strong performance on a particular assignment. More… Read more »
Quick Tip of the Week: Help Students Meet Course Deadlines Using Boost
Boost is a mobile app, developed at IU, that sends students just-in-time reminders about Canvas coursework, including upcoming due dates, recent announcements and the same to-do list that students see in Canvas. The app proactively alerts students when they haven’t submitted assignments yet, and students can customize when they receive these reminders. Boost will also… Read more »
Quick Tip: Use Icebreakers for Introductions and More
Wondering how to set a welcoming tone, get to know your students, and engage everyone from the first day of classes? Use icebreakers to reduce the awkwardness of introductions, build an inclusive learning community, and offer students the opportunity to practice participating. The right icebreaker helps students apply course content and enhance their learning. Plus,… Read more »
Quick Tip of the Week: How to Take the Zzzzzs out of Zoom
If you are looking for new ways to teach using Zoom, I recommend reading Dan Levy’s book, Teaching Effectively with Zoom, and its companion site. The book provides brief explanations of Zoom features, along with the how and why of using them. Examples from instructors using Zoom, along with their tips, provide a wealth of… Read more »
Use office hours to set students up for successful completion of this semester
As we approach Thanksgiving we wanted to highlight ways to help students prepare for the upcoming transitions they may be facing. Some students will experience a disruption at Thanksgiving as they move home and/or experience a change in the format of their courses. Consider using your office hours to help your students prepare for successful… Read more »
Quick Tip of the Week: Allow Students to Choose which Zoom Breakout Room to Join
With a recent Zoom update, we can allow students to choose which breakout room they want to join. Instructors could specify topics of discussion for breakout rooms and let students join those based on their interests. Similarly, students could join breakout rooms based on their role in a group project, the type of question they… Read more »