Part 3. Back Channels for Informal Communication For many instructors, teaching during the pandemic has meant holding classes in Zoom. The “chat” feature in Zoom provides a way for students to communicate informally with instructors, using text as well as emojis. This “back channel” communication can give instructors immediate feedback on the clarity of course… Read more »
Part 2. Undergraduate Teaching Assistants Many instructors who have taught online for the past year have relied on undergraduate teaching assistants, or UTAs, to help with various aspects of teaching and learning, including supporting students working in breakout rooms, holding virtual office hours, monitoring the chat in synchronous class sessions, and helping students with technology… Read more »
Part 1. Collaborative Tools for Student Interaction When returning to in-person teaching after the pandemic, one feature of online teaching to keep is collaborative online tools such as collaborative documents (e.g., Google docs or slides), discussion boards, and interactive whiteboards such as Jamboards or Miro boards. Students can use these tools to solve problems collaboratively… Read more »
Hypothes.is promotes active reading and social engagement with a text. Essentially, it is a digital overlay on a PDF for students to annotate and discuss a reading. Use it to help students comprehend their reading, prepare for class discussion, think critically about the reading, become better collaborators, and much more. Hypothes.is at IU is integrated… Read more »
Have you heard of “post exam wrappers” or “test reflections?” These are questions that students complete post-exam in which they reflect on how they prepared for the exam and their performance. I recently watched a recorded session from the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) in which Cristen Dutcher (Kennesaw State… Read more »
If you began teaching online in January, you’re now well into the spring semester, and it’s a good time to gather some informal feedback from your students. You might ask your students for feedback about the first few weeks of the course, for example, especially if you transitioned from online to a face-to-face or hybrid… Read more »
