Almost two years into the pandemic, most of us are experts at being in a Zoom presentation. However, if you’re like me, maybe you still get caught off guard when you’re suddenly asked to participate. (What! I’m not ready to participate – I’m refilling my coffee!) Our students can similarly be caught off guard when… Read more »
Quick Tip
Quick Tip: Wondering what questions to ask on your mid-semester feedback?
As we approach the middle of the semester, you probably have a good sense of how your students are performing in class. But do you have a sense of how they are feeling about your course? Do you wonder what suggestions they might have that would improve their learning? Now is a good time to… Read more »
Quick Tip: Changing Skin Tones in Zoom Emojis
Nonverbal feedback in Zoom meetings can be a quick and easy way to gauge the meeting. You can ask your students to show their understanding with a quick “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” Have you noticed that you could make your Zoom more personal by changing your Zoom reactions’ skin tone? This might help you… Read more »
Quick Tip: Chat Tools for Backchannels in Class
In our use of Zoom over the past year, many of us got used to the “backchannel” conversations that happen in the chat tool. Those chats could be students asking questions, someone providing a useful resource, or just fun asides. Even when you are teaching in-person, backchannel chats can be useful ways to let students… Read more »
Quick Tip: Message Students in Canvas Who Have Missed Assignments
It is important to help students settle into the rhythm of the semester. One way to do this is to nudge those who have missed assignments. You can easily contact students in Canvas who have missed a specific assignment using the Message Students Who function. This Canvas Guide explains how to quickly send these messages… Read more »
Quick Tip: Zoom Backgrounds as Icebreakers
If you’ll be teaching an online synchronous class this summer, think about how you could use your Zoom background as an icebreaker and way to build community. For example, you could set your background to a photo related to your research or to the class. Then you can start the class chatting with students about… Read more »