Tag: best practices

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Three Quick Tips: Neurodiversity in the Online Classroom

The first week of school is an exciting and chaotic time for teachers. The thought of adding, yet another task to the plate can be overwhelming. Here are three quick and easy ways to make the online classroom more welcoming for neurodiverse learners:

  1. Consistency: Create a format and stick with it throughout the online course. As a bonus, this makes it easier for teachers to stay organized throughout the semester.
  2. Clarity: Imagine a room full of students in front of you. What questions would they ask about an assignment? Answer those questions in your instructions online. It will save you several emails too!
  3. Create Options: Build in variety and student choice in your assignments. By doing so, you allow students to leverage their strengths and show you what they know!
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Writing Learning Objectives: Measurable Outcomes

Learning objectives are the road map to help instructors and educators engage in learning experiences that result in mastery of content. Writing learning objectives can be challenging and feel overwhelming at times. However, by utilizing quantifiable verbs, it is possible to increase the effectiveness of learning objectives and turn objectives into a powerful learning tool.

What is an effective learning objective?

An effective learning objective states a measurable outcome that a learner should be able to achieve as a result of the learning experience.

How is an objective measurable?

Start by utilizing verbs that can be quantified, seen, demonstrated or proven. Verbs such as summarize, analyze, create, or evaluate indicate learning outcomes that have a tangible demonstration of learning. It is evident if a student is able to analyze a text or summarize an article.

Verbs such as feel, believe, or appreciate are harder to objectively measure It is difficult to assess what a student truly feels or believes. A student may write a paper on how they feel about a text, but the paper is a tangible demonstration of an intangible outcome.

Examples of quantifiable and measurable learning outcomes:
Analyze the article to determine the credibility of the author’s arguments. .

Create a short story that utilizes first person point of view.

Explain the process for calculating the mean, mode and median.

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Three Best Practices: Online Education

The start of school is just around the corner for many students. Education and classrooms may look different this year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online education is a viable option for quality learning experiences. Below is a list of three best practices for those who are teaching online this year:

  1. Engagement: Create opportunities for collaboration. Utilize discussion boards, group work and learning technology that allows for students to interact with peers.
  2. Communication: Provide clear expectations and instructions to reduce confusion. Reach out to individual students to check for understanding, clarify misconceptions and provide feedback.
  3. Instructor Presence: Connect with students by posting a welcome video, giving timely feedback and hosting virtual office hours.

What best practices do you use in your online classroom? Join the conversation by leaving a comment.