https://www.chronicle.com/article/7-ways-to-assess-students-online-and-minimize-cheating
- Break up a big high-stakes exam into small weekly tests.
- Start and end each test with an honor statement.
- Ask students to explain their problem-solving process.
- Get to know each student’s writing style in low- or no-stakes tasks.
- Assess learning in online discussion forums.
- Don’t base grades solely on tests.
- Offer students choice in how they demonstrate their knowledge.
As we all work to improve our online teaching, we have the opportunity to rethink practices we’ve relied on for years in our physical classrooms.
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more on cheating in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=cheating
https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinelearningcollective/permalink/598838524080183/
Janine Harrison You could also substitute an ice breaker with an introduction that could be both personal and relate to your subject and require a minimum of two participation posts. If students don’t know one another, they can find commonalities that way.
Jorge Ribeiro I ask them to tell us their superpower(s) & kryptonite noting that they can be anything. Superpowers have been: baking bread, doing push-ups daily, Crystal Quest, etc. Kryptonite: math, writing an essay, spinach
SJ Guo online scavenger hunt
Ed Heaberlin Ask them to discuss
1). The movie they were most disappointed by
2) the movie that they most often recommend
3) their favorite food
4) a food they hate
5) their most embarrassing moment
6) their dream vacation
7) if they could throw a dinner with any five famous people (living, dead, or both)who would it be n why
Diana Anson Using the Discussion Board I have each student introduce themselves to the class. I make the first post introducing myself. I usually include a picture of my dogs. This gives everyone a example of what is expected. Many really good ideas for questions are included already posted here. I also assign points for following the instructions. Points are a great motivation .
Traci Schneider Cull Favorite cartoon.. what superhero power would you have and why? If you could only eat 5 foods forever what would they be… would you rather go without technology for a yr or all sweets and desserts for a year…would you give up your tech for a year or your pet
Britt Rodgers Bugby Have them choose an emoji to represent themselves and explain why…and it can’t be 💩
Sharon Kibbe You can have them select a song that they would “enter a room/party to” and have them play it at the start of their introduction
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more on ice breakers in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=ice+breaker
https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinelearningcollective/permalink/591411374822898/
Hi colleagues, My provost just put out a set of expected guidelines for instructors in online classes that emphasize expectations around discussion forums (I pasted them below). These discussion forum expectations are very narrowly defined. I am needing group-think on references that might help me put together some “best practice” alternatives. If an article or other resource comes to mind, please share!
Online Faculty Expectations
Weekly Required (all weeks)
• Faculty will demonstrate their presence in the class 5 days per week
• Respond to all students’ (who post on-time) primary discussion post if you have 9 or fewer students (1/2 of students if you have 10 or more).
• Faculty with larger courses should take special care to post to different students each week.
• Faculty who provide a weekly zoom lecture need only post on the board two other times (on two different days for a total of two other posts).
• Provide individual feedback (posted in the feedback section of the gradebook) for all discussion grades within a reasonable timeframe for students to complete subsequent assignments.
responses:
Dayna Henry I balk at the admin trying to tell us what to do. At the same time, I am very angry with colleagues who did not actually offer anything in the way of virtual learning when we went online in spring. It’s hard to balance academic freedom with faculty who don’t care to learn/offer a new way of learning (for your institution). I also recognize the admin was not in their F2F courses either and likely the slacking was occurring there too. The problem is the students LOVE these folks for giving them an easy A/pass.
Cathy Curran For years I have said that administrators need to teach at least one each year or every other year. My Dean has been out of the classroom for over 20 years, the Provost for over 25 and the Chancellor has never taught. They have zero clue how to build or implement and online class. They keep making mandates that to those of us who do actually teach seem absurd. We know the “count and classify” nonsense never works but it is the same argument they use for numerical evaluations of teaching effectiveness: it is objective. The decisions they are making do not make instruction better they are all about power and control, they need us to “prove” that we are doing our job and somehow logging into the LMS five days a week does that. Sad really really sad. Well you know some do and other become administrators…
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more on online discussions in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=online+discussions
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/27/862705225/survey-shows-big-remote-learning-gaps-for-low-income-and-special-needs-children
experts in distance learning warned that it can magnify inequities, with the most able and highly advantaged learners humming along while learners who need more support fall far behind.
ParentsTogether, in its survey of 1,500 of its members across the country, discovered big gaps — both by income levels and between families with and without children in special education. The online survey wasn’t a scientifically weighted sample, but it was geographically, racially and socioeconomically diverse.
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more on online education in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=online+education
a tool that will allow students to collaboratively create an “exhibit” at the end of an online class.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinelearningcollective/permalink/579247622705940/
I’m looking for a tool that will allow students to collaboratively create an “exhibit” at the end of an online class. Each student will be responsible for curating a selection of objects (art, photographs, music clips, and text quotes) with short explanations that we’ll put together in an exhibit on our class topic. I’ve thought of various formats—including possibly TimelineJS (I’m a historian)—but I wanted to see if anyone else had experience with this kind of assignment and recommendations of tools. My students have different levels of technology access and literacy, so my priority is simplicity and ease of use. Thank you very much for any suggestions you might have!
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more on virtual tours in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=virtual+tour
SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE INSTRUCTION RESOURCES
https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinelearningcollective/permalink/577177872912915/
open google doc to start crowd-sourcing tools/activities/strategies for interactive synchronous online instruction
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NL5jESubV_kuxrg227LFRdIGOBpwgJvAQkcnYuGpmGA/edit?fbclid=IwAR0Kx7m75wHiKKMai18cAz8gdqaNK3J9wzsIliMDsTrKVVcX7ej6bSTJO4E
from the Higher Ed Learning Collective
https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinelearningcollective/permalink/572361140061255/
My institution is offering to pay for the Quality Matters course “Teaching Online-An Introduction to Online Delivery.” I’m registered for a session this summer. Have any of you taken taken it? What are your thoughts?
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more on online teaching in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=online+teaching
Finding A Balance
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more on online teaching in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=online+teaching