Investing in the time to create a weekly question quiz bank allows Dr. Karim to save time with automatic D2L assessments to show student learning while minimizing academic dishonesty.
Best Practice 9: Combine Core Concept Learning with Customized and Personalized Learning
“This practice requires faculty, as part of their course design process prior to the course, to identify the core concepts, questions, and performance goals for a course. Then during the course, a faculty’s responsibility is to mentor learners through a set of increasingly complex and customized questions, problems, and projects” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 55). – December 31, 1969
By combining random quiz questions with problem-solving expectations, Dr. Karim describes how he assesses students using evidence reflective of their understanding beyond the quantitative D2L quiz questions.
Best Practice 9: Combine Core Concept Learning with Customized and Personalized Learning
“This practice requires faculty, as part of their course design process prior to the course, to identify the core concepts, questions, and performance goals for a course. Then during the course, a faculty’s responsibility is to mentor learners through a set of increasingly complex and customized questions, problems, and projects” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 55). – December 31, 1969
This often-overlooked D2L feature is incredibly useful for Dr. Bennett managing and assessing student submissions.
Best Practice 11: Assess as You Go by Gathering Evidences of Learning
“This practice supports the gathering of evidence of learning throughout the course... distributing assessment throughout a course... gather[ing] evidence of learning throughout the course. This relieves the end‐of‐course stress and burdens” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 58). – December 31, 1969
Updating a “What am I reviewing?” section of D2L lets Dr. Bennett’s students always know the status of the course feedback.
Best Practice 3: Develop a Set of Explicit Workload and Communication Expectations for Your Learners and for Yourself
“Developing and communicating explicit expectations reduces uncertainty and encourages good time and learning management. Post prominently on your course communication spaces” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 48). – December 31, 1969
Dr. Bennett explained her use of checklists to convey expectations and create instructor presence when using discussion boards as evidence of student learning.
Best Practice 10: Plan a Good Closing and Wrap Activity for the Course
“making a list helps us to clear the ‘psychic ram' of our brains so that we feel more relaxed and more in control. Once we have made lists and prepared our schedule, we don’t have to continually remind ourselves of what needs to be done and when” ((Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 57). – December 31, 1969
Students’ repeated use of reflections after exams, paired with Dr. Dutcher’s feedback, helps students learn and demonstrate mastery of the content.
Best Practice 9: Combine Core Concept Learning with Customized and Personalized Learning
“This best practice builds flexibility into learning experiences to meet the needs of individual learners while designing to ensure that all students reach competency in the learning outcomes of a course. This practice means that an instructor is continuously referring to and building in relationships of core concepts…while also focusing on learners as individuals” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 56). – December 31, 1969
Dr. Kirsner establishes social connections and interest through regular use of guest speakers in her synchronous class, who are knowledgeable or even experts about the course topics under discussion.
Best Practice 14: Design Experiences to Help Learners Make Progress on Their Novice‐to‐Expert Journey
“It suggests strategies and approaches that assume the learner wants to develop knowledge, skill, and expertise in a field of inquiry and to do what it takes to help the learners move forward toward that goal” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 60). In particular, learners can become engaged from what “guest experts can bring to a course: customized and authentic application of course content as embodied in a real personality within an authentic career experience” (p. 272). – December 31, 1969
Dr. Hardy describes how Zoom provides improved options for test proctoring that support her students’ learning and accurate assessment of what they know.
Best Practice 9: Combine Core Concept Learning with Customized and Personalized Learning
“This best practice builds flexibility into learning experiences to meet the needs of individual learners while designing to ensure that all students reach competency in the learning outcomes of a course. This practice means that an instructor is continuously referring to and building in relationships of core concepts…while also focusing on learners as individuals” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 56). – December 31, 1969
Ms. Hardy uses Zoom reactions to check-in, gather feedback, and create a safe space for students to learn in her virtual classroom.
Best Practice 5: Use Synchronous and Asynchronous Activities
“Many problem based courses, such as financial, statistical, or engineering courses, use live classroom tools for interactive, real‐time problem‐solving” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 52). – December 31, 1969
Dr. Howard uses a variety of digital tools to engage her students in learning the material asynchronously each week.
Best Practice 8: Think Digital for All Course Content
“Digital resources such as animations and immersive simulations can provide practice in building skills and increase the types of learning outcomes that learners can achieve” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016. p. 54). – December 31, 1969
