TLC 2012 Newsletters by Christa Crawford

Cedar Valley College

January 2012 Volume 67

Teaching Learning Center The First Day of Class Tim Xeriland led a roundtable discussion in the TLC recently covering the most important day of the semester, the first day of class. The first class day sets the tone for the whole course and dramatically impacts student perceptions of you as their professor. Take a look at the following and try to choose your top three. Then take it a step further and select the one role which stands out as dominate, the one you would prefer to fill, and the one you would like to convey to your students. Think carefully, this will set the tone for the entire semester. The Expert - The person who knows everything there is to know about their subject matter. The Authority - The person who lays down the law, instructing exactly what is expected and when.

Quick Tips for Improving Your eCampus Site:

The Socializing Agent - The person who provides students with the skills and habits necessary for success in a course.

Add a simple banner

The Facilitator - The person who contributes structure and process helping student achieve their potential.

Remove any unnecessary buttons

The Role Model - The person students are able to look up to as an ideal.

Make sure all links work properly

The Person - The person students see as an individual, someone who is approachable. Give some thought to what you would like to cover the first day, it impacts perception. If you choose to cover the syllabus, think about alternative ways to present the material. Simply standing in front of the class and reading the syllabus may not be the best choice. Try to add a little interest. Think about including some interactive elements to the process. Dr. Desai pairs his students up and sends them on a syllabus scavenger hunt. While in pairs they are to go over the syllabus together looking for specifics like the drop date, date of the first test, etc. Then students will be quizzed over the material providing them with the opportunity to make an easy 100% right from the start. Studies have shown an improvement in test scores when exams begin with an easier question and get more difficult as they progress. The same is true for a course, beginning the semester with an easy first quiz or assignment can help students start off on the right foot.

Make sure it takes no more than 3 clicks to get where you need to go Avoid using dates when possible, fewer revisions will be necessary each semester Make sure it is clear where students should begin Stop by the TLC for more tips and let us show you how to incorporate Articulate into your site!

Tim’s Tips for Productivity To-do lists: Many of us use a to-do list but end up with several things that we never get around to crossing off the list. Tim suggests the list be categorized by importance. If you have some tasks which are very large it’s a good idea to break those items down into smaller steps so you won’t continue to put them off. Park on a slope: Before you leave for the day organize your workstation so you will be able to ‘hit the ground running’ first thing in the morning. Studies show we are most productive in the morning so if you are able to jump right in when you arrive at your desk you will be able to mark more off your to-do list. Focus on short bursts: Most people are able to concentrate for no more than 50 minutes at a time. Figure out how long you are capable of focusing your attention and work for that period of time then take a break. Tim suggests increasing this amount of time gradually over time and working up to 50 minutes or more if you are unable to focus for longer than a few minutes.

“We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.” ~Ben Sweetland CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

Characteristics of Effective Teachers from the Students’ Perspective

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 7:30-4:30 F 8:30 - 12:00 & 1:00 - 4:30 Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG!

Researchers from the Memorial University of Newfoundland presented a study on Students’ Perceptions of Effective Teaching in Higher Education at Wisconsin’s 29th Annual Distance Teaching and Learning Conference. The question presented to students by researchers was this: What characteristics are essential for effective teaching from the student perspective? Researchers isolated the top nine characteristics for online and face-to-face students. The same top nine characteristics appeared for both online and face-to-face, with only the bolded characteristics changing.

ONINE

FACE-TO-FACE

1. Respectful

2. Responsive

2. Knowledgeable

3. Knowledgeable

3. Approachable

4. Approachable

4. Engaging

5. Communicative

6. Organized

7. Engaging

7. Responsive

8. Professional

9. Humorous

teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com Smyth, Ellen. "What Students Want: Characteristics of Effective Teachers from the Students’ Perspective - Faculty Focus | Faculty Focus." Effective Teaching Strategies for the College Classroom | Faculty Focus. 18 Apr. 2011. Web.

Cedar Valley College

February 2012 Volume 68

Teaching Learning Center Effective Responses to Student Discussion Postings Everyone in the class can read your postings. Each time we respond to a student posting we are also posting to the whole class—and your words will remain “alive” for the entirety of the course. Always have your postings reflect a professional and dedicated instructor, be certain any facts and course information are in sync with what is included in the course (including textbook and other class resources), and use your postings to reinforce important course lessons and to motivate students. Be a model of what you require of students in their postings. You no doubt require that the majority of student postings be substantive in nature, and thus so should yours. Never berate a student/the class or write in a negative tone. If additional information of a more specific nature is needed in response to a student posting, offer a general response in the discussion and send a private email or posting to the student. Always be upbeat. Students look to you for guidance, and the discussion is where you are most visible; it is there that you can have the greatest impact on the students. Don’t be afraid to let personality and humor enter your responses. Because we are using written words, not spoken ones, the facial expressions, tone, and gestures that make our spoken words take on defined meanings are missing in the online classroom. Certainly, punctuation serves this function to some extent—but injecting large doses of an upbeat personality and some occasional humor helps engage the class, creates a stronger student-instructor rapport, and helps students stay more involved in the discussion. Always include the whole class. As most people in the class, if not everyone, will be reading your response to a student posting, be sure you include the entire class. This might be done in several ways, but here are two: “Cathy—and everyone in the class—the example mentioned of …” or “Class, what Cathy pointed out in this posting reminds us…” Each of these gives recognition to the student’s posting—crucial in letting the students know that you read each post, and to establishing a stronger individual student-instructor rapport. This also lets the class know that your response to the student is not limited to the student but is information for all. Use examples or experiences from your life in responding. Students enjoy peeking into the lives of their instructors. Offering bits and pieces of your life outside of class will certainly make you more approachable—but be sure you use your life experiences and situations for the benefit of underscoring, highlighting, and reinforcing lessons of the course. Cont’d on page 2... Excerpted From Faculty Focus.com “Creating Effective Responses to Student Discussion Postings” Errol Craig Sull, June 2, 2011.

WHY USE THE TEACHING ANALYSIS POLE?:

The Teaching Analysis Pole (TAP) offers feedback from students.

Quickly obtain an analysis of your teaching.

Discover how students are responding to your teaching.

The TLC staff will come to your class and pole your students directly.

Fastest, easiest way to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.

It only takes about 10-15 minutes!

For more information please visit the TLC Blog or contact the TLC directly for information or to set up an appointment for a TAP.

...Cont’d from Page 1

Use your responses as opportunities to further involvement in class discussion. Some of your responses may simply be statements, and that’s fine—but remember that statements by an instructor in a discussion have a 50-50 shot of getting students to respond to them; you are hoping that the subject and tone of your post will encourage students to respond—which makes for the ideal discussion. However, if you end your responses with a question to the class, this almost ensures student responses to your posting: many students will want to show their involvement (partially to receive a good discussion grade), and it is human nature to respond to a question. Create a bank of the best responses that you post for reuse in future classes. As you respond to student discussion postings you will find that some of your substantive responses are really good—so good you’d like to use them for another class! There is nothing wrong with this— create an online folder labeled “Responses for Student Discussions, Class XXX, Week YYY,” deposit your selected responses there, and then use them when appropriate for future classes.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” ~Helen Keller CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

Best Practices: Tips and Strategies for Deploying an eCampus Test Tacia Dillard

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

1. Make certain you have a back-up testing method (just in case eCampus is not available). 2. Choose any day, besides Sunday, as the final day students can take and/or submit test answers. eCampus is NOT available between the hours of 3-6 am each day. The system performs maintenance during these hours. 3. Smaller is better – keep images small on tests. The larger they are, the longer it takes to load. (remember the clock begins once the test is accessed NOT when students begin). 4. Auto submit must be on to allow students to access a test to complete it if the are logged off the system for any reason. 5. One hour is the maximum length students should be allotted to complete a test. If you absolutely must have more than one hour for any assessment; divide the test into sections with a maximum one hour each to complete. eCampus has a 3 hour (180 minutes) maximum for anyone to be logged on to system. Anyone still on system after reaching time limit will automatically logged off. 6. Make sure students are informed test answers are automatically saved. STUDENTS DO NOT USE THE SAVE BUTTON TO RECORD ANSWERS. 7. Inform students multiple choice answers are often unrecorded if the scroll bar is used to proceed to the next question. It is in the student’s best interest to use either the tab or page down key to advance to next question. 8. DO NOT open the test in a new window/browser – doing so often causes network errors.

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

It is very important to stick with the same browser until test is completed and submitted. Students may access Best Practices: Tips and Strategies for Test Taking by going to the following link: http://ecampus.support.dcccd.edu/v91/studenttutorials/testTips/testTipsStudents.pdf

Cedar Valley College

March 2012 Volume 69

Teaching Learning Center Another Successful Vanguard Online We are pleased to announce another successful run of Vanguard Online. Participants completed a week’s worth of eye-opening, thought-provoking, course work aimed at making them better, brighter and more engaging online instructors. Vanguard participant Marilyn Lancaster has enrolled in Vanguard multiple times. She says, “Vanguard helps me learn more about Blackboard. It helps me get around and know what I can do and what’s possible. It gives me more confidence to know what I’m doing. It also helps me in my regular classes to know how to enhance a class. Tim is very patient and professional; you rarely find those two qualities together.” As an adjunct, Marilyn teaches on other campuses which required her to complete training to teach online. “I showed my certificate at another school where I am an adjunct and they accepted it in lieu of training” says, Lancaster. She found Vanguard to be a real time saver in this regard. “Tim emphasizes image – when you don’t see the students face-to-face it is important. He gives you ways to create a sense of self, an image, and your own personality” says Lancaster. Ms. Lancaster continues to say, “I’ve used many more images in all my classes since enrolling in Vanguard Online. The images seem to help people focus and to understand the subject matter easier. I would’ve never done this if I hadn’t been a part of Vanguard.” Vanguard helps participants to see what’s possible and how to achieve it. Day One on the discussion board provided participants with the opportunity to discuss the value of active communication. Marilyn expressed her thoughts regarding social media; “Teachers show they are clearly afraid of Wikipedia, Facebook, and particularly Twitter. Instructors find these communication devices to be no more than money-making gimmicks that lure students away from proper MLA communication formatting. Intellectually, if not emotionally, I disagree with the notion that social media are gimmicks. When I communicate with my students on Facebook and Twitter, I find students to be responsive and detailed in their answers. I refer you to my Facebook page Marilyn Lancaster's English class (created in Vanguard²) for what I call examples of responsive texts…” Ms. Lancaster continues to say, “Social media outlets provide for an informal, conversational format that allows students to take a chance with their answers. Students can be and often are analytical when they are given a friendly format. Social media, which may soon include Blackboard, provides that informal format. Students state their position on a topic, and if the topic is relevant they have responses to their fellow students that are informative and frequently fascinating.” Tim makes online instruction more accessible and much less overwhelming. He provides a multitude of innovative ideas for the use of media in an online course and makes using the tools much less intimidating. Now that another session of Vanguard Online has come to a close, we look forward to welcoming all certificate holders to participate in Vanguard², an extension of Vanguard online which allows participants to further explore the use of technology in the classroom. For more information and a closer look into the Vanguard discussion board, visit the TLC blog: http://teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com/

WHY VANGUARD? Vanguard Online equips you with all the best information preparing you to catch the student’s attention, keep them interested, and help them be successful too. 

How to break the ice



How to keep students engaged in the online classroom



How to promote active communication



How to incorporate new technology into your eCampus site



How to create assignments that reach all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy



How to use social media in the classroom

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

“I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” ~Christopher Reeve CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

EXPLORING GOOGLE

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

With life getting busier all the time, anything we can find to make things easier is welcome. The folks at Google seem to be constantly coming up with new, exciting, and FREE things to do just that. One account connects you to all Google has to offer. No need to remember dozens of usernames and passwords! If you haven’t had a chance to check out Google’s offerings, it’s worth it to take a look.

PRODUCT

DESCRIPTION

Google Docs

Create and share your online documents, presentations, surveys, and spreadsheets

Google Calendar

Organize your schedule, share events with friends and receive reminders for upcoming events

Google Books

Search for thousands of free full-text books

Reader

Get all your blogs and news feeds in one place, fast

Blogger

Share your life online with a blog

Google +

Social media - Real-life sharing, rethought for the web

Cedar Valley College

April 2012 Volume 70

Teaching Learning Center Successfully Teaching Online Groups The book, “147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups” offers excellent advice when considering adapting a course to be taught online. Before you begin to organize an online course, consider and clarify your own philosophy and assumptions about teaching and learning. Consider also the organizational framework from which you will develop and offer your course, the people you’ll work with to develop the course, and the nature of the online environment that you want to create. Here is a list of some things to consider as you decide to develop your course online: Know Yourself: By understanding your own perspectives and abilities, you’ll be able to better assist and contribute to the learning of others. Determine your Philosophy of Teaching and Learning: Teacher-Centered – You organize the course, the content and the learning activities without a great deal of input from or negotiation with the learners. Learner-Centered – You structure the course to enable learners to share in the process of selecting and developing content. Learning Community-Centered – Intentionally created environments that recognize and emphasize the social aspects of learning. Technology-Driven – The technology you select dictates many of the decisions you make about the way you establish the course environment and the approach you take to deliver course content.

TOP 10 WAYS TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE STUDENT



Develop good time management skills.



Be aware of deadlines – print out a copy of the course calendar and keep it handy. Take the course just as seriously as a face-to-face class.



Respond to e-mails and discussion board posts promptly.



Be sure to give the instructor a valid email address that you check frequently.



If assignments are unclear always ask for clarification.



Resolve problems quickly e.g., if you are unable to log-in contact your instructor immediately.



Actively participate in discussions on the discussion board, it is often a requirement.



Turn your work in by the deadline.

Learn New Skills: Make certain you understand the characteristics of the technology involved with online teaching. Spaces for Work, Interaction, & Socializing: Create places for different types of interaction. For example, small groups in one space, individual assignments in another, a place for large group forums, and a casual chat area for social interaction. Team-Based Learning: Is an excellent strategy, it presents rich opportunities for creating teams for problem solving, project development, and discussion. Clarify Expectations: Expect learners to b present online and to avoid passively observing. Self Motivated and Self Directed: Online learning emphasizes learner responsibility even in courses that are largely teacher centered. Learners must be able to set a schedule and stick to it; organize their time effectively to incorporate their readings and online discussions into their normal schedules; and complete assignments within the suggested timeframe set for the course. Establish a Contingency Plan: Have an alternative way for students to reach you. Whenever you’re working with technology, you can never guarantee that it will do what you want it to do. Also be sure to test the technology often and back up your files. Adapted from: “147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups” Donald E. Hanna, Michelle Glowacki-Dudka, & Simone Conceição-Runlee

DISCUSSION BOARD TEAMS It can be difficult to get students involved and talking in an online course. It can be extremely helpful, depending on the size of the class, to divide the students into groups or teams. Simply break the students up into teams of five or so members and title each team with a different name e.g., a color or random name like tigers, cats, eagles, etc. Once the teams are created explain that each student should refer to the chart provided to find his/her team and post to the discussion board accordingly. Create the team headings on the discussion board ahead of time so students will be able to clearly see the area in which they should post. As the instructor, you will be able to pose questions to each team and allow them to respond within their group. This makes the discussion board much less overwhelming to the students and to you as the teacher. Students may interact with other groups but are only required to actively participate with their own team members.

“Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three.” ~Confucius CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

ASYNCHRONOUS DISCUSSION TIPS Be explicit and optimistic about expectations for course participation. Tell students upfront how many times they are expected to log in each week and that their attendance is being monitored. This helps to “create a little momentum, get(s) them in the habit of coming to the course. If they’re more active in the course, I’ve found that they tend to become a little bit more motivated,” suggests Alejandro. Encourage students to talk to one another and question each other. Have students post a message and respond to others. Alejandro suggests, “students who get to know one another tend to want to take subsequent online courses together, which can improve motivation as well. Positive interactions among students can help motivate students who are not as comfortable in the online environment because they feel that they can rely on the faculty member and classmates.” Build in accountability “by assigning students on a rotating basis to summarize the weekly discussions,” suggests Dennis. Link discussion topics to learning outcomes. Keep a bank of questions, refer back to your learning objectives and try to match questions to them. Look to the assigned reading when you have trouble coming up with good questions. “That’s much better in the long run than putting up questions that you know at the time are kind of so-so,” Dennis said. Once students post a couple of things, she monitors the discussion to determine how to improve it and keep it lively. Have students contribute discussion questions. Divide assignments into sections and encourage students to contribute their own questions which will be asked for the given week, suggests Alejandro. This gives students the chance to ask questions which are relevant to them.

http://www.facultyfocus.com/ Rob Kelly Asynchronous Learning and Trends Kay Dennis and Jeffery Alejandro “Tips from the Pros – Maintaining Motivation in Online Discussions”

Cedar Valley College

May 2012 Volume 71

Teaching Learning Center Personality Matters When Teaching Online Taken from: Errol Craig Sull in Faculty Focus

The following are suggestions for conveying a positive, supportive, and enthusiastic personality online. Establish a friendly and inviting personality on day one of class. You have only one chance to make a first impression, and in the online classroom this is especially true—and important—as your personality on day one can be examined, experienced, and revisited throughout the course. Thus, any postings on day one that speak of you must convey that you care about the class, the students, and the subject, and that you are looking forward to the course and are eager to help your students. Never confuse personality with teaching strategy. One can have the right—the best— teaching strategies ever created, yet a bland or dull online personality can make those teaching strategies nothing more than two-dimensional. Once those strategies are sprinkled with heavy doses of an upbeat and just downright nice personality, they truly come alive—and the students will react in a more engaged manner. Sometimes you may need be an actor who wears the right personality. Students take their lead from you—the way you come across to them will determine just how engaged and motivated they remain throughout the course. Use your interest in the subject to help build your online teaching personality. Be sure to add things like articles, essays, pictures, YouTube videos, etc. The students will immediately know you really are “into” the subject, and your excitement and enthusiasm for the subject will spill over to your students.

TIME SAVING TIPS FROM THE TLC Use hotkeys when you can to save time! Here is a list of a few common and useful hotkeys.  Ctrl + c = Copy

Control knee-jerk reactions. Students can write or do things that get us upset. We can make egregious errors in our hasty reactions to these student mistakes and oversights that may not only cost us our students’ respect and rapport, but possibly our jobs as well. So hold back— take some time before you respond, and if you don’t have the time—such as in a live chat, a phone call, or a videoconference—always remember that your actions and reactions are not merely yours but also the school’s, and because you are the instructor you are always held to a higher standard than your students are.

 Ctrl + v = Paste

Be careful of your vocabulary choice. Each of us has words we use on a regular basis; they are part of who and what we are, and they often simply pour out. But our online courses demand that we pay special attention to the words we write, the context of those words, and the perception of the message we are trying to get across. Once posted, our words will live on throughout the course, and thus we must focus on the vocabulary we choose.

 Ctrl + b = Bold

Help your personality come alive with audio and/or audiovisual. Today’s technology allows us to get closer to our students—and lets our personalities really shine through. Skype, MP3, Twitter, Facebook, Jing, Adobe Connect, Prezi, Wimba, and other tools can take us to our students in an audio and/or visual way and thus allows students to see and hear an instructor who is excited, enthusiastic, caring, and dedicated to his or her students, the subject, and the course.

 Ctrl + z = Undo  Ctrl + x = Cut  Ctrl + s = Save  Ctrl + u = Underline  Ctrl + i = Italics

 Ctrl + p = Print  Ctrl + f = Find  Alt + Tab = Allows you to toggle between open windows  Printscreen = Copies a screenshot of the current screen to the clipboard  Alt + Printscreen = Copies a screenshot of a current active window to the clipboard

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.â&#x20AC;? ~Ralph Waldo Emerson CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

THE TLC INNOVATIVE CLASSROOM

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

The TLC is in the process of outfitting a new innovative classroom. The purpose is to testdrive new technologies for the classroom. The space, once complete, will be used in the morning by faculty who have been trained to use the new area and in the afternoon the classroom will function as a location for TLC workshops. This will have a dual benefit. First, faculty will get a chance to try out the room by scheduling a class in the room for the semester. Second, by attending TLC workshops members will get to see the equipment being modeled firsthand. The TLC plans to have the new space available as soon as possible with a projected completion date sometime during the Fall 2012 semester. We are currently in the process of selecting the ideal equipment for the space. Here are some of the possibilities: Large format touch screen(s) Touch screen laptops Audio equipment Video equipment Floor to ceiling whiteboards And more... The new smart classroom is the perfect way to experience cutting edge technology first hand and in the classroom. We look forward to sharing this new, innovative space with CVC.

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Cedar Valley College

June 2012 Volume 72

Teaching Learning Center Summer To Do List Summer can be the perfect time to attempt to get the things done that don’t quite get finished over the course of the semester. Here is a list of things to keep in mind to help you make a smooth transition into the Fall semester: Be sure to visit the TLC, we’re here to help with any of these task and much more!

WEAVE Online

Adjuncts must send all their course ‘findings’ to their coordinators by June 15th. Coordinators must have all ‘findings’ input by June 30th. If you are teaching online, be sure to update your course template. Make sure all dates, syllabi, documents etc. have been updated for the upcoming semester. If you have never taught online and are scheduled to do so next semester, the first step is to log-in to eCampus and select ‘Request a Template’ from the eCampus Faculty menu. Once your template is complete – fully updated and ready for the next semester, you are ready to request that it be copied into your course. Select ‘Course Copy Request’ from the eCampus Faculty menu.

eCampus

Consider adding an HTML version of your syllabus to your eCampus site. Provide a link to the full syllabus and an abridged version viewable within eCampus via HTML. The look is slick and the syllabus itself is much easier to navigate. Be sure to check all links to make sure they still work. Delete any unused buttons. Make sure the student is able to find what they need in no more than 3 clicks. Consider updating PowerPoint presentations with Articulate. Articulate allows you to add narrations that provide a new dimension to your online lectures.

Organize

Organize your office or space to be ready for the new semester. Create folders or bins for ‘to do,’ ‘later’ and ‘archive’ items. This works for your desk and your computer. Try to set yourself up to never have to handle the same piece of paper twice. Do the same for your computer and flash drive - Backup/archive/delete old files. Create new folders to organize the new files which will come your way the next semester.

GroupWise Syllabus

Create folders and rules which will sort incoming messages automatically. Go through and delete or archive old messages. Update your syllabus to the latest template. Update all dates.

QUICK TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR ECAMPUS SITE:  Add a banner to personalize your site.  Include a tutorial for problems students encounter frequently.  Make sure all links work properly.  Add a bulleted list whenever possible to avoid large areas of text.  Is there a trail of breadcrumbs? Can students navigate the site easily?  Dividing the class into groups on the DB can make students less overwhelmed with the amount of content and more likely to post or respond.  Provide ‘Start Here’ items to clearly indicate where to begin.  Keep it simple! Remember that less is more.

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

SUMMER ECAMPUS TIPS

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

Tacia Dillard

Are you attempting to access your 2011 course templates and/or classes without success? All eCampus activity prior to 2011FA has been archived/stored in the 9.0 version of eCampus (9.1 is the current version used by the District). To access any courses templates and/or classes created in eCampus prior to August 2011, please follow these steps: 

Log onto: www.ecampus15b.dcccd.edu in your Internet browser (LeCroy prefers/recommends starting with Internet Explorer).



If an error message appears after inputting user name, password and pressing enter.



Try logging in as a 1st time user (user name and password match)

If you’re still unable to log in after completing the instructions of step one, there are 2 readily available contact options to troubleshoot and resolve problem: Tacia, ext 8083, TLC (A206A) Faculty Help Desk (LeCroy), on campus – ext 6460, off campus – 972-669-6460.

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

If you contact the Faculty Help Desk; please ask for the ticket number and person you are speaking with for your records and/or future use.

Cedar Valley College

July 2012 Volume 73

Teaching Learning Center Asking Better Questions

Prepare Questions Ahead

It can make a world of difference. Write down your questions for the class ahead of time – give yourself a chance to make your questions as clear as possible. Once written down, you will be able to clearly see whether the question is what you are really trying to say. Is it the question that needs to be asked? When is the best time to ask it? The space in between the question and the answer is most important. Most students stop thinking about the question once the answer is given. When presenting a question, leave it unanswered, students are more likely to continue to ponder the potential answers.

Leave Questions Unanswered

Give students some time to write down their thoughts or responses to the question. As the teacher you may choose to collect several responses for discussion prior to revealing the correct answer.

Preserve Good Questions

TIPS FOR FOSTERING LEARNING:  Raise questions that challenge a students’ preconceived ideas.  Help them deal with the emotional upheaval that follows having long term beliefs challenged.

You may choose to ask the question at closer to the end of class and discuss the possible answer at the next class meeting.

 Encourage them to question everything. The more questions they ask, the more involved they are and the more apt they are to learn.

Hold on to the questions that are the most fruitful. Jot down student responses that may offer insight into ways the question can be revised.

 Make the subject matter appealing and relevant, help them want to learn the material. The more they care, the more they learn.

Sometimes students ask really great questions – save those as well. We should be working on our questioning techniques, but not just because our questions are more effective when skillfully used. We need to ask good questions so that students see the importance of questions—how they make us think and help us learn. Eventually students may start asking better questions themselves, including ones we can’t answer. — Those are the best questions of all.

Reference: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Faculty Focus

 People learn more if they believe they are in control of their choice to learn.

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then

given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.” ~Tom Bodett SUMMER ECAMPUS TRAINING

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

Tacia Dillard

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG!

Here are the eCampus training schedules for July and August: Training Location: Cedar Valley College, Room A-206B Course

Date / Time

Course

Course #

Section #

BT 101a – eCampus Basics I – Fundamentals (Part 1)

Monday, July 16 1:30pm – 4:00pm

Summer I XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94503

BT 101b – eCampus Basics I – Fundamentals (Part 2)

Tuesday, July 17 1:30pm – 4:00pm

Summer I XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94504

BT 102 – eCampus Basics II – Assessments

Wednesday, July 18 1:30pm – 4:00pm

Summer I XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94505

BT 103 – eCampus Basics III – Grade Center

Thursday, July 19 1:30pm – 4:00pm

Summer I XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94506

Training Location: Cedar Valley College, Room B-116A Course

Date / Time

Course

Course #

Section #

BT 101a – eCampus Basics I – Fundamentals (Part 1)

Tuesday, Aug 21 9:00am – 11:30am

Summer II XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94501

BT 101b – eCampus Basics I – Fundamentals (Part 2)

Thursday, Aug 23 9:00am – 11:30am

Summer II XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94502

BT 103 – eCampus Basics III – Grade Center

Friday, Aug 24 9:00am – 11:30am

Summer II XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94503

teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Cedar Valley College

August 2012 Volume 74

Teaching Learning Center Posting Resources in the Online Classroom Taken in part from Errol Craig Sull, Faculty Focus.com

Resources—that amalgam of nearly anything and everything related to the subjects we teach and offer to our students as “extras”—give students a broader, deeper, and enhanced understanding of what they are being taught. Resources come in a variety of forms and often reflect our deep interest in our specialties. Sharing them in the online classroom gives students a better learning experience. Use resources to engage students. Students expect your course to have assigned readings, links to school sites that offer resources, and already-posted information that focuses on the subject. These items are standard, and thus your excitement and enthusiasm for them may be limited. Yet when students interact with resources of your choosing, they will recognize your deep interest in the course, your efforts to assist them in their learning, and the sincerity of your teaching throughout the course. This approach will always result in more engaged students. Make sure the resources match your students’ needs, levels, and abilities. Choose what you post for your students with the students in mind, never with you in mind. And while you may know that resource X or Y will be of great use to the students “down the road” (i.e., in another course or in a job), remember that the students are currently in your course, and thus are looking for something that can help now rather than later. Begin the course with some extra resources. Since you have selected these resources, it allows the course to start off in the direction you’d like—and be sure these initial resources are plum ones that fit the subject matter and the first assignment(s) of the course. This is a nice way to immediately establish you as someone who really wants to help the students learn! Post additional resources throughout the weeks of the course. That first shot of resources you’ve selected is great—but if you post only those resources and they may be quickly forgotten. By having resources continually pop up throughout the course just as they greeted students on day one, you keep alive that spirit of going the extra mile. Always ask students to contribute resources. Why should you have all the fun? Students enjoy being part of the learning process, and one way they can help you, the class, and themselves is by contributing resources that relate to the subject and/or specific assignments. An extremely effective option is to use a discussion thread; ask each student to submit three Web sites that relate to some aspect of the course. Students will get excited about this and will share their findings with one another, and you will get additional resources for future courses. Continually collect and update your resources. The more resources you have, the better variety you can offer your classes, so when you collect something for each class—on your own and from student submissions—save it in one or more files on your computer for easy access.

IMPROVING STUDENT ATTENDANCE:  Prepare contracts for students to sign at the beginning of the semester defining the attendance policy.  Give unannounced quizzes.  Provide handouts in class, but do not post them on your course Web site.  Collect contact information from students at the beginning of the semester, including their phone numbers and email addresses.  Keep morale high by learning students’ names as quickly as possible and attempt to create a classroom with a sense of community and mutual respect where differing opinions are welcomed.

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

“A teacher affects eternity he can never tell, where his influence stops.” ~Henry Adams SUMMER ECAMPUS TRAINING

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE

Tacia Dillard

Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 7:30-4:30 F 8:30 - 12:00 & 1:00 - 4:30

Here is the eCampus training schedule August: Training Location: Cedar Valley College, Room B-116A Course

Date / Time

Course

Course #

Section #

BT 101a – eCampus Basics I – Fundamentals (Part 1)

Tuesday, Aug 21 9:00am – 11:30am

Summer II XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94501

BT 101b – eCampus Basics I – Fundamentals (Part 2)

Thursday, Aug 23 9:00am – 11:30am

Summer II XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94502

BT 103 – eCampus Basics III – Grade Center

Friday, Aug 24 9:00am – 11:30am

Summer II XTEC – eCampus Training

1000

94503

Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Tamma Cannone email: tcannone@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Cedar Valley College

September 2012 Volume 75

Teaching Learning Center Increase Student Retention More often than not, college freshman attribute the causes of their academic pitfalls to permanent conditions. When this happens there is little motivation from the student and the rate of improvement is low. To illustrate this, a study was conducted where a group of students was shown a video of students reflecting on their freshman year and how their grade point averages increased after the freshman year. Another group of students did not receive any encouraging information in video form and served as the control group. The freshman who watched the video, and were encouraged to attribute their academic trouble to temporary causes, showed significant improvement in their grade point average after their first year compared to those who did not receive encouragement from their peers. Only 5% of the students from the “video watching” group dropped out after the first year, while 25% of those in the control group dropped out. This data suggests that it is possible to change student attributions and as a result, their expectations about performance. Most importantly, this information shows that changing student expectations can actually improve grade point average and retention.

The TLC created a video specifically for CVC freshman aimed at producing the same results. Please drop by the TLC to take a look at the video or follow this link: http://youtu.be/5zQvslmRXco This video can be shown in class with a follow up group discussion of why students made an improvement after their freshmen year or assigned as homework where students watch the video and write a paragraph or two on what they believe were the causes for the change.

THE SUCCESSFUL ONLINE STUDENT: 

Be open minded about sharing life, work, and educational experiences as part of the learning process.



Be able to communicate through writing.



Be self-motivated and selfdisciplined.



Be willing to "speak up" if problems arise.



Be willing and able to commit to 8 to 9 hours per week per course.



Be able to meet the minimum requirements for the course.



Accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process.



Have access to a computer and a modem.



Be able to think ideas through before responding.



Feel that high quality learning can take place without going to a traditional classroom.

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.â&#x20AC;? ~Clay P. Bedford

CREATING A CLASS ROSTER FROM ECAPMUS

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tacia@dcccd.edu Publications Manager: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

Educational Assistant: Tamma Cannone email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

With our familiar and convenient 'blue rolls' being a thing of the past, we have had many questions about how to create a roster for your classes. One simple solution for eCampus users is to create a roster from the grade center. 1.

Locate the Grade Center from the Control Panel on the left once you login to eCampus and select a course

Then select Full Grade Center

Click the 'Work Offline' button from the top right

Select the 'Download' option

From the 'Data' section choose 'User Information Only' (rather than the full grade center option that is selected when preparing to turn in your grades)

Now submit and download

Once the option appears to save just open it in Excel

Now you have a complete roster of all the students as they appear in eCampus. Feel free to add the dates across the top of the spreadsheet to complete your roll. To learn how to automatically replicate the date all the way across your spreadsheet or if you have other formatting questions drop by the TLC and we'll be happy to show you! Additionally, if you're looking for a blank roll template, one is available by clicking the 'Attendance Spreadsheet' link under Documents for Download located to the right on the TLC Blog.

Cedar Valley College

October 2012 Volume 76

Teaching Learning Center A Faster, More Efficient Way to Grade Papers By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD taken from Faculty Focus

I hope you won’t stop reading once you find out the idea being proposed here involves automating the feedback provided students on papers, projects, and presentations. If you were to look at a graded set of papers and make a list of the comments offered as feedback, how many of those comments have you written more than once? Is the answer many? If so, you should read on. The author proposing this idea points out how rubrics have expedited the grading process for many faculty and also clarified expectations for students, but when the paper is returned, the student gets the rubric with a check next to quality level attained and maybe a few brief remarks squeezed into a small space provided for comments. What this assumes is that students will look at their paper and see why it merited that particular quality rating. That assumption is questionable, based on student levels of skill and their motivation to attend to feedback. What the author has done is create a large collection of detailed comments that he imports into the grading rubric. He doesn’t show students all the levels—they see those when the rubric is distributed at the time the assignment is made. They see the level their assignment has been given and then a detailed set of comments that explain why that level was earned and how the student can improve for a higher level on the next assignment. It may take a while to develop the collection of comments, but you can start using them before the collection is complete. The quality of these comments can be significantly higher than those we dash off after a full day of teaching, cleaning up the kitchen, and helping the kids with homework. They can be prepared and revised when we aren’t tired. Once the collection gets large enough, comments can be categorized, and any given comment may exist in several different versions. The author categorizes according the levels that appear on the rubric. So, if the assignment meets the top criteria, he has a collection of top-criteria comments he can make. The author recommends storing comments in an Excel spreadsheet. What if students figure out they are getting “canned” feedback? Many are already inclined not to pay much attention to our careful comments. Wouldn’t the fact the comments aren’t written exclusively for them give them an excuse to ignore the feedback even more thoroughly? Technology makes it easy to personalize any comment. You can use the student’s name, insert an example pulled from their assignment, or think of the comment as a canned shell that you can slightly revise as you use it. All of a sudden, the feedback is personal. The author maintains his students never figured out they were getting “canned” comments. This approach may not be for everyone, but with so much on our plates, we need to be open to time-saving possibilities. The author of the article referenced below was able to document some positive impacts on student work and attitudes with the system of automated comments he developed.

Grading Tips: 

Determine and state the educational objectives of each activity.



Prepare students for formal assessments by using activities of a similar challenge level.



Consider whether all assignments need to be graded; would a check-plus/ minus system work?



Save time in writing comments by creating a common error key.



Grade the same question or paper section of all students at one time to focus your attention.



Establish teachable moments like conferences or post-exam review to help students correct errors.



Be consistent by using a grading rubric.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Yeats

PowerPoint Do’s and Don’ts

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 7:30-5:00 F 8:30 - 12:00 & 1:00 - 5:00 Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu

Educational Tech Assistant: Tacia Dillard Phone: 972-860-8213 Office: C104K (Library) email: tacia@dcccd.edu

Avoid Using large blocks of text or long lists of bullet points. Too much content.

Too little content.

email: tcannone@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

Insert images and maintain a less is more mentality with text use. Keep it simple. Try using the C.R.A.P. Design Principles. (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity.) Along with narration, use images and just enough text to make your message clear and memorable.

Random color use.

Select a group of colors that work well together and use them consistently throughout the PowerPoint.

Small fonts or overly decorative fonts.

Stick with a font size and style that’s easy to read from across the room.

Animation over-use. Too many distracting effects.

Use, when appropriate, a simple animation to control the amount of content you choose to display at a given time.

Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu

Educational Assistant: Tamma Cannone

Why Your audience will lose focus when faced with a wall of text. It’s easier to recall information related to an image than text by itself. Nice clean, simple slides will increase your credibility and make the information you’re trying to relay much easier to decipher. Students will not be able to fill in the blanks. One simple image on a slide is fine if you include a narration to further explain your point. The colors you choose will impact the readability of your slides. Make sure there is good contrast between the background and foreground text. Fonts that are too small or decorative can be much harder to read, especially from a distance. Flashy animated text effects can be extremely distracting. Especially when you use a variety of styles. Students will be looking at your animations not your content.

Cedar Valley College

November 2012 Volume 77

Teaching Learning Center Instructor Characteristics and Online Success There are some specific characteristics students look for in an online instructor. Donald Orso, PhD and Joan Doolittle, MA conducted a study at their institution, Anne Arundel Community College, to find out which characteristics topped the list. Participants were asked to name three characteristics of an outstanding online teacher and explain why those characteristics are important. Here are the results of the 624 responses received: Characteristic

Percentage

Communication/Availability

66%

Compassion

58%

Organization

58%

Feedback

45%

Instructor Personal Information

18%

Other (e.g., knowledge, technical competence, creativity)

<10%

From the above listed findings, Communication/Availability was at the top. Students want frequent communication from their teachers. Some of the comments made by participants were the following:

Tips for Word 2010: 

Screenshots can now be taken directly from the Word interface—insert>screenshot.



Orso and Doolittle wanted to determine the effect these characteristics had on student success. Five instructors were identified who:

Portrait and landscape formats can both be used in the same document.



responded at least three times daily to all online course emails, graded all papers within 48 hours of submission, offered specific feedback on all written work, and were compassionate to students‟ needs.

The navigation panes allows section dragging and dropping.



New default page numbering, headers, and footers can be created.



Red and green squiggly lines can now be turned off.



Recover unsaved documents from file>recent.



Allows the document to be viewed in a split view.



Use the search function within Word to find key words or phrases in a document.



The selection and visibility pane allows objects to be easily moved forward or back.

  

“We must hear from the instructor within 24 hours!” “I would not think twice about withdrawing if the instructor is not available five days a week.” “The worst thing is waiting for a graded paper.”

We compared success rates in 137 online course sections within psychology, history, and sociology for a total of 2,432 students. Success rates at the college in 2008 were 66 percent for traditional courses and 59 percent for online courses. The success rate of students in online courses with outstanding instructors was 82 percent, 16 percent better than in the traditional lecture classroom and 23 percent better than online students overall. Success rates in 137 online course section within psychology, history, and sociology were compared (a total of 2,432 students). Success rates at the college in 2008 were 66% for traditional courses and 59% for online courses. However, the success rate for online students with outstanding instructors was 82%. That was 16% better than in the traditional lecture classroom and 23% better than online students overall. Faculty Focus: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/instructor-characteristics-that-affectonline-student-success/

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

"Zeal without knowledge is fire without light." - Thomas Fuller, M. D. CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 8:30-7:00 F 8:30 - 5:00 Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford Phone: 972-860-8083 email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu Educational Assistant: Tamma Cannone Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tcannone@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

The Flipped Classroom Although the â&#x20AC;&#x17E;Flipped Classroomâ&#x20AC;&#x; is not a new concept, it is gaining more attention and praise of late. The idea is that the lecture is delivered in video format for the students to view outside class. Class time can focus on illustrating the concepts covered in the lecture and opening up those topics to discussion. This utilizes class time for more thorough examination of the content allowing students to participate more actively in their learning. To make this format succeed, the teacher must seize the opportunity and use class time effectively to interact and guide students. Lectures are best presented in small chunks. Make the videos no longer than they need to be, ideally 10 minutes or less and break up the content with visuals and/or multimedia. Outside Class

In Class

Address any technical concerns like Internet connectivity etc. Hand out DVDs of content when necessary to accommodate student needs. Watch the assigned media as homework

Review the material viewed outside class

Complete any quizzes associated with the video in the form of multimedia

Answer questions and check for understanding

Complete any homework problems

Work any problems assigned as an in class activity while the instructor circulates Quiz over homework content Demonstrations of concepts in action Class discussions One on one time with each student

For more information or help contact the staff in the TLC.

Cedar Valley College

December 2012 Volume 78

Teaching Learning Center Significant Learning: Designing a Course There are many tasks involved with teaching but there are four basic components: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Knowledge of subject matter taught Decisions made about the nature and purpose of the learning experience Interactions with students – lectures, discussions, office hours etc… Classroom management

The way in which these components are carried out directly affects the learning experience. Professor Fink of the University of Oklahoma notes that in his 25 years of working with professors it seems the area in which faculty struggle the most is in making good decisions about instruction. Professors are the least prepared in this area and it is the most critical in determining the significance of the student learning experience. There are ways to design more effective instruction: Creating a course: Take a learning-centered approach. Decide what students should learn in relation to the subject, and then determine how they should learn it. Integrated course design: Identify important situational factors and then use this information to make three sets of decisions. Then make sure the key components are integrated.   

What do I want students to learn? (Learning goals) How will students and the teacher know if these goals are being met? (Feedback and assessment) What will the teacher and students do to achieve the goals? (Teaching/Learning activities)

Learning goals: Significant learning – An updated taxonomy:      

Foundational knowledge – Students will understand and remember the basic content of the course. Application – Students will apply the content to think effectively. Integration – Students will integrate various disciplines, ideas, and realms of life. Human dimension – Students will be able to identify the social and personal implications of this knowledge. Caring – Students will develop new feelings, interests, and values in relation to the subject. Learning how to learn – Students will continue to learn about the subject after the course is over.

Educative assessment: Use authentic assessment, have clear criteria, and offer opportunities for self -assessment. Active learning: Use groups work, discussions, simulations, problem-based learning, case studies, service learning, etc… The ultimate goal is to develop classroom environments that foster significant learning. Once accomplished, significant learning experiences will provide students with positive, substantial, and lasting influence over their personal and work lives giving them the ability to give back to their communities. Reference: L. Dee Fink, University of Oklahoma http://www.nea.org/home/34960.htm

THE TLC IS HERE TO HELP: Don’t forget, we in the TLC are here to help you tackle whatever challenge you face with your online or face-to-face class. Whether you would like to add some new media to an existing course or plan out a brand new one, we’re here to lend a hand. 

Update your syllabus to be more conducive to online use.



Create tutorials for frequently asked questions.



Create better assessments



Create a plan for updating your eCampus site.



Learn to employee Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and more.



Learn how to use images with eCampus.



Divide your discussion board into groups.

SUDOKU Fill in the missing numbers so every row, column and quadrant contains the numbers 1 through 9.

“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way. “ - George Evans

Quizlet in the Classroom

CEDAR VALLEY COLLEGE Teaching Learning Center Room A206A 3030 North Dallas Avenue Lancaster, Texas 75134

Phone: 972-860-8083 Hours: M-TR 8:30-7:00 F 8:30 - 5:00 Director: Tim Xeriland Phone: 972-860-8239 email: txeriland@dcccd.edu

As a student I discovered Quizlet (http://quizlet.com/) while looking for a simple way to review for Dr. Meachum’s General Psychology course. Quizlet was the perfect solution. Once you create an account, Quizlet allows you to input all the information from your class notes creating the perfect flashcards. Quizlet then allows you to choose the way you wish to view/study the information you entered, in flashcard form, game format, matching, fill in the blank, multiple choice, etc… The information can even be printed in flashcard format or as a glossary. There’s even an app for Quizlet, students can access the ‘sets’ from their iPad or phone allowing them to review anywhere.   

Instructional Specialist: Timothy Sonnier Phone: 972-860-8031 email: tsonnier@dcccd.edu Instructional Assistant: Christa Crawford Phone: 972-860-8083 email: ckcrawford@dcccd.edu Educational Assistant: Tamma Cannone Phone: 972-860-8083 email: tcannone@dcccd.edu

VISIT THE TLC BLOG! teachinglearningcenter.blogspot.com

        

Free Easy to use Create flashcard quickly and easily Share information with the entire class Streamline studying Interactive elements Multiple formats to review content Mobile Printable Insert images into flashcards Practice tests And much more!

A new ‘set’ can be created for each test, in each class. Classes can even be created allowing an entire class of students to view the content. The whole class can even use Quizlet interactively to compete against one another to see who can achieve the highest score or fastest time. Quizlet could be an excellent addition to the classroom. Teachers can easily create a class, input the study guide information and reuse the same ‘set’ each semester. A class could also be divided into groups, each responsible for a different chapter or section of content and input the information into Quizlet, sharing it with their classmates. The simple act of entering information is in itself a great study method. Stay on the lookout for an upcoming TLC workshop detailing how to use Quizlet in your classroom!