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Faculty Spotlight: Jean Marsch

By Kerri Patton
September 15, 2022

September 15, 2022

In this issue’s “Faculty Spotlight,” instructional designer Kerri Patton interviews Professor Jean Marsch about strategies to strengthen instructor presence in online courses. When teaching online, instructors have to compensate for their lack of physical presence in the classroom by engaging with their online students creatively and regularly. Here are some favorite strategies that Prof. Marsch uses in her course HIMT 415: Human Resource Management in Healthcare to build a rapport with her online students and increase her presence in the course.


Jean MarschProf. Marsch is an Associate Lecturer at UW-Green Bay and teaches in the Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and Technology (HIMT) program. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UW-Madison and an MBA from UW-Oshkosh. She was the Chief Human Resources Officer for Green Bay Public Schools and the Director of Human Resources at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. She was also elected to and a member of the Green Bay School Board for 15 years. For 10 years, she served as the School Board’s president.

 

Kerri PattonKerri Patton is an instructional designer with UW-Extended Campus. She holds bachelor degrees in English Literature and German from UW-Eau Claire, a Master’s of Educational Technology from Boise State University, and a Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching from Boise State University. Prior to her current role, she served as an instructional designer with the UW MBA Consortium/UW Undergraduate Business Alliance. For 10 years, she was the German language instructor (Levels 1-AP) and German American Partnership Program coordinator for Memorial High School in Eau Claire, as well as a district instructional technology liaison. She also taught English in Germany as a U.S. Fulbright scholar. She began her career as a project coordinator and assessment report writer for Personnel Decisions International and a Desktop and Helpdesk Support Technician for UW-Eau Claire. 


Interview

What tools or strategies do you use to connect with students in your course so they know you are “present”?

Throughout HIMT 415: Human Resource Management in Healthcare, students take on the role of the newly hired manager of a health information management department in a fictitious hospital. They are divided into two discussion groups and alternate between responding to human resource issues posed in the scenarios or reflecting on the issues through discussion prompts. There is no perfect solution to the issues, but students are able to analyze various approaches to the issues using the concepts in the lecture, text, readings, and past or current employment. [Note: This type of activity is called a fishbowl discussion. You can reach out to your instructional designer if you would like to use a similar activity in your course.]

Screenshot of a Canvas Fishbowl Discussion
Screenshot of a fishbowl discussion set up in the Canvas learning management system

I connect with each student at least every week and write a response that is specific to their work. I feel it is important to respond timely to each student’s work, so I strive to do so within a day or two of the due date. In my response, I comment on the points they made and add additional supporting details, often making connections through my personal experiences in nursing and/or human resources. If a student’s response lacks depth and demonstrates little analysis, I encourage them by sharing examples of what additional information may be helpful to explain their ideas. I may also refer to a section of the text to supplement my responses.

Which of these strategies is your favorite? Which do you think is most effective?

I feel strongly that the content of this course can benefit students in current and future employment, and personally. For example, when we explore the issues around effective recruitment and retention, I encourage students to think not only about compensation, but all the other factors that are at play. When we study the chapter on benefits, students often comment that they took a second look at the benefits offered by their employer and came to appreciate not only the health and dental plans, but disability insurance, tuition assistance, paid time off, and more. By sharing the list of benefits (other than health insurance) that they consider most important, students comment on how they changed their thinking about the importance of benefits and that they will pay close attention when looking for employment. We relate this to how organizations can promote a full array of benefits when they develop recruitment materials.

Is there a story or example you would be willing to share about a time when developing a connection and presence in the course helped a student be successful?

One of the assignments in the course consists of writing a resume, cover letter, and reference list. When I first taught this class, I wondered if this lesson would be helpful to students who might find this assignment merely busywork. My concern was unfounded when I received a great deal of immediate feedback from students who appreciated my critiques. A student stated that after submitting the updated documents, an interview was scheduled within 24 hours. Clearly, this was not the only reason for the interview. However, I inform students that well-prepared application materials are often the first opportunity for a candidate to present themselves to an employer and therefore must be carefully and accurately prepared.

After each lesson, I send an announcement that summarizes the points of the lesson . . . I may call attention to a reading or share a recent and relevant article. Most often, I share an experience from my work that demonstrates how the concepts relate to HR and leadership practices.

How does your connection to students provide increased learning opportunities?

After each lesson, I send an announcement that summarizes the points of the lesson and I include important points or themes shared by students. I may call attention to a reading or share a recent and relevant article. Most often, I share an experience from my work that demonstrates how the concepts relate to HR and leadership practices.

How does your connection to students impact student performance or engagement?

I find that my students are very engaged in the lessons. They demonstrate engagement through responses to other students and me in which they share insights from their current or past employment, based on the topic of the lesson. For example, they may share how important it is to be able to balance work and family commitments or the impact that a supervisor and tuition assistance through an employer had on their decision to continue their education. We then translate these ideas into ways to structure a new position to retain staff. In our class scenarios, which were developed as real-world situations, the students are the supervisors. Through their participation in the scenarios, they learn that the decisions they make directly impact the ability to recruit and retain staff.

What was difficult at first about maintaining a presence in your course? How did you overcome that difficulty?

When I first taught the course, I was unsure of how much and the type of feedback to offer students. Based on input from students, I found that they appreciate feedback that enhances their ability to think deeper about an issue. When I get responses such as, “I never thought about this before,” or “I never realized that…,” or “I am going to add that to my staff evaluations,” I realize that the lessons and my personalized feedback make an impact.

Facilitating Online Social Presence

By Kerri Patton

September 15, 2022

Introduction

Students report greater satisfaction in online courses where they perceive instructors to be active and engaged—that is, “socially present.” In the absence of their physical presence, online educators must establish a strong virtual presence with students to foster and sustain connectedness for the duration of a course. These connections are key to building a strong community of learning, which is a motivating factor for all learners. Read on for three straightforward strategies you can use in your online classroom to ramp up your social presence and foster connection with your students.


Create a Social Presence Plan

Developing an online course takes plenty of time and a great deal of planning. Once your curriculum is developed, your learning materials are chosen and vetted, and your class is constructed and published online, you might think your work is done. Good news: much of it is! To ensure all your efforts pay off when it’s “go time,” don’t forget to create a social presence plan that maps out how you will build, foster, and sustain meaningful and consistent engagement for the duration of your course. This plan might include strategies for items such as:

  • Posting Announcements: How often will you post? What type of information will you share? How will you share this information (written, audio, video)? What announcement content can you create ahead of time so it can be repurposed each term?
  • Giving Feedback: What level of feedback will you offer your students? Which assignments will you target for customized feedback? How will you deliver this feedback (written, audio, video)?
  • Participating in Discussions: When will you enter the conversation? As the subject-matter expert, how can you further a discussion without smothering it? How will you encourage more participation from group members? How will you intercede if group members get off track?
  • Holding Synchronous Office Hours: How will you structure office hours to encourage participation? How can you purpose office hours to achieve particular goals (e.g., live working sessions, interactive Q&As, collaborative problem-solving, etc.)?

Customize Announcements

Published right at the top of all Canvas courses, course announcements are located in a high-traffic area that is convenient for learners to engage with every time they log in to a course. Take advantage of this “prime real estate” by regularly using announcements. Doing so is an easy way to increase your presence and build a rapport with your students. Here are different types of announcements you might use in your course:

  • Regular Weekly Announcements: Start students off on the right foot by letting them know what’s to come in the week ahead. You can also highlight important due dates.
    Screenshot of weekly announcements in a Canvas course
    Screenshot of a list of regular weekly announcements posted in a Canvas course
  • Content-Specific Announcements: Hook students into a new unit or lesson by posting an enticing introduction that grabs their attention. Inject your energy and expertise into a topic by offering concentrated bursts of content-rich information that relates directly to what students are learning. Sell learners on “What’s in it for me?” and increase their interest in your topic by explaining how they will benefit from what’s being taught.
    Screenshot of a content-specific announcement
    Screenshot of a content-specific announcement
  • “Lesson Wrap-Up” Announcements: Extend student learning by wrapping up what’s just been covered and connecting it to the real world. Students want your subject-matter expertise—here’s a great chance to weigh in.
    Screenshot of a "Lesson Wrap-Up" Announcement
    Screenshot of a “lesson wrap-up” announcement
  • Solutions-Based Announcements: Offer helpful hints to students as they work through their assignments. Posting homework help and worked examples for students to reference as they complete their work is a fantastic way to guide their learning.
    Screenshot of a Solutions-Based Announcement (Homework Help)
    Screenshot of a solutions-based (homework help) announcement
  • “Just-in-Time” Announcements: Broadcast logistical updates as needed to alert students to important information that will affect them. Examples include updates to course content, technical issues, grading information, etc.
    Screenshot of a Just-in-Time Announcement
    Screenshot of a “just-in-time” announcement
  • Connection Announcements: Connect course content to the real world. Adult learners want to take what they’re learning in class and apply it to their lives and professions. Use announcements to show them how those arenas connect. Additionally, use announcements to connect your students to relevant job and professional development opportunities and/or resources that encourage them to engage with the subject matter more in-depth outside of class.
    Screenshot of a Connection Announcement Highlighting Additional Opportunities for Students Outside of Class
    Screenshot of a connection announcement advertising additional opportunities to students

Bonus Tip: Enabling the commenting feature on your announcements will encourage additional student-to-teacher and student-to-student interactions, which helps build community!


Give Prompt, High-Quality Feedback

Ensure that the feedback you offer to students is prompt. Being prompt in your replies will teach learners that they can rely on you to be present and responsive, which models professionalism and builds trust. Whether returning student calls, replying to questions in discussion forums, responding to student emails, or grading assignments and giving feedback, your timeliness matters to students so they get the information they need to make progress in your course.

Similarly, the quality of your feedback matters. Adult learners desire your expertise. They want your feedback to reflect on, learn from, and inform their current and future academic and professional efforts. Though it might be tempting to allow Canvas to auto-grade assignments, leaving students tailored comments, questions, insights, and suggestions for improvement is better for their learning. Giving customized feedback (via text, audio, or video comments in Speedgrader) is yet another way to beef up your presence in the course as learners can interact with your comments and respond.

Bonus Tip: Saving commonly used feedback for reuse (in a Word document, Excel file, etc.) is one way to make the grading process quicker. Just don’t forget to review and edit what you’ve written each time you copy it into Speedgrader Comments to ensure it’s accurate and fine-tuned for each student.

This article is based on a conference presentation by Kerri Patton and Terry Tao entitled “Facilitating Online Social Presence,” which was presented at the UW Extended Campus 2022 Collaborative Online Programs Faculty Symposium, May 24-25, 2022, Middleton, WI, United States. https://ce.uwex.edu/faculty-symposium/

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A Framework for Increasing Critical Thinking, Student Engagement, and Knowledge Construction in Online Discussions

By Laurie Berry
July 15, 2022

July 15, 2022

Many faculty at UW Extended Campus use discussion strategies to engage their students and push them into higher levels of learning. From research, we know such strategies are necessary because most discussions do not naturally lead to higher levels of thinking (Darabi et al., 2011). Many instructors we have talked to have noticed this problem in their own courses—discussions can often feel like busywork or small talk. To achieve deeper discussions that show evidence of critical thinking and promote student engagement, research shows that your best bet is to provide the structure to make that happen (Brokensha & Greyling, 2015; Jarosewich et al., 2010). How do you create that structure? The Framework for Student Engagement and Critical Thinking can be used to provide the structure and support that will guide students into a deeper and more meaningful discussion and engage not only with the content but also with their peers. This five-component framework, developed out of research performed by Laurie Berry and Kristin Kowal (Berry & Kowal, 2022), can be used as a guide to help you add more dimension to your discussions.

High-Level View of Framework
The Framework for Student Engagement and Critical Thinking

Framework Component 1: Detailed Instructions and Clear Expectations

What is it?

Just like we can set up someone for success on a cross-country road trip with a good map, we can set up students for success with detailed instructions and clear expectations on how to approach the discussion. Research shows that when clear guidelines are in place, students can reach higher levels of learning (Gao et al., 2009). As instructional designers, we might see a discussion prompt where the instructions are clear enough so students will know what to do and where. However, the part worth pointing out is that the instructions and expectations can go further than one might think. For example, we can enhance a prompt that asks students to participate in the activity (post, reply, and how often) with information about why we are doing it (purpose statement) and specifics of how to be successful in the post. It’s not that most of the instructions are unclear to begin with, but that it’s useful to add a little more direction and detail to start off with since we’re in an asynchronous environment and have limited time. Back to the map metaphor, it’s the difference between a general map that would serve the purpose well for meandering or spontaneity, versus a map with identified tour stops pointed out for someone that has limited time or specific travel goals. The aim is to get students to show evidence that they are thinking more critically. Therefore, adding a purpose statement and criteria for success encourages students to push further and move beyond superficial discussion. An example of how you might include this is shown below.

Example

Below is what clear and detailed instructions might look like in a course:

Example of Instructions

Framework Component 2: Share Thought Process

What is it?

The next framework component invites students to share their thought processes in their posts. This is comparable to the think-aloud process, which you might already be using in your courses, or to showing your work, like when solving a math problem. Urging students to share their thought processes of how or why they might have arrived at the answer or conclusion can uncover more detail and depth, which, in turn, can create more opportunities for meaningful discussion. The following is an example of language you can include in your instructions: “Show evidence of critical thinking by sharing your thought process in doing the activity for all to see.” This framework component encourages students to share their thought process from the start.

Example

An effective way to illustrate this would be to apply it to subject domains. For example, students discussing a programming problem on the discussion board would not only provide solutions, but also why they proposed their answer; students working on a case study in a management course would be prompted to share not only their opinions or solutions but how they arrived there. We are asking students to make their thinking visible, not just their solutions.

Framework Component 3: Prompt Discussion with Questions

What is it?

The third framework component asks students to pose questions to invite more discussion with their peers. Asking students to probe deeper and include questions or share reflections in their posts can uncover areas that they may be struggling with or thinking about. Include language like the following in your instructions: “Ask questions of others in your post or reflect on something you may be struggling with or thinking about.”

By directing students to do this, you will invite others to easily join in the conversation and allow students to engage with both the content and each other. Using this technique, you may even notice the discussion includes elements of problem-solving and critical thinking, which are strong indicators of the students digging deeper into a topic. It can be rare to see students asking questions in their posts. However, when students post questions, it opens the door for others to easily join in the discussion.

Example

Students discussing optimal health and wellbeing might pose questions such as, “How can I best design a wellness program to ensure others will have the time and energy to use it?,” “How does technology impact an individual’s health and wellness?,” or, “Why does the environment play a role in one’s overall wellbeing?” Prompting students to pose questions to their peers not only invites conversation but enables the opportunity to share solutions.

Framework Component 4: Weave Evidence into Post

What is it?

You may have noticed this, but often when students are directed to use sources within a discussion, they merely post a link at the bottom of their post without referencing or citing it in the body of the discussion. This framework component instructs students to weave evidence or sources into the body of the discussion to allow you and others to quickly identify where or how they learned the information rather than assuming the information is tied to something they may have read. While you want to encourage students to form their own thoughts and opinions, you also want them to be able to support their thinking with evidence. To urge students to cite their source of information within their discussion itself, include language in your instructions such as: “Post an opinion or solution from your point of view and weave in your found evidence to support it.” or “Remember to reference the resources used to provide the evidence.”

Example

Students discussing individuals whom they think portray leadership or powerful influencer characteristics would state their personal claims while weaving in trusted sources to support and justify their thinking. An example post might be, “Oprah Winfrey comes to mind when I think of powerful influencers because according to Evans (2016), she exhibits the following characteristics…” While we are asking students to share their personal thoughts and opinions, we are also asking them to identify and support their reasoning.

Framework Component 5: Reflection

What is it?

It can be powerful to ask students to reflect on how they might have changed based on a learning experience. Adding a reflection component to your discussions can illuminate where construction of new knowledge has occurred. We recognize that including this component will take more time for students, but it is helpful for them to be able to synthesize not only their thoughts but also the thoughts and perspectives they gain from others. In a discussion post, you can include a reflection component with questions like these to uncover any kind of transformation that has happened during the activity: “Did you learn anything new? Did you change your mind about anything? How have you deepened or expanded your own thinking?”

Example

Students discussing their personal sense of purpose and developing a strategy to help them achieve their goals might include statements such as: “I never thought of it this way, maybe I need to go in a different direction or involve myself in a new community.” or, “I never thought of myself being in this particular role, perhaps this is something I need to consider if I do want to pursue this in more depth.” Encouraging students to reflect on the activity could lead them to creating new connections to both the content and to themselves.

Summary

The process of digging deeper and constructing new knowledge commands a level of attention from students that signifies their engagement. Whenever students can interact with content in ways that allow them to construct new meaning, they form a deeper connection to the content itself and are able to interact more meaningfully with others (Brokensha & Greyling, 2015; Galikyan & Admiraal, 2019; Jarosewich et al., 2010; Wang & Chen, 2008).

Download a PDF handout of the Framework for Student Engagement and Critical Thinking to use as a resource.


References

Berry, L. A., & Kowal, K. B. (2022). Effect of role-play in online discussions on student engagement and critical thinking. Online Learning, 26(3), 4-21.

Brokensha, S., & Greyling, W. (2015). Dispelling e-myths and pre-empting disappointment: Exploring incongruities between instructors’ intentions and reality in asynchronous online discussions. South African Journal of Higher Education, 29(4), 50–76.

Darabi, A., Arrastia, M. C., Nelson, D. W., Cornille, T., & Liang, X. (2011). Cognitive presence in asynchronous online learning: A comparison of four discussion strategies. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27, 216–227.

Galikyan, I., & Admiraal, W. (2019). Students’ engagement in asynchronous online discussion: The relationship between cognitive presence, learner prominence, and academic performance. The Internet and Higher Education, 43, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2019.100692

Gao, F., Wang, C. X., & Sun, Y. (2009). A new model of productive online discussion and its implications for research and instruction. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, 21(1), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.18785/jetde.0201.05

Jarosewich, T., Vargo, L., Salzman, J., Lenhart, L., Krosnick, L., Vance, K., & Roskos, K. (2010). Say what? The quality of discussion board postings in online professional development. New Horizons in Education, 58(3), 118–132.

Wang, Y.-m., & Chen, V. D.-T. (2008). Essential elements in designing online discussions to promote cognitive presence – A practical experience. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12(3-4), 157–177.

Deb Bushway: 2022 Flex Faculty Symposium Keynote Speaker

By Jessica O'Neel
April 22, 2022

April 22, 2022

Deb Bushway
Deb Bushway

Deb Bushway currently serves as the president and CEO at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota. In the past, she has worked in public, for-profit, and not-for-profit organizations such as the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), the Office of the Undersecretary at the US Department of Education, the Lumina Foundation, the University of Wisconsin–Extension, Capella University, and Metropolitan State University in Minnesota. Throughout her career, her focus has been on access, innovation, and quality in higher education.

In a 2012 Huffington Post article, she spoke of the changing dynamics of the average higher education learner, stating that “At my institution, Capella University, the average student is a 39-year-old woman seeking a post-graduate degree.” She went on to outline five focus areas to address the needs of these learners and meet economic needs in a changing knowledge economy:

  1. Reduce barriers to entry into higher education for working adults by focusing on resources to assist with degree completion and balancing education, work, and family demands
  2. Integration between private sector employers and educational institutions to focus on needed skills
  3. Public policy encouraging innovation in higher education along with private sector risk-taking to increase efficiency and drive down costs of obtaining a degree
  4. Support from regulators and accreditors as institutions pursue innovations that switch focus from inputs like seat time to outputs like career outcomes
  5. Focus on outcomes assessment and measurements to hold schools accountable for whether or not students learn skills that can be translated into the workforce

Bushway has advocated for competency-based education (CBE) as a key pathway to meet the needs of today’s learners. She played a key role in the development and implementation of the competency-based FlexPath at Capella University. Five years after this program was implemented, there have been positive outcomes as seen in this graphic from the report:

FlexPath Statistics
From: Moving competency-based education forward by Capella University and Whiteboard Advisors.

 

Her drive to meet learners where they are was demonstrated when Northwestern Health Sciences University (NWHSU) welcomed students and faculty after the sudden closure of Argosy University. About 200 students found themselves in a position where they were unable to transfer their credits to other programs and were facing the possibility of starting over completely. Bushway remarked in an article from KSTP-TV: “We were able to tell students, ‘hey, we have a home for you,’ you can pick up where you left off, you’ll get the degree you signed up for, there’s no re-doing.” In partnership with the Higher Learning Commission, five new degree programs taught by former Argosy instructors were added to NWHSU’s curriculum to make this transition work for students.

Moving forward, Bushway has her sights set on reforming financial aid and federal funding processes to be more inclusive of CBE programs. She noted in testimony before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, “In the past, federal aid went to some unscrupulous players, and students ended up being harmed. We don’t want to repeat those mistakes. We’re talking about responsible innovation.” She has called for a federal demonstration project on CBE and direct assessment. The results of the demonstration could be used in revising federal aid requirements. It could also remove doubts among college officials about CBE and direct assessment.

Hopefully, you will join us at the Flex Faculty Symposium to learn more about Dr. Bushway and her leadership in higher education. You can also read more about creating and scaling CBE programs in A Leaders Guide to Competency-Based Education: From Inception to Implementation, co-authored by Dr. Bushway.


References

Bushway, D. (2012, January 8). A national imperative: 5 ways America can succeed in the new knowledge economy. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-national-imperative-5-w_b_1074843

Fain, P. (2019, August 28). Positive returns for direct assessment. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/08/28/students-move-faster-and-spend-less-direct-assessment-programs

Long, C., Klein, J., & DeSchryver, D. (n.d.). Moving competency-based education forward. Capella University and Whiteboard Advisors. https://www.capella.edu/content/dam/capella/PDF/moving-competency-based-education-forward.pdf.

Northwestern Health Sciences University. (2019, April 30). Dr. Bushway advocates for students & responsible innovation in higher education. https://www.nwhealth.edu/news/dr-bushway-advocates-for-students-responsible-innovation-in-higher-education/

Northwestern Health Sciences University. (2019, June 28). NWHSU to accept students from the closed school. https://www.nwhealth.edu/news/nwhsu-to-accept-students-from-closed-school/

Collaborative Faculty Symposium Session Previews

By Abbie Amadio
April 19, 2022

April 19, 2022

Session: Community-Building Activities


⭐ Presenter: Eileen Horn


Why did you choose this topic?

I chose this topic because creating an equitable and engaging online learning environment is important but is also challenging. In this session, we will explore what your peers have done and have fun trying out some community-building activities that can be used in your courses. You will leave with a robust resource for finding and implementing inclusive community-building activities, and you will be inspired with new ways to make your course community engaging.


Session: Myths About Learning


⭐ Presenter: Nate Ewings


Why did you choose this topic?

Generally speaking, I love learning about commonly held beliefs that aren’t entirely true. It feels like I’m part of a secret club. So, naturally, I was drawn to a book that aims to dispel common learning myths.

How will this information benefit faculty?

Teaching and learning are both challenging. Faculty and students have limited time and resources to dedicate to the process, so research that can help shed light on what does and doesn’t work is invaluable, in my opinion.


Session: From 2D to 3D: A Framework for Increasing Student Engagement and Critical Thinking in Online Discussions


⭐ Presenters: Laurie Berry and Kristin Kowal


Why did you choose this topic?

  • Discussions are commonly used in online courses, but many of them lack depth.

Discussions are one of the most widely used techniques in online courses to support learning and encourage engagement, and yet they rarely go beyond information sharing to reach knowledge construction. In this session, we’ll share our new framework to help participants create livelier, deeper discussions.

  • Both students and faculty can benefit from new approaches to online discussions.

When discussions are overused or designed solely to mimic the face-to-face environment, students begin to tire of the read-write-post pattern, and their level of engagement begins to dwindle. Faculty can have a similar experience with discussion burnout. Our framework is another tool in the toolbox to help with this problem.

What will faculty walk away with?

  • Framework for Critical Thinking and Student Engagement in Online Discussions

We’ll be your tour guides through the framework, and along the way, you’ll see examples of the framework in action—transforming discussions from 2D to 3D before your very eyes! You will receive a copy of the framework to take with you.

  • Research highlights in the world of online discussions

The presenters are both instructional designers and researchers, so they will provide you with research highlights and their practical implications.

  • Ideas that can be quickly applied to your own course discussions

We’ve built in time to use the framework to come up with ideas to take your discussions from good to great, and time to discuss your experience with other attendees.


Session: Engaging the Disengaged Student: Motivating Change Within


⭐ Presenters: Liz Seitz and Jessica O’Neel


Why should faculty attend our session?

You will walk away with strategies you can use in the classroom immediately. The pandemic has made it so easy to become disengaged in an online course. To help meet the continued challenges facing remote learners and faculty, we will take an interactive approach to re-engaging students, including group discussions and scenarios. In addition to some helpful strategies that we will provide you, we will create resources based on your experiences, too, via a shared Google document that participants can access long after the session is over.

Why did you want to talk about this topic?

The psychology of what motivates people is so interesting. Finding the motivation to change behavior is difficult since change can be hard and scary. Our session will help give faculty clues to recognize where students are at in changing their engagement level in a course and help them understand how to support them as they re-engage in coursework.


Session: Scaffolding: Build Confidence, Build Competence


⭐ Presenters: Kyle Sky and Eric Peloza


Join us to learn energizing and practical tips for implementing scaffolding in your online courses. We will lead you through a series of activities designed to illustrate the ease and importance of this concept. Explore options for breaking down assessments, supporting students, providing quality feedback, and modifying your course to serve your scaffolded assessments.


Session: Level Up: Take Your Online Course to the Next Level!


⭐ Presenters: Amy Lane and Ryan Anderson


Join the over 200+ faculty who have decided to level up their online design and teaching practices by participating in our faculty development courses. Using your feedback, we’ve made major additions related to high-impact practices (HIPs) and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). We’ve also included a more extended array of examples. Together, we’ll actively engage in activities and assess your future needs.

In our interactive session, you’ll:

  • Identify three important additions to three new faculty development courses.
  • Articulate at least one change you want to make in an existing or new course.
  • Collaborate with peers to plan a course addition or revision related to HIPS or EDI.
  • Prioritize future topics of interest and needs related to your online teaching.

Meet the Instructional Design Team at UW Extended Campus
See the full schedule for the UW Extended Campus 2022 Faculty Symposium

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