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Why and When to Use PowerPoint in Online Courses
While PowerPoint is a very effective tool for creating visual aids when used properly (or artistically, or satirically), it can be harmful when misused. Suggestions for appropriate use of PowerPoint have been documented in various blog posts on … Read More
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5 Ways to Group Adult Students for Teamwork Online
Introduction In the School of Professional Studies (SPS), group projects are our bread and butter. That means team case studies, small group discussions, peer review, and other collaborative assignments. One question I’ve heard faculty members frequently ask their peers in … Read More
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Submit a Proposal to TEACHx 2019!
Have you experimented with a new approach in one of your SPS courses in the last year? Would you like to share what you’ve learned with others? TEACHx, Northwestern’s annual symposium that brings together instructors, students, learning designers, and technology … Read More
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Building Up to Big Assignments and Complex Tasks: Making the Case for Assignment Scaffolding
Introduction Do some topics or skills seem too large to approach in your course? Are your students struggling with time management? Do you want to provide students with thorough, meaningful feedback but find it difficult to keep up with all … Read More
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A Few Big Changes, Lots of Little Ones: Updates to the Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric
Introduction In the summer of 2018, Quality Matters (QM) released the Sixth Edition of the Higher Education Rubric along with a Rubric Update course to help reviewers brush up on the changes. For the Distance Learning team in the School … Read More
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Up Up and Away: How Superheroes Can Save Online Discussions
Back to Krypton… In the late summer of 2017, Jacob Guerra-Martinez a Learning Designer and game-design researcher in Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies, pitched an audacious plan to a part-time faculty member in the School of Professional Studies. He … Read More
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Time Management Strategies for Teaching Online
Benjamin Franklin said “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. Below you will find 10 strategies to assist you while teaching online during term. Host office hours: Hosting regular office hours can lessen the number of emails you … Read More
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GamiCon Reflection- My Top Three Takeaways
This past weekend I had the pleasure to attend the first ever GamiCon conference, which was a co-located event hosted here in Chicago by Sententia Games and Training Magazine’s Online Conference. This conference was specifically for those who design and … Read More
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Lowering the Cost of College with Open Educational Resources – October 2018 Online Learning Webinar
The cost of commercial textbooks can be a roadblock to student learning, but open textbooks offer high quality alternatives to instructors. According to US Public Interest Research Group, upwards of 65% of students decide against buying a textbook because of … Read More
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NUDL Workshop Reflections
This summer, AccessibleNU hosted their second UDL Workshop series. A cohort of faculty and academic staff, including Learning Designer and IDS instructor David Noffs and Senior Content Specialist Christine Scherer, learned about universal design for learning and best practices to … Read More