Faculty Seminars in Online Teaching

Whether you are looking to save your students money on high-priced course materials or leverage learning content that offers you the freedom to customize the learning experience for your highly-diverse student demographic, open educational resources (OER) can help you to achieve your goals. In this session, participants will learn about the richness of openly-licensed educational materials, where to find them, and potential use cases for implementation in their courses. Additionally, a UCF professor will share his story about his journey to OER and how his idea began a chain of events that turned his static text to life for his students.

Providing a course overview, offering accessible and relevant content, encouraging meaningful interaction, and challenging students to think critically are all elements that contribute to a quality online learning experience. However, designing for quality may feel like a moving target and thus an elusive goal to achieve. To address this, the Instructional Design team at UCF has created a Quality and High Quality online course review process based on our own practices as well as nationally recognized standards. Session presenters will showcase select items included in the Quality and High Quality course review process and describe beneficial outcomes from a faculty member’s perspective. A key resource will be the Quality and High Quality items which participants can use to meet their unique needs.

Is your personality, humor, and care for student success lost in translation while teaching your online course? When you are not seen or heard, learners may have more difficulty connecting with you, which may hinder the overall experience. Integrating video can help develop your online persona by fostering your social presence in the online classroom. Video has the potential to enhance student satisfaction, engagement, and meaningful learning. By using video, you can model multimedia fluency skills, essential for learners’ employability and career advancement.

The online classroom environment can sometimes cause students to feel isolated, both socially and cognitively. Digital storytelling creates a framework that can bring the online classroom to life, energizing social-cognitive dynamisms, and promoting a more authentic sense of community in the virtual teaching and learning space.

Abstract Learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard and Canvas provide a foundation for instructors to design online learning experiences. In recent years, the functionality of most LMSs has expanded to offer more flexibility, primarily by allowing external tools to be integrated. Tools such as Twitter, YouTube, and Quizlet have the potential to increase learners’ access to content, foster interaction with others in the community, and assess learning in diverse ways. In this session, we will provide examples of how these tools can support sound pedagogical practices, and encourage attendees to explore integrations in their online courses. Specifically, an instructor shares experiences of utilizing several integration tools within Canvas online courses. Presenters Amanda Groff, Ph.D. Associate Lecturer of Anthropology College of Sciences College of Education and Human Performance University of Central Florida Amanda T. Groff is an Associate Lecturer in the Anthropology Department in the College of Sciences at UCF. Over the years, Dr. Groff has integrated various tools and strategies to engage online learners in her undergraduate archaeology and cultural courses. Dr. Groff was awarded the Chuck. D. Dziuban Excellence in Online Teaching Award (2012), as well as a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award (2014) for her research on the integration of Twitter into online courses. John Raible, M.A. Instructional Designer Center for Distributed Learning University of Central Florida John Raible is an Instructional Designer with the Center for Distributed Learning and an Adjunct Professor in the College of Education and Human Performance. He facilitates faculty with the design, development, and delivery of online and mixed-mode courses. His research interests include integrating emerging technologies into the curriculum, open educational resources, and universal design for learning. Session Recordings and Supporting MaterialsRecording Streamed Podcast SessionPresentation MaterialsPresentation ResourcePowerPoint PresentationCenter for Distributed Learning ResourcesTOPcast Episode 12: The LMS: Past, Present, and Future podcast featuring Kelvin Thompson and Tom Cavanagh discussing “the future of the LMS” with a listing of helpful resources on the topic.Enhancing Your Course on Webcourses@UCF Using Integrations: This webpage provides a list of the integrations most commonly used at UCF.Are you interested in using one of the Webcourses@UCF integrations in your UCF online course? Please fill out our Webcourses@UCF Custom Integrations form to begin a conversation with a Center for Distributed Learning team member.Would you like to request that an application be integrated into Webcourses@UCF Canvas LMS or suggest an integration that could be developed in-house? Please request an integration.Scholarly Articles and ResourcesBrown, M. (2016). 6 implications of the Next-Generation Digital Learning Environments (NGDLE) framework.Brown, M., Dehoney, J., & Millichap, N. (2015). What's next for the LMS?. Educause Review, 50(4), 40-51.Dahlstrom, E., Brooks, D. C., & Bichsel, J. (2014). The current ecosystem of learning management systems in higher education: Student, faculty, and IT perspectives. Educause Center for Analysis and Research.Demski, J. (2012). Rebuilding the LMS for the 21st Century. Campus Technology.Educause Learning Initiative. (2012). 7 things you should know about learning tools interoperability.Educause Learning Initiative. (2015). 7 things you should know about Next Generation Digital Learning Environment (NGDLE).Canvas GuideHow do I use the Canvas App Center in a course?

Abstract Supporting the learning needs of students in online courses is commonly perceived as challenging for instructors, as the time and effort needed to master particular concepts may vary widely. Adaptive learning, an educational method which adapts presentation of material and assessment according to students’ unique learning needs, is gaining popularity in online courses. In this session, we will provide an overview of adaptive learning approaches, describe real-life examples, consider the instructor’s role in personalizing the experience, share available support and resources, and encourage a call to action for attendees. Specifically, an instructor’s experience of integrating personalized adaptive elements into online courses using the Realizeit platform will be presented.PresentersDebbie Hahs-Vaughn, PhDProfessor Department of Educational and Human Sciences College of Education and Human Performance University of Central FloridaDebbie L. Hahs-Vaughn is a Professor in the Methodology, Measurement, & Analysis Program in the College of Education and Human Performance, and Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence at UCF. She teaches graduate courses in quantitative statistics, primarily in online and blended formats. Dr. Hahs-Vaughn has recently integrated adaptive learning elements to allow online students to more directly control and engage in their learning and, from an instructional vantage, to provide a richer learning environment.Corrinne Stull, MAInstructional Designer Center for Distributed Learning University of Central FloridaCorrinne Stull established her career with the Center for Distributed Learning (CDL) in 2012, serving on the Techrangers team to help develop and maintain courses taught online at UCF. She joined the Instructional Design team at CDL in 2014, focusing on courses using adaptive learning software. Corrinne specializes in personalized adaptive learning and also works with accessibility and the use of OER materials.Session Recordings and Supporting MaterialsRecording: Streamed Podcast Session:http://media.blubrry.com/faculty_seminars_in_online/p/cdl.ucf.edu/staticfiles/faculty_seminars/seminar15.mp3Podcast (faculty-seminars-in-online-teaching): Play in new window | Download | EmbedSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Play | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | About Faculty SeminarsPresentation MaterialsPresentation Resources PowerPoint Presentation [PDF; 1.7MB] Scholarly Articles Alli, N., Rajan, R., Ratliff, G. (2016). How Personalized Learning Unlocks Student Success. EDUCAUSE Review, 51(2). Dziuban, C., Moskal, P., Cassisi, J., & Fawcett, A. (2016). Adaptive learning in psychology: Wayfinding in the digital age. Online Learning, 20(3), 74-96. Dziuban, C., Moskal, P., & Hartman, J. (2016). Adapting to learn, learning to adapt. ECAR Research Bulletin. Learning Gets Personal: Transforming the One-Size-Fits-all Approach to Higher Education. (2016). Murray, M., & Pérez, J. (2015). Informing and performing: A study comparing adaptive learning to traditional learning. Informing Science, 18, 111-125. Yang, T-C., Hwang, G-J., & Yang, S. J-H. (2013). Development of an adaptive learning system with multiple perspectives based on students’ learning styles and cognitive styles. Educational Technology & Society, 16(4), 185-200. RealizeIT Resources RealizeIT site RealizeIt white papers and presentations UCF-Specific Resources Webcourses@UCF Personalized Learning: Get a basic overview of personalized adaptive learning at UCF  Interested in Personalized Adaptive Learning? – Fill out the Google Form to indicate your interest and ideas, and receive feedback from a specialist: https://goo.gl/forms/KJZ6FiuCjDrtbwQI3

Abstract Addressing the needs of individual learners in online courses is commonly perceived as challenging for instructors. Design principles included in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework have the potential to optimize learning in all spaces for all people, based on scientific insights in how people learn. In this session, we will share principles from the UDL framework that promote flexible learning opportunities within online courses. Specifically, an instructor’s experience of integrating UDL principles into online courses will be presented, and an online tool called Universal Design Online Inspection Tool (UDOIT) will be showcased.PresentersMary E. Little, Ph.D.Professor and Program Coordinator Department of Child, Family, and Community Sciences College of Education and Human Performance University of Central FloridaDr. Little is a Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Programs in Exceptional Student Education at UCF. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, both online and face-to-face, in subjects such as mathematics, assessment, instruction, action research, and program evaluation. In addition, Dr. Little implements the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to meet the diverse learning needs of students, and often presents in this area at state and national venues.Nancy Swenson, M.A.Instructional Designer Center for Distributed Learning University of Central FloridaNancy Swenson is an Instructional Designer at UCF's Center for Distributed Learning, assisting faculty in the design, development, and delivery of online courses. She has over 25 years of experience in the educational field and has taught online, mixed-mode, and face-to-face courses. Her online teaching and learning research interests include adult learning theory, accessibility of online education, and universal design for learning.Session Recordings and Supporting MaterialsRecording: Streamed Podcast Session:http://media.blubrry.com/faculty_seminars_in_online/p/cdl.ucf.edu/staticfiles/faculty_seminars/seminar14.mp3Podcast (faculty-seminars-in-online-teaching): Play in new window | Download | EmbedSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Play | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | About Faculty SeminarsPresentation MaterialsPresentation Resources PowerPoint Presentation [PDF; 2MB] Universal Design for Learning Guidelines: This interactive graphic designed by the Maryland State Department of Education and Howard County Public Schools showcases the three main principles of UDL and offers strategies on how to apply them. Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST): This is the primary site for the Universal Design for Learning framework, and goes into detail about the UDL guidelines. UDL On Campus Universal Design in Higher Education: This page from CAST demonstrates how the UDL Framework applies to the higher education learning environment and provides additional resources. Ten Steps Toward Universal Design of Online Courses: This page provided by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock offers ten practical strategies to uphold the principles of universal design in online learning. Learn the Basics with Equal Access: This page from the University of Washington provides a video and publication about how college teachers can design courses to be more accessible to all students. UDL Toolkit: A state collection of UDL resources, including the UDL Curriculum Toolkit, guidelines, and policy foundations for UDL. Retrieved from University of Florida, Collaboration for Effective Educator, Development, Accountability, and Reform Center: Gainesville, FL. Universal Design for Learning: Recommendations for Teacher Preparation and Professional Development: This document sponsored by the CEEDAR Center features an innovation configuration (IC) matrix that can guide teacher educators in the development of appropriate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) content. What is UDOIT?: This page provides an overview of the Universal Design ...

Seminar Date: March 29, 2016 Seminar Time: 1:00pm Location: Streamed Online from LIB 161B AbstractThe ability to communicate in real time (synchronous) through media such as text, audio, and video, can enhance the online learning experience by providing dynamic opportunities for social connection, collaborative problem solving, and collective reflection. However, issues related to synchronous communication include scheduling conflicts, technical support, and the perception that it is extra or busy work. In this session, we will share strategies to incorporate synchronous elements that enhance engagement and learning within online courses for instructors and students. Concrete examples of applying these synchronous strategies will be shared by an instructor.PresentersBernardo Ramirez MDAssociate Professor Department of Health Management and Informatics College of Health and Public Affairs University of Central Florida Bernardo Ramirez is an Associate Professor as well as the director of the Executive Health Services Administration and Global Health Initiatives programs for the Department of Health Management and Informatics at UCF. He teaches classes on the U.S. health system, international health systems, issues and trends in health professions, and quality improvement. He has incorporated synchronous elements in his online and blended courses for three years.Tina Calandrino MEdInstructional Designer Center for Distributed Learning University of Central Florida Tina Calandrino is an Instructional Designer for the Center for Distributed Learning at UCF, assisting faculty in the design, development, and delivery of online courses. She has over twenty years of experience in the educational field and has taught online, blended, and face-to-face courses in the United States, Canada, and Italy. Her research focuses on developing tools and strategies for effective synchronous teaching in the online learning environment.Session Recordings and Supporting MaterialsRecording: Streamed Podcast Session:http://media.blubrry.com/faculty_seminars_in_online/p/cdl.ucf.edu/staticfiles/faculty_seminars/seminar13.mp3Podcast (faculty-seminars-in-online-teaching): Play in new window | Download | EmbedSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Play | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | About Faculty SeminarsPresentation MaterialsPresentation Resources PowerPoint Presentation [PDF; 5.7MB] Rubric for Online Synchronous Participation [PDF; 180KB] Tools and Resources Guidelines for Synchronous Assignments: This resource provided by Webcourses@UCF describes best practices currently in use by some online faculty at UCF. Skype for Business: This page on UCF’s Teach site describes Skype for Business and shares best practices for holding successful online meetings using the tool. Specific examples provided. Adobe Connect: This is the official page for learning more about Adobe Connect meeting feature. Free trial is offered. Zoom: This is the official page for Zoom. Google Hangouts: Hangouts bring conversations to life with photos, emoji, and group video calls for free. Connect with friends across computers, Android, and Apple devices. Educreations: Teachers can record voice and screen to create video lessons in which students can interact instantly. Available on the web or as an iPad app. Nearpod: Create presentations in which students can interact via Web and/or mobile devices. Articles and Artifacts Small Group Work and Whole Group Discussion Mediated through Webconferencing Software: This article, published in the International Journal for the Scholarship of Technology Enhanced Learning, reports on a case study that explored the benefits and challenges of facilitating group activities in a synchronous environment in an undergraduate course. Benefits of Synchronous and Asynchronous e-Learning: The purpose of this article, published by the eLearning Industry site, is to discuss the advantages of using both synchronous and asynchrono...

Seminar Date: November 4, 2015 at 1:00 pmAbstractOnline discussions are extensively used in online and mixed-mode courses. However, a common concern is that students will minimally participate in order to fulfill the grading requirements, and not truly engage with the content, instructor, or peers. In this session, we will share strategies to create and sustain online discussions that foster critical thinking and student voice. These strategies guide an instructor to effectively design the discussion before it commences, as well as to facilitate the discussion as it progresses, and assess the discussion when it concludes. Specifically, an instructor’s experience of using innovative discussion prompts within Webcourses@UCF will be showcased.PresentersBeatriz Reyes-Foster Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Anthropology College of Sciences University of Central Florida Dr. Beatriz M. Reyes-Foster is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at UCF. Since 2012, she has taught online and mixed-mode classes and regularly incorporates online discussions. She has co-authored two articles that explore the relationship between the use of word clouds in online discussions and increased critical thinking and engagement. She is also the 2015 recipient of the Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching.Rohan Jowallah Ed.D.Instructional Designer Center for Distributed Learning University of Central FloridaDr. Rohan Jowallah is an Instructional Designer for the UCF Center for Distributed Learning, assisting faculty in the design, development, and delivery of online courses. He has over twenty years of experience in the educational field and has taught online, mixed-mode, and face-to-face courses in the United States, the Caribbean, and England. His research focuses on developing and sustaining participation in the online learning environment.Session Recordings and Supporting MaterialsRecording: Streamed Podcast Session: http://media.blubrry.com/faculty_seminars_in_online/p/cdl.ucf.edu/staticfiles/faculty_seminars/seminar12.mp3Podcast (faculty-seminars-in-online-teaching): Play in new window | Download | EmbedSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Play | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | About Faculty SeminarsPresentation MaterialsSeminar Presentation (3.5MB; PDF) Resources Wordle: Free, online word cloud generator used by Dr. Reyes-Foster TedEd Talks: Build a lesson around any TED-Ed Original, TED Talk, or You Tube video – as presented by Dr. Rohan Jowallah Pic Collage: Application which allows you to build a collage made up of student photos, used by Dr. Reyes-Foster in her photovoice assignment. Available for iOS and Android. Word Cloud Discussion: Dr. Beatriz Reyes-Foster’s discussion activity with word clouds is located in Canvas Commons, which is a learning object repository available to Canvas users. Log into Canvas and click on Commons. Search for “Group Discussion Using Word Clouds”. Click “Import into Course” if you’d like to use/edit the survey in one of your courses. Survey about Discussion Strategies: Dr. Beatriz Reyes-Foster’s survey about discussion effectiveness is located in Canvas Commons, which is a learning object repository available to Canvas users. Log into Webcourses@UCF and click on Commons. Search for “Survey about Discussion Strategies”. Click “Import into Course” if you’d like to use/edit the survey in one of your courses. Articles Using Word Clouds in Online Discussions to Support Critical Thinking and Engagement: This article, published in the Online Learning Journal, shares the study that was presented by Dr. Reyes-Foster in the seminar. Strategies for Creating a Community of Inquiry through Online Asynchronous Discussions: This article in the Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, co-written by two instructional designers from UCF, shares practical strategies (such as peer facilitation and providing audio feedback) that support the emergence of a student community of inquiry.

Ownership of mobile technologies such as smartphones and tablets continues to rise amongst college students. Incorporating these devices in coursework can facilitate authentic learning, with students connecting what is taught in the course to real-world issues and applications. This can be especially powerful in online learning environments, allowing students to capture experiences in the field and share with others in the class. Although instructors may express an interest in incorporating a mobile element, they are often unsure how to design course activities that are not only engaging, but also effectively support authentic learning. In this session, issues of mobile design, assessment, and support will be discussed. Specifically, an instructor’s experience of integrating mobile devices to support authentic learning in a mixed-mode (blended) course will be showcased.

Online exams are popular in college courses, offering a time-efficient and flexible way of assessing student learning. Students often prefer them because of the convenience factor, while instructors like that they do not expend valuable face-to-face class time. However, the concern about students cheating on online exams is pervasive throughout higher education. Instructors often worry that it is difficult for students to remain academically honest under such conditions. In this session, resources and strategies to encourage academic honesty in the online exam environment such as considerations for test construction and exam settings will be shared. Specifically, we will showcase an instructor’s use of ProctorHub, UCF’s newest online proctoring tool, which is designed to mitigate these concerns.

Today’s college students are using social media more than ever in their personal lives, and emerging research suggests that social media can have a powerful influence on the learning experience. Many instructors have an interest in harnessing the pedagogical potential of social media, but are unsure how to effectively integrate them in their curricula. In this session, we will describe how social media can foster a sense of community within and beyond the classroom setting. Specifically, we will showcase strategies designed to create and sustain community using the social media tool Twitter, addressing commonly identified issues such as student privacy and communication.

The task of online collaboration is daunting, but not impossible. Advancements in communication technologies along with sound pedagogical techniques and clear student expectations can lower the barrier to effective group work online. This session will present strategies, resources, and services designed to assist faculty in implementing collaborative projects online. Ideas and concerns of on-site and remote participants will be solicited. The goal of this interactive session is to create a constructive and practical dialogue with colleagues.

At the Center for Distributed Learning we often hear from faculty, “that’s a great idea, but it’ll never work for me because I teach such large classes.” Student engagement can be a challenge in any size class, but it can be overwhelming trying to reach hundreds of students individually when there’s only one of you. In this brief seminar, we will share a set of strategies that can be used to make the most effective use of your time to provide a personal touch to all of your students. We will provide specific examples using existing tools in Webcourses@UCF and share anecdotal experiences using these strategies with classes of over 1400 students. The strategies presented in this session were developed with large classes in mind, but they can be used successfully in any size class.

It is easier than ever before to include existing media and to create your own media for online course content. Photos, infographics, charts, illustrations, icons! Demos, screencasts, events, interviews! Webcams, smartphones, YouTube, and Flickr! Possibilities abound for enriching online course content with media that contribute to understanding, captivate attention, or increase retention. In this session rich with examples, presenters will share principles for making wise choices about how to best include media for the greatest benefit and the least amount of hassle.

Whether you have been teaching online for years or are just getting started, “online course quality” is an elusive goal to achieve. For instance, what are the components of a high quality course? How does course design contribute to overall course quality? What role does the teaching practice of the online instructor play in course quality? Can the characteristics of the students impact the quality of the course? Are large classes and small classes of equivalent quality? Access this brief, informative session for access to an array of tools, resources, and information to aid you in the quest for quality in online teaching. A featured resource is the debut of UCF’s Online Course Quick Check as a tool for quick self-assessment or collegial feedback.

Blended courses (also known as “mixed-mode” at UCF) are growing in popularity in higher education. The benefit of the blended approach is that it offers students the flexible scheduling and pacing of the online environment, along with the support of the face-to-face interaction of the classroom. However, there are unique challenges in the design of a blended course. Care must be taken to leverage the “best” of both learning environments to design a cohesive, seamless learning experience. In this brief seminar, we will explore affordances of blended learning, review models of blended learning implementation, and share practical strategies in order to maximize the integration of the face-to-face and online components in your blended courses.

As new and exciting technologies emerge, many of us are compelled to incorporate them into our online courses. Yet how do we face the challenge of ensuring that all of our students, including those with visual and hearing impairments, learning disabilities, and non-native English speakers, can access these materials? In this session, presenters will discuss a variety of strategies, resources, and services that will help us make online course materials accessible. Ideas and concerns of on-site and remote participants will be solicited. The goal of this session is constructive and practical dialogue with colleagues.

Minimal student effort coupled with what some perceive as an isolating online learning experience make it more important than ever to identify strategies for engaging students online. In this recorded session, presenters will review a variety of synchronous and asynchronous interaction strategies with a particular focus on designing and facilitating meaningful online discussions.

In the face of larger numbers of students in online courses and the challenge of designing effective assessments in an online environment, the need is greater than ever to implement scalable strategies that mitigate academic integrity issues. In this recorded session, presenters will review a variety of assessment techniques applicable to many disciplines.