DE Oracle @ UMUC

Identifying and applying proven instructional strategies to the online classroom

Explores findings of Best Online Instructional Practices Study

Participants examine their own practices, using  Instructional Practices Inventory

Suitable for faculty at any point in their academic career

To familiarize participants with the results of the Best Online Instructional Practices Study

To identify effective instructional practices for the online classroom

To demonstrate effective mapping of assignments to learning objectives

To create a personal inventory of current teaching practices

To identify opportunities for improvement of current teaching practices

need to introduce new strategies and vary current approaches

have difficulty finding the right level of interaction with students

feel students are not meeting course learning outcomes

are experiencing low student evaluation scores

seek to better understand the relationship between instructional practices, student learning outcomes, and student satisfaction

How to give more effective feedback in the classroom and on different types of assignments;

Recognizing when the feedback problems stem from flawed assignments

Analyze the different types of feedback situations

Familiarity with a diverse set of feedback techniques

Identify common problems in giving feedback

Learn  techniques for giving feedback in online conferences

Introduction to rubrics as one method of feedback

have difficulty giving feedback on one or more types of assignments

frequently experience misunderstandings in communications with students

teach large classes or are pressed for time in giving adequate feedback

How to best manage one's time in the online teaching environment,  leading to less stress and higher quality teaching and learning

Analyze how efficient participants are at using their time while teaching online classes

Identify techniques that will help participants be more efficient and effective

Devise strategies for reducing stress through use of time management techniques

Develop a personal plan to manage time in the online classroom more efficiently and effectively

teach online classes and experience difficulty in managing their time

are experiencing feelings of burn-out

teach large classes or carry a large class-load

are concerned about juggling teaching with job and/or family responsibilities

Helping faculty from all disciplines determine and address the types of difficulties exhibited in student writing.

Applicable to both online and face-to-face instruction

Explain how students develop the writing skills of fluency, clarity, and correctness within the classroom environment

Analyze the different types of writing issues students encounter within specific disciplines

Recognize common writing problems that students face within the overall academic writing context

Identify specific problems that individual students exhibit in their writing assignments

Effectively use strategies and resources to help students overcome problematic writing issues and improve their writing

have little or no expertise as writing instructors but are responsible for creating and/or implementing writing assignments

teach core courses in which writing facility is emphasized

have many students who are poorly prepared in regard to writing skills

teach a math or science course and are not certain how to create authentic and relevant writing assignments

Explores characteristics, learning concepts, and assessment strategies for adult learners

Identify the major characteristics of the adult learner

Define the learning concepts that work best for adult learners

Choose assessment strategies for adult learners

Anticipate typical problems and concerns involved in teaching adult learners

Devise strategies for responding to problems and concerns involved in teaching adult learners

have not previously taught adult-learners

have had problems communicating with their students

have had difficulties creating assignments, tests, and meaningful activities

have received lukewarm evaluations from their students despite their expertise in the field

Web enhancement of f2f classes as a way of improving factors in classroom management and  suggest guidelines for reinforcing and deepening course content

Use the areas of the WebTycho interface with confidence

Understand the value of Web enhancement for improving classroom management in face-to-face teaching and learning

Understand the value of Web enhancement for improving the communication of course content in face-to-face teaching and learning

Analyze the relevance of WebTycho for use in their own classes

Prepare their own face-to-face classes for Web-enhanced delivery

Use the WebTycho interface to improve critical thinking and information literacy in face-to-face teaching

Understand the difference between a Web-enhanced and a fully online college course

have not used WebTycho for their f2f classroom or want to improve their use of the WT enhanced classroom

seldom use Web resources in courses or have had difficulty finding appropriate Web resources

How to easily find information resources and use in effective and legal manner.

Goes beyond what is taught in CTLA201 and  is applicable to both online and face-to-face instruction

Use advanced searching techniques in several library databases, and compare library databases, Google Scholar, and Yahoo Search for their effectiveness in retrieving documents

Understand how library instruction can be tailored to a specific class

Understand the copyright issues involved in course development and assignment design

Create syllabus and/or course material that teaches students about academic integrity and evaluates student understanding of the academic integrity concept and UMUC standards

Identify advantages and disadvantages of resources, including free software for citation management, for improving students' citation skills

seldom incorporate library-related assignments in their courses

have had difficulty getting their students to use non-Internet research sources

are not familiar with customized library services or what the library can offer their students

have experienced problems with plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty in their classes

Familiarizes faculty with UMUC Academic Policies and their effect on faculty responsibilities and expectations for students

Intended for all UMUC faculty

Understand the main provisions of UMUC’s policies on Arbitrary & Capricious Grading

Understand the main provisions of Academic Dishonesty & Plagiarism, Code of Student Conduct, the grade of "I" and Withdrawal

Understand the minimum academic standards for both undergraduate and graduate students

Identify the circumstances under which a student is likely to file an appeal

Be able to provide documentation and other information if called upon to do so in an appeal

Know how and where to access other UMUC policies

are unfamiliar with UMUC's academic policies and expectations for faculty and students

have questions or problems related to specific policy areas such as plagiarism, grading, etc.

Introduces the concept of grading rubrics and their benefits for both faculty and students.

Suitable for faculty from all divisions and disciplines, teaching online or f2f.

Identify the advantages of grading rubrics for students and faculty

Distinguish between the different types and formats for rubrics

Demonstrate how to use rubrics as a central part of the grading process, including application to the WT gradebook

Create an authentic rubric based on an actual assignment

need to apply more efficient and consistent methods of grading

need a better understanding of how to apply rubrics that have already been created for their classes

have complex assignments that could benefit from clear indicators and criteria to guide students in their work

Participants will identify the types of difficult students that faculty may encounter in a classroom-based course and discussions will focus on the best ways to handle situations involving these students.

Includes a review of UMUC policies and procedures that apply to managing difficult students.

identify the types of disruptive behavior likely to occur in classroom-based course;

handle situations more effectively with difficult students;

use UMUC policies that apply in these situations;

identify personnel at UMUC who can offer support in such situations.

would like to learn some effective techniques for handling rude or disruptive students

are not sure how to handle students who are troublesome to other students

teach online and are not sure how to handle difficult students in the online environment

Explains how faculty can use Impatica for PowerPoint as a means of enhancing online instruction.

Participants guided step-by-step to learn how to create presentations and upload them for use in WebTycho

Impaticize simple PowerPoint presentations and upload them for use in WebTycho

Impaticize narrated PowerPoint presentations and upload them for use in WebTycho

Ensure that narrated PowerPoint files are accessible to all students

Understand the value of Impatica for PowerPoint as a tool in effective online instruction

would like to build on their skills in PowerPoint

think their students can benefit from an alternate approach to presenting content

want to appeal to students with different learning styles

teach courses that contain content better understood with the addition of images or narration

want to include multimedia in their courses without incurring great investment of time