Alternate Delivery Program

For anyone considering some form of online lecture or presentation, the problem is trying to replicate the "presence" you take for granted in a face-to-face (F2F) setting. There are many options, but you need to understand their pros & cons to choose wisely. Hint: Think "less is more," and remember students can now "replay" and "review" your presentation.

Tired of simply counting how many times your students respond on a discussion board? So are they. By commiting in advance to a rubric that defines a quality post or reply, students can submit a "participation portfolio" of their best work with a self-grade the instructor can accept, raise or lower. The students' "self-grade" is based on "evidence" they collect (not you) and provide in a portfolio "template" that fosters authentic conversation between students, not one-way posts that pander to the prof.

As more of a course moves online, students should take more responsiblity for their own learning as well as the learning climate for the course itself. For starters, use Blackboard's "adaptive release" to create a syllabus quiz or academic integrity quiz students must pass before they can see (let alone submit) an electronic assignment for a grade. Research shows students value checking grades and access to online practice quizzes and sample exams more than any other function in a course management system like Blackboard. Learn to leverage students' curiosity to help them become more responsible in your face-to-face (F2F) and online classes.

Looking for a way to control content release so that students meet pre-recquisites before moving on to additional content? "Adaptive Release" is the tool to use and gives you all kinds of control in how content is accessed in your course. By setting up rules and conditions, faculty members can require students to "achieve" before they can move on in the course. Learn how to set up the tool and take control of how students learn.