Category: Best Practices

5 Ways to Get a Head Start on Your Online Course

Whether you are taking an online class for the first time or you have taken one before, there are several ways you can get a head start on your course and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Here are 5 smart things to do before your course begins:

1. Make sure your computer can handle the level of technology required. For example, will you need to use programs that require Adobe Flash or JavaScript? Will you need speakers to hear lectures or participate in virtual meetings with your professor?

2. Before the class begins, make sure you are able to log on to your LMS. Familiarize yourself with the setup and where the class materials are located so that you wont be disoriented when you have to begin working.

Using Prototypes to Choose the Best E-Learning Activity: Drag-and-Drop Game vs. Immersive Experience

From multiple-choice questions to fill-in-the-blanks to thought-challenges, there are so many activities to choose from when deciding how students should review material in e-learning modules.

Cathy Moore, an award-winning writer, speaker, and international thought leader, suggests constructing quick prototypes to determine which type of activity will best promote learning and information retention.

Forging a Connection with 40,000 MOOC Students: A Princeton Professor’s Perspective

How can you teach a course to 40,000 faceless students and still maintain some semblance of a teacher-student connection?

This was the challenge that Professor Mitchell Duneier of Princeton University faced last year when he offered an online course in introductory sociology. The non-credit course was offered free of charge through Coursera, and had an enrollment of 40,000 students from 113 different countries.

6+ Ways to Use Word Clouds in Online Courses

A word cloud is a collage of words, often displayed in interesting shapes, colors, and fonts.

To create a word cloud, simply type (or copy and paste) some text into a word cloud generator, such as Wordle. Whichever words are repeated most frequently within the text will be displayed larger and more prominently within the word cloud.

In recent years, educators have come up with numerous ways to use word clouds within their lesson plans.

Here are a few ideas…