Remember that moment right before hitting “Start Recording” for your first lecture? That flutter in your stomach, the sudden awareness of every “um” and “uh,” the nagging thought that you should have worn something different? Congratulations! You’ve just experienced what musicians call performance anxiety. And you’re not alone. Teaching is Performance (Whether We Like It […]
In this blog, senior lecturer Mary Moore advocates for the inclusion of speaking assignments in the classroom, providing suggestions for authentic and effective versions of these assignments. Communication is not a “soft skill.” Rather, it is a core competency, essential in careers, civic life, and relationships. In fact, it’s hard to imagine we can […]
Caleb and Leilani examine the data and stories behind student exhaustion and offer practical strategies for instructors to make a difference. In our previous post, we outlined the top five challenges from the Ball State Student Satisfaction Survey. This post kicks off a series that will dive deep into the top five challenges students face. […]
In this entry in the Canvas Magic Series, learn about three Canvas quiz features for securing exams and combating academic dishonesty. For some students, cheating has never been easier. Artificial Intelligence (AI), online computation software, and the ability to “Chegg it” are only a few of the ways students may practice academic dishonesty. While no […]
Every fall and spring semester, the Division of Online and Strategic Learning administers the Student Satisfaction Survey to learners at Ball State. We use this data to understand the biggest challenges our students report. In the past few years, the top five challenges have remained consistent. This blog explores those five student challenges and how […]
For the inaugural blog in my Canvas Magic series, I introduce faculty to simple ways to restore deleted Canvas content. Recently, I received a call from a stressed faculty member. She was reviewing her course’s content and accidentally deleted all its exams—the same exams she was planning to import into her next iteration of the […]
As OneDrive storage is decreased, this blog advocates for creating, storing, and sharing course videos with Panopto. Beginning this summer, the University’s OneDrive storage will be significantly decreased. Specifically, storage quotas in existing student, faculty, and staff OneDrive accounts will gradually be reduced to 3GB. As quotas are reduced, Ball State faculty may consider moving […]
Learn how Caleb used his experience as an instructional consultant to make sense of his first time back in the classroom after a years-long break. This academic year, I taught for the first time since 2021. In my time away from teaching, many shifts in education have occurred. In this blog, I share insights and […]
Just like a “burger” can mean different things across cultures, so too can education, requiring educators to consider diverse learning backgrounds and adapt their classrooms accordingly. I tell this story to highlight how we all approach our lives with the experience that we have had thus far, and this experience is deeply rooted in our […]
To help instructors utilize Panopto in their own courses, this article details how I integrated Panopto into my online COMM 210 course this spring. What is Panopto? Available to Ball State faculty and employees, Panopto is a video platform for creating, managing, and sharing video content. If you are interested in using Panopto as a […]
