Tag: Teaching How-To

Student-Driven Team Building: A Self-Assessment Approach to Forming Effective Project Groups in Higher Education

December 4, 2024 by Carlos Lopez Mercado

Learn about a student-driven team building approach to turn dreaded group projects into powerful learning experiences. Introduction: A Student’s Perspective On the first day of teaching a project management class for art and journalism students, we discussed the syllabus and the importance of team assignments. As I emphasized the significance of collaborative work, a senior […]

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Leverage Poll Everywhere to Engage Your Students

November 20, 2024 by Cheri Madewell

Learn how to use Poll Everywhere for comprehension checks, exit tickets, student check-ins, readiness assessments, and more. Poll Everywhere is an effective student response system for fostering an interactive in-person classroom and for engaging with students asynchronously. Students can respond to your poll via a QR code, a unique link, or text message on their […]

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New in Canvas: Multiple Due Date Discussions with Checkpoints

November 13, 2024 by Eva Grouling Snider

Update (November 19, 2024): Canvas has changed the timeline for Discussion Checkpoints. It will now be available beginning January 18, 2025. Learn how to use the new Discussion Checkpoints feature in Canvas to assign an initial post and required replies. When assigning discussion boards on Canvas, it’s common for faculty to assign an initial post […]

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Canvas Update to Know About (Q3 2024)

October 23, 2024 by Eva Grouling Snider

Looking to stay up-to-date on Canvas? Here are the highlights of new Canvas features introduced during Q3 2024 (July – September). For a comprehensive list of Canvas updates, see Instructure’s Canvas Releases page. Additionally, look for the following upcoming Canvas changes: Look for an update about Q4 2024 changes at the end of December. We […]

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Panopto Features to Know About

August 28, 2024 by Eva Grouling Snider

Learn about features of Panopto and how you can use them to create engaging instructional videos for your students. In the coming months, Ball State will be adopting Panopto as our video platform. As we all work together to learn Panopto, I wanted to share a few highlights of Panopto features that will help you […]

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Late Passes in Canvas: One Approach to Structured Flexibility

April 10, 2024 by Eva Grouling Snider

Configuring late passes in Canvas can offer students structured flexibility to support them in successfully completing your course. In a recent post, “Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Crisis: Why Balancing Flexibility and Structure in Course Policies Is Important,” Ellen Whitehead and Mellisa Holtzman shared their research about teaching practices adopted by faculty during the pandemic. […]

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Leaning into my Strengths as an Instructional Designer

April 3, 2024 by Sarah Ackermann

Learn more about how to focus on your own strengths when planning and designing a course. What Are My Strengths? As an educator I’m regularly reflecting on my instructional practice. Whether it’s thinking about my next brand-new course or how I might improve a previous class, I will often find my brain wandering in the […]

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Mind Over Monsters: An Interview with Author Sarah Rose Cavanagh on Compassionate Challenge

March 27, 2024 by Sarah Rose Cavanagh, Cheri Madewell

Read an interview with Sarah Rose Cavanagh, keynote speaker at the 2024 Teaching and Technology Summit. Researcher and author Sarah Rose Cavanagh opened the Ball State March 21-22 Teaching and Technology Summit with “Hope in a Time of Monsters: Supporting Student and Faculty Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge.” In the following post, Cheri Madewell, director of […]

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How I Came Up With My AI Syllabus Policy

March 20, 2024 by Eva Grouling Snider

Read a breakdown of one AI syllabus policy to help you consider how to craft your own AI policy. If you have (or are considering adding) an AI policy on your syllabus, this post is for you. I’m going to share my AI syllabus policy and break down how I wrote that policy. I am […]

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Supplement Office Hours with Canvas Appointment Groups

March 13, 2024 by Eva Grouling Snider

Supplement your office hours with in-person or virtual appointments that students can book straight through Canvas using Appointment Groups. Have you ever bemoaned the fact that students don’t come to your office hours? In this post, you’ll learn about a Canvas feature that can help you increase the amount of one-on-one time you get with […]

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