Trends and Issues in Higher Ed

Innovators Story Archive


October 31, 2014

Replacing the five-page paper with online exhibits

Margaret O’Mara’s urban history students used to write a five-page research paper that only she and peer reviewers read. But when she most recently taught The City (HSTAA 208), the students’ work was posted on a public website, available to anyone interested in Seattle history. Students learned that they could become authors who drew new…


Expecting the unexpected in a dynamic group project

John Wilkerson’s initial goal in developing LegSim, a web-based mock legislative session, was to find a more convenient way to manage the one- or two-week capstone of his course on the United States Congress (POL S 353). Now LegSim serves as the centerpiece of the course, and is used by thousands of college and high-school…


Using video to create a community of practice among online students

  Faculty in the online Early Childhood & Family Studies (ECFS) degree learned that video feedback can help student-teachers progress as quickly, or even more quickly, than in-person coaching. Their techniques could also be used to coach students practicing other interpersonal activities, such as leading discussions, says Gail Joseph. “In our program, students video themselves…


Helping students learn to work on professional teams

In Sean Munson’s introductory course in Interactive Systems Design and Technology (HCDE 310), students learn computational thinking and gain experience with tools they would encounter on a professional software team. This requires them to learn to program software, a prospect many find intimidating. So Munson crafts programming assignments that build to a capstone project, designing…


Sharing teaching strategies throughout a department

Chemistry faculty build on a long tradition of collaboration to share best practices in teaching with technology. “There’s very much an open-door policy about help with teaching. That really set the tone for me,” says A.J. Boydston, who has advised numerous Chemistry faculty about setting up online office hours, recording lectures, and other technologies. Many…


Leading online talks that enrich in-person class

Photo of Dian Million

For Dian Million, online discussions provide a safe space for students to explore challenging issues. She has always promoted discussions as a way to engage students. “I’ve never liked lecturing. I hate it,” she says. “I come from communities that are dialogic.” She was pleased to find that online discussions in her hybrid-format course, Indian Children…


Personalizing online courses

“Teaching online allows me to talk to each student personally every week,” says Christine Stevens, Associate Professor, Nursing & Healthcare Leadership at UW Tacoma. “I don’t get that in a big in-person class of 45 students. Some students are too shy to talk to me in person.” Stevens teaches multiple online and hybrid classes that…


May 1, 2014

Reflecting through short, easy-to-evaluate writing assignments

When students reflect on their academic learning and its relationship to their personal and professional goals, they gain a deeper understanding of the course material, as well as a better sense of who they are and where they’re going.1,2,3 They also gain a valuable skill. Employers want to hire people who are self-aware, who know…



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