Innovators Archive
November 12, 2015
Bringing the ‘real world’ of language to the classroom
Betsy Evans, associate professor in the Department of Linguistics, uses a number of technologies in her classroom to help students see and share the real world of language—deepening their understanding of complex linguistic theory. These technologies include Canvas, UW’s learning management system, and clickers, an audience response system that allows an entire class to respond…
October 1, 2015
Classrooms without borders
In spring 2015, Ursula Valdez, a UW Bothell lecturer in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, used readily available technology and social media tools to bring Peru and its people right into her Bothell classroom. She teamed up with a colleague in Peru to teach the same class in two countries at the same time, creating a…
October 31, 2014
A classroom veteran tackling new technology
There’s a learning curve in setting up a hybrid course, says Lynn Hankinson Nelson, “especially for those of us my age, with 35 years of teaching experience. But the support is wonderful.” Nelson, who was a Teaching with Technology Fellow in summer 2013, credits the staff at the Center for Teaching and Learning, UW Information…
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
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…
Six tips for video success in the classroom
Butch de Castro, Associate Professor, Nursing and Health Studies at UW Bothell, shares six tips he used to help students succeed in a group video assignment, which focused on understanding the views and concerns of South Seattle neighborhoods. Salem Lévesque of the UW Bothell Learning Technologies team provided support for his class. 1. Consider class size…
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