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The is a quick online tool to determine the "readability" of your written content. You simply paste in some text and it gives you an indication of how many years of formal education would be needed to be able to understand the reading. This tool is helpful when designing your course content. For example, if you paste in text for a first year course and get a reading level of 16 years of education on the Gunning Fog index; then you should try to state your content more simply. You don't need to "dumb down" the content, but rather re-state it.

This is a great resource introducing inquiry-based learning.

"More than a decade after Prensky's influential articulation of digital natives and immigrants, great disagreement exists around these characterizations of students and the impact of such notions within higher education. Perceptions of today's undergraduate learners as tech-savvy "digital natives" (Prensky, 2001a), who both want and need the latest emerging technologies in all learning situations, continue to dominate the discourse in education technology research and practice. Popular yet largely unsubstantiated conceptions of digital natives are often embedded within the assumptions of contemporary research on student perceptions of emerging technologies, seemingly without regard for a growing body of evidence questioning such notions. In order to promote critical discussion in the higher education community considering potential directions for further research of these issues, especially within the Canadian context, the purpose of this review of recent literature is to analyze key themes emerging from contemporary research on the Net generation as digital natives. "

Nice short video introducing ways to make use of the discussion forums in an LMS like BBLearn. There appears to be other useful videos in this series. Thanks to Mark Morton at Waterloo for pointing this out.

"Generation is often used to explain and rationalize the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in higher education. However, a comprehensive review of the research and popular literature on the topic and an empirical study at one postsecondary institution in Canada suggest there are no meaningful generational differences in how learners say they use ICTs or their perceived behavioural characteristics."

"Copyright and creative commons are particularly important in the educational context where content is often copied, shared, reused and remixed by both teachers and students in the learning and teaching process."

"A growing literature suggests that there is a disjuncture between the instructional practices of the education system and the student body it is expected to serve, particularly with respect to the roles of digital technologies. Based on surveys and focus group interviews of first-year students at a primarily undergraduate Canadian university and focus group interviews of professors at the same institution, this study explores the gaps and intersections between students' uses and expectations for digital technologies while learning inside the classroom and socializing outside the classroom, and the instructional uses, expectations and concerns of their professors. It concludes with recommendations for uses of digital technologies that go beyond information transmission, the need for extended pedagogical discussions to harness the learning potentials of digital technologies, and for pedagogies that embrace the social construction of knowledge as well as individual acquisition."

This website, by Jon Mueller, is a treasure trove of tools for anyone looking to explore the topic of authentic assessment. There are examples and step-by-step guides to creating holistic and analytic rubrics and portfolios.

"At Carnegie Mellon, we believe that for assessment to be meaningful (not bean-counting or teaching to the test!) it must be done thoughtfully and systematically. We also believe it should be driven by faculty so that the information gathered: * Reflects the goals and values of particular disciplines * Helps instructors refine their teaching practices and grow as educators * Helps departments and programs refine their curriculum to prepare students for an evolving workplace" Check out this website as a resource for assessment at the program level and the course level.

Mike Neary, Dean of Teaching and Learning at University of Lincoln, keynote on Student as Producer at NAIRTL Conference

"The goal of Teach With Tournaments is simple -- immerse students in the personalities and character of the great men and women of history through competition. For this school year, the tournament focused on one theme: the most courageous figure in U.S. history. Each student chose a historical figure he or she thought best embodies courage in U.S. history, from military heroes such as Alvin York to civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks to humanitarian pioneers such as Clara Barton. Each choice was then paired off in the bracket system. Students were required to research their character's accomplishments and then defend their choice in front of the class. Afterward, the class voted and the winners moved on to the next round, eventually narrowing the field of 64 to one champion."

The website from the team at Indiana University exploring bottlenecks in student learning as a way to decode the disciplines. Very relevant to

"ION and the Illinois Virtual Campus have taken the lead to develop a quality online course rubric and evaluation system in the state of Illinois. The goal of this project is to help colleges and universities to improve accountability of their online courses."

This article, by Todd Zakrajsek, offers some great tips for teaching large classes.

Back-of-envelope calculations are a great way to help your students practice completing problems and to break up the lecture. Check out the SERC's examples of back-of-envelope calculations in their Activity Collection.

On this page: 1. You identify the problem you encounter in your teaching (choose from a list) 2. Identify possible reasons for the problem (choose from a list) 3. The site provides a list of strategies to address the problem

"Many of the decisions affecting the success of a course take place well before the first day of class. Careful planning at the course design stage not only makes teaching easier and more enjoyable, it also facilitates student learning. Once your course is planned, teaching involves implementing your course design on a day-to-day level."

"This site provides practical strategies to address teaching problems across the disciplines. These strategies are firmly grounded in educational research and learning principles."