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A feature of OSU's Google Apps suite that might be handy for student clubs / student groups -- might be especially handy in engaging off-campus students into student activities? See the video for a quick overview.

Lessons from a Texas A&M professor who flipped a 400-student "Introduction to Ancient Rome" course.

I'd love to hear some real world examples that address one point in the article: "Content delivery is the easy part. The hard part is figuring out what to do in class that keeps students engaged, and motivated to prepare for class." If anyone in our group knows of some specific tricks teachers usually employ for this, please let me know. (lil' quizzes? Q&A discussions? or something more interesting?) I'm wondering if there are other sorts of multimedia activities I could make that would serve similar function.

Warren, good question! The peer instruction approach of Eric Mazur et al. (see http://mazur.harvard.edu/research/detailspage.php?rowid=8) is a popular in-class technique. Here are some of other methods OSU hybrid faculty use to link online and face-to-face spheres: 1 - A low-stakes weekly quiz online prior to each class meeting. 2 - A discussion that flows from online to face-to-face and back again. 3 - A very short online essay turned in before each class meeting that builds on the online content, and is tied directly to in-class discussion or group work that follows. 4 - An interactive multimedia lesson online that provides a foundation for or extends in-class learning. (Examples: I recommend looking at Simon Driver and Megan McDonald's hybrid EXSS 444--I can connect you.) 5 - Group work online (e.g., formulating a debate position or a solution to real-world problem) that feeds into the next f2f class activity. 6 - A quiz at the start of each class meeting based on the online content. Whatever the method, a key is that the learning activities online channel rather directly into the in-class activities and vice versa. Think of it as a long ping-pong volley between learning activities in the online and f2f spheres from the first day of the term until the final exam or project.

Ecampus video about creating assignments for online courses, with tips on managing group assignments.

Collection of SketchNotes on a wide variety of topics. An interesting alternative to the traditional outline / long-hand format of note-taking. I've noticed many students don't seem to have a good grasp on taking and organizing class notes. I wonder what introducing this as an option would do for them? More info on SketchNotes: http://summit.worldcat.org/oclc/796754744

Organize courses, research groups and conferences for free.

"Two-stage examinations consist of a first stage in which students work individually as they typically do in examinations (stage 1), followed by a second stage in which they work in groups to complete another examination (stage 2), which typically consists of a subset of the questions from the first examination." Q: What are ways to successfully apply this strategy in online courses?

Harvard's online repository for active learning. Searchable by activity type (e.g., discussion, game, peer instruction, debate, presentation), subject area, timeline, learning goals, student scope (individual, pair, group, or whole-class), final product and assessment type. Site also summarizes research on active learning by activity type.

Research findings: "Faculty who assign team projects without preparing their students to work in teams greatly increase the likelihood that students will have a negative experience and student learning and performance will suffer. Teaching teamwork content is necessary but not sufficient for important educational and performance outcomes. Providing ongoing teamwork support is critical to team success and student learning."

A thought-provoking reflection and case study about online discussion design.