Three general university classrooms have been created for student engagement and active learning in WWU's Interdisciplinary Science Building. Each room has multiple screens available for both instructor and student use during group work sessions. Participants are able...
As a result of hardships related to COVID-19 and many other stresses in present-day life for us and our students, many of us may be feeling compassion fatigue. This can lead to distress or burnout. In the article, “Are you experiencing compassion fatigue?” (2022),...
by Rebecca Borowski, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, WWU Getting bored with Discussion boards? Consider having students post to a wiki! A wiki is a website that can be edited by multiple users. Rather than discussion boards, where students reply...
by Rebecca Borowski, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, WWU Have you ever popped into a breakout room to check on your students, only to find cameras off, everyone muted, apparently using the time for their own purposes, rather than engaging with each...
Contributed to the TLCo-op by Alina Holmes, Graduate Research Assistant of the Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment, 2020. As teachers, we all know that it is important to set expectations at the start of the quarter for all students. One way to consider...
Contributed to the TLCo-op by Alina Holmes, Graduate Research Assistant of the Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment, 2020. If you are looking for a safe, inclusive, and free virtual space to create classroom groups and discussions, Flip is the tool for...
Contributed to the TLCo-op by Alina Holmes, Graduate Research Assistant of the Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment, 2020. One of the many reasons that people decide to go into teaching is because they like working with learners who are often young...
Interested in using WordPress to create your own class site, personal site, or portfolio site? Visit https://wp.wwu.edu to get started on creating your personalized website. Simply select which type of WordPress website you're interested in creating and enter your...
Teachers have an important opportunity to create a space for students that is centered on health, the environment, and the community. Possible Actions Make Your Course Accessible Practice Universal Design of Instruction. Ensure all pages, documents, and PDFs are...
Google Docs is a great tool to allow multiple students to work on the same shared document. Students can share their thoughts through text, photo collages, word clouds, and drawings in individual breakout rooms and come then come together as a class on a single...
Google Slides is a great tool for promoting students to work together in breakout rooms on a document that is easy to access after coming together as a complete class. For more information on this strategy see Utilizing Breakout Rooms and Online Tools for Student...
Shared with WWU from the UW Resiliency Lab, the WWU Learning Library (requires login) includes the Well-Being for Life and Learning Guidebook, a new resource for instructors to aid them in designing learning environments that promote well-being. Combining research,...
The theme of the 2022-23 Innovative Teaching Showcase is “Difficult Conversations.” Explore this resource for great ideas for utilizing difficult conversations in the practice of teaching. When I do introduce [a difficult topic], my students love it because [it]...
Members of the Western community may select “Join this Course” to join this self-enroll Canvas course to view recordings, slides, and resources from recent professional development offerings related to teaching, learning, and technology strategies. This is the...
by Rebecca Borowski, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, WWU Group assignments offer one way for students to engage with course content and demonstrate their learning. Collaboration offers an opportunity to students to refine their ideas and receive...
Incorporating the suggested etiquette for online learning can help everyone be more successful in online courses, in Zoom or Teams video conferencing, or with online collaborative work. DOs & DON’Ts for Online Learning - Suggestions for online learners, compiled...
OneNote is a great tool for encouraging students to work together in breakout rooms on a single document that is easy to access after coming together as a class. For more information on this strategy see Utilizing Breakout Rooms and Online Tools for Student...
by Brenda Miller, Professor, English Department, WWU Why "Ikebana"? This model stems from what I experienced as a student in an Ikebana class here in Bellingham. Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging; the compositions follow formal guidelines, but they also...
Contributed to the TLCo-op by Alina Holmes, Graduate Research Assistant of the Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment, 2020. If you are a professor who is looking to radically change your pedagogy and teaching this quarter, this post might be for you....
by Meg Weber, Director of Community Engagement and Executive Education, Head Instructor, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, WWU As faculty members, so often we can feel like our connection with students is less than it was in the past. We recall bustling days of...
All students enter a classroom with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Their experiences could possibly include trauma which the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines as: “an event, series of events, or set of circumstances...
Explore the ATUS page, Using Microsoft Teams in your Online or Hybrid Course, to learn how to use Microsoft Teams educators to schedule and conduct online class discussions and course lectures, conduct online office hours, securely record student presentations, and...
This video from WWU's Instructional Design Video Library provides an overview of adding the Canvas (simple) chat menu item and using it in your class. For assistance with Canvas, see: Canvas Help at WWU.
by Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi, Assistant Professor, English and Creative Writing, WWU If this title caught your eye it may be because, like me, you are an obsessive fan of The Great British Bake Off (GBBO), a show where amateur bakers attempt to wow judges and...
Reconstructing a successful class that was meant to be in-person to fit the new online format can be challenging and intimidating. Someone who has tackled this task and found great success, according to his students, is Dr. Charles Patterson, Professor of Spanish at...
WesternOnline is a resource created by WWU's Outreach and Continuing Education to help build online courses effectively. Learn more about strategies and methods that can help you increase student engagement in online courses--and with any course modality using online...
WesternOnline is a resource created by WWU’s Outreach and Continuing Education to help build online courses effectively. Learn more about strategies and methods for teaching synchronous classes. Explore:...