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),...
Updated 4/1/24 Research and articles about artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots such as Chat GPT have exploded onto the higher education scene, along with much concern and fascination. ATUS instructional designers developed the following considerations based upon...
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. One of the many reasons that people decide to go into teaching is because they like working with learners who are often young...
This video from WWU's Instructional Design Video Library provides an overview of how to add collaborations to Canvas through the Office 365 Canvas app. For assistance with Canvas, see: Canvas Help at WWU. See also: Getting Started with Teams - ATUS Using Microsoft...
The Institute for Global Engagement launched the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative for the 2023-2024 academic year with information sessions and a program to award grants to its first cohort of Western faculty fellows. What is COIL? COIL,...
Contributed to the TLCo-op by Alina Holmes, Graduate Research Assistant of the Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment, 2020. Chalk Talks are an easy way to engage students, soliciting specific responses or having them ask questions about any part of the...
Traditional assessment strategies such as exams and quizzes are not always the most impactful way to measure student learning. Equitable assessment strategies provide students with opportunities to express their learning and growth in more than one way. This...
In this article for the Educause Review, Putting Your Best Self Forward: 6 Keys For Filming Quality Videos, Jered Borup goes over tips and tricks for producing quality videos for your students. These include what to do and what not to do with your setup (camera,...
by Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi, Assistant Professor, English, WWU Common challenges in teaching larger courses (GUR) In teaching my recent GUR (around 60 students), I felt I struggled to gain the student trust, commitment, attendance, and involvement that I was used to in my...
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,...
Why is inclusivity important? Starting college is a time of transition, and it can cause many challenges and stressors in students’ lives. Students from less privileged backgrounds may have a more difficult time transitioning into college. In the article, “Increasing...
The theme of the 2016-17 Innovative Teaching Showcase was "Critical Thinking." Explore this resource for great ideas for utilizing critical thinking in the practice of teaching. See also: Teaching Handbook: Critical Thinking Toolkit “Within the current cultural...
The theme of the 2018-19 Innovative Teaching Showcase was "Open Educational Practices." Explore this resource for great ideas for utilizing OER in the practice of teaching. See also: Teaching Handbook: OER Toolkit "By replacing a static textbook — or other stable...
Members of the Western community may select “Join this Course” to join this self-enroll Canvas course made by ATUS and CIIA, which is the primary site for accessing professional development offerings each term: ATUS-CIIA Teaching, Learning, & Technology ProDev See...
Monday Morning Mentor delivers a 20-minute online program each week, addressing some of today’s most important academic issues and teaching strategies. For weekly 20-minute videos and resources, members of the Western community may select “Join this Course” to join...
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...
By: Rita Daniels, Associate Professor, Communication Studies, WWU Holding office hours is a typical university requirement for instructors. They allow students to receive additional support for course content, be motivated to do better, receive professional advice,...
Regular and Substantive Interaction is a United States Department of Education regulation that outlines the requirements for instructor interaction in online courses. These requirements help distinguish online courses from correspondence courses. Learn more about RSI...
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. Maybe you like to have music playing as students enter the class to get them started for the day. Maybe the music you are playing...
Socrative Pro is a student response system that can help instructors to poll their students anonymously, gauge student learning through quizzes, and complement their discussions with interactive approaches, all of which are helpful to increase student...
Active learning is an instructional approach that "involves students in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing," (Bonwell & Eison, 1991, p.2). Use the Active Learning Toolkit as a resource to develop active learning techniques in the...