Providing a course overview, offering accessible and relevant content, encouraging meaningful interaction, and challenging students to think critically are all elements that contribute to a quality online learning experience. However, designing for quality may feel like a moving target and thus an elusive goal to achieve. To address this, the Instructional Design team at UCF has created a Quality and High Quality online course review process based on our own practices as well as nationally recognized standards. Session presenters will showcase select items included in the Quality and High Quality course review process and describe beneficial outcomes from a faculty member’s perspective. A key resource will be the Quality and High Quality items which participants can use to meet their unique needs.

Presentation Abstract Join Dr. Scott Freeman, principal lecturer in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington, as he presents a high-level overview of the role of active learning in STEM disciplines and implications for technology-mediated course redesign (i.e., blended, adaptive, or online). Show Notes Dr. Scott Freeman’s meta-analysis (referenced in the video): Active …

About the Plenary Session This plenary presentation about services offered by the Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) was facilitated by Don Merritt, Director of OIR, and Todd McMahon, Assistant Director of OIR. The presentation highlights some of the many services UCF faculty can take advantage through OIR, such as the use of Lightboards, Camtasia Studio, the …

In this presentation of Creating Accessible Online Content, Jacob Bates, Techranger Team Lead, and Jesse McBride, Techranger, discuss some of the best practices for designing accessible content. During the course of this presentation, Jacob and Jesse will also demonstrate CDL’s Universal Design Online Content Inspection Tool (UDOIT) that enables faculty to identify accessibility issues in …

Is your personality, humor, and care for student success lost in translation while teaching your online course? When you are not seen or heard, learners may have more difficulty connecting with you, which may hinder the overall experience. Integrating video can help develop your online persona by fostering your social presence in the online classroom. Video has the potential to enhance student satisfaction, engagement, and meaningful learning. By using video, you can model multimedia fluency skills, essential for learners’ employability and career advancement.

The online classroom environment can sometimes cause students to feel isolated, both socially and cognitively. Digital storytelling creates a framework that can bring the online classroom to life, energizing social-cognitive dynamisms, and promoting a more authentic sense of community in the virtual teaching and learning space.

Kenneth L. Hanson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Judaic Studies, College of Arts and Humanities was awarded the Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching by the Center for Distributed Learning (CDL). The award presentation occurred during the Showcase event that concluded the spring section of CDL’s faculty development program for online and blended teaching, IDL6543. Dr. Hanson received the 2017 Dziuban Award for demonstrating excellent online teaching in his course, JST3401 Jewish People in Antiquity.

Abstract Learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard and Canvas provide a foundation for instructors to design online learning experiences. In recent years, the functionality of most LMSs has expanded to offer more flexibility, primarily by allowing external tools to be integrated. Tools such as Twitter, YouTube, and Quizlet have the potential to increase learners’ …