Assess Your Course Design for Quality Practices
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer Whether you are teaching a course for the first time or the fiftieth, it is good practice to take a step back and critically reflect on the design of one’s course. Faculty are undoubtedly the masters of their course content,…
Blogging: So Many Uses, So Little Time
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer Blogs have greatly contributed to the explosion of content created and shared on the internet. I, myself, couldn’t count the number of hours I’ve spent reading blogs about everything from recipes to research. There are many academic applications for blogs. Blogs allow…
Flipping vs. Blending – What’s the Difference?
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer Like it or not, technology is influencing the process of teaching and learning in new and evolving ways. Two key trends that draw upon innovations in technology and pedagogy are the flipped learning format and the blended learning format. As…
Top Ten Syllabus Suggestions
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer A new semester is about to begin and that means it is time to update your course syllabi (or syllabuses, if you prefer). There isn’t one specific syllabus format endorsed at Pacific Lutheran University, so I have created an outline…
My First MOOC: A New Year’s Resolution Revisited
By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer In January, I enrolled in my first MOOC to learn more about this controversial form of instruction. It was definitely valuable, both for instructional design research and as a learning experience. The course was designed around five basic elements: video…
My First MOOC: A New Year’s Resolution
Click above to view complete image By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer I am not one to jump on the bandwagon for any type of fad that gets a lot of media attention. My first iPhone was the 5, just out of stubbornness. But in my…
The Virtues of Video
By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer I recently offered a workshop on “flipping the classroom” and it has me thinking more and more about the virtues of instructional videos. Even if you are not ready for a full classroom flip, instructional videos are a great way…
The Tao of Online Discussion Rubrics
By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer Over the past two weeks, I have been preparing for a faculty workshop on using assessment tools in Sakai. While drafting a section on discussion forums, I scoured the internet looking for an exemplary discussion board rubric to share…
Are we there yet? Guiding students with course goals and objectives
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer Have you ever attempted to drive to a new restaurant at night with only a vague idea of where it was located? Trying to reach a destination without some necessary information can invoke feelings of anxiety and frustration. Students may…