Sakai Gradebook: Supporting Student Success
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer Image courtesy of Ron Gerhardstein, 2017 Efforts to increase student retention have highlighted the importance of supporting student success. While grades are not the be-all and end-all of college learning, it is still important for students to be able to…
Summer Sessions: On-Budget, On-Time, Online
By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer Despite a long and lingering winter, it is almost time for PLU students to begin planning for summer. Instructors and advisers have an opportunity to talk with students about the advantages of participating in Summer Sessions . Consider how online…
Communicating Course Expectations
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer The first weeks of a course are a critical time for establishing expectations. Teachers in K-12 education have long understood the value of classroom management; but in higher education, the topic is sometimes overlooked. Whether your teaching style is structured…
Subscribe to Journal Alerts
Mortvedt Library database subscriptions make an extraordinary number of journals available to the University community. You may want to stay current with topics from your discipline or higher education. One great option is to sign up to receive personalized “alerts” to your email inbox via…
Day 1: Focus on Success & Community
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer The first day of class should be more than just a review of the syllabus. The beginning of a new term provides an opportunity to prepare students for success and establish community in your course before diving deep into instructional…
Academic Integrity and Honor Pledges
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer As the end of the semester approaches, many students will inevitably begin to feel the pressure of impending papers, projects, and exams. While the prevalence of cheating varies and is difficult to measure, most faculty are concerned with ensuring the…
Instructional Resources, Part 1: Variety is the Spice of [Student] Life
By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer One way to increase student engagement with course content is to promote a variety of instructional resources that provide multiple perspectives or methods of delivery. When planning instructional content, consider how content posted online can enhance the learning taking place…
Managing Student Email with Discussion Forums
By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer Living in the age of digital communication, email inboxes can demand the time and attention of many professionals. While there is no perfect remedy to managing email, one strategy faculty may consider is using an online forum for answering general…
Faculty Resources: A New Library Collection
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer To support the professional growth of PLU faculty, a new collection of “Faculty Resources” is now available on the first floor of the library. This small but mighty collection covers a range of topics related to teaching and learning in…
Collaborative Note Taking
by Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer Student note taking is usually encouraged to help students process, summarize, and synthesize new information. Some students and instructors are also exploring the idea of collaborative note taking using online tools like Google Docs and wikis. The idea seems great:…