Reading Time: 2 minutes Fresh from the AECT conference in Orlando, I find myself swimming in a sea of thoughts and questions surrounding the role of Quality Assurance (QA) frameworks in higher education, such as Quality Matters and OSCQR. We at CTL work with faculty and constantly strive to provide the best learning experience for our students. But as we navigate the complex waters of QA, we’re left wondering: Are these frameworks helping or hindering our efforts? This was a hot topic at AECT this year, and one of the most pressing concerns that was surfaced is whether QA frameworks stifle faculty creativity. Educators value their ability to engage students…
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Transform Your Teaching: Building a Community of Inquiry for Effective Online Learning – Social Presence with Dr. Sheri Conklin
Reading Time: 2 minutes In this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles discuss Rob and Jared continue the series on COI and discuss social presence with Dr. Sheri Conklin while at AECT in Orlando. Check out the episode to hear how instructors can make connections with students and how courses can provide peer-to-peer interaction. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better. Podcast links Show notes Dr. Conklin’s interest in social presence began with her asking the question: “why do we need to have peer-to-peer interaction in every course? Is it necessary?” She discovered that students…
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Transform Your Teaching: Building a Community of Inquiry for Effective Online Learning – Instructor Presence with Dr. Patrick Lowenthal
Reading Time: 2 minutes In this episode, Jared Pyles talks with Dr. Patrick Lowenthal, Professor of Educational Technology at Boise State University. He has a PhD in Educational Leadership & Innovation from the University of Colorado – Denver. Check out the episode to hear about a key component of the Community of Inquiry framework—instructor presence. Podcast links Show notes Dr. Lowenthal discusses his experience teaching online courses and how his approach to building rapport with students has changed over time. In the early days of online education, video was not widely used, so interaction with students was primarily through asynchronous discussion forums or email. In this kind of environment, Dr. Lowenthal made…
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Transform Your Teaching: Building a Community of Inquiry for Effective Online Learning – Inclusion and Assessment in Online Learning
Reading Time: < 1 minute In this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles discuss how important it is to create an inclusive environment in a course. Check out the episode to hear strategies to help create an effective online environment. Podcast links Show notes Inclusion is an important aspect of online learning and can create an environment that promotes student engagement, belonging, and success. Inclusion strategies include setting respectful communication guidelines, acknowledging diversity amongst students, being respectful of cultural differences, understanding how instructor-student relationships may differ, and ensuring that content is accessible. Inclusion strategies also affect the types of assessments that you use. You cannot expect that the same…
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Transform Your Teaching: Building a Community of Inquiry for Effective Online Learning – Establishing Presence in Online Learning
Reading Time: 2 minutes In this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles continue discussing the Community of Inquiry framework, looking at the three types of presence in greater detail. Check out the episode to hear about how the three presences work together to create a robust online learning community. Podcast links Show notes The three presences in the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework work together to influence learner engagement, active participation, and the sense of being in a learning community. Social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence also jointly enhance an instructor’s ability to stimulate class discussions and provide timely feedback. Each presence focuses on a different aspect of…