Resource Library
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The Ultimate Guide to Instructional Design
Our experts break down what instructional design is, what instructional designers do and share tips for creating engaging, inclusive educational content that learners will love.
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9 Things to Consider Before Making an LMS Switch
About the eBook Your LMS functions as the heart of your academic institution—it not only hosts and manages learning material, but also helps students to successfully hit learning outcomes. However,…
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SNHU turns student data into student success
How SNHU Turns Student Data Into Student Success Ensuring student success has become one of the biggest challenges for colleges and universities. With the adoption of education technology, higher education…
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Make Data-Driven Decisions with D2L Brightspace
Now more than ever, instructors need easy-to-action, on-time information that supports student growth without breaking the bank. Get ready to move beyond the limitations of a learning management system (LMS)…
Latest Resources
7 Tips for Increasing Student Engagement in Online Learning
Here are a few ideas for ensuring higher levels of student engagement in online courses.
Five-star accommodation
It had always been a point of pride—Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) enjoyed a reputation for offering the most in accessibility. When it came to online learning, however, feedback was less than glowing. Students and faculty who needed accommodations, particularly the visually impaired, were regularly calling for help. Unfortunately, the learning management system (LMS) used by SFASU made it impossible to resolve the recurring issues. Determined to reverse the situation, they set out to find a learning platform that would meet their accessibility requirements. In order to get it right, they asked for help from those who would benefit the most: students and faculty.
Equal learning opportunity for all
Increasing accessibility for students within a post-secondary learning environment is an ongoing challenge for the thousands of colleges located in the US. To varying degrees, educational institutions are seeking to improve and enhance campus facilities, services and courseware to be more fully accessible to people with disabilities as well as address all cognitive learning styles. Inver Hills Community College, part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU), is an educational institution at the forefront of improving accessibility for its students. The college’s charge, for more than forty years, has been to improve its community by providing higher education for a variety of learners. With more than 70% of students from underrepresented populations and 20% first generation college students,[1] Inver Hills Community College strongly believes that fulfilling this principle means making education accessible to all.
The great zombie collaboration
It started as a joke. Professors from the virtual campus at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, were brainstorming creative ideas for new interdisciplinary courses when someone said, “It’s not like we could do a zombie course.” Or could they? It was the ideal subject for studying from a wide range of perspectives—in fact, there were so many possibilities for collaboration that the course grew to include eight faculty members across five disciplines and seven different specialties. “Zombies in Contemporary Culture” was born, a groundbreaking experiment in academic teamwork made possible by blended learning.
Early identification of at-risk students improves retention rates
La Cité, a French-language college of applied arts and technology, has embarked on an ambitious multi-year program to improve student retention through the earlier identification of students at risk. Ninety percent of La Cité teacher-student interactions continue to happen face-to-face, so the program puts the emphasis on instructor observation within the classroom and qualitative feedback provided to students through the learning management system (LMS). The approach is not only proving to identify at risk students sooner—it is creating a cultural shift within La Cité’s faculty ranks, with instructor focus moving away from just teaching “material” to teaching “students.”
Engaging every learner
Each year, 2,100 students enroll in Dr. Jaclyn Broadbent’s first-year blended Health Behaviour class. It’s a daunting number for any professor—but Dr. Broadbent of Deakin University in Australia, isn’t just any lecturer. Although her students come from four different campuses and represent varying backgrounds and skill sets, she’s determined to get through to each and every one.
To set itself apart, a community college creates a different kind of MOOC
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are valued for their ability to reach an international audience through the web and blend traditional educational tools, such as videos, with open forums for discussion to create rich academic communities. As of early 2013, the only MOOCs offered in Canada were typically at the university level. They were theory-based and led by academics. Could a community college compete? Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, wanted to be the first to find out.
Going beyond compliance to emphasize accessibility in the learning experience
Serving more than 1.3 million college-age residents across five counties, Portland Community College (PCC) is Oregon’s largest multi-campus higher education institution. It is divided into four comprehensive campuses, seven centers, and dozens of independent locations throughout the community.
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