In the dynamic landscape of online education, the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications online graduate programs (UF CJC Online) stands at the forefront of innovation and quality. With a commitment to ensuring educational excellence and student success, in 2020, UF CJC Online developed a comprehensive course design strategy to elevate its online courses, a mission mandated by the State University System of Florida’s 2025 Strategic Plan for Online Education.  The state mandate established the goal of quality but allowed institutions to develop their own strategi ..read more

I admit, my experiences as a student in asynchronous online discussions (AODs) were mixed. In some classes, the instructor never participated, and students either copied and pasted whole passages or said little. In other classes, not knowing there were assigned readings, I did what I wanted. I often encounter students who have little expectations of AODs and put forth minimal effort.   Instructors must first understand the rationale. AODs are akin to face-to-face discussion classes, where students complete assigned readings and discuss, debate, and explore topics guided by an instructor ..read more

I admit, my experiences as a student in asynchronous online discussions (AODs) were mixed. In some classes, the instructor never participated, and students either copied and pasted whole passages or said little. In other classes, not knowing there were assigned readings, I did what I wanted. I often encounter students who have little expectations of AODs and put forth minimal effort.   Instructors must first understand the rationale. AODs are akin to face-to-face discussion classes, where students complete assigned readings and discuss, debate, and explore topics guided by an instructor ..read more

This article first appeared in The Teaching Professor on April 22, 2019© Magna Publications. All rights reserved. For more articles like this, check out The Teaching Professor subscription! Do you teach one of those courses that promotes lots of student anxiety? Nowadays that seems to apply to all sorts of courses. Student are convinced they can’t learn what we’re teaching, worry they won’t do well on the tests, and become filled with anxiety over anything in a course that looks like it might be hard. Those of us concerned about student anxiety in our courses have history on our side. Some co ..read more

This article first appeared in The Teaching Professor on April 22, 2019© Magna Publications. All rights reserved. For more articles like this, check out The Teaching Professor subscription! Do you teach one of those courses that promotes lots of student anxiety? Nowadays that seems to apply to all sorts of courses. Student are convinced they can’t learn what we’re teaching, worry they won’t do well on the tests, and become filled with anxiety over anything in a course that looks like it might be hard. Those of us concerned about student anxiety in our courses have history on our side. Some co ..read more

Even before the explosion of generative AI, technology had already found its way into traditional face-to-face and distance learning classrooms. No longer are we bound only to text, but we can now bring in software and media such as videos, audio, and images to enhance learning. No longer must distance learning be asynchronous, we can now have learners conversing with others synchronously online. On top of this, the rise of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have also broken-down walls and created access to institutional and organizational resources with ample opportunities for self-directed ..read more

Even before the explosion of generative AI, technology had already found its way into traditional face-to-face and distance learning classrooms. No longer are we bound only to text, but we can now bring in software and media such as videos, audio, and images to enhance learning. No longer must distance learning be asynchronous, we can now have learners conversing with others synchronously online. On top of this, the rise of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have also broken-down walls and created access to institutional and organizational resources with ample opportunities for self-directed ..read more

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney  Many undergraduate and graduate programs at colleges and universities worldwide provide opportunities for their students to travel abroad and learn global experiences that help them complete requirements within a designated course. This global experience focuses on observing, relating to, and learning from like minds in like disciplines but in different cultures, environments, and strategic organizational goals. Keeping this in mind, the PhD in Education, Leadership, and Organization (ELO) at Texas Woma ..read more

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney  Many undergraduate and graduate programs at colleges and universities worldwide provide opportunities for their students to travel abroad and learn global experiences that help them complete requirements within a designated course. This global experience focuses on observing, relating to, and learning from like minds in like disciplines but in different cultures, environments, and strategic organizational goals. Keeping this in mind, the PhD in Education, Leadership, and Organization (ELO) at Texas Woma ..read more

Given suspicions that a student has cheated in a course, one of the most common recommendations is that an instructor meets with the student to discuss those suspicions.   No one wants this meeting. Guilty or innocent, no student wants to be accused of cheating. For the instructor, leveling accusations, even in the presence of stone-cold certainty, is almost equally unpleasant.   Worse yet, we live in an age of uncertainty. With the evolution of large language models such as ChatGPT and Gemini, it’s growing more challenging to distinguish authentic student work from auto-g ..read more