Working with Wikipedia
As instructors, we know that our students consult Wikipedia when they want to learn the basics of a topic. And while this practice can sometimes be concerning, especially if the students solely rely on Wikipedia rather than using it as a springboard for deeper learning, there are many ways to engage the students with Wikipedia
The Self-Determined Learner
This blog was inspired by two young boys. The first, an 8 year old, really wanted a cheeseburger, so he went to YouTube and taught himself to drive. He drove past four intersections and some train tracks with complete control of the vehicle–perhaps even more rule-abiding than the average driver. He was caught at the
6 Tips for Student Blogging
WordPress offers many possibilities for faculty who wish for their students to be completing writing or multimedia assignments in an open online platform. However, there are many varieties of WordPress available to faculty, and some decisions need to be made to help faculty select the best-possible variant of WordPress for their learning objectives, and to
Choosing the right teaching method
Prior to the Information Age, teachers were expected to stand at a podium and expound upon topics that were otherwise out of reach to the students. Since the last part of the 20th century, instructors have felt a shift from being the information hub to being the architects who must gather the various informational materials
Building a Better Blog Rubric
One of the greatest challenges of giving online writing assignments to students is insuring that it’s clear how they will be evaluated for these types of assignments. My colleague Mark Marino from USC recently shared his blog assignment rubric and I am going to use this as a springboard for my own blog assignments in
How do you pack your TPACK?
TPACK, meaning Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge, is an acronym brought to us by Mishra and Koehler’s (2006; 2009) studies on instructors’ abilities to combine their content knowledge with adequate knowledge of best pedagogies for teaching and best technologies to support learning. Most instructors in higher education have not had the benefit of formal pedagogy and technology
One-on-one Training Lynda.com + Blackboard
Do you learn better with one-on-one training over digital lessons or documentation? There are several benefits to one on one training: Understanding your specific course needs and goals. Answering individualized questions. Proved a personal work flow for Lynda.com and Blackboard. If you would like to schedule a one-on-one training please contact us at blackboard@chapman.edu
What is the future of Digital Scholarship?
This post builds on my previous writing, What is Digital Scholarship? In today’s installment about Digital Scholarship, I feature a 2013 EDUCAUSE article written by Ed Ayers, “Does Digital Scholarship Have a Future?” In this piece Ayers, President of the University of Richmond and National Humanities Medalist, explores concerns about how the primary activities of
What is Digital Scholarship?
When I travel to conferences I often get questions about my title (Associate Director of Digital Scholarship) and what I do at Chapman, but I also get questions about what I do from within the university. So I thought I would explain a bit more about that in my blogpost today… First, let’s start with
Midterm Evaluations
Perhaps you’ve heard of midterm evaluations, but you’re not sure if they’re effective and you don’t know how to implement them. Here are some points and tips to help you understand the reasons for gathering feedback by the middle of your course and the ways it can be done. Why should I get