Category Archives: teaching

Rio Salado: Innovation Pushes the Boundaries of Tradition

May 3, 2018 – 10:40 am

Today here on WCET Frontiers we are happy to welcome Stacey VanderHeiden Güney, the Director of the Digital Learning Solution Network. Stacey is here to discuss a recent study on higher education institutions implementing digital learning and follow-up conversations regarding one of the institutions included in the study.  Thank you to Stacey for today’s post […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in access, adult, advising, analytics, assessment, change, collaboration, community college, completion rates, cost effective, course design, credentials, developmental courses, digital content, distance education, DLSN, enrollment, evaluation, faculty development, innovation, interaction, IPEDS, managing online education, marketing, online degree, outcomes, professional development, quality, student services, student success, success, technology, WCET | Comments (1)

Opening a New Path to Success – A Journey with Open Textbooks

April 26, 2018 – 6:00 am

Z Degrees (Zero-Textbook Cost Degrees) are what many consider the holy grail of Open Educational Resources (OER) accomplishments. Today’s guest blogger, Tanya Grosz, Ph. D., Dean of Graduate, Online & Adult Learning, led the open initiative at the University of Northwestern St. Paul—the first institution in Minnesota to create a Z Degree. Tanya and I […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in course design, data, digital, digital content, distance education, edtech, evaluation, faculty development, innovation, leadership, managing, managing online education, OER, online, open content, open education, outcomes, professional development, quality, resource, student services, student success, success, technology, textbooks, Z Initative | Comments (0)

Rigor, Meet Reality

April 5, 2018 – 5:25 am

How do you define academic rigor? I know when I was completing my undergraduate and graduate coursework, I could tell the difference between a rigorous course and one that would be a little less time consuming. I also understood, especially in graduate school, that the more rigorous a course was, the more I “got out […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in 21CFaculty, adjunct faculty, faculty development, outcomes, professional development, quality, research, resource, student success, success, testing | Comments (2)

Supporting Faculty Through a Learning Community

February 22, 2018 – 5:29 am

How do faculty at your institution enhance their teaching skills or discuss best practices with their peers? Today, we’re thrilled to learn about Louisiana State University’s Online Teaching Cohort program from Hala Esmail, the Manager of the Faculty Technology Center for LSU. This group meets several times a semester to hear presentations from experts, participate […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in 21CFaculty, adjunct faculty, blended, collaboration, distance education, faculty development, instructional design, managing, managing online education, student success, success, technology, tools, training | Comments (0)

Open Textbooks and OER in Colorado: Lots of Interest and Great Promise

February 9, 2018 – 5:35 am

This week on WCET Frontiers Blog, Tanya Spilovoy, Ed. D., Director of Open Policy for WCET, discusses the outcomes of the Colorado Open Educational Resources (OER) Council recent work in open textbook initiatives, her research and consulting role with WCET, and how OER can be leveraged to meet state higher education goals. WCET is thrilled […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in 21CFaculty, collaboration, cost, cost effective, digital, digital content, distance education, faculty development, funding, innovation, legislation, managing, managing online education, OER, online, online degree, open content, open education, outcomes, partnership, professional development, research, student services, student success, success, survey, technology, textbooks, WCET, Z Initative | Comments (0)

A Look Back at the 2017 WCET Member Job Posts

January 23, 2018 – 6:29 am

WCET Job Postings are a compilation of member higher education job posts, emailed directly to our WCET membership and also posted to the WCET website. Rosa Calabrese, the WCET Manager of Digital and Project Support Services shares the job posts weekly via the WCETNews email list. Over the last year, Rosa observed several items of […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in change, distance education, employment, instructional design, job posts, managing, online, professional development, WCET | Comments (0)

Adaptive Learning: Research-Based Principles for Developing Effective Courses

January 18, 2018 – 6:00 am

This week on WCET Frontiers, we are happy to welcome back Niki Bray, Instructor and Instructional Designer with the School of Health Studies at the University of Memphis. Niki is here today to discuss another aspect of adaptive learning: research-based principles for developing effective courses. Niki reviews why higher education leaders should have a solid […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in 21CFaculty, adaptive learning, course design, digital, digital content, distance education, faculty development, instructional design, managing online education, online, professional development, student success | Comments (0)

Looking Back, Looking Forward

January 16, 2018 – 8:12 am

It seems like all the cool kids are writing about last year’s trends and predicting what will come to pass in 2018. Well, we WCETers don’t want to be left out of the fun! Over the last few weeks I’ve discussed 2017 and 2018 with some of the movers and shakers in the higher ed, […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in access, accessibility, adaptive learning, assessment, cbe, change, competency-based learning, cybersecurity, data, digital, digital content, digital divide, distance education, edtech, futures, HEA, innovation, instructional design, managing online education, mobile learning, OER, personalized learning, predictions, SARA, student success, technology, virtual, virtual reality, WCET | Comments (2)

Engaging Faculty to Support a Student Persistence Agenda at N. Arizona University

November 17, 2017 – 6:00 am

What are the barriers on your campus to innovations that promote student persistence? That’s the question Michelle Miller, Director of the First Year Learning Initiative with Northern Arizona University, is here to discuss. At NAU, the Persistence Scholars program works with faculty to empower them become informed advocates for new practices that support student persistence. […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in 21CFaculty, adjunct faculty, change, collaboration, completion rates, course design, edtech, faculty development, leadership, managing online education, preparedness, professional development, quality, retention, student services, student success, success, technology, training | Comments (0)

Research Preparation and Engagement of Instructional Designers

November 2, 2017 – 6:04 am

WCET was thrilled to help recruit participants for the Spring 2017 Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit national study on the research engagement and training of instructional designers in institutions of higher education. Today we welcome the authors of the study, Katie Linder and Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, join WCET Frontiers to discuss the results […]

By Lindsey Rae Downs | Also posted in 21CFaculty, collaboration, distance education, edtech, faculty development, instructional design, managing online education, professional development, research, research methodology, student services, technology, tools, WCET | Comments (0)