Three lessons learned from the course review process

In my last post, I discussed my work with Dr. Daniel Herman from Political Science to get his course officially recognized by Quality Matters.  My post was even linked on the Quality Matters Facebook page!  Even if you are not interested in getting your course officially certified by Quality Matters, though, there are still three important lessons for all faculty…

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The story of a Quality Matters Certified course

The instructional design team is pleased to announce a Political Science course we have supported has received official Quality Matters recognition!  This is only the third course at Rutgers to do so, and the first within the School of Arts & Sciences! (We featured the course’s instructor, Dan Herman in the video featurette below.) How does a course get Quality…

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BlendKit 2017, Week 5: Quality Assurance

In this week’s BlendKit 2017 Reader, the topic was “Quality Assurance in Blended Learning.”  I’d like to discuss my thoughts on the broader subject of quality assurance as it pertains to courses in general, not only blended ones.

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STEAMing Up STEM

In my previous post about the NJEDge Faculty Showcase, I discussed a Biochemistry course that I had worked on with Kyle Murphy, an instructor at the Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.  In this post, I’ll discuss the keynote presentation from that event, titled “STEAMing Up STEM – Relevance for Higher Education.”

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The story of an online STEM course

At the recent NJEDge Faculty Showcase held at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, I co-presented with Kyle Murphy, a Biochemistry instructor from the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.  Our presentation, titled “Introductory biochemistry: The art of biochemistry in the digital age,” discussed the transformation of Kyle’s course from a face-to-face format into a…

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Picking locks for the sake of education

Imagine yourself trapped inside a locked room, and you must get yourself out before you run out of oxygen. You have 5 minutes. Clues are scattered around the room.  Follow the clues, find the keys to unlock the door, and you live.  Miss clues, hesitate, or take too long, and you die.

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Assessments do not always mean exams

On April 28, I attended the Rutgers-Camden Faculty eLearning Conference. The event showcases faculty use of instructional technology in specific, concrete ways.   This year, many presenters demonstrated alternative tools for gauging and assessing student learning— without using exams!

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Finding a Place for Games in the Classroom

On February 25, I attended the Simulation and Gamification Symposium at Rutgers University.  I attended Conquer the Fire Pit: Using Donkey Kong and Tiddly Winks in Higher Education with presenters Scot Osterweil and Beth Ritter-Guth.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from an event like this.  

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