Adaptive Learning: Benefits and Considerations

Over the past few years, the coverage on ‘adaptive learning’ in higher education has steadily increased. This has become evident by the increasing number of vendors and publishers offering their unique flavor of “adaptive” learning. So, what exactly is adaptive learning? Defining Adaptive The formal definition is: systems that provide each student with a personalized […]

Understanding Student Motivation (Part 1)

Understanding Student Motivation for More Effective Teaching: A Mini-Series Adapted from: Mayer, Richard E., and Susan A. Ambrose. How learning works: seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010. Print. I am passionate about my field of expertise, and I put a lot of effort into creating comprehensive lectures in the hopes that […]

University student viewing online course with instructor presence using laptop and listening to music on headphones

5 Ways to Increase your Online Instructor Presence

We introduced the important role of instructors in online courses in Instructor Presence: An Introduction to Why it Matters. Instructor presence in online education has been shown to improve the experiences of students enrolled. Interpersonal interaction in online courses also makes a difference in predicting student grades. How can faculty incorporate opportunities for interaction, and promote […]

E-learning and education

Instructor Presence: An Introduction to Why it Matters

The method of instruction varies in online courses, but research and technology continue to improve with ongoing benefits ahead for both students and instructors. Besides good course design involving consideration to the goals and assignments of the class, interaction between instructors and students plays a vital role in the experiences of online students. Adult learning theory […]

It’s about time: an inside look at when students interact with their online course

FIU Online leveraged data available via the Blackboard Learn learning management system to figure out when students were interacting with their online course. We engaged in research to analyze the specific dates of the week during which students in fully online courses interacted with and submitted work in their course. With this research, we sought to […]