Teaching Metacognition to Improve Student Learning

Metacognition can be a word that gets in the way of students’ understanding that this “thinking about thinking” is really about their awareness of themselves as learners. Most students don’t spend much time thinking about learning generally or how they learn specifically. In order to become independent, self-directed learners, they need to be able to “orchestrate” their learning. That’s the metaphor the National Research Council uses to describe planning for learning, monitoring it as it occurs, and then evaluating both what has been learned and how it was learned. Read more...

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Financial concerns a major source of stress for faculty at U.S. public colleges, universities

Faculty members at U.S. colleges and universities continue to experience multiple sources of work–life stress, but those at public institutions in particular cited financial concerns as a top source of stress over the last two years, according to a new UCLA report on teaching faculty at the nation’s institutions of higher education. Read more...

Understanding the Flipped Classroom: Part 2

Although the flipped classroom is garnering a lot of attention of late, simply flipping the classroom alone does not increase student success. The instructor must seize the opportunity to guide and interact with the students. Looking at this new definition of homework in a flipped classroom, there are many details to consider. Read more...

Understanding the Flipped Classroom: Part 1

The flipped classroom seems to be the latest buzz in educational trends. Is this truly a new revolutionary approach or a revision of a technique used throughout the ages? To be clear, in simplest terms, flipping the classroom refers to swapping classroom lecture time for hands-on practice time. Read more...

Webinar on Making a Difference with Distance Learning

Whether it’s a student needing some summer course credits, a soldier serving the nation in Afghanistan, or a working parent trying to finish her degree, The University of Toledo strives to make learning personal for its students. Ten thousand students from Ohio and abroad benefit from the instruction they receive from UT Online. Designated “Best Practices in Student Services” by the Ohio Learning Network, UT Online created Learning Ventures, a team built to bring the best blended learning experience to the diverse student population. Attend this free Webinar on Making a Difference with Distance Learning. Read more...

Upcoming SoftChalk Webinars

Register for free, live SoftChalk presentations delivered to your desktop via web conferencing. We offer short courses, introductory demos and our popular “Innovators in Online Learning” webinar series with guest speakers from leading educational institutions. Check what's coming up...

Legal Issues in Higher Ed: Common Ways Institutions Violate Fair Use

A faculty member brings a ragged photocopy of a book chapter to the library to be scanned and loaded to the e-reserves for enrolled students. Does this fall within fair use of the document?  Read more...

Do Students Like Your Communication Style?

Should instructors care whether or not students find their exchanges satisfying? They should, because as this research (and previous studies) document, those levels of satisfaction correlate positively and significantly with something these researchers call “affective learning.” Affective learning involves student feelings and emotions toward the subject matter and the teacher. Read more...

Coming Soon -- KOLTS – KCTCS Online Learning & Teaching Support
A new website is being finalized that will be dedicated to online support and resources for online faculty. http://kolts.kctcs.edu/ If you have suggestions for changes, send them to Lisa Jackson.