Technology & Instruction for UNEX

Interesting blog post by Maryellen Weimer today on the Faculty Focus website about grading and how to determine what assessments have the most value in a course. She doesn't discuss technology or online classes, but I think the role of technology in teaching and learning is changing how people learn and how they should be assessed. I like the point she makes about what should be valued: Exams also test the ability to recall knowledge or to demonstrate thinking within time constraints and without access to resources. Is that one of the most important skills students should take from the course and their college learning experiences? As she points out, we often do things because that's the way we've always done them, whether or not they remain relevant. How learning is assessed influences what students spend their time on in a course. This is easy to test in an online course -- when forums are graded, usually all students will participate in order to get a good grade. When

We are offering our free course for instructors and potential instructors one more time this quarter. The class starts tomorrow and details about how to register are below. 113MSCC13 Teaching Online with Moodle : online, 4 weeks, starts February 15 – this class covers the basics of teaching online and using Moodle. Participants learn about the online environment as they participate in the class and complete assignments. Development of a detailed course syllabus is the final project. Emphasis is on the unique features of online teaching and learning, and the transition from face-to-face to online. Register by contacting Student Services: Tel: (951) 827-4105 or (800) 442-4990 toll-free Email: register@ucx.ucr.edu (include your name, address, phone number and the course ID). Questions: contact Brian Reilly - breilly at ucx.ucr.edu