Edsurge

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

But since the COVID-19 pandemic forced instructors around the world to try online education, something unexpected has happened: Professors have found that there are some online teaching methods that work better than what can be done in the limits of a physical classroom. Each week, I’d assign several lectures I’d recorded earlier on video.

Teaching 218

Teaching Lecturing Blended Courses Instructors 218

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

He and his students happily use open educational resources for textbooks. Recently, Wilson sat down with EdSurge to discuss why he believes that more professors should adopt OER. So, the digital textbooks are free—or students can pay to print them; Lyryx prints well. He also shared his preferred place to find quality resources.

STEM 178

STEM Textbooks Instructors Science 178

Edsurge

JUNE 16, 2020

Lumen Learning, a company that sells low-cost OER textbooks and courseware, plans to start offering professional development services for faculty that can be bundled with its titles. In other words, some of its textbooks are now sold with coaching on how to teach with OER more effectively.

Coaching 136

Coaching Textbooks Instructors Faculty Development 136

Edsurge

DECEMBER 28, 2017

Until recently, the use of OER—digital educational materials that are both more easily adaptable by instructors and more affordable than traditional textbooks—was being led by early-adopter professors driven by a desire to improve teaching and an interest in new technology. OER needs bells and whistles.

Textbooks 158

Textbooks Teaching Instructors Testing 158

Ask a Tech Teacher

APRIL 28, 2025

Platforms like Zoom or Google Classroom enable real-time discussions, while forums foster ongoing dialogue beyond scheduled sessions. Without face-to-face communication, building relationships with peers and instructors becomes challenging, hindering collaboration and support.

Hybrid Learning 141

Hybrid Learning Learning Styles Study Critical Thinking 141

Edsurge

MARCH 30, 2020

As instructors and learners adapt to new educational environments, copyright concerns about reading aloud need not be among the challenges they face. Extensive readings from textbooks and other commercial learning materials, for example, should be approached with more caution. What Is Fair Use? to 2:30 p.m.

Reading 218

Reading Fairness Teachers Disabilities 218

Edsurge

JUNE 10, 2021

The journalism instructor at the University of Minnesota keeps the process simple, with brief questions similar to these: What should keep happening in this class? During the next class period, she discusses the findings with her students. Instructors collect responses, then figure out and explain what they’re going to do differently.

Feedback 196

Feedback Instructors Students Syllabus 196

Edsurge

MAY 16, 2018

And as an active member in what advocates define as the “open education movement,” I frequently hear about the growing dissatisfaction of textbook costs and pedagogical concerns among faculty about outdated course materials. When I attend professional gatherings on open education, however, instructors like myself are often the minority.

Textbooks 131

Textbooks Instructors Education Peer Review 131

Edsurge

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

High school science instructor Veronica Wylie has an idea that will take her students to new heights?or And it matters in learning materials as well, say six colleges and universities in Massachusetts that have teamed up to create a new catalog of culturally relevant textbooks in hopes of improving student outcomes.

Science 189

Science Teachers Textbooks Culture 189

Edsurge

MARCH 17, 2021

And the system uses a metaphor that students sit at “tables,” meaning that instructors can easily organize students into groups that can have their own breakout discussions. One instructor [trying it] is working in one of the larger University of California [campuses]. The system is aimed at colleges.

Instructors 181

Instructors Textbooks Internet Questions 181

Edsurge

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Most of us know what to expect in a face-to-face classroom: Students sitting in rows, facing instructors and listening to lectures, watching videos displayed on screens up front, or, in smaller classes, participating in lively discussion. Others find it enriching to participate in online chat and polling.

Mobile Devices 212

Mobile Devices Lecturing Quizzes Participation 212

Edsurge

JULY 27, 2020

Her comments came during a June 18 virtual panel organized by Pando Public Relations, a public outreach agency for education, to discuss academic integrity and cheating in college. The most often cited justification was that the instructor is responsible for providing an environment without resources for cheating.

Exams 218

Exams Academic Integrity Plagiarism Assignments 218

Edsurge

DECEMBER 18, 2023

Imagine classrooms where teachers are empowered by cutting-edge technology and where students don't just learn from textbooks but co-create their educational journey. Culatta aptly observes that while most discussions primarily focus on the first facet, there is a concerning lack of attention given to the equally vital second dimension.

Intelligence 215

Intelligence Education Instructors Confidentiality 215

eSchool News

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

The Cook Center for Human Connection facilitated discussions about the importance of student mental health awareness and youth suicide prevention–and the critical role parents play in these efforts. These technologies, along with Intelitek’s programs, empower instructors and inspire students to pursue careers in cutting-edge businesses.

Mobile Devices 345

Mobile Devices Gamification Science STEM 345

Edsurge

OCTOBER 15, 2018

The rising cost of printed textbooks—as well as tuition and university life—have made them unaffordable for many students. As the financial viability of printed textbooks declines little by little, the demand for alternatives like online learning content continues to grow. Those days are coming to an end.

Textbooks 153

Textbooks eLearning Learning Blended Learning 153

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 11, 2016

through a signup ID supplied by their course instructors, like buying an electronic textbook. Enter Textbook Publishers. Textbook publishers could be the next level of major companies investing in the production of video games in higher education. Currently the ARTé: Macenas game sells to students for $19.95

Textbooks 163

Textbooks Game-Based Learning Art History 163

eSchool News

NOVEMBER 9, 2015

A free online course from Rice University uses attention-grabbing videos, interactive lab activities, dramatic physics demonstrations, engaging instructors and a free online textbook to help high school students prepare for the Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 1 Exam.

Exams 165

Exams Lecturing Textbooks Instructors 165

Edsurge

DECEMBER 30, 2018

For example, a professor might have to toggle between a learning management system ( LMS) for grading, an e-reader that delivers the textbook, a platform used to present information in class, an app that helps with student participation and a homework solution for out-of-class assignments.

Authentic Assessment 151

Authentic Assessment Instructors Textbooks Lecturing 151

Edsurge

OCTOBER 11, 2018

This question came up in a handful of discussions this week at the OpenEd conference in Niagara Falls, NY. The so-called access hypothesis goes that students who have access to the textbook learn better than students who don’t. And the short answer is, most experts still aren’t sure. Not all openly-licensed learning materials are free.

Textbooks 139

Textbooks Learning Learning Outcomes Internet 139

Faculty Focus

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

Back in 2018, I decided to take the plunge and move to an OER textbook. At the time I made my OER commitment, there were limited open textbook options available. After bouncing around a few, I finally settled on OpenStax , a free online textbook platform through Rice University.

Textbooks 114

Textbooks Syllabus Instructors Peer Review 114

Edsurge

JUNE 19, 2018

And those lists offer a telling snapshot of how MOOCs are evolving and what their impact is on the instructors and institutions offering them. In an interview, she jokes that she’s “not a top-tier university person,” but that she thinks many of the best instructors today are at institutions like hers. And they do.

Teaching 167

Teaching Lecturing Instructors Quizzes 167

Edsurge

OCTOBER 17, 2017

As one writing instructor posted to an e-mail list in 2005: “Am I being a stick-in-the-mud for for being horrified by students’ use of this source?”. I hear more often these days about teaching with free online materials instead of traditional textbooks (known as OER). How things have changed. Absolutely.

Peer Review 147

Peer Review Textbooks Education Writing 147

eSchool News

APRIL 5, 2024

Key points: Traditional classroom learning is now modernizing Debates remain about online vs. classroom learning Stay up to date on the latest in classroom learning trends Classroom learning remains a cornerstone of education, fostering a dynamic environment where students engage with peers and instructors in real-time.

Learning 130

Learning eLearning Instructors Learning Styles 130

Edsurge

AUGUST 4, 2022

Educators expressed their displeasure on social media and in OER discussion groups, in part because of Course Hero itself, which some educators feel encourages students to cheat with the course notes and other materials posted there, but also because the deal wasn’t announced, and they felt that its parameters were unclear.

Textbooks 167

Textbooks Education Instructors Internet 167

Edsurge

JANUARY 13, 2017

In the early days of "course cartridges”—an LMS feature that allowed instructors to plug published content right into their courses—online courses were essentially digitized versions of static (textbook) content. Print content was uploaded and accessible via the LMS, where faculty could view discussion prompts and suggestions.

Multiple Choice Questions 131

Multiple Choice Questions Instructors Textbooks Feedback 131

Edsurge

APRIL 28, 2017

But there are a few things we know for certain: Textbook and tuition costs are too high, student engagement is too low, and students want choice in how they learn. Learning Management Systems (LMSs), the paywall around academic journals, and the reliance on proprietary textbooks, are evidence of this barrier. Want this to change?

Textbooks 163

Textbooks Authentic Assessment Blended Courses Culture 163

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Textbooks and course materials to review, syllabi to update, lessons to plan, lectures to prepare. For instance: One instructor might have clearly labeled modules containing content for each week, while another might use one module for all handouts and another for all assignments.

Syllabus 122

Syllabus Instructors Assignments Faculty Development 122

Faculty Focus

MAY 15, 2025

Textbook format and cost mattered. Inclusive language, representation, and proactive instructor support all contributed to students sense of belonging and trust. Each chapter is co-authored with students who lived the realities we discuss. Students appreciated transparency and choice when it came to required materials.

Disabilities 53

Disabilities Course Design Lecturing Students 53

Edsurge

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

For years education companies have tried to apply technologies to better understand students and tailor their learning experiences, or support instructors who can intervene when human help is needed. Most of what’s in the market now comes across as fancy homework or fancy textbooks,” said Jones. “To It’s the holy grail.”

Essay 167

Essay Education Learning Ethics 167

Edsurge

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

The content in question includes a first-grade language arts video lesson that shows an Acellus instructor teaching about the letter “G.” On the surface, it’s a little bit subtle, but not subtle at the same time: images of family life, who is being discussed as the hero in historical contexts. It’s concerning and not inclusive.

Learning 213

Learning Schools Multiple Choice Questions Distance Learning 213

Faculty Focus

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

Back in 2018, I decided to take the plunge and move to an OER textbook. At the time I made my OER commitment, there were limited open textbook options available. After bouncing around a few, I finally settled on OpenStax , a free online textbook platform through Rice University.

Textbooks 93

Textbooks Syllabus Instructors Peer Review 93

Ask a Tech Teacher

MARCH 24, 2015

Technology and the connected world put a fork in the old model of teaching–instructor in front of the class, sage on the stage, students madly taking notes, textbooks opened to the chapter being reviewed, homework as worksheets based on the text, tests regurgitating important facts. Did I miss anything?

Critical Thinking 163

Critical Thinking Textbooks Gamification Knowledge 163

Edsurge

AUGUST 16, 2018

One way he looks at the online course is as a competitor to commercial textbooks, but one that is updated and enhanced by a community of professors. For instructors who want to adopt it, he provides a password to a library of materials, and even plans to add the slides he uses for the in-person version of the course.

Textbooks 162

Textbooks Teaching Assistants Instructors Exams 162

Faculty Focus

MAY 7, 2023

Professors in the department of kinesiology at Cal Poly Tech Humboldt have observed growth in student performance and comprehension by designing content-specific episodes that begin by considering the basic building block of an instructor-generated podcast. The principal focus of the second body is to convey new information.

Instructors 110

Instructors Lecturing Learning Textbooks 110

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 29, 2023

However, as a former instructor of online courses, I have seen first-hand the power of introducing a librarian to a group of online students and how such exposure can lead to curiosity on a topic and deepen student learning. Be open to a discussion of the course you teach or plan to teach. This could be quite a revealing discussion.

Syllabus 98

Syllabus Instructors Learning Assignments 98

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Textbooks and course materials to review, syllabi to update, lessons to plan, lectures to prepare. For instance: One instructor might have clearly labeled modules containing content for each week, while another might use one module for all handouts and another for all assignments.

Syllabus 105

Syllabus Instructors Assignments Faculty Development 105

Faculty Focus

MARCH 20, 2025

Students who opt for e-learning likely prefer it for the flexibility it affords, but that doesnt mean they want to miss out on engaging with their classmates or instructor in a meaningful way. It was clear that while there were many differences in the presentation techniques, seminars were considered of great value to all.

Student Engagement 88

Student Engagement Instructors Students Feedback 88