Online Learning Resources
Online Learning Resources
Online learning requires a different mindset from students and instructors. Without face-to-face interaction, online learning demands new approaches to preparation, design, delivery, and assessment of learning. On this page, you will find resources to enhance your online teaching practice.
Connecting Pedagogy and Technology Tools
- Using Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication Tools (PDF)
- Ten Guiding Principles for the Use of Technology in Learning -- Contact North
Pedagogy and Teaching Strategies
- Strategies for Effective Online Teaching (PDF)
- Guidelines for Frequency, Recording and Camera Use in Synchronous Sessions (PDF)
- Online Remote Teaching Checklist
References
- Top Tips on Desire2Learn: Resource sheet with suggestions on how to use D2L tools for enhancing your online course. (PDF)
- Grades in D2L: Webpage with resources on how to setup D2L gradebook and export grades to PeopleSoft.
- D2L support: website developed by the IT Department and the Educational Development Unit with tutorials and FAQ on D2L.
- Taylor Institute Training Sessions:
Werklund School of Education uses Zoom for its online synchronous classroom sessions and academic staff have it as an option for other communications as well. Instructional guides have been developed for instructor and student reference. For further assistance, visit Zoom's support page and check their downloads page for software updates.
The Office of Teaching and Learning has also developed the following document outlining suggestions for the frequency of Zoom sessions throughout a semester, a review of policies for video recording in learning environments and whether or not students a required to have their camera on during a session.
The Taylor Institute also has the following regularly scheduled training sessions to help enhance your synchronous online sessions:
- Using Zoom to Facilitate Online Classes
- Handling Challenges in the Zoom Classroom
- Building an Online Class Community
- Designing Engaging Online Synchronous Sessions
Qualtrics is an online survey tool available campus-wide for survey needs that ensures that the data collected is stored on servers based in Canada. The surveys are UCalgary branded and the software is licensed through the university, which allows you to forego dedicating funding from research budgets for this type of survey.
Access
Login with your UCID to access Qualtrics.
Creating a Survey
In Qualtrics, the Research Core theme provides templates including Informed Consent Forms and Student Satisfaction Surveys. There is also the option of creating a survey from the Blank Survey Project. If you are working from a template, a previous project or a new one, you have the option of creating new questions or importing them from other projects or templates.
Each question gives you the opportunity to adjust the logic for that component of the survey, adjust scoring and randomize response order as well. The software supports collaboration on survey development as well.
Training, Support and Data Migration
There are a variety of resources from Qualtrics and the University of Calgary Office of Institutional Analysis (OIA) to support you in familiarizing yourself with the software and its applications. If you had a personal online survey account, whether a personal Qualtrics account, an account from another university, UCalgary organizational unit or other survey provider (Fluid Survey, Survey Monkey, etc.), you can also get support to migrate your personal account to the UCalgary version of Qualtrics.
Resources
From OIA:
- Creating a Qualtrics Survey - resources to guide the
- Ask OIA – Qualtrics-related inquiries to OIA
From Qualtrics:
- Webinar (46 minutes) Qualtrics will request name, email and organization prior to this session.
- Support – Qualtrics’ help page for Research Core surveys
Video tutorials:
- Beginner Qualtrics Training (10 minutes)
- Advanced Qualtrics Training (16 minutes)
A PDF of this information is available for your convenience.
Throughout the emergency transition to online instruction upon the onset of COVID-19 during the Winter 2020 semester at Werklund School of Education, one that impacted our instructors but also pre-service teachers who had been preparing for field experience practicums were central to their efforts to complete their degrees, we were conscious of the need to identify and share leading practices for effective pedagogy in the online environment.
In May 2020, the Werklund School of Education Office of Teaching and Learning, began its Pedagogy Series with sessions intended as an opportunity for Werklund instructors and invitees from other units throughout the university to share strategies that instructors could use teaching in online environments to improve the classroom experience and also to model techniques that pre-service teachers could adopt if they need to do their field experience sessions in online environments.
There were sessions on the use of technologies such as podcasting and other media in the classrooms but the challenges of optimizing the use of discussion boards; the adoption of Indigenous talking circles; assessment in the online environment; and collaboration with teaching assistants were among the topics covered.
These vignettes, available through PRISM at the Taylor Family Digital Library are just a sample of some of the topics and strategies that were discussed throughout the series. We anticipate continuing the series and adding to the body of scholarship that Werklund scholars and instructors have generated as they strive to improve the teaching and learning experience in online classrooms.
These presentations and professional development opportunities continue and a schedule of upcoming sessions and series are listed on our presentations page.