IDEAS offers resources that will guide you in developing and teaching your online, hybrid, or technology-enabled course.
Online Teaching and Learning Theory
The Community of Inquiry model is a cornerstone of many approaches to teaching and learning online. As you explore the resources here, think about how these principles work with teaching styles you've experienced in the past, and what your teaching style is currently.
Equity & Inclusion in Online Teaching
You play a critical role in supporting principles of equity and inclusion in your course. As you explore the resources here, strategize ways to create new opportunities to foster inclusion or enhance what you’re already doing to make your course accessible and educational for everyone.
The science of learning is research, conducted by cognitive scientists, on how we process, remember, retrieve, and apply information. Utilize the practices found on this page to further facilitate your students' learning.
By developing an authentic and human connection with and between learners, you can create an atmosphere of trust, allowing students to feel more comfortable being themselves. Skills on this page will assist in creating a fully socially present learning experience for everyone.
Developing Learning Objectives in an Online Course
Course Learning Outcomes are specific and measurable statements that define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that learners will demonstrate by the completion of a course. This resource provides you with three frameworks to help you write your learning objectives.
Developing an Effective Syllabus for an Online Course
This resource introduces the key components of an effective syllabus for an online course, as well as how it’s different from a syllabus for a face-to-face course. As you explore this resources, actively and update your syllabus.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
The UDL framework emphasizes flexibility in how instructional material is presented, how students demonstrate their knowledge and skills, and how they are engaged in learning. It is informed by environmental design, as well as by cognitive neuroscience, learning theory, and teaching practice. As you explore the resources here, think about the opportunities for multiple means of representation, action & expression, and engagement in your course.
Approaches to Assessment Online
This resource provides an overview of the purpose and types of assessment, including diagnostic, formative, summative, and authentic. It will help you think about why and how you are assessing in your course.
Authentic assessments ask learners to perform relevant, real-world tasks similar to those in everyday life and often result in high-quality products, solutions, or justification of ideas. This resource provides a step-by-step guide to develop and utilize authentic assesments in your course(s).
Formative Assessment in Online Courses
Formative assessment is used to monitor learning, give students feedback about their work while it is in progress and help students correct errors or missteps. This resource has guidelines and many concrete examples and models of formative assessment techniques.
Summative Assessment in Online Courses
Summative assessments ask students to demonstrate their mastery of course concepts and skills; they include term papers, class presentations, portfolios, and high-stakes exams. This resource shares a variety of examples for individuals/small groups and various course types.
Providing Feedback in Online Courses
This resource shares guidelines and suggestions for providing feedback in online courses, as well as links to useful materials, such as rubrics, for the grading process.
Generative Artificial Intelligence and Assessments
This resource looks at the expanding influence of AI in the classroom, ways to use AI as a tool to enhance learning and assessments, and the considerations necessary to face AI-related challenges.
Power Up Your Online Course: Proven Tools for Student Engagement
Student engagement is one of the most pressing challenges in online learning. Without physical presence, many instructors struggle to create meaningful interactions and encourage active participation. This resource will explore strategeis to engage online learners.
Developing Engaging Instructional Materials
Quality instructional materials are fundamental to student engagement in your course, as they not only make the student experience more interesting and enjoyable, but also reflect the instructor’s effort and interest.This resource guides you in selecting interesting, student-friendly instructional materials.
Developing Engaging Learning Activities
Effective learning activities help students achieve the learning objectives of the course, prepare them for higher-stakes assessment, and build class community. This resource outlines principles for designing learning activities that promote engagement in the online environment.
Facilitating Class Discussions Online
Discussion forums are commonly used in online courses to develop community, to clarify points of confusion, to share ideas and work, and to develop critical thinking and writing skills. This resource shares ideas for creative ways forums can be used, how to encourage participation, and how to manage large class sizes.
Communicate Effectively with Online Students
Clear, consistent communication is fundamental to a quality online course. This resource walks you through thinking about the different types and purposes of communicating in a course. It lists tools available and for you at UMass Amhest.
Welcome Learners to Your Course
Taking the time to introduce yourself, your course, and your students to one another helps build community and demonstrates that you, the instructor, are available to support student learning. This resource provides many ideas and examples of ways to introduce your course.
Best Practices for Making Educational Videos at Home
Well-produced and polished videos will help retain your students’ attention in the digital space. Here are some quick tips to boost the production value of your course videos without a professional setup or advanced editing skills. These tips and tricks will be helpful whether you are using a webcam, phone, or professional camera; no matter which editing software you’re using, if you’re even using any.