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Gather Feedback from Students Using VIULearn Surveys
As we explore new tools in a world of alternate course delivery, we understand that many of you will also be looking to collect feedback from your students: either to confirm what’s working, or to focus your innovations and refinements. In support of those efforts, we have created a survey for use in VIULearn. It…
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Four Ways You Can Prevent “Zoom Bombing”
Zoom is a great way to stay connected in this time of physical distancing. However, with the recent massive increase in the use of Zoom around the world, we have also seen reports of “Zoom Bombing” – where participants in a meeting share explicit, racist, or otherwise inappropriate messages, videos, or other content with all…
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How to be a successful student during COVID 19
As our world deals with the COVID 19 crisis, we want VIU students to know that we are in your corner, now more than ever. You may feel uncertain about how your courses are changing, what is now expected of you, and how you are going to manage these changes at this time. We’ve identified…
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How to be a successful student during COVID 19 Part 2
Student Success tip #2: Make a plan and stay organized Planning and setting goals is one of the most effective ways that students can stay on track and achieve success. Now more than ever, is the time to setting goals, make a plan, and organize your time accordingly. For each course you’re in, start from…
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How to be a successful student during COVID 19 Part 3
Student Success Tip #3: Choose good study strategies What follows are some quick tips and strategies for studying, but many more in depth resources can be found at on VIU’s Learning Matters website. The most important ingredient when studying is not how long you study for, how passionate you are, or even how innately gifted…
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VIULearn Quiz Tool: What can it do?
This week I ran two sessions to introduce the VIULearn Quiz tool to those who may never have used it, or may be wondering what else they can use it for. This session walked through the key settings and fields in the tool from creating a question to grading a quiz. There were lots of…
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Teaching with Empathy in the Time of COVID19
We are in uncharted waters, have been dumped in very suddenly: and the water’s cold! All of us—students, faculty and staff—have had our lives upended by the COVID19 virus: schedules have been revamped; kids are home from school; we’re self-isolating so we have to avoid friends and neighbors ‘just in case’; we’re working from home,…
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9 Suggestions for Assessment in the Age of the Coronavirus
If you’re under pressure to reconfigure quizzes, tests, exams and other assignments because of time pressure or or lack of access to physical settings (such as during a pandemic), this is a good opportunity to revisit principles and practices that might help you through this situation. As always, the focus should be on supporting students…
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Transitioning to remote studies mid-stream: Teaching strategies for student independence and success
Introduction In the case of a crisis or unexpected emergency, instructors may have to work remotely, conducting their classes from beyond VIU. In addition to using robust online tools, instructors can also consider transitioning their coursework to a more self-directed or independent study model. In this case, students are given greater agency, autonomy, and responsibility…
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Episode 4: Willing Partners: VIU’s Writing Centre and International Academic Support (IAS) on their commitment to student success
“…helping them to perform the best they can.” -John Hill, Coordinator Writing (and Thinking) Centre VIU’s Writing Centre and International Academic Support (IAS) provide essential and valued services to hundreds of VIU students every semester. In this podcast, I sit down with Sylvia Arnold and John Hill to discuss their experiences providing these supports. In…
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Pedagogy of the Poinsettia: Teaching and Learning in VIU’s Horticulture Program
In this third episode of the Share Drive, I talk to Jessica Gemella from VIU’s Horticulture Program. Jessica and I (along with Marilyn Funk and Sally Vinden) have been working on a curriculum enhancement project over the last two years, resulting in a number of changes to the Horticulture program. I talk with Jessica about…
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The Share Drive Episode: #2 “Spread the Nerd Around”
In this episode of the Share Drive, I sit down with the vibrant and tech-savvy Anwen Burk, former Learning Technology Support Specialist (LTSS) at VIU’s Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning. Recorded before Anwen left VIU, this podcast highlights the dynamic intersections of technology and pedagogy, and touches on frameworks that conceptualize an effective…