A few months ago, some colleagues and I had an interesting chat with some of our online instructors about a variety of issues related to facilitating and managing online discussions. Various questions emerged such as: How do I effectively enourage interaction? What is the role of assessment? What is the instructor’s role vs, students’ role […]

Image: “Work setup” by avdgaag. Courtesy Flickr Perhaps some of you are frantically finishing edits to your online courses in preparation for the fall term.?! As your thoughts turn to your new crop of students, there are a few things you may want to remember when starting off with a new section in an online […]

Image: “”Studying for class”” by jakebouma. Courtesy Flickr Some of you are almost full swing into preparations for the fall term. There are a few things you may want to remember when starting off with a section of students in a print based course. Here goes: Contact your students right after the add drop period […]

Have you ever tried to track down the right person in payroll to get your address changed on the “UBC system”? This has been a source of aggravation for many, including, I’m sure, the staff in the payroll office! You can now update your contact information (including new email or mailing addresses and telephone numbers) […]

If you accept assignments via email, you may be at risk for catching a nasty virus which can cause problems with your computer and, occassionally, render it inoperable. Rather than reverting back to snail mail and causing a revolt among your students, seek out some virus protection. UBC now offers free downloadable virus protection software […]

photo by Robert Scales courtesy Flickr. We know (or think we know) the following things about students in DE&T delivered courses at UBC: • More than two-thirds are women • Average age is 33 • 77% are also taking courses on campus • 23% are studying purely by distance We also know, via student report, […]

This August, UBC’s e-Learning Institute is leading 3 hands-on WebCT workshops aimed at helping instructors prepare for the upcoming fall term. Sessions are scheduled for August 28 & 29 and cover the basics of setting up a WebCT course, getting started with quizzes and assessments and promoting community in your online course through the use […]

photo by Ayat83 – courtesy Flickr. Most of us usually approach the start of a new fall term with good intentions, hopefully some optimism (and sometimes abject fear)! Here is a handy Term Prep Checklist (pdf) that might help you in your planning prior to the start of each term.