Good
Practice Emphasizes Time on Task
 Time plus energy equals learning. There is no substitute for time on task. Learning
to use one's time well is critical for students and professionals alike. Students need
help in learning effective time management. Allocating realistic amounts of time means
effective learning for students and effective teaching for faculty. How an institution
defines time expectations for students, faculty, administrators, and other professional
staff can establish the basis of high performance for all.
Technology Enhanced Support for the Practice
Well designed Online@UT course sites can provide students with a framework for making
the most of the time they spend on preparation for class and completing assignments.
Reducing Information Overload
Reducing Information Overload
One simple method for reducing information overload, while also improving learning,
is to organize online course content in a logical manner that mirrors your delivery
of content in the classroom. A recent upgrade in Online@UT (Blackboard) introduced
a simple feature that changes the way we organize content: in previous versions, we
were stuck with default button names, such as Course Information, Course Documents,
Assignments, etc. Now those names can be modified and new buttons can be added.
To modify names and add new buttons:
- Enter your course site's Control Panel and click Manage Course Menu.
- To change a button's name—say, from Course Information to Syllabus—click on the Modify button
at the right of the screen and type "Syllabus" in the Area Name text box.
- To add a new button—say, a Content Area called Unit 1—click the Add Content Area button at the
top of the screen and type "Unit 1" in the text box.
- From the Manage Course Menu area, you can also add links to Blackboard tools, other areas of
the course site, and external Web sites. These buttons can also be modified with custom names.
How does this help combat information overload? Many Online@UT users still use the default button
names, pouring all of their assignments (sometimes 40 or 50 of them) into a single Assignments
area and all of their lecture notes and PowerPoint presentations into a single Course Documents
area. Navigating through those sites can be overwhelming. Instead, organize your content like you
organize your course: by units or lessons. For instance, a Lesson 1 area might include sub-folders
that contain reading assignments, external links, online quizzes, discussions, etc.
From Engaged Learning: Pathways to Success; Fall 2004 ITC Topics
Students Assuming Ownership of Learning
Students Assuming Ownership of Learning
One significant obstacle to enhanced learning is students' inability to assume ownership of their
learning. From their K-12 experience, most have been passive and spoon-fed information. In addition,
the national push for accountability has led to standardized testing which places a premium on
facts, rather than true critical thinking. Enabling students to think critically about their own
learning and understand their role in the learning process is a challenge. The five principles of
deeper learning as defined by the National Learning Infrastructure Initiative (NLII) are highly
relevant and appropriate whether an instructor is technology savvy or not. Implementing them will
help meet the challenge of creating "engaged learning."
In 2002, the NLII chose as its theme "Learner-Centered Principles, Designs and Practices." Educators
working on that project identified five principles which facilitate the deeper learning so essential
to survival in the 21st century:
- Is active
- Is social
- Is contextual
- Encourages engagement
- Requires student ownership
of the learning
For additional information, please see http://www.educause.edu/eli
Some simple steps can be taken immediately in any course to increase student participation and awareness
of their own responsibilities in this process. Once upon a time, instructors could skip these steps, but
now they should be part of any course structure. (The following uses as an example the discussion forum
feature in Online@UT.)
- Be detailed and clear about expectations.
- Begin slowly. For example, require a brief submission to a discussion forum. Give students
prompt, thoughtful feedback on their contributions. Make the first encounter with what may be a
new tool for them a low-stakes assignment, carrying small weight.
- Gradually increase the length, complexity, and required components of the discussion forum.
From Engaged Learning: Pathways to Success; Fall 2004 ITC Topics
The Practice in Action
Engineering Fundamentals
Engineering Fundamentals
All Engineering Fundamentals 101 lectures are on the Web in PDF format so students can print them
out, two slides per page, and review them before class. Students then arrive in class prepared to
listen more thoughtfully because they aren't scrambling to draw complex diagrams and follow the
discussion at the same time. The website has been designed to be practical and functional. A table
displays lectures, background material, and homework assignments for each topic. By exploring the
"Notes" section, students obtain additional content and practice problems. Homework assignments
are found in the third column of the table, where students are expected to print, complete, and
turn them in.
From Collaboration and Teamwork Energizes Freshman Engineering; 2002 Spotlight on Richard Bennett and D. Raj Raman
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