Recording Instruction and Communications for Distance Learners
By Dana Shreaves, Instructional Designer When instructors want to communicate with students at a distance, one option is to create video or audio recordings. Many faculty dislike seeing or hearing themselves recorded. Others are intimidated by the process of creating recordings. However, recordings can be…
Rethinking Assessment at a Distance
By Dana Shreaves, Instructional Designer Considering how to assess students at a distance may seem daunting. Many faculty have always relied on specific assessment practices and believe in-person assessment is the best way to assess student learning. However, the principles underlying good assessment practices are…
Engaging Students During Remote Learning
By Dana Shreaves, Instructional Designer Engaging students who are learning at a distance can be challenging for faculty, especially when faculty are accustomed to judging engagement face-to-face. During the PLUTO Institute for Online and Blended Learning, we recommend a number of strategies to engage students…
How to Create a Basic Online Lesson
By Dana Shreaves, Instructional Designer When on-campus class sessions cannot be held as scheduled, online lessons provide an alternative method for teaching. Online lessons created in Sakai can provide faculty and students with access to all the major components of a course, including instructional content,…
How to Conduct a Virtual Class Session
By Dana Shreaves, Instructional Designer When students or instructors cannot meet in the same physical location, virtual class sessions are one alternative to consider. Virtual meetings are intended for live communication, but some software allows meeting facilitators to record and share videos after a session…
Three New Tools for Teaching with Sakai
By Dana Shreaves, Instructional Designer Many instructors use Sakai for posting their syllabus, sharing resources, and communicating course grades. But did you know that Sakai tools can collect formative assessment data, help students manage their to-do lists, and facilitate communication through audio recordings? Lesson Questions…
Using Simple Technologies to Inspire Student
by Tom Smith, Associate Professor and Chair, Theatre & Dance When I first began teaching my Auditions class a decade ago, standard professional theatre auditions were held in-person in the theatre that was casting. Actors wishing to audition for theatres in other states were expected…
Teaching with Sakai at PLU
By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer The Office of the Provost’s Faculty Resources website has a new webpage dedicated to Teaching and Learning with Sakai . Here faculty can learn more about how Sakai is being used across campus. View Real PLU Sakai Sites Ever wondered…
Support for Using the New Sakai Site Templates
By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer During summer 2018, three templates options — Standard, Minimal, and Legacy templates — were added to the Sakai Request Course form. Sakai templates contain general tools and pages that must be updated by the instructor before publishing the site to…
New Sakai Templates – Released June 15
By Dana Bodewes, Instructional Designer On June 15, instructors who request new Sakai sites will be prompted to select from three different templates options: Standard, Minimal, and Legacy. Sakai templates contain general tools and pages that must be updated by the instructor before publishing the…