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New Resource on Leading Synchronous Online Discussions

Oct. 26, 2020—Check out the latest page on Leading Synchronous Online Discussions posted within the Center for Teaching’s Online Course Development Resources website. Heather Fedesco, CFT assistant director, provides suggestions for effective ways to incorporate group discussions into Zoom class sessions. You can learn more about setting expectations for Zoom discussions, establishing community norms to ensure these...

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Meeting in Tents with Students

Oct. 21, 2020—If you have been on campus lately, you may have noticed that there are more tents than one usually sees outside of Commencement week. These tents have been set up to provide more outside, socially distanced meeting space for faculty, students, and staff. Faculty and other instructors are welcome to use these tents to meet...

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Creating Effective, Equitable Assessments for Online Courses: An On-demand Resource

Oct. 19, 2020—In the transition to online education many educators have been concerned about how to assess student learning in ways that are engaging, creative, fair, and equitable.  Not only do students demonstrate widely differing resources and aptitudes for online learning that raise concerns about equity, but online technologies present instructors with many challenges in assessing students...

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New CFT Assistant Director for Graduate Programs Shares His Research Interests

Oct. 13, 2020—Yes She Can: Examining the Educational and Career Pathways of African American Women in Senior Leadership Positions in 4-Year Public Universities This qualitative study explores how Black women in senior leadership positions in 4-year public universities in the United States speak about the experiences and characteristics that contribute to their academic achievements, career advancement, and...

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New vlog series: Teaching programming online

Oct. 12, 2020—Doug Schmidt, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Computer Science, and Jules White, Associate Professor of Computer Science, are creating a video blog (vlog) series on “Teaching Programming Online.” Schmidt says they were inspired by a CFT-sponsored webinar in August that drew about 25 Vanderbilt faculty members, demonstrating substantial local interest that suggests there may be broader...

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iDesign Support for Assessments and Spring Courses

Oct. 9, 2020—A message from our partners at iDesign: Vanderbilt Faculty, We understand your teaching and learning needs are changing. iDesign is here to support you. Here are a couple of ways we can help: Assignments, Assessments, and Proctoring  iDesign is here to help you create assignments and discuss best practices for offering assessments in an online format....

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All About Recording Zoom Meetings – New Guides for Faculty!

Oct. 8, 2020—Have you been wondering about recording your live class meetings? We have several new guides available on our On-Demand Resources page that will walk you through some commonly asked questions. Should I record my live class meeting? New! How can I record and share my class meetings with my students? New! How can I record...

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Register for our Latest Online Course Design Institute!

Oct. 7, 2020—This structured professional development opportunity for Vanderbilt faculty, grad students, and other instructors will explore effective practices in online education and help instructors plan their upcoming online courses. For those who weren’t able to take the intensive version of the OCDI in the summer, there is still time to join this fully online, five week...

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Upcoming Conversations on Teaching

Oct. 5, 2020—These sessions provide members of the Vanderbilt teaching community a chance to share their teaching experiences and learn from each other in an informal, discussion-based format. Leading Synchronous Online Discussions This semester, many of you may have tried your hand at leading synchronous online discussions for the first time, most likely via Zoom. You may...

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Event Focusing on Teaching Issues of Race and Racism

Oct. 1, 2020—Throughout 2020-21 and as part of its annual Teaching, Difference, & Power series, the Center for Teaching is hosting a learning community that will address a variety of topics related to teaching and race. The first event of this series, “Teaching Issues of Race and Racism,” will take place October 2nd from 12:00-1:30pm in a...

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