To make sure that we are all well-stocked with books, the University Press of Kansas is currently shipping this book and all other books in the UPK catalog anywhere in the US for free. Use the code SPRING at checkout before midnight tonight to get any of their terrific books (like maybe the one below!)... Continue Reading →
Curbing Cheating Online: Creating a Culture of Academic Integrity
This post is part of a mini-series on preventing cheating in online classes. You can find more posts in this mini-series by searching for "academic integrity" or "cheating" in the search box on the main page. Understanding why students cheat in their schoolwork helps us design courses that makes cheating less of a temptation. For... Continue Reading →
Plagiarism Detection Software IS Academic Dishonesty
This post is part of a mini-series on preventing cheating in online classes. You can find more posts in this mini-series by searching for "academic integrity" or "cheating" in the Tag Cloud on the main page. Designing an online course to curb cheating assumes that we think that cheating--taking someone else's effort for our own... Continue Reading →
Curbing Cheating Online: The Problem of Ringers
This post is part of a series designing online courses. We've been at it for awhile now, so if you are new to online course design, you may want to begin at the beginning. This post, the previous few, and the next two will focus on designing to ensure the validity of online assessments (that... Continue Reading →
FERPA Updates in the time of COVID
During a crisis, it can be hard to remember that, no matter what else we do, we must protect student privacy. These FERPA updates from the Department of Education can help. Above, Woman in Her Bath, Sponging Her Leg, by Edgar Degas shows a woman in a copper bathtub, her auburn hair drawn up, lifting... Continue Reading →
Curbing Cheating Online: Remote Proctoring
A mural in Cheltenham, possibly by Banksy,is built around a phone booth, the glass shattered. Three men--one on the left and two on the right of the booth--wear tan trench coats and sunglasses. They spy on the phone booth with microphones and recording devices. Why am I so fervently opposed to proctoring of online exams?... Continue Reading →
Curbing Cheating Online: Understanding Why Students Cheat
This post is part of a series to help you design an online course quickly and effectively. If you begin at the beginning, you will already have build your syllabus, created your policies, and framed your online course. We're taking a small detour now to focus on how you can curb cheating in your classes.... Continue Reading →
Be Kinder than You Think Your Students Need
"Be kind to your sibling." "I AM being kind--they're the one being a jerk!" "Be kinder. Be kinder. Be kinder than you think you need to be. Be kinder than you think they deserve." It's a regular interaction in my household. Someone--possible more than one someone--has been a jerk, a meanie, an obnoxious brat. Probably... Continue Reading →
Why was teaching today harder than two weeks ago?
Does it feel like you should have this figured out by now? That because you've made the decisions about how to teach remotely and had a few weeks of it behind you, it should be getting easier? But, somehow, it's not? That's okay. It's not easier for a lot of reasons. Here are a few:... Continue Reading →
Welcoming Students to Their Online Class
This post is part of a series to help you build an online class. If you want to begin at the beginning of the series, start here. A warm relationship with at least one professor is a high leverage practice--one that helps protect vulnerable students from dropping out. Small schools with low teacher to student... Continue Reading →