Resource Library
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The Ultimate Guide to Instructional Design
Our experts break down what instructional design is, what instructional designers do and share tips for creating engaging, inclusive educational content that learners will love.
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9 Things to Consider Before Making an LMS Switch
About the eBook Your LMS functions as the heart of your academic institution—it not only hosts and manages learning material, but also helps students to successfully hit learning outcomes. However,…
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SNHU turns student data into student success
How SNHU Turns Student Data Into Student Success Ensuring student success has become one of the biggest challenges for colleges and universities. With the adoption of education technology, higher education…
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Make Data-Driven Decisions with D2L Brightspace
Now more than ever, instructors need easy-to-action, on-time information that supports student growth without breaking the bank. Get ready to move beyond the limitations of a learning management system (LMS)…
Latest Resources
Making high education affordable to all with new pilot program
The average cost of a private, non-profit four-year university degree is $31,231 across the U.S., while the cost for a public four-year school hovers around $10,000 per year, according to the College Board. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York puts student debt at more than $1.3 trillion, meaning it has reached a crisis level. University can be a prohibitively expensive proposition for some people. Many lower-income students often find themselves working part- or full-time in order to raise sufficient funds, or they face other barriers to entry, such as lengthy commute times because they have to live at home. This demands flexibility of their schedules, which offline courses are often unable to offer. In all, this is creating a system that is inaccessible to many who have a desire to learn, says Dr. Jodi Henderson-Ross, Assistant Professor of instruction at the University of Akron. While online learning has often been hailed as a solution to some of these challenges, there remains a stigma associated with the space. “Rightly or wrongly, there’s an assumption that online learning isn’t as academically rigorous,” she says. Against this backdrop, the University of Akron wanted to change that.
Success with district-wide digital learning initiative
In a recent survey by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 93% of teachers responded that they now use some type of digital technology to teach. Teachers are increasingly experimenting with digital technologies as a way to enable learning strategies, such as adaptive learning, and are engaging with students online to assign web-based projects, provide feedback, and offer interventions. Gwinnett County Public Schools is a school district operating in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The largest school district in Georgia, with 134 schools serving more than 176,000 students, Gwinnett County Public Schools embarked several years ago on an ambitious digital learning initiative to transform instruction and learning inside and outside of its classrooms through blended learning.
7 Tips for Increasing Student Engagement in Online Learning
Here are a few ideas for ensuring higher levels of student engagement in online courses.
Five-star accommodation
It had always been a point of pride—Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) enjoyed a reputation for offering the most in accessibility. When it came to online learning, however, feedback was less than glowing. Students and faculty who needed accommodations, particularly the visually impaired, were regularly calling for help. Unfortunately, the learning management system (LMS) used by SFASU made it impossible to resolve the recurring issues. Determined to reverse the situation, they set out to find a learning platform that would meet their accessibility requirements. In order to get it right, they asked for help from those who would benefit the most: students and faculty.
Equal learning opportunity for all
Increasing accessibility for students within a post-secondary learning environment is an ongoing challenge for the thousands of colleges located in the US. To varying degrees, educational institutions are seeking to improve and enhance campus facilities, services and courseware to be more fully accessible to people with disabilities as well as address all cognitive learning styles. Inver Hills Community College, part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU), is an educational institution at the forefront of improving accessibility for its students. The college’s charge, for more than forty years, has been to improve its community by providing higher education for a variety of learners. With more than 70% of students from underrepresented populations and 20% first generation college students,[1] Inver Hills Community College strongly believes that fulfilling this principle means making education accessible to all.
Going beyond compliance to emphasize accessibility in the learning experience
Serving more than 1.3 million college-age residents across five counties, Portland Community College (PCC) is Oregon’s largest multi-campus higher education institution. It is divided into four comprehensive campuses, seven centers, and dozens of independent locations throughout the community.
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