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Using PowerPoint in a Video

September 22, 2022
The familiarity and ease of PowerPoint make it a natural choice for creating instructional videos. After all, your energy is better spent on planning and recording videos than on learning a new tool. However, creating quality slides still requires significant time and attention to detail.

Creating Video Announcements

July 10, 2024
Course announcements are an excellent way to communicate important information regarding upcoming topics and assignments. When delivered in video format, course announcements can also help create a culture of connection with your students, establishing instructor presence within the course.

Inclusive Communication Practices

June 25, 2024
In asynchronous, hybrid, and multimodal learning environments, strong communication practices greatly aid student engagement and satisfaction (Martin & Bolliger, 2018). Faculty may develop an exceptional course in terms of goals, content, and design, but without proper communication and feedback, the course experience will be significantly diminished.

Best Practices for Screencast

April 26, 2024
Do you want to deliver presentations, share tutorials, or teach complex applications in your online course? If so, creating screencasts may be a great option for you. This piece defines what a screencast is, identifies important development considerations and common instructional use cases, and highlights best practices for creating screencasts for your online course.

Creating Video: Personal Experience Insights

August 16, 2024
In our Personal Experience Insights series, members of the Everspring Learning Design department share first-hand accounts of creating online learning content and meaningful takeaways from their professional experiences.

Incorporating Multimedia in Your Course

October 17, 2022
Multimedia, which helps create an engaging and interactive online learning environment, has been shown to contribute to improved student performance (Cheng, Basu, & Goebel, 2009, p. 1). Though many online courses incorporate videos, they neglect to feature other forms of multimedia. And, while videos are a staple of multimedia use, there are other exciting options to consider: podcast episodes, graphics, and animations can all enhance course content, enriching the student experience. To maximize the benefits multimedia can provide, consider including these underutilized forms of multimedia in your course.

Universal Design for Learning

October 10, 2022
Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which has roots in Ronald Mace’s concept of Universal Design, is a pedagogical framework that supports diverse learning needs. According to CAST, the creator of the framework, UDL seeks “to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn” (2018). UDL is not a step-by-step curriculum plan, but rather an approach to pedagogy and curriculum development that aims to make the learning environment as accessible as possible for as many learners as possible (Derer, 2021; CAST, 2018).

Enhancing Quantitative Courses With Varied Learning Approaches

August 20, 2024
Employing a variety of modes of instruction and assessment, as recommended by Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, can enhance the learning experience for students in quantitative courses. Diverse elements such as visual aids, interactive features, and real-world applications can complement, extend, or replace traditional lectures and exams. Since classes consist of students with varying learning preferences and strategies, using multiple modes of representation in a course promotes deeper understanding, engagement, and skill development. This piece details design elements that can be particularly impactful in quantitative courses.

Improving PowerPoints

September 28, 2021
Sharing information via PowerPoint presentations is a long-established strategy in higher education. Designing PowerPoint presentations for online courses can pose unique challenges; however, best practices can help overcome these hurdles. With time and attention, faculty and instructional designers can create engaging and purposeful presentations with lasting value.