The Texas A&M University-Commerce faculty were invited to two separate eFaculty CONNECT! sessions in November of 2010 in both the Commerce and Metroplex campuses. These sessions were facilitated by the Instructional Design team members and were planned to allow interaction and exchange of ideas among faculty members from different disciplines. Based on faculty feedback, the sessions had an overwhelming positive response, and many of the professors were appreciative of the opportunity to discuss strategies and techniques in teaching their online and web-enhanced courses. Such sessions provide faculty with an opportunity to discuss the pragmatic techniques that develop an effective learning environment. At the end of each session, faculty were asked to share some of the best practices and techniques that they had taken away from the sessions, so that they could be shared with other faculty that were not able to be present. The following is a list of their ideas:
- The use of mobile devices to interface with eCollege. Several faculty members wondered if this would happen in the near future. (eCollege is currently in the process of developing this tool)
- Use of podcasts to support online learning was discussed and faculties were recommended to use such softwares as Audacity and Format Factory to develop these resources.
- Faculty shared with one another, uses and advantages of using Respondus to upload exams in to eCollege courses.
- There was discussion about the issues of plagiarism and cheating during online testing and how best faculty can prevent such acts. (Time limitations, access limitations, use of Turnitin etc.)
- Different ways to develop the course content presentation and avoid clutter (Use of Camtasia, Adobe Presenter (Breeze).
- Better methods for motivating students to keep up with their courses throughout the semester. (Signing a Memo of Understanding after receiving their syllabus at the beginning of the semester, having regular discussions, etc.)
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