Thursday, October 27, 2016

Alternatives to Saturday Sessions

Thanks to Hurricane Matthew, many of you are stuck choosing between holding classes on Saturday or creating online assignments. Enter Kimbel Library, savior of Saturdays and cultivator of resources to make your online assignments easier.

Classroom Discussions Online Discussion
Most classes necessitate student discussions that, even on the best of days, can be difficult to kindle. Can you imagine how damp such discussions would be on a Saturday? Follow CeTEAL's advice and create an online discussion in Moodle instead.

Kimbel Library provides access to electronic resources that can enrich your online discussions. While a section of textbook might suffice, an online article may encourage more participation. To find one, you can browse databases by subject or by title, or head straight to a journal. Once you have something riveting, include the permalink for the article in the introduction area, say a bit about the piece to get students started, and watch the posts proliferate.

Classroom Discussions Research Assignment
If you're hesitant about online discussions, research assignments might be more your style. Here, each student can find and review a different article using the library's Discover! service. Such exposure often helps struggling students better understand business profiles, lab reports, and literary critiques. Plus, it improves their research skills without taxing yours.

Classroom Presentation Online Presentation
Presentations, often the greatest burden on class schedules, can also be transitioned online. Through the library's equipment checkout service students can check-out webcams, microphones, camcorders, and laptops to work from home or use any of the library's webcam-equipped desktops, each with presentation software. Either way, the challenge of the assignment is preserved as is everyone's weekend.

Something Else
These are only a few assignments to try. For additional assignment suggestions, check CeTEAL's guide for Contingency Instruction or contact them directly. For additional resources, review your course's LibGuide or contact your friendly library staff.

Enjoy your Saturday!