Category Archives: technology and education

thoughts on technology and education

Using visual cues in your online course site (Moodle)

Posted on January 8, 2015 by igalindo

The online learning experience leans toward being a visual one. That makes the design of your course an important consideration. A good practice is to imagine your students sitting in front of their computer screen looking at your course site. … Continue reading →

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Make your course more effective with IRA and the Ws

Posted on November 4, 2014 by igalindo

Effective teaching in the online environment calls for following sound pedagogy, often, the same as those practiced in the classroom. After all, in a real sense learning is learning, regardless of where it happens. Whether you are teaching a dedicated … Continue reading →

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Create Better Online Discussion Questions

Posted on October 31, 2014 by igalindo

Using a hybrid format for a course often means increasing the use of the online discussion forum as a primary pedagogy. This can enhance the learning experience, deepen comprehension, and offer a means for more immediate application of knowledge. It … Continue reading →

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Getting good at it

Posted on October 29, 2014 by igalindo

I was engaged in a conversation about on-line learning recently, with someone who has never taken an online course nor taught in that context. I must confess that some of those conversations were interesting at one time. But after teaching … Continue reading →

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Aesthetics and Pedagogy in Online Learning

Posted on September 29, 2014 by igalindo

The online environment is a visual medium. Whether you are teaching a dedicated online course, using a hybrid format, or using your online course site (Moodle or Blackboard) as a resource and enrichment component of your classroom course, “style” and … Continue reading →

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Using Instructional Prompts for Online Learning

Posted on September 23, 2014 by igalindo

The greatest potential of the online learning environment is its capacity to foster high levels of interactive learning that leads to “deep understanding.” The instructor’s role is critical to making this happen. The manner and frequency of the instructor’s response … Continue reading →

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Using announcements in the online environment

Posted on September 22, 2014 by igalindo

I’ve found that instructors new to the online environment sometimes are not too clear about functionality of various pedagogical actions on the LMS platforms. Teacher behavior that has become intuitive in the classroom environment become a challenge when one tries … Continue reading →

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Google Classroom, not yet ready for prime time

Posted on September 17, 2014 by igalindo

There’s been a lot of buzz in the instructional tech world about Google’s new “Classroom” LMS. Given Google’s influence and impact, it’s worth watching. But writer and educator Phil Hill shares his opinion that it’s too early to know if … Continue reading →

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Overcoming “transactional distance”

Posted on September 16, 2014 by igalindo

There’s a term for the anxiety many novice instructors feel about the online teaching-learning environment. It’s called “transactional distance.” This relates to the dissonance of feeling “distant” or disconnected from one’s students when one is used to only teaching face-to-face. … Continue reading →

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Virtual church

Posted on December 16, 2008 by igalindo

Some of us observe with amusement, and some impatience, the ongoing occasional conversations in theological education about the legitimacy, value, or congruence of online delivery for seminary education. At one time it was appropriate to include in that conversation talk … Continue reading →

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