Higher education blog

2020 proved to be a challenging year for educators, to say the least. Many instructors, however, rose to the challenge by bringing creative and collaborative teaching ideas into their online classrooms.

To celebrate all the good things that happened in a tough year, we asked instructors to share their successes from the fall 2020 semester.

Here are 4 trends describing what worked well for instructors:

1. Keeping it short

For a generation of students growing up on social media, instructors found that bite-sized activities kept them most engaged and attentive.

While many educators use MyLab, Mastering, and Revel to assign homework and assessment, these platforms host a wealth of other engaging activities students can use to improve their understanding of class concepts.

Here are 7 little-known features in MyLab, Mastering, and Revel you can use today. Find 7 more lesser-known features of MyLab, Mastering, and Revel in Part 1 here.

Mastering

1. PhET Simulation Tutorials, Mastering Physics

Many students find physics really difficult. Even students with great math skills struggle with the abstract concepts and theory application. To help them visualize concepts better, you can use PhET simulations in Mastering Physics.

These interactive simulations gives students a way to apply what they’ve learned to a real-life scenario by making decisions or changing variables. This low-stakes environment encourages experimentation where students can learn from their mistakes. Not only will students be able to see concepts and theories in action, but also see how physics is used in the real-world. 

In the wake of COVID-19, educators across Canada have had to move their courses online. There are a plethora of digital tools available to teachers for online teaching, but sorting out what tools are best for what strategies and activities can be overwhelming.

To alleviate this confusion, we want to share with you one tool that can help you incorporate many of the recommended best practices into your virtual course. It will help simplify the process of picking the best tools and putting them to use effectively.