Lightening the (Cognitive) Load

This great quick read about integrating fun graphics into curricula applies to online learning as well as classroom course materials for on-ground or hybrid course modalities. Check out Bitmojis, GIFs, and Snaps in the Classroom? Oh My! from Magna Publications.

You can create a FREE Bitmoji (see mine below) and have (still free) access to thousands of images to use in announcements, slide decks, ... even blog posts! Bitmoji has free apps for both Android and Apple iOS devices and can be used in any software that supports graphics. While setting up your own Bitmoji, once you find a Bitmoji that looks sort of like you, you can even customize the details to look EERILY like you! I was even able to find my trademark cat-eye glasses!

Learning Tools You May Have Missed

I confess that while many of these technology tools are like extensions of my own hands now, some of them are new to me. Let's check them out!

This link to the lists of the top 200 academic technology tools for 2019 could have gone directly to the sublist specifically for higher education, but then you might have lost the introduction and context of other lists, if curious. I was!

The Collaborative Learning Center Needs Your Voice!

Please fill out the faculty survey on collaborative learning in your class. We need the information you are providing to demonstrate we are executing our Quality Enhancement Plan as part of our SACSCOC accreditation.  Even if you are not doing collaborative learning, please take the survey.

If you are interested in incorporating or expanding  collaborative learning in your course but don’t have a good idea of how to do it or time to research it, please contact the Collaborative Learning Center at x5203 or clc@uah.edu.

Skill Development: Google Searches

Some people might think that using a search engine is as easy as finding the Google Web page and typing a few words into the query field for searching. It's true that these steps will likely yield an avalanche of responses, but those could take a year or two to pick through!

Most of us have figured out that there's a trick to making search engines work smarter, but for some of us, discovering those tips and tricks requires more time and effort than we have to spare.

Here's a great starter video to whet your appetite. There are lots of resources available to take this training to the next level, and what's good for the teacher is also good for the student (and vice versa)! As you learn the ins and outs of search engines yourself, think about ways that you could incorporate such skill-building into your class.

Stuck for ideas? Contact ETL by emailing helpdesk@uah.edu.