Online Teaching Survival Guide Book Review

The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips by Judith Boettcher and Rita-Marie Conrad
371.3344678 B783o

Although published in 2010, this useful guide is a great option for anyone looking to set up an online course from scratch, or for an instructor implementing an online curriculum.

Boettcher and Conrad provide a general overview of best teaching practices in Part One, including guidance on creating a supportive community, providing a mix of synchronous and asynchronous activities, asking for feedback, and wrapping up in a meaningful way. Part Two divides the course into various phases of the class, including “course beginning”, “early middle”, “late middle” and “closing weeks” so the reader can easily use the tips and tools that most match the phase he/she is teaching. The authors give thought-provoking questions throughout that the teacher can think about as part of the course, or use in the class to spur on critical thinking and creating community.

Having taught online classes, I can say that the advice, tips, scholarship, and focus are all useful from day one and many of the items that I have used within my classroom have worked well and have added value and to the students’ successes.

—Submitted by Maria Bagshaw, Reference/Instruction Librarian

Ask the information experts…and bring your class!

CC license 2001 – 2013 Michael Mandiberg

Want to help demystify the research experience for your students?

Reference librarians will work with you to customize an instruction session to your students’ knowledge, skills, and research topics. Skills and concepts that can be covered include:

• Search strategies: how to turn a research question into keywords; how to narrow or broaden searches
• Use of a variety of source types, both electronic and print
• Source evaluation: differentiating among scholarly, popular, and trade publications; verifying information’s accuracy and authority; identifying what types of information may be found in particular sources
• Citation Styles

Instructors can schedule an instruction session by emailing the Reference Librarians, or by using the online form.  To schedule instruction in the online environment, please contact Stacey Shah, Distance Learning Librarian.  Space fills quickly, so schedule your instruction session today!

More information can be found on our Faculty Services website.

Faculty: Request Library/Research Instruction electronically!

There is now a new and convenient way for ECC Faculty to request library & research instruction!  Simply fill out our new electronic form and an ECC Librarian will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm your time or offer an alternative time if necessary.

We hope this will be a convenience for our faculty!

Directory of Library Tutorials

Need some help with your research? Did you know ECC Library has a directory of online tutorials available to help you with your library research?

Our tutorials cover such areas as library basics like how to register your student ID barcode with the library to dababase demonstrations like how to use the library’s new arts and sciences database JSTOR to information literacy instruction like how to develop good college-level searching strategies. And all tutorials can be accessed from on or off-campus.

To view the directory of tutorials, look for the Tutorials link in the left-hand menu of the library homepage or click on the image below.