Here’s a blog post just in time for the winter quarter… In an online course, first impressions matter. The first week of the term—and the few weeks before your course begins—may be the most critical as you welcome students to your course and begin building a learning community.  It is easy for this part of your course to be quiet and still. Since students haven’t started participating yet, you haven’t started chatting in the discussions or giving feedback on assignments. However, there’s no need to wait—you can get the conversation started early.  A warm welcome can help build excitement, establish

Defining Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is an approach to Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) that allows institutions of higher learning to “evaluate and formally recognize learning that has occurred outside of the traditional academic environment. It is used to grant college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward further education or training.”  PLA strategies vary between different universities and colleges, but may include awarding credit for military and professional experiences, Course Match PLA Projects, exams such as College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP) exams, professional licensures or certifications, and open-source learning opportunities such as MOOCs (massively open online courses). 

Context  Early in 2022, a friend told me he was going to start streaming on Twitch and asked if I would join to watch and chat. I knew little about Twitch, an online community for streaming video gameplay, and as I considered his request I wondered if there could be a place for me in this space. Frankly, I don’t play video games, and at first glance, most streamers appeared to be men with a focus on fighting and shooting games.   However, I logged in to amusedly watch my friend play long-distance trucking and city-building games and, curious, found

Overview  The Distance Learning team in the School of Professional Studies is excited to announce that Consultations with Distance Learning staff are now available for booking, allowing SPS instructors to discuss course design and technology with online learning experts outside of the course development and revision process.  Whether you are new to teaching online or have been teaching online for many years, we are excited to consult with you and look forward to our conversations! If you have any questions, please contact distanceeducation@northwestern.edu.  Why Book a Consultation?  There are many reasons why you might want to chat with a Learning