Teaching Resources Blog Archive
Farewell, Zac!
June 13, 2022
Zac Walthall has been the Office of Educational Development's media guru for the last two-and-a-half years. Hired right after his graduation from Henderson State University, Zac used his digital expertise to update OED's media output. Under Zac's guidance, OED began writing, producing, and editing a variety of video materials, which now have a home on…
Office of Educational Development Update 5/11/22
May 11, 2022
Hello UAMS — I'm Zac with the Office of Educational Development, here to give you a brief update of what's happening on campus. Campus Phishing Scam A lot of you may have received a suspicious email from your supervisor, asking if you can meet, inquiring about your availability, or asking for gift cards. It…
Three Helpful Cybersecurity Tips
April 26, 2022 | Cristina Gamalie
Transcript Hello, I'm Zac with the Office of Educational Development and today we're going to be talking about three cybersecurity tips that could keep you and your students safe. Let's get started! Tip One: Keep Your Software Up-To-Date We've all been there before: you're working on a huge project and then you get a notification…
Welcome, Scott!
April 19, 2022
Scott Wright is an assistant professor for Instructional Design with over seven years of experience in higher education. He is a lifelong learner who pursued Instructional Design because it combined his love for education with his technical expertise. Before joining U.A.M.S., Scott worked as an Instructional Designer for the University of Arkansas’s Global Campus for…
Educational Innovation Grant Deadline Coming Soon
April 11, 2022
Transcription Hello, I'm Zac with the Office of Educational Development, letting you know that the application deadline for our Educational Innovation Grant is rapidly approaching. All applications must be submitted by May 1, 2022. If you're interested in the application guidelines, visit our website to learn more.
Intelligent Failure: An Opportunity for Discovery
March 31, 2022
Written by Janay White, MA Estimated reading time: 4 minutes “A person who has never made a mistake never tried anything new.” - Albert Einstein As we navigate the ever-changing educational climate, the one constant that remains is the desire to create engaging and informative learning experiences for our students. We test methods, tools, and…
I Love Teaching Because...
February 14, 2022
Education is a difficult profession that is not without its pitfalls — because of this, it takes special people with a passion for teaching to make it work. On this Valentine's Day, we wanted to highlight some UAMS professors and ask them why they love teaching. "I have a passion for teaching; be it…
4 Simple Tech Tips that Seem Too Good to be True
February 7, 2022
When it comes to technology, there are a variety of errors we run into — this article is by no means a "one size fits all," but rather a suggestion of steps you should take before giving up on your computer. We hope these four simple tech tips resolve your issues. Restart Your Computer…
Five Black Educators that Changed History
February 1, 2022
Happy Black History Month — this February, we would like to shine a spotlight on black educators that left a lasting impact on their profession. These African American academics have earned their place in history, changing countless lives through their work and influencing culture for years to come. Although these figures are educators by vocation,…
5 Tips for Keeping Your PC Clean
January 17, 2022
January is "Clean Up Your Computer" month — in the spirit of this celebration, we've decided to share our best tips for keeping your digital space spotless. Remove Unused Software One of the easiest ways to free up some space on your hard drive is to uninstall applications that you don't use anymore. On Windows…
New Year, New Techniques: Fresh Instructional Design Trends for 2022
January 3, 2022
Written by Janay White, MA Estimated reading time: 4 minutes As the new year (and new semester) begins, you may be tasked with developing innovative solutions to keep your courses interactive and engaging. By rooting any changes you make in core instructional design principles, you will be better positioned to help your students succeed (Skyepack.com,…
How to Use Box Sync
December 27, 2021
Box Sync Download Transcript Hello, I'm Zac with the Office of Educational Development and today we're going to be talking about how to use Box Sync — Let's get started! To use Box Sync, you must first download the Box Sync app. You can find the download here. After this is installed, you should see…
Happy Holidays from OED
December 20, 2021
Transcript On behalf of the Office of Educational Development, I wish you a really happy holiday season. I hope your winter break is full of good food and great company. Happy Holidays!
Farewell, Bonnie!
December 13, 2021
Written by Bonnie Kenney, MEd The last eight years have seen many changes in higher education. Some have embraced these changes with open arms, while the rest have dug in their heels and been dragged kicking and screaming into the future. Change is not easy. Whether you have a year to transition from a face-to-face…
How to Turn On Dark Mode in Microsoft Word
December 6, 2021
Transcript Hello, I’m Zac with the Office of Educational Development and today we’ll be talking about How to Turn on Night Mode for Microsoft Word. Let’s get started! As you can see, the default theme of Microsoft Word is pretty bright — this can be particularly annoying after spending hours at the computer, grading papers.…
Can Intelligence Change?
December 1, 2021
Can you change your intelligence? According to this article by the American Psychological Association, believing you can get smarter makes you smarter. We are often taught that intelligence is a static attribute — whether it be nature or nurture, some people are smarter than others. This phenomenon affects marginalized groups more than any other. Students…
Common Accessibility Mistakes, Part Two
November 15, 2021
Written by Bonnie Kenney, MEd Creating course materials that are accessible for all students is important. This article will attempt to address a few of the most common mistakes made when creating materials that will be disseminated electronically. PDFs When using PDFs, follow these suggestions: Make sure the document has a title. You can check…
Common Accessibility Mistakes, Part One
November 1, 2021
Written by Bonnie Kenney, MEd Creating course materials that are accessible for all students is important. This article will attempt to address a few of the most common mistakes made when creating materials that will be disseminated electronically. Images Add descriptions or alternative tags (alt tags) to images. This description is a textual alternative for…
Engage Students Using Microlectures
October 4, 2021
Written by Janay White, MA Microlectures are short, instructor-produced videos that are designed to provide effective explanations of a single concept or specific skill set (ACUE, 2020). The short videos (approximately 5 minutes) are easy to integrate into the curriculum, can be used as a component of online, blended, or face-to-face instruction, and can be combined with other learning activities to reinforce the…
How to Embed an Online Video in PowerPoint 365
September 13, 2021
Transcript Hello — I'm Zac with the Office of Educational Development and today we're learning how to embed an online video in PowerPoint 365. First, we need an online video. I have selected one from our friends at Blackboard. Next, copy the URL from the Address bar of your browser by highlighting it and using…
Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Types of Test Questions
September 1, 2021
Though some types of questions are quick and easy to write or score, the focus should be on student’s ability to think critically and assess how students learn the material. Advantages by Question Type Multiple-choice Easy to score (by hand or electronically) Can test higher-order thinking skills (but difficult to write) Much content covered on…
Welcome Back!
August 24, 2021
Transcript I'm Dr. Steve Boone with the Office of Educational Development. I wanted to take a minute and welcome you back to campus and remind you that if you need help with educational scholarship, Blackboard, instructional design, or teaching techniques, OED is here to assist you in meeting your students' needs.
Practical Lessons for Passionate Professors
August 1, 2021
Written by Bonnie Kenney, Assistant Professor, Instructional Design The K. Patricia Cross Academy was launched in 2019 to offer practical resources for higher education faculty. The content is designed to foster student success, is concise, and packed with proven ways to achieve measurable results. Best of all, the resources are always free. Technique videos…
Microsoft Word Keyboard Shortcuts
July 1, 2021
Keyboard shortcuts are advanced-level commands that can save the user lots of time in the long run. To get more familiar with these shortcuts for Word, either print out your own copy of this document or pull it up alongside an instance of Microsoft Word.
Technology in Today's Classroom: Are You a Tech-Savvy Teacher?
June 16, 2021
Original Article Summary: When most of today's educators were in school, technology was not available like it is now. However, in today's classroom, technology abounds and students are extremely tech-savvy. This has presented many challenges in the classroom and requires teachers to continuously learn and embrace new forms of instruction in order to enrich the…
Video Learning May Be More Effective Than In-Person Lectures
April 19, 2021
Original Article Summary According to a recent study published in Review of Educational Research, video learning may be more effective than people think. The study looked at a sample of 7,776 students and found that, when students learned from a video instead of an in-person lecture, there was a slight increase in average grade. However,…
Recording Video and Audio Simultaneously in PowerPoint 365
December 2, 2020
One of the newest features in PowerPoint is the ability to record video using a webcam on your Windows computer. This is a great way to record a PowerPoint slide show with video and audio of yourself. The file can then be saved as an MP4, stored in your Box account, and shared with students…
Short Videos #2: Choosing a Setting
November 16, 2020
This is the second part of a series of blog posts about creating short videos for educational purposes. In this post, we will talk about choosing a setting for your video. When shooting these short videos, it is important to consider the setting that you are shooting in. For this article, the term “setting” means…
Peer Review of Teaching: Professional Development Through Collaboration and Reflection
October 6, 2020
Guest Writer: Mike Anders, PhD, Associate Professor of Assessment and Evaluation OED As with research, peer review helps ensure the highest quality of teaching. Peer review of teaching can prompt deliberate improvement through a collaborative, reflective process. Though student evaluations provide important information, sole reliance on them for feedback can foster a consumer approach to…
Short Videos #1: Writing a Script for Your Video
September 1, 2020
NOTE: This is a guide for creating a video that will not require transcriptions or captioning services. This is the first part of a series of blog posts about creating short videos for educational purposes. In this post, we will talk about creating a script for a video. A lot of people hear the word…
Compatibility Mode
August 6, 2020
Microsoft PowerPoint is a very powerful tool used by lecturers far and wide. Initially released in 1987 as “Presenter,” the program has gone through a variety of changes throughout the years, adding features that allow teachers to engage their audience in new ways. This progress, however, comes with a price. Because the program has existed…
Seven Copyright Best Practices for Online Teaching
July 10, 2020
Guest Writer: Lisa Ferris, Ed.S., Instructional Designer (OED) Seven Copyright Best Practices for Online Teaching If a video, photo, or document is on the internet, is it OK for faculty to freely use it in their course materials? Answer: It depends! Follow these seven best practices to help you legally use resources for your online…