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Specifications Grading: A Method to Improve Student Performance

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February 7, 2025

 by 

Jennifer Parker

Overview

Are you looking to increase student motivation and the quality of their academic work? If yes, consider specifications grading.  According to Linda B. Nilson, Ph.D., the traditional higher education grading method is broken and specifications grading offers a solution with benefits for both students and faculty. Nilson published her seminal work, Specifications Grading: Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students and Saving Faculty Time, in 2015.  Since then, faculty have adopted her method, including some at UConn.

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An Overview of VoiceThread

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December 31, 2024

 by 

Simon Wang

Overview

VoiceThread is an interactive, multimedia discussion tool that enables dynamic conversations around multimedia content including images, videos, documents, and presentations. It allows users (instructors & students) to create, share, and comment on content using a variety of formats, including text, audio, and video. Online instructors can leverage VoiceThread to create asynchronous discussions, deliver interactive lectures, or facilitate group projects. Its flexibility supports diverse learning styles and encourages participation, making it an ideal tool for building community in online courses. VoiceThread integrates seamlessly with HuskyCT, ensuring a smooth experience for both instructors and students.

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Authentication of Students in Online Courses

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July 21, 2025

 by 

Kelsey Keefe

Overview

The purpose of this article is to guide the University community as faculty seek methods of verifying student identity in distance learning and online courses. These guidelines were designed to meet NECHE accreditation standard 4.48 and federal requirements under Sec. 602.17(g)of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Additionally, these guidelines are designed to meet Department of Homeland Security requirements for international students in online and remote learning environments.

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An Overview of Perusall

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August 14, 2025

 by 

Timothy Stubbs

Overview

Logo with tagline: Perusall - Every student prepared for every class

Perusall is a free “social annotation” tool that helps students engage with course material in class groups. When integrated with HuskyCT, instructors can create reading or viewing assignments in which students create & share their own annotations and respond to each other’s comments and questions. Perusall informs instructors of the concepts that generate the most student questions & discussion, and Perusall can assist instructors score assignments quickly and efficiently. Perusall also reminds students of incomplete assignments, prompting higher rates of completion and preparedness.

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Syllabus Template for Online Courses

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September 29, 2025

 by 

Kelsey Keefe

Overview

eCampus offers a syllabus template for instructors teaching online, which meets accessibility requirements for online courses. This post describes how to download and use the template to create your syllabus.

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Writing Effective Multiple Choice Questions

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August 30, 2024

 by 

Betsy Guala

Overview

This post provides guidelines for constructing multiple choice assessment questions. While multiple choice questions can be used to measure a number of different learning outcomes, the validity of these assessments is greatly influenced by how well the questions are constructed. Use this guide to write multiple choice questions for both lower and higher level learning outcomes.

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Ensuring Academic Integrity Online

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October 17, 2024

 by 

Catherine Healy

Overview

Faculty can use the strategies, tools, techniques and technologies available to them to help ensure academic integrity in online courses.

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Competencies for Online and Hybrid/Blended Instruction

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June 12, 2025

 by 

Jennifer Parker

Overview

What skills does an instructor need to succeed with an online or hybrid course? The UConn Competencies for Online and Hybrid/Blended Instruction survey includes 27 competencies to inform and facilitate self-assessment. The second edition takes into account developments in higher education since the COVID pandemic.

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Faculty Resources for Teaching Online at UConn

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July 18, 2025

 by 

Kelsey Keefe

Overview

This post is a resource for faculty teaching online graduate and certificate programs as well as the various staff and administrators who support these programs. It is intended to provide information and guidance around roles and procedures that will help faculty be most effective in preparing to design, develop, and teach online.

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