by Jeff Schramm, Chronicle of Higher Ed
Instead of meeting twice a week for an hour and 15 minutes each, we meet once a week. I’ve found that students need structure and a weekly meeting at the same time and place gives them that. Much (but not all) of my content heavy lecture is now online in short (7–12 minute) video clips that the students access via our learning management system prior to attending class. The videos are recorded with Camtasia and are voice over PowerPoint with a tablet that allows me to draw on the screen and annotate photos and text. My narration is captioned so students can read along as well as listen to me speak. After viewing several videos and completing the required readings for the week, both online and in a traditional textbook, students take a short online reading quiz to check their comprehension. The quiz counts but not for much. The bulk of their course grade is still in-class essay exams, papers and an end of semester group project.
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