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The purpose of the newsletter is to share innovations and resources in online learning throughout the UH system, highlighting upcoming professional development opportunities, events, and latest news.
The fall semester is passing by quickly and the holiday season will arrive before we know it. With November being the month of gratitude, we wanted to send a shout-out to all of you who have continued to remain flexible and agile, yet steady in your focus on staying student-centered.
Multiple higher ed surveys indicate that student needs and expectations continue to evolve. Some general trends indicate the following: students are demanding convenience and flexibility; students’ preferences for online modalities are related to personal needs; pandemic-driven (skews under 25) vs. traditional online learners (skews 25 and over) have different perspectives and traits; students value when their degrees have direct alignment to “real life” career readiness; students appreciate active tech-enhanced learning; and student success is intertwined with psychological well-being ( Capranos et al., 2022; Instructure, 2022; Latulippe, et al., 2022; Robert, 2022). This is a great time to reflect on how we all can individually and collectively continue to address the evolving needs of our students.
Mahalo nui for all that you do! Happy National Distance Learning Week (Nov. 7-11)! |
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2023 UHOPD Cohort Applications Now Open!
 Applications for the 2023 cohort of the UH Online Professional Development (UHOPD) program are now open for all instructors across the UH system interested in developing an accelerated (5-week or 8-week) or Early College online course!
Participants will learn online tips and strategies from guest speakers, network and collaborate with colleagues, and by the end of the program, will develop an online course that will be reviewed by instructional designers across the UH system.
A big mahalo and hoʻomaikaʻi (congratulations) to the 2022 cohort which is now wrapping up the UHOPD program with Phase 3 - the UH Online Quality Course Design Review process. A digital badge will be designated to participants who successfully complete the program this year for their efforts and hard work!
Find out more about the program and how to apply on the UHOPD webpage!
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“Plus one” to the UHOIC Team - Welina mai e Jen!
 We would like to welcome Jennifer Corpion to the UHOIC team. Jennifer is an instructional design graduate assistant who is currently in the Learning Design and Technology Masterʻs program at UH Mānoa. We’re excited to have her join the team!
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Upcoming Events
With only a few weeks left in the semester, don't forget to check out the last UHOIC-hosted event in November.
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Work Smarter (Not Harder) with Google Forms (Friday, Nov. 4, 10-11:15 a.m.)
 Google Forms is a versatile tool that can be used for various purposes, from information-gathering surveys to quizzes. Did you know there are additional cool features that can potentially increase productivity, efficiency, and dare we say, make work easier? Join the third webinar of this series and engage with instructional designers from across the system to learn how to Work Smarter (Not Harder) with Google Forms.
Registration - http://go.hawaii.edu/2Gr
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H5P + Laulima Program
Wow, has time flown by! Our 2022-2023 H5P + Laulima cohort officially kicked off, beginning with an orientation session on Sep. 9. Participants got to “meet and greet” with each other and gained insights from returning (alumni) participants along with the H5P + Laulima Support Team (made up of instructional designers across the UH system).
Caption: H5P Emoji Cloud Activity participant responses (larger icons reflect higher response data).
Right now, the cohort is diving right into exploration with the integration of H5P activities into their Laulima courses this semester and will continue to do so in spring. With the combination of new and returning participants in this year’s cohort, the collaborative support has been great! We look forward to seeing (and sharing) the new H5P activities created and adding them to the existing contributions on the H5P Interactives Library page.
Want to try H5P out on your end? Visit H5P.org to create your free account and try out H5P. Visit the H5P + Laulima webpage for more program updates and information.
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 During the 2022 UH Excellence in Teaching Faculty Panel: Online Strategies, Tips, and Lessons Learned webinar (Sep. 16), participants had great conversations with our faculty panelists during the session as they shared strategies, activities, and templates for student engagement, retention, and humanizing online courses. During the breakout session:
- Laurie James shared her strategies for making connections through online synchronous interactions including activities from the beginning of the semester, to mid and end of the semester.
- Participants were able to try some games Kyra Len played with her students and view additional free Powerpoint Game Templates.
- Alyssa MacDonald used Jamboard for a collaborative discussion on active learning and communication in asynchronous courses.
- Kevin Takayama shared ideas and experiences on building meaningful relationships in an online environment.
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 Humanizing online courses “applies learning science and culturally responsive teaching to asynchronous online courses to create an inclusive, equitable class climate for today’s diverse students” (Pacansky-Brock, 2020). During the Humanizing Online Courses webinar (Oct. 18), Daniel Harris-McCoy discussed how the New Friend Activity successfully helps his students get to know each other on a fun and deeper level during Day 1 of instruction. Puali‘ili‘imaikalani Rossi shared how she uses the power of moʻolelo (storytelling) and pilina (relationship) building activities such as virtual potlucks to engage and connect with her students.
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View Past Event Archives
Did you miss a webinar that you wanted to attend? While it’s recommended to attend synchronously because of the valuable discussions and the ability to ask guest presenters your questions, you can still access all archived events on the UHOIC website, where you can review webinar recordings, compiled Q&A, and any other resources shared.
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Aʻo Aku, Aʻo Mai (To Teach, To Learn)
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Research Corner
A recent publication, Voice of the Online Learner: Shifting Preference in Post-Pandemic Online Learning, identified a distinction between pandemic-driven online learners and traditional online learners. Pandemic-driven online learners skew under 25, are more likely to prefer in-person instruction, and open to synchronous sessions. Traditional online learners skew over 25, prioritize the flexibility of online learning, and are somewhat open to occasional synchronous sessions.
Considering student voices is essential when facilitating online learning. This can be done in simple ways like implementing a student questionnaire to share information relevant to their learning success, or providing students with different choices for how to turn in assignments (e.g., written, audio, video).
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Did You Know?
Do you use Flip (formerly known as Flipgrid) or Canva? If you do, you’re probably aware of their recent updates. If you don’t, you may find their new features useful and worth checking out.
Both tools went through big changes, each in different ways. For Flip, the video-based discussion tool has been rebranded, so don’t forget to update the name on any of your course materials.
Flip’s new features include a streamlined interface, new accessibility elements, and new camera effects. For Canva, the online graphic design tool, it’s the addition of fantastic new features such as creating websites from documents, PDFs, and presentations and drag-and-drop collaborative tools such as creating visual documents and Whiteboards all within Canva!
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Trends & Innovations
 You may have heard the buzzwords, “Extended Reality (XR)” and "Metaverse” in the spotlight lately. XR refers to immersive technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR), a combination of AR and VR. Metaverse “refers to the ecosystem revolving around XR”. Meta (formerly known as Facebook) touted its newest Quest Pro VR headset at the recent MetaConnect conference which promises to change the way we interact, play, and work.
Check out how Metaverse is already being used in K-12 classrooms. In higher education, 10 colleges have received a grant from Meta to turn their campuses into “Metaversities”. Meta also offers a Meta University program “designed to provide technical skill development and professional work experience to students who are historically underrepresented” in fields such as engineering, analytics, and product design. Stanford held their first class in the Metaverse.
Despite the benefits and challenges of XR and Metaverse, it’s pushing education into the future. Have you thought about utilizing XR and the Metaverse in your own class?
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About Us
Information Technology Services (ITS) UHOIC is located in the Information Technology Center building on the UH Mānoa campus. Faculty and staff throughout the UH System can receive personalized support with their online course(s) by scheduling instructional design consultations.
Our Mission
The UHOIC instructional design (ID) team provides impactful ID support to strengthen the quality of online initiatives across the UH system in service to UH, faculty, staff, administrators, and students. |
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