Innovation Abstracts, NISOD’s flagship teaching strategies publication, provides an excellent opportunity for community and technical college educators to learn about and share best ideas about programs, projects, and strategies that improve students’ higher education experiences.

6 Sep, 2017

Capitalizing on Social Presence in Online Course Design: Five Strategies That Work

2022-10-31T16:37:44-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 18 | September 7, 2017 Capitalizing on Social Presence in Online Course Design: Five Strategies That Work  How can we create a more effective, efficient online-course experience for students and instructors? One thing we know: social presence matters. Social presence, briefly defined as the connectedness between and among students [...]

Capitalizing on Social Presence in Online Course Design: Five Strategies That Work2022-10-31T16:37:44-05:00
30 Aug, 2017

Using Icebreakers to Build Community

2022-10-31T16:37:44-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 17 | August 31, 2017 Using Icebreakers to Build Community It’s the first day of class, and students nervously find their seats. They may or may not know anyone in the class. Tension of the unknown is palpable. Students are unsure what to expect: What will this course be [...]

Using Icebreakers to Build Community2022-10-31T16:37:44-05:00
3 May, 2017

Teaching Community College Students the Soft Skills Demanded by Employers

2022-10-31T16:37:43-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 16 | May 4, 2017 Teaching Community College Students the Soft Skills Demanded by Employers Many of us in community colleges work with employers and students. Therefore, we seek to understand what employers need in future employees, then we prepare students to fill those roles. This process is relatively straight [...]

Teaching Community College Students the Soft Skills Demanded by Employers2022-10-31T16:37:43-05:00
26 Apr, 2017

Raise Your Hand if You Have Questions

2022-10-31T16:37:43-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 15 | April 27, 2017 Raise Your Hand if You Have Questions In traditional face-to-face classes, it’s easy to know when students have questions. Typically, we don’t even need to wait for students to raise their hands because we see a sea of blank stares and bewildered faces. In online [...]

Raise Your Hand if You Have Questions2022-10-31T16:37:43-05:00
19 Apr, 2017

Metacognition and Next-Gen Learning Models: Meeting Student Success Goals Through Information Literacy

2022-10-31T16:37:44-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 14 | April 20, 2017 Metacognition and Next-Gen Learning Models: Meeting Student Success Goals Through Information Literacy Austin Community College (ACC) recently implemented a required student success course, EDUC 1300, to increase college readiness and student success for first-time-in-college (FTIC) students. The goals for this course include student engagement—which students [...]

Metacognition and Next-Gen Learning Models: Meeting Student Success Goals Through Information Literacy2022-10-31T16:37:44-05:00
12 Apr, 2017

Technology in the Classroom? Instructional Technology Certification Program Increases Engagement

2022-10-31T16:37:18-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 13 | April 13, 2017 Technology in the Classroom? Instructional Technology Certification Program Increases Engagement When I began teaching, which was initially in K-12, my school was not rich in resources. More times than not, I had to purchase copies of handouts for my English classes, and occasionally also purchase [...]

Technology in the Classroom? Instructional Technology Certification Program Increases Engagement2022-10-31T16:37:18-05:00
5 Apr, 2017

Let Your Voice Be Heard: Using Social Media to Encourage Social Action

2022-10-31T16:37:19-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 12 | April 6, 2017 Let Your Voice Be Heard: Using Social Media to Encourage Social Action Today’s students demand that their learning be dynamic, personal, and relevant. In an effort to help my first-year students understand that their course reading, writing, and overall content have impacts beyond the classroom, [...]

Let Your Voice Be Heard: Using Social Media to Encourage Social Action2022-10-31T16:37:19-05:00
29 Mar, 2017

Meeting Students’ Needs Through Learning Styles

2022-10-31T16:37:19-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 11 | March 30, 2017 Meeting Students’ Needs Through Learning Styles Think back to a class that you enjoyed or during which you learned the most. Was it interactive or lecture-based? Was the teacher the focus of the class, or did the teacher engage students in the lesson? Did the teacher [...]

Meeting Students’ Needs Through Learning Styles2022-10-31T16:37:19-05:00
22 Mar, 2017

Let’s Play ‘Get to Know Your Syllabus’

2022-10-31T16:37:18-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 10 | March 23, 2017 Let’s Play Get to Know Your Syllabus “I never read the syllabus.” “How long does the essay have to be? Should it be double-spaced?” “Do you accept late papers?” “Will absences affect my grade?” Sound familiar? Hearing these comments from our students can be downright discouraging, [...]

Let’s Play ‘Get to Know Your Syllabus’2022-10-31T16:37:18-05:00
15 Mar, 2017

Beyond the Hashtag: Incorporating Civic Discourse About Civic Engagement

2022-10-31T16:37:18-05:00

Volume XXXIX, No. 9 | March 16, 2017 Beyond the Hashtag: Incorporating Civic Discourse About Civic Engagement #BlackLivesMatter #BlueLivesMatter #ImWithHer #MakeAmericaGreatAgain The list of “trending” hashtags can go on for days. It's no secret that the world has become more social—and definitely more vocal. Nevertheless, when thinking about our modernized way of expression, to [...]

Beyond the Hashtag: Incorporating Civic Discourse About Civic Engagement2022-10-31T16:37:18-05:00