A Test of Distance Learning
By: Nina J. Haydel, Ed.D.

For the past several years, I have hung out with my students through computer technology. Along with teaching and serving as academic advisor for several centers in the ProfEd Department at CMU, I am an adjunct professor in another university’s Department of Distance Learning, teaching numerous courses online.

I have comfortably carried my students to a variety of locations, as I answered student questions about Capstone projects in the MA in Education courses and graded online assignments within Blackboard’s Discussion Board. But, during the month of January 2005, I have given new meaning to the concept of Distance Learning. I took my students along with me throughout Argentina, including Tierra del Fuego, the entrance to Antarctica (also known as the End of the World). (MORE)

Facilitate Group Work with Blackboard
By: Jeremy T. Bond

The effectiveness of group work has been consistently reported by various researchers. Use of group work has shown students working as part of a group learn more and retain more of what they learn. With expanding curricula, shortened class times and schedule conflicts, establishing effective group work is sometimes a challenging goal. Blackboard can help circumvent the hurdles by providing group space that can be utilized anytime. (MORE)

Focus on Faculty:
Yoonil Auh

By: Lisa Neinkark

Yoon-Il Auh, Director of the Center for Instructional Design at CMU, is a busy man. In addition to his many responsibilities creating faculty development programs and workshops, as well as other training, for 1600 adjunct faculty, he has published articles and chapters, has been invited to speak at conferences, and is an accomplished musician. (MORE)

Call for Announcements:

How have you made your mark? Share your recent presentations, publications, honors, and awards by sending an email to On Target.

New Blackboard Resources

Blackboard training is now available on the web. Virtual tutorials are now available on communication, assessment and evaluation, posting materials, and course management, with more to come!

Additional Resources

Have you visited the FaCIT web site recently? Faculty development opportunities are available on-line. If you missed a workshop, check out What's On? Current features include Karen Havholm's presentation on "Why can't they learn what I teach them?" and Linda Nilson's workshop on "Fast but Fair Methods to Grade Writing." More workshops are available in the What's On archives.

Classroom Resources provides links to articles and sites dealing with topics such as motivating students, creating rubrics, and more.

Do you have suggestions for more on-line faculty development opportunities? Email and let us know!

On Target Call For Submissions

On Target seeks and welcomes articles and news contributions on topics of interest to all CMU faculty. Preferred length of articles is between 300 and 600 words, but we will consider up to 1500 words. Submissions should be sent as an attachment to zakra1t@cmich.edu.

Do you know a faculty member who should be recognized? Send in suggestions for faculty focus articles to zakra1t@cmich.edu.

National Survey of Student Engagement

Results of the 2004 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) are available now. The NSSE asks first-year and senior on-campus students how well they are learning, what they put into their undergraduate education, and what they are getting out of it. You may view CMU's results at http://www.ires2.cmich.edu/Students/NSSE_2004_freq_dis.pdf.

Using Popular Media to Encourage Active Learning

By: Nathan A. Bowling

Last year I taught an introductory course in industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology and wanted to include assignments that provided students with opportunities to actively apply course content to life like-situations.

Following the lead of Bachiochi (2003), I used a somewhat novel active learning assignment that proved to be effective. In the assignment, which each student completed as a written report, I asked students to first review the research literature on any topic in I/O psychology (i.e., occupational stress, counterproductive work behavior, job dissatisfaction, etc.). Students then watched the film Office Space (1999), a cynical comedy about the problems faced by office workers employed in a dysfunctional computer corporation. (MORE)