• UDL at Daemen: Small Changes, Big Impact

    Accessibility & Inclusion  |  Instructional Design Tips  |  Daemen University Why UDL and Why Now? If you’ve been putting time and energy into learning about accessible course design lately, you’re not alone and your effort matters. Accessibility in higher education is an evolving area, and faculty across the country are…

  • ID Tip: Free Professional Development through NY Public Library

    Did you know that your NY Public Library card can unlock a treasure trove of resources for your professional development and your students’ learning? LinkedIn Learning With a valid NY Public Library card, both faculty and students can access LinkedIn Learning for free! This platform offers thousands of courses covering…

  • ID Tip: Writing Rubrics

    Guidelines for written work and discussion boards Students have many opportunities to practice written communication skills throughout their time at Daemen, but are the guidelines clear and is evaluation leading to improvement? Set your students up for success by providing them with rubrics for all written communication, including discussion boards….

  • ID Tip: Using AI for Assessment Can Make More Time for Human Connection

    This week’s tip is inspired by Professor Zhongzhou Chen’s recent talk, Leveraging Machine Intelligence for More Human Touch in Teaching and Learning, hosted by the UB Office of Curriculum, Assessment, and Teaching Transformation. Professor Chen’s research shows that when used thoughtfully, AI can help faculty spend less time grading and…

  • Instructional Design Tip: Getting Started with Respondus LockDown Browser

    What It Is Respondus LockDown Browser is a secure web browser that prevents students from printing, copying, visiting other websites, or opening other applications during an online exam in Blackboard. When a test requires LockDown Browser, students must open the exam inside that special browser rather than through a regular…

  • ID Tip: Weekly Alignment Check

    Starting Strong:The first weeks of the semester set the tone for the rest of the course. This is an ideal time to pause and make sure your course learning objectives (CLOs), materials, and assessments are all pulling in the same direction. Strong alignment not only supports student success but also…

  • ID Tip: Blackboard Isn’t Just for Online Courses

    Even if you’re teaching face-to-face or hybrid this semester, Blackboard can save you time and make the learning experience more consistent for your students. Instead of drafting quizzes or exams in Word, printing them out, and grading by hand, consider building them directly in Blackboard. Most question types can be…

  • ID Tip: BB Video Tutorials

    Where are they? There are so many things you can do on Blackboard, it can be overwhelming. Thankfully, there are video tutorials to walk you through everything you need to know to build and run your courses, step by step. This tip will point you to two playlists of tutorials….

  • ID Tip: Participation Rubric

    What is it and why should faculty use it? Some students do not know how to participate, others are afraid to communicate, and a handful of students don’t think they have to in order to succeed. When students have clear guidelines coupled with incentives, they will rise to the occasion…