You may be wondering how WebAssign digital tools can be used to teach face-to-face at universities that are slowly returning to physical classrooms. Technology can be a valuable tool in your classroom. Survey results show that students who use digital tools to help them succeed in class, increase their confidence, and stay on track with their studies.
These ten strategies can be used in your classroom to stay ahead of the curve. You can save time and increase student engagement, communication, and understanding.
1. Participate with WebAssign in Person
An example of an attendance assignment in WebAssignCalling Roll can take up too much of your in-person time. This is why it is important to take attendance digitally. Start by creating an assignment category in WebAssign GradeBook for attendance and scheduling individual assignments for each class. To save time, duplicate each assignment.
Password protect each assignment to track attendance and give the password to students to mark their presence in class. To discourage students sharing the password with friends, you can place restrictions on the assignment to make it more secure.
2. For a Flipped-Classroom Approach, Record and Post Your Lectures
Do you teach a mix of online classes and in-person classes. Repurposing your materials can save you time and help you create content. Record a video of you teaching the material during your in-person lecture. You can then upload the video to a WebAssign assignment, or upload it as an online resource in your course. This will allow you to use the material for multiple courses and teach it once.
3. Online Quizzes and Tests for Students
You can still use the WebAssign pre-built assignments, secure test settings and deliver tests virtually. There are several options to do this:
Ask students to bring their laptops and let them take the exam on their computers.
Students can schedule time in the computer laboratory to take a digital exam. This option should be considered whenever students are asked to use digital tools in order to promote equity. You must ensure that the LockDown Browser is installed on all computers before you use secure testing software such as LockDown Browser.
Students can take the exam at home. WebAssign is a great way to schedule the exam so it is available at the start of class. To mimic classroom conditions, set it to be due at end of class.
These tips will help you deliver secure tests to students if you are concerned about academic dishonesty.
4. Host Virtual Office Hours to Convenience
Students often find it difficult to travel to their physical office, especially if they aren’t traditional. Many students have returned to school, so we recommend that you maintain virtual office hours so that students can connect with you no matter where they are located.
For students to set up virtual office hours, they will need a Zoom or conference link. You can remind them to use WebAssign office hours for help. You can use this example:
Students can ask WebAssign for help with homework and assignments. You can view the question that the student is working on, along with previous submissions.
If students prefer to have a written conversation with you through WebAssign, they can private message you.
5. Encourage collaboration through group work
Group work can be used to facilitate discussion and collaboration among students. You can schedule group work within WebAssign by going to the Class Scheduler page, selecting “edit restrictions” next the assignment you wish to assign, and then selecting “Group Assignment” at the next page. You can organize your students by creating their own groups using the “Group Creation Tool” or allowing WebAssign randomly assign groups. After the groups have been created and the assignment has been scheduled, only one member of the group will need to submit the work. Make sure to let your students know which group they are in!
6. WebAssign Polls in Person Keep Students Engaged
Are you having trouble keeping students’ attention during lectures? You can engage them by creating webAssign polling questions that they can answer throughout class. Use polling questions to get opinions from students or test their knowledge of a topic.
Once you have created your polling questions in WebAssign your students’ responses will be displayed.
