Questions were submitted by participants in advance - some of these did not get addressed during the event. Written responses from CITL staff with expertise in online instruction and technologies are below.

1. How do you set up different sets of exam questions?
2. Literature of student development theory suggests that a sense of belonging is important. What examples can instructors provide of actions taken to increase a sense of community and belonging between students in their classes?
3. What supports do you feel are lacking to enhance/enrich the student learning experience at Memorial University? What would you like to see more of?
4. We know High Impact Practices are good for students. How do we encourage students to participate in more HIPs? What are barriers to implementation and participation for instructors and students?
5. Which, if any, HIPs should/could be deemed mandatory for programme completion at first year, and at more senior levels? 
6. With the premise that the world of higher ed has been irrevocably changed, what do you think Memorial needs to do to be at the cutting edge of learning futures?
7. Has the importance of disclosure (of disability or circumstance) increased with online learning?

How do you set up different sets of exam questions?

If using the quiz tool in Brightspace, you can use the question library. Questions on the same topic of similar difficulty are grouped together in the same section. When generating the quiz you can randomly select X number of questions from the section. This way each student gets a different exam. You can also randomize questions at the quiz level, as well as randomize responses for multiple choice questions.

If you need any assistance with quizzes and exams, the CITL academic support representative for your faculty or department will be able to help you.

Note: A workshop is being held on Mar. 18 titled, Quiz Design for Accessibility - Understanding Quiz Settings.

Resources:

• Question types in Brightspace
• About the Quiz tool
• Using the Quiz tool
• Question library, question types and Respondus
• Setting up Quiz and Security Settings

Literature of student development theory suggests that a sense of belonging is important. What examples can instructors provide of actions taken to increase a sense of community and belonging between students in their classes?

Make efforts to provide a safe and inclusive environment, communicate this to students, and provide a way for students to reach out to you if they feel that it is not a safe place for them (welcome feedback).

Try including icebreakers and informal activities in your classes that acknowledge diversity.

Assign group work in one or more ways: as a formal, team-based approach to the course; a formal group project; or informal groups used only as study groups.

Use discussion forums for introductions and encourage students to introduce themselves (or in larger classes, to introduce themselves to their groups). Try directing questions in the discussion forums at specific students, without making the students feel singled out - probing questions that dig deeper into a topic. You can also use a FAQ discussion forum (there is a tool in Brightspace for this) to post up questions so students can see that other students also have questions. Or, try providing a discussion forum where students can post up social or non-course related postings (events, news, etc.).

Solicit feedback from students regularly and respond to it. For example, use the last question of a worksheet for feedback, then summarize the class feedback and your response in a news item. You can use the survey tool to gain knowledge of learners’ understanding of a topic, or even to gain knowledge of the learners themselves (remember to relate learning activities to students' prior experiences and knowledge, if possible).

What supports do you feel are lacking to enhance/enrich the student learning experience at Memorial University? What would you like to see more of?

Supports that help promote community and identity at Memorial could enhance instructors' and learners' sense of pride in the university and their courses.

Greater flexibility in student learning - more flexibility in programming, learning environments, approaches to learning - would provide students with more opportunities to complete their courses on schedule, and conduct their learning in a more self-paced, self-directed way.

Increase our capacity to offer more high impact approaches such as community-based learning, work experiences, hands on research, service-based learning, etc.

Develop flexibility and variety in assessment approaches. For example, let learners choose what format to submit an assignment (audio, video, text, slide deck), etc.

We know High Impact Practices are good for students. How do we encourage students to participate in more HIPs? What are barriers to implementation and participation for instructors and students?

We can encourage students to participate in more High Impact Practices (HIP) by including HIP options in course assessments. For example, encourage students to create ePortfolios (eportfolio.mun.ca), or use assignments that build on each other (provide feedback on assignment 1; learner incorporates that feedback before submitting assignment 2, etc.).

Have students work in teams to solve real-life case studies that have an impact on an organization. Or offer cross-disciplinary courses that focus on building solutions to local, national, and international problems.

We can reduce barriers to implementation and participation in HIPs by advocating for resources to support work-experience programs, community and service-based learning, undergraduate research, etc. Implementation of HIPs is limited only by our imagination.

Note: A workshop is being held on Mar. 3 titled, Exploring High Impact Practices - Why Are They So Important?

Which if any, High Impact Practices (HIPs), should/could be deemed mandatory for programme completion at first year, and at more senior levels? (For example, MUN 101, belonging in a study group or learning community, capstone project, research project?)

Program-based ePortfolios can be helpful for professional programs. For example, co-op programs might have students create an ePortfolio as a way of writing and sharing their work term reports, major assignments, capstone projects, etc. Students then have something to show prospective employers after graduation, or when looking for another work term.

Study groups are also valuable at any stage of study, but should definitely be introduced and encouraged in first year.

While the priorities of each discipline will be different, ensuring that students have involvement in real life experiences is essential for the completion of any program. This may come in the form of a capstone project, or through lab work, term projects, or may be worked into regular course activities.

Note: A workshop is being held on Mar. 3 titled, Exploring High Impact Practices - Why Are They So Important?

With the premise that the world of higher ed has been irrevocably changed, what do you think Memorial needs to do to be at the cutting edge of learning futures?

As we look to the future, departments at Memorial could look at what worked well during this pandemic, and aim to build on these successes. On the contrary, departments should also look at what did not work well during the pandemic. What can be done to improve this situation?

It will also be important to invest in the maintenance of the technology that was adopted to allow for student connectivity via virtual environments.

On a broader level, we could also investigate and promote practices that provide students with flexibility in their learning spaces. Make determinations about the delivery of a curriculum that is less tied to bricks and mortar and three-hour lectures; instead, consider alternative delivery methods to just online and on-campus.

CITL instructional designers and educational developers are available to help you with next steps. Connect with us through our Support Centre.

Has the importance of disclosure (of disability or circumstance) increased with online learning?

The importance of disclosure has most likely increased as you do not see the students; it is harder to see where they are having challenges, and might need help. This does not eliminate the concept of suggesting to a student that they check out the Blundon Centre.

Regardless of the delivery method, the value in a certain level of disclosure allows the instructor to better accommodate specific needs within every learning environment. While our goal is to encourage instructors to be thoughtful of inclusive teaching practices and acknowledge the diversity of our campus (which can ultimately reduce the need for disclosure), the reality is that they are better able to do so with a better understanding of those who are present in the environment.

Note: A workshop is being held on Mar. 9 titled, Embedding the Principles of Universal Design into Course Instruction.