The Committee on eLearning's Bi-annual Newsletter.
December 2024
Emily El halouani, Editor | EElhalouani@qcc.cuny.edu
On behalf of the eLearning Committee, I have compiled the recording of webinars to help all faculty as we begin to navigate our new LMS, Brightspace.
Please find the recording of the workshops below. I hope it is helpful.
Getting Started in Brightspace
As you may already know, Queensborough offers two paths to certification for teaching online: one through the Quality Matters course and the other through the ACUE Effective Online Teaching Practices program. ACUE stands for The Association of College and University Educators. For those of you who haven't yet undergone training for online teaching certification, I'd like to share my experience with the ACUE training.
The ACUE training comprises modules that contain several practices applicable to online classes, presented mainly by professors who have utilized them. Additionally, testimonials from students discuss how these practices have influenced their learning. Each module generally includes two main assignments: one involves reflecting on how a professor implemented an assignment using one of the practices, while the second requires writing about how you have or will implement two of the practices. Surveys about the practices are also included.
In my experience, the time commitment for each module ranges between two and three hours. This depends on your familiarity with the practices outlined in the module. For instance, the Visualization Tools module emphasized Concept maps, which I wasn’t familiar with, so I spent more time on that one. Usually, a module is scheduled for a particular week, but they are released in groups, allowing you to complete several modules at a time.
So far, I have completed several modules:
In addition to general information, each module offers specific resources. For example, in the "Using Advanced Questioning" module, one of the practices is “Using a taxonomy to scaffold questions from lower to higher cognitive levels.” A resource provided is sample questions categorized by cognitive level, which I found helpful in identifying the types of questions I typically ask.
The ACUE program introduces numerous practices, many of which made me rethink my courses in a different way. While some practices seem unrealistic in my current teaching environment, overall, I highly recommend the ACUE path if you're trying to decide which route to take.
One of the core challenges of teaching asynchronous classes is encouraging students to engage deeply with their peers’ ideas in meaningful ways. Without the immediacy of face-to-face interaction, fostering critical thinking, empathy, and constructive dialogue in online settings requires intentional design and support. To address this challenge in my ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 classes, I implement a structured approach to discussion board post responses that aim to bridge the gap, designed to bridge the gap and replicate the richness of in-person discussions.
The foundation of the assignment prompt began as a project developed during the 2022 Summer CUNY Online Teaching Essentials Workshop. The developed template for the reply to a discussion post emphasizes rhetorical moves common in academic discourse, making them accessible to students. Typically, students’ replies to classmates’ posts center on agreement, but this often leads to vague responses as students quickly run out of ideas or struggle to articulate specifically what they like or agree with. To address this, the structured reply template includes a series of prompts to guide students in (1) identifying compelling ideas, (2) respectfully articulating differences, (3) exploring similarities in their classmates’ work, (4) connections to research that students invariably do for the primary source readings in an ENGL 101 or ENGL 102 classes, and (5) posing questions or answering questions posed in their classmates’ original post.
The assignment template, provided in Appendix 1, comprises two columns. The first column is the Instructions Column, which details the expectations for each part of the response, such as identifying interests, discussing differences, and highlighting similarities. The second column provides the starter sentences column which offers non-mandatory sentence starters to help students initiate their responses, offering scaffolding without being prescriptive. By modeling the moves inherent in effective academic discussions, the template not only aims to improve the quality of peer feedback but also to help students internalize these patterns for their own academic writing.
At present, this peer response assignment is part of a multi-step process designed to encourage students to develop ideas for the upcoming essay assignment. This process begins with a journal entry that helps students explore and articulate their initial ideas. If the class meets twice per week, the journal entry is due earlier in the week and the reply, the subject of discussion here, is the second assignment. In the current iteration of the course, a detailed rubric covers both the journal entry and the reply, ensuring students understand the expectations of this sequence of activities.
Video instruction plays a pivotal role in supporting students in asynchronous settings. Two key videos are provided to address students’ need to understand the requirements of the assignment. First, a video in which I explain all parts of the response template, ensuring students understand how to use it effectively. Typically, if the assignment I describe in a video has a rubric, I also discuss the rubric in the same video and I would show the connections between the template and the rubric in the same video.
The second video in this series is of a sample student response where I discuss the strengths and areas for improvement based on the assignment template as well as the rubric if there is such. To make the feedback process relatable and engaging, volunteers from the class offer their work for anonymous review. At the start of the semester, I offer a survey in which I ask students whether they would be interested in volunteering to have their work anonymously reviewed. Typically, almost all students agree to volunteer. The benefit of offering this survey early in the semester is that having a list of willing participants from the start of the semester streamlines the process of recording videos and minimizes delays.
While the assignment currently does not have a rubric specifically developed for its sections, I have provided a rubric that I am considering integrating next semester (Appendix 2). The rubric is designed to be student-centric, following the writing prompts in the Reply assignment template so that students can more easily identify areas that need improvement. The goal of this approach is to help students demystify grading and to help them target specific skills for growth.
I am also considering the integration of a follow-up activity in the form of a reflection (Appendix 3). This reflective exercise encourages students to evaluate how the feedback process influenced their own work. The current version of the reflection prompt guides students to explore how feedback clarified their ideas, prompted revisions, and broadened their perspectives. By engaging in this metacognitive process, students can begin to consider the reciprocal nature of peer feedback, seeing it as a tool for both giving and receiving valuable insights.
Despite the strengths of this structured approach, challenges remain. One of the most significant is ensuring students feel confident and prepared to provide meaningful feedback. The use of starter sentences and video demonstrations helps mitigate this issue, but additional scaffolding or practice activities may be necessary for some learners. For example, while the assignment template provides a list of rhetorical strategies, the list is not comprehensive. A more detailed list could be provided to students from which they can assert their agency by choosing the rhetorical moves that they are most comfortable with and the ones that are most appropriate for the situation.
This structured approach to peer responses fosters a sense of community in asynchronous classes, where students often feel isolated. Through this assignment, I have observed that the template encourages students to engage more thoughtfully, resulting in feedback that is noticeably more detailed and meaningful compared to when the template is not used.
Beyond the strategies currently in use, asking students to apply key concepts in their responses introduces an additional layer of depth to the discussion. For example, in a unit on the benefits and disadvantages of digital technology, students could analyze their peers’ ideas through the lens of Nicholas Carr’s “shallow thinking” concept. This approach not only deepens their understanding of course materials but also demonstrates the value of applying theoretical frameworks to real-world examples.
Appendix 1. Reply to Classmate
Write a reply to your classmate by using the prompts below.
| 1. Interests. What did you find interesting in your classmate’s journal entries? |
Dear [classmate’s name], What I really find compelling in your response is …. |
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2. Differences. How is your viewpoint different from your classmates’? Respectfully articulate your differences with your classmate’s viewpoint. Provide evidence that supports your perspective Explain how the evidence supports your perspective Explain how the evidence challenges your classmate’s perspective |
One idea that really intrigued me from your response and that I would change somewhat is … |
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3. Similarities. How is your viewpoint similar to your classmate’s? Paraphrase what your classmate wrote and, using quotation marks, cite your classmate’s ideas. Emphasize the most compelling idea. Explain why that is the most compelling idea. Apply the idea to an earlier short story or poem. Via Google Scholar, find another author who shares a similar idea. Cite the source you found and provide a link to the website so that your classmate can look it up if they are also interested in it. |
I agree with you that ……..
Another quotation supporting this idea is ….
This quotation is important because it adds another dimension to your point by showing that … |
| 4. Information. What interesting information would you like to share with your classmate? | Finally, I found interesting information about (the author, the short story, the historical event)..... |
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5. Other. What questions do you have about any aspect of your classmates’ journal entries? How would you respond to the question that your classmate wrote in the Future Explorations section? If you have found interesting information through your research, you may share it here. |
I noticed that you are interested in finding out about … You might be interested to know that ….
Best, [your name] |
Appendix 2. Rubric
| Outstanding | Competent | Satisfactory | Needs Improvement | Missing | |
| 1. Interest | Thoughtfully identifies and engages with the key ideas or themes from the classmate’s journal entry, including similarities. Clearly identifies compelling ideas, demonstrates deep understanding, and explains significance effectively. | Identifies compelling ideas and demonstrates understanding but lacks some depth or detailed explanation. | Identifies key ideas with some clarity but provides limited explanation or significance. | Minimal engagement with the classmate’s ideas, lacking depth or specificity. | No attempt to address this criterion. |
| 2. Differences | Expresses differing viewpoints respectfully, supported by evidence that is well-explained. Differences are articulated respectfully, with strong supporting evidence and clear connections to the discussion. | Articulates differences respectfully with adequate supporting evidence and a reasonable explanation of perspectives. | Differences are expressed respectfully but lack strong evidence or depth in explanation. | Differences are expressed in a way that lacks consideration or are unsupported by evidence. | No attempt to address this criterion. |
| 3. Similarities | Clearly identifies shared viewpoints, paraphrases effectively, and emphasizes compelling ideas. Connects these ideas to earlier short stories or poems and provides proper scholarly citations. | Identifies shared viewpoints and provides clear paraphrasing and citations but lacks depth in connecting to other works. | Identifies similarities but lacks depth in paraphrasing, explanation, or connection to other works. | Attempts to identify similarities but provides minimal explanation or lacks citations. | No attempt to address this criterion. |
| 4. Information | Uses research to connect the classmate’s ideas to external sources and applies them to other works (e.g., short stories or poems). Makes insightful connections to other works or scholarly sources, with proper citation and clear integration. | Research is used to connect ideas to external sources, with appropriate citations and some application to other works. | Attempts to connect ideas to other works or sources but lacks depth or completeness. | Limited or no connections to other works or sources, with little evidence of research. | No attempt to address this criterion. |
| 5. Other | Thoughtfully incorporates optional elements, such as sharing new information, posing meaningful questions, or responding to classmates’ questions with relevant research. | Incorporates optional elements, with some relevance and effort to enhance the discussion. | Includes some additional information or questions, but lacks depth or clear relevance. |
Optional elements are minimally addressed or do not enhance the discussion.
|
No attempt to address this criterion. |
Appendix 3. Reflection Prompt
Reflect on how the feedback you received from your classmates on your journal entry improved your own understanding and writing. Use the questions below to guide your response:
The feedback: How did this feedback help clarify or refine your ideas?
Implementing the Feedback: Did you revise any part of your journal entry based on your peer’s suggestions? If so, what changes did you make? What do you think was improved in your draft?
Learning from Perspectives: Were there any differences in viewpoints or interpretations that you found thought-provoking? How did you find them helpful?
Broadening Your Skills: How can you apply what you learned from this peer process to future assignments?
Reflection: How do you feel peer feedback contributes to your overall learning experience?
