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Free Resources For Teaching Psychology, T. L. Brink

T. L. Brink

Provides links to free materials for teaching psychology (textbooks, videos, statistical programs)

Comparing Role-Playing Activities In Second Life And Face-To-Face Environments, Fei Gao, Jeongmin J. Noh, Matthew J. Koehler

Fei Gao

This study compared student performances in role-playing activities in both a face-to-face (FTF) environment and a virtual 3D environment, Second Life (SL). We found that students produced a similar amount of communication in the two environments, but the communication styles were different. In SL role-playing activities, students took more conversational turns, but have shorter exchanges compared to the FTF environment. Students generated an equal amount of topic-related concepts in the two environments. They also reported role-playing activities in SL as more interesting and less formal. The educational implications for this study are discussed.

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Design And Delivery: Embracing Instructor Responsibility In The Online Communication Course, Michael G. Strawser, Marjorie M. Buckner, Renee Kaufmann

Michael G Strawser

This manuscript describes the important of providing communication course instructors with training focused on cultivating instructor responsibility. Instructor ownership of creating and delivering pedagogically sound courses in an online learning environment is an important but often overlooked concept in online course design. Ultimately, courses should incorporate sound assessment and instructors should be committed to continued refinement o f online learning pedagogy. This essay offers relevant principles for assessing online communication courses and creating assignments that encourage experiential learning and engage the 21s' century learner.