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Why This Resource?

This Distance Teaching Resource contains numerous resources related to distance education at TWU. Resources and materials found within TWU ID are developed and maintained by the Instructional Design team at TWU. Our goal is to make a set of resources that faculty and others can use to quickly find resources and then apply them to their own distance courses. We also believe that technology need not be boring, intimidating, or tedious, so expect to find some humor along the way. So welcome to the view from beyond the "TWU ID glass," and if you're at home, get comfy, put on the Pjs, make a PB&J and enjoy.

To make navigating this batch of resources easier, you can search these entire set of resources by keyword or you can use predetermined keywords (Tags) to locate resources, materials, and support. You can also use the main menu to move between the main sections of the site. You can always return to the main menu by using the Home button found on all TWU ID pages.

Main Menu Topics:

How Do I Use This Resource?

Where in the world am I? It doesn't take a great deal of technical ability or experience to get around in this particular set of resources. You have menus and sub-menus. All pages are searchable so you will find instructions on how to search by keyword. We know that all of you can do this quite well but check out the keyword section if you are having difficulty finding something. We also have tagged the pages (nope, not graffiti and not a bargain basement sale tag). If you are new to Web 2.0 technologies or don't have any idea how tags can make your life easier, take a tour of the tag section. 

Distance Education.

We needed a general category for all of the material that didn't fit neatly in the other categories so we came up with this title. Yep, it is general and it is a category--crafty, aren't we? A mishmash it may be, but it is a useful one. Whether you are new to distance education or an experienced distance educator, you might want to give the section on planning a read for recommendations on putting an outline together to shape your course. You will also find information about designing your online course. Specific instructional and assessment strategies for distance education are discussed. So if you felt more like Hercules going through his labors than an instructor or your discussion boards took on an uncanny resemblance to a Hydra, this is a section to visit.

Promising Practices.

Why no best practices section? Isn't that what everyone else calls it? Believe it or not, we have a reason for using this term. It is our view that no practice can be highly successful without some modification and personalization by the instructor. If there was a magic recipe for a successful distance course, all of us would use it without fail. It doesn't exist! It is a myth! We believe it is the personalization of any practice to individual style and course characteristics that allows promising practices to become highly successful practices. However, the unique nature of teaching and learning means that what is very successful for one person, fails miserably for someone else. These promising practices are presented to prompt thought and to provide a beginning point for modification and implementation into your courses. It is up to you to give substance to the idea and make it a best practice. 

Blackboard.

You might say, "we have all kinds of Blackboard resources already." We agree that all kinds of resources are available. All are quite good for certain purposes. We wanted to give you something you probably have not seen. What you will find that is different about these resources is the focus on the reasons why you might consider using certain tools or instructional techniques in the Blackboard environment. The resources included in this section focus on pedagogical reasons to use certain tools in certain ways. We selected this approach to encourage exploration and invention. We want you to think about what you want to do in a course and then think about ways to adapt existing tools to make your vision a reality. We have instructional designers to help you think about how to use the tools to get the outcomes you want for your students. They are happy to assist. There is also a section explaining key differences in the version of Blackboard currently in use at TWU from the previous version of Blackboard.

QualityMatters.

Of course, quality does matter! TWU is an institutional subscriber and active participant in the QualityMatters program. This section contains information on the implementation of the QualityMatters project at TWU.

TaskStream.

Presentations.

Why a section on presentations? We realize that your time is limited and that you may not be able to attend presentations and other Distance Education sessions. We wanted to make this material available to you so you could access the information when you have the time. The Instructional Design team at TWU presents on topics related to distance education. This section contains those presentations as well as other presentations (faculty, staff, external experts, etc.) related to distance education.

FAQ.

Don't have a clue what instructional designers do? Wouldn't know an instructional designer if you met one? Frequently asked questions about Instructional Design and the services we provide.

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