Author: Elan Paulson

Elan Paulson, PhD, has been an educator in Ontario's higher education system since 2004. Before joining Conestoga as a Teaching and Learning Consultant, Elan was on the executive team at eCampusOntario. She previously served as Program Director and as an instructor in professional education programs at Western University's Faculty of Education. With a Master's in Educational Technology, Elan specializes in technology-enabled and collaborative learning to support diverse learners. She has also conducted research on faculty participation in communities of practice for professional learning and self-care.

Silent In-Class Reading Time

Reading Time: 4 minutesIf one goal of your class meetings is to promote thoughtful, lively discussion among students, then it can be useful to think about ways to help students prepare for discussion. This teaching tip considers the potential benefits of providing students with quiet time in class to prepare for discussion. The focus is on applying synchronous online class meetings, but the...

Creating a CARD Lesson Plan

Reading Time: 4 minutesLesson plans provide structure, flow, and focus to a class meeting. This teaching tip provides information on the CARD lesson plan. The CARD lesson plan can be used in any mode of delivery. The CARD lesson plan is also known as the CARL lesson plan. BOPPPS or CARD  While a BOPPPS lesson plan structures a lesson using interactive practice following a presentation, the CARD...

Optional and Occasional Student Webcam Use

Reading Time: 3 minutesThis tip shares some information about why students may be turning off their web video cameras (webcams) during synchronous classes, how to monitor learner presence without webcams, and strategies for promoting engagement with optional and occasional web cam use. Reasons Students Turn WebCams Off In The Conversation, Tabitha Moses (2020) lists five reasons why many students are keeping their webcams...