Innovative Educator Series - The One Where Everyone Has a Voice

# Blackboard

# Faculty

# Innovative Educator Series

# Inclusive Practices

Explore how instructor presence and asynchronous discussion tools in Blackboard Ultra can foster belonging, boost engagement, and support student success across online, hybrid, and face-to-face classrooms.

Speaker 1

Using Asynchronous Discussions in Face-to-Face Courses

Bret Sikkink, PhD

This presentation explores how well-structured asynchronous discussion board assignments can be used in traditional classroom or blended course models to increase access to discussions for all students, support active learning strategies during and between class meeting times, promote the scaffolding of constructive projects, and increase student-to-student interaction throughout the term.

Speaker 2

Is Anyone Out There? Cultivating a Sense of Belonging through Instructor Presence

Carol Westcamp-Sessums, Professor, University of Arkansas–Fort Smith

Students enrolled in an asynchronous online class often feel isolated and lonely, which often negatively impacts their retention and success in the class. In order to help students feel a sense of belonging and to view their instructors as “real humans,” instructors can create a social presence in their classes. There are many articles discussing strategies for creating an instructor presence in the online classroom, and this presentation will discuss the strategies that have worked well for me, including developing an authentic instructor persona, as well as using various tools in Blackboard Ultra to help communicate with students to build trust, empathy, and authentic communication.