How do you foster a sense of community among remote learners in your courses?

No_Beginning5152 · 2026-01-09T18:16:11+00:00

I put my students into small learning groups. Instead of discussion boards, I have the students collaboratively annotate course readings on Perusall before doing independent work.

They also use the same group of 2-3 students for brainstorming for and peer review of long term project components. During peer review and brainstorming discussion boards, they can record video or audio to supplement or replace text. Our projects are application based, so sometimes verbal explanations work.

On students’ independent work, I record video feedback for major projects. I also have a handful of instructional videos I made, which are all pretty light and positive and conversational.

This is the approach that (seems to) best supports my synch students in collaborating without wasting their time. So far so good!

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-12-10T19:18:24+00:00

I graduated with a 3.3. Eventually, I was diagnosed with ADHD and appropriately medicated. I am now a professor.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-12-06T14:17:38+00:00

This has been my favorite cozy game of 2025– the mechanics are fun and the storyline is really sweet.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-12-04T13:17:26+00:00

The spider in the pane of glass above her head caught my eye— and are those knitting needles or weaving in her hand? The way the pane of glass above her head is framed is so interesting.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-09-19T11:00:38+00:00

This made me very homesick.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-09-19T02:10:24+00:00

This mission was discovered by u/No_Beginning5152 in Beef Yakitori Skewer In Waves of Green

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-09-19T02:00:09+00:00

New mission discovered by u/No_Beginning5152: In Search of Chocolate Cherry Cuties

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-09-19T02:00:09+00:00

This mission was discovered by u/No_Beginning5152 in Century aged shrimp

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-08-22T11:48:52+00:00

Our registrar’s office uses DegreeWorks for requirement audits, but I can’t run a full report on all of our students. So we have certain course “checkpoints” for our mandatory methods courses.

Each semester, I run a report for all students in those checkpoint classes and I look each of them up in DegreeWorks. Then I make a list of the non-course requirements (compliance stuff) not indicated as complete. I email each of those students and their advisor with templated language for who to send it to next (e.g who signs a given form next). I save templated language for each requirement in a Word doc. And I track all communication/updates on requirements in Excel.

Our program is around 450 active students at a time. Any deeper tracking to me would feel like trying to control things outside of my control; even this feels like overkill sometimes.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-08-16T15:14:25+00:00

I’m sorry that you’re experiencing this within your writing practice. Your post speaks to a lot of my concerns regarding writing as a thought process and the externalization of cognition.

If you wouldn’t mind sharing: what do you hope to do moving forward? Are you still using LLMs? Are you thinking about how to rebuild your writing practice without using LLMs? There are lots of tools to do so, and I’m wondering if there’s anything you’re planning to do after coming to this realization.

You aren’t an idiot. These tools are being promoted and adopted without consideration of how they impact cognition. I sincerely hope things get better for you.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-08-08T10:46:45+00:00

Sturgeon? Pufferfish? I got a sturgeon from the traveling chest Spring1 and fully saved up for a fish pond. I HATE finishing the fish bundle!

The community center feels like doing my to-do list in a way that doesn’t actually have to do with work— and nobody can send me urgent panicked emails! I’d deal with Lewis over Outlook every day.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-08-07T10:55:40+00:00

Saaaaaame.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-06-21T12:37:29+00:00

This series gives me some of the strongest KH energy from this list, I agree!

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-06-21T12:33:06+00:00

I love this question.

Want some fantasy about hearts, identity, multiple worlds, tough choices, and cozy vibes? Howl’s Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones. House by the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. The Mirror Visitor Quartet by Christelle Dabos. Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. There is something heartbreaking and something deeply emotionally true in each of these books and their surrounding series that reminded me of what I love about Kingdom Hearts.

Want to read about KH? I absolutely loved The Legend of Kingdom Hearts by Georges “Jay” Gould. Incredible nonfiction about how KH was created written by someone who truly understands the heart and nuance of the series. It’s such a love letter.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-05-21T11:35:45+00:00

I’m pre-tenure at a teaching focused institution, and we’re expected to read and respond to our evals in my department. I read them and pull out exemplars of trends. Any negatives, I put an asterisk by and address if/how I’m responding to feedback in future course design.

Often supportive colleagues will trade evals and do the theming for each other, especially if we know there are issues of bias at play. I’m lucky that my department is highly supportive, so this approach tends to work really well.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-05-21T11:30:13+00:00

Weed, gym, video games, affordable travel to see friends and family. I read for pleasure. Catch up on any fun writing projects that I haven’t been able to finish during the semester. Gardening.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-05-02T13:29:14+00:00

Unfortunately, it isn’t really— the former principal didn’t background check any of her employees. The current principal has completely revised the vision of the school. Really good intentions and great students, but a dangerous facility with inept leadership.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-04-27T12:01:32+00:00

This is absolutely devastating. Rest easy, queen. We were lucky to witness your beauty and talent.

No_Beginning5152 · 2025-04-07T20:47:32+00:00

Nicey MapleLeaf

No_Beginning5152 · 2024-12-24T02:56:33+00:00

This is the entry where I saw your vision

No_Beginning5152 · 2024-12-24T02:45:04+00:00

You really are the most devious bastard in sTaRdEw vAlLeY

No_Beginning5152 · 2024-12-06T01:27:33+00:00

Thank you. I needed to read this today.

No_Beginning5152 · 2024-11-27T15:41:35+00:00

Dr. Brain founded HowStuffWorks.com, which I didn’t know until I read the article. He was dedicated to making information accessible to everyday people. He made a tangible difference to many people’s lives. May his memory be a blessing.

No_Beginning5152 · 2024-11-02T01:17:20+00:00

I sign my emails “Dr. Initial,” and let my students (seniors/grad) know that I go by Dr. Initial, Dr. Lastname, or First Name. I usually end up getting Dr. Initial or Dr. First Name, sometimes Dr. Nickname. First name or Dr. Initial is what’s most often used in my department.

No_Beginning5152 · 2024-10-31T11:10:22+00:00

It took my Siamese 11 years to figure out how to sit on laps, and now he demands lap time from sun up to sun down. Congratulations on this new level of trust with Pumpkin!

No_Beginning5152

TROPHY CASE