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7 Teacher Suggestions for Saving Time
with Online Software
John
Brezinsky, Higher Education
Marketing Manager
Over the last 3 years, we've brought out
more online software (and won more awards) than any other publisher.
Teachers have given us extensive feedback on how they get the most out
of moving homework online, and we’d like to share their insights
with you.
- Ask for
training—Whether it’s your first time using the
software or not, training is always a good idea. Talk to your
Coordinator or your Pearson Longman rep about this free service.
- Plan your
semester/quarter in advance—Just as you plan what chapters
of a textbook you'll cover each week, choose you homework before
classes start. The time you put in at the beginning will pay off
immensely over time.
- Make choices
about automatically-graded vs. instructor-graded exercises—Do
you want to grade student writing or speech? Keep in mind the benefits
vs. time commitment and plan accordingly.
- Don't
assign too much—Try out some exercises yourself to get a
feel for how long your students might need to do them and keep in mind
they’ll probably do each exercise at least twice.
- Cut out other
forms of homework—One of the major benefits of online
software is that it becomes your primary source of homework. Aside from
major projects, the online exercises should be all your students need
to do.
- Tell students
about it on the very first day—Some students don't
buy their access codes right away. If you make it clear to them that
this is how they’ll be graded right from the start, you'll
see much better results.
- Be clear about
non-assigned work—Since you probably won't be
assigning every single activity, tell students what will happen if they
complete additional work. Will it simply be extra practice? Will you
correct any student submissions? It’s your choice, but tell your
students.
As you think about the coming year, consider the
huge benefits to you and your students that online software has to
offer. Contact your Pearson Longman rep to schedule a demonstration of
any of our award-winning titles.
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