Some rubrics are furnished with course materials and resources, and I find that they need tweaking to match my style and learners' individual needs.  I have been known to develop a rubric with student's assistance.  In one instance, it was particularly effective for students to be involved in the creation of a rubric because it prompted them to read a project description and pick out the specific requirements to be assessed on the rubric. 

I have also found a rubric to be effective when the assignment involves the delivery of both Fact and Opinion in addition to creative skills such as… >>>

One possible technique that invites students to be part of the class (even though they are distant) is to have them interview each other in a Chat room and then post each other's biography. Students should be paired up (Jim interview Jenny, Jenny interview Jim) and in addition to establishing the typical biographical information, students could also ask 1-3 specific questions to enhance the introductions. (One of my favorite open-ended questions in class intros is, "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" Students could be ) Once the interview has taken place, students post… >>>

A simple definition pinched from Wikipedia: In education, realia (pronunciation reel-ee-ah) are objects from real life used in classroom instruction by educators to improve students' understanding of other cultures and real life situations. Where we discuss the importance of delivery technologies in an online environment - and the goal of increasing the quality of media and increasing the level of interaction to increase learning - the use of realia in online course is a critical component. Striking at the heart of electronic page-turners (click, read, click Next), I think we must strive to incorporate as much realism and authenticity in… >>>