Course Accessibility: Avoiding a Separate Experience
At Penn State World Campus, we want all students to have the same opportunities as their peers, regardless of any functional limitations. That’s why we on the Learning Design team strive to ensure accessibility is not an afterthought but rather a concept “baked in” across multiple roles and phases of the course development process. From…
Take Note: This Student’s Favorite Apps for Writing Things Down
This content was provided by Student Advisory Board Member Maria Soyoso-Capuder. Balancing life and school can be challenging and overwhelming. Thankfully, our digital world plays a vital role in helping us — busy people — easily keep track of our notes. You might already have your go-to note-taking method, which I love to hear —…
Writing Research Papers: Part Two — Formatting Your Paper
Once you have decided on a topic for your paper and developed an outline and thesis statement (get tips in Part One of our guide to writing research papers), you are ready to begin writing the paper itself. Here are some tips on structure and format. Starting point: the introduction Introductions should get the…
Writing Research Papers: Part One — Your Topic and Outline
Research papers can be intimidating for many college students. That’s understandable. Writing a research paper takes some work and may require skills that are new — or perhaps have gone rusty. Crafting a good research paper involves planning, organization, research, writing, and editing. Time management can also play a critical role, as these assignments often…
Peer-to-Peer Services Now Available Online via The Search Bar
Penn State University Libraries recently unveiled a suite of services in which students can receive help with research, writing, and tech issues from fellow students with skills and training in those areas. These peer-to-peer services are part of a program called The Search Bar. It normally has a physical presence on-site at the University Park…
“We are all in this together”: Tips From a Fellow Student
Last year, I participated in an online Q&A session with a few of my fellow peers to answer incoming Penn State World Campus students’ questions. I took the opportunity to provide my feedback as to what has worked for me and hear if I can improve in some areas. My first semester at Penn State…
Writing Tips: Use Email in an Effective and Appropriate Way
For most of us, email is an essential staple of daily life. We use it to keep in touch and stay informed. Email is one of the top methods of communication for business, personal, and school purposes. There are some pitfalls and concerns you should keep in mind when communicating via email, however. Netiquette is…
Library Support for Adult Learners
A presentation from Penn State University Libraries entitled Library Support for Adult Learners was first offered as part of Nontraditional Student Week in November 2020. The short video — available via Zoom recording — was presented by Anne Behler, information literacy librarian & instruction coordinator at Penn State Library Learning Services, and reviewed some of…
Writing Tips: Preparing an Effective Discussion Post
Discussion posts are a staple of online courses. This important element of the course structure provides a venue where class members can exchange ideas, discuss their interpretations of specific course topics or materials, and brainstorm creative approaches to problem solving. People sometimes underestimate the value of discussion posts, but they can serve as a valuable…
Helpful Advice For New Students
We know that being a new student can be an overwhelming experience at first, especially when it comes to learning online. We want to help you ease those nerves, so we asked students and alumni on our social media platforms to drop some advice they wish they’d had when starting their education with Penn State…