Bobbi Dempsey
Internship Opportunities with the Virtual Student Federal Service
Students seeking a way to gain valuable work experience and develop critical skills that employers need may want to explore opportunities with the Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS). The VSFS is a nine-month unpaid remote internship program in which students work closely with a mentor at a government agency and complete designated projects. Penn State…
9 Tech Tips to Supercharge Your Productivity
These tech tips from the Penn State IT Service Desk can help you boost productivity as an online learner.
How to Secure Your Sensitive Information
Protecting personal and private information from identity theft and scams should be a top priority for everyone. And as an online learner who spends a lot of time completing work electronically, it’s especially important for you to be diligent in keeping your information secure. We asked the Penn State IT Service Desk — your 24/7…
A Sisterhood Bond That Embraced Cultural Differences
As I reflect on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I’d like to share an experience that enriched not only my college experience, but my life in general. My first year at the Penn State University Park campus was a bit nerve-wracking in many ways, one of which was adjusting from life as an only child…
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…
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…
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…