Harmonize

Students are struggling with reading course content. Dr. Jennifer Coleman has found a way to meet students where they are and help them engage more meaningfully with assigned readings. Check out the success she’s found.

Did you know Harmonize now offers 6 different trainings? Sign up for one or more! https://lnkd.in/e-87-Ggb

Harmonize is heading out to the CIT 2026 Conference next week in Stony Brook, NY. If you a part of the SUNY system, stop by the booth and say hi to Alan Manley!

Online learning gets much more powerful when students are asked to show their thinking, not just submit an answer. Heather Evans from Wayne Community College put it so well: “They’re demonstrating to me that they understand the material. But I can also correct things where, if I were just using textbook content, I couldn’t guide them in the same way.” That is the difference between checking completion and actually seeing learning happen.

Harmonize Webinar- Mark will be sharing how he uses video think-aloud strategies to help students engage more deeply with readings. Instead of simply submitting a written response after the fact, students are able to show their thinking in the moment by talking through what they notice, question, and connect with as they read. That kind of visible thinking is one of the best ways to make learning feel more authentic, and it also gives instructors a clearer window into how students are actually processing course materials. Registration below:

Our webinar with Heather Evans, CPC, CPB, CPMS from Wayne Community College was a great conversation about making fully online workforce courses feel more active, practical, and human. Heather shared how she uses short videos, vetted content creators, real-world scenarios, and video-based student explanations to help medical billing and coding students show their thinking, not just submit an answer. We also talked about AI in a very practical way: helpful, but not always right. Students still need to verify, question, and apply what they are learning. In case you missed it, the recording is now available:

Last week's OLC webinar with Maikel Right was a strong reminder that the real challenge in online learning is not just AI. It is scale. In How FIU Builds Human Engagement in Online Classes of Any Size (and Keeps It AI-Resilient), Maikel Right from FIU Online and Marcus Popetz shared an approach centered on human connection, relevance, and accountability in large online courses. They highlighted a framework built around custom “Mirror GPTs” and a collaborative cadence of individual work, peer review, and group discussion designed to help students engage more meaningfully with course content. What stood out most was the idea that when learning experiences are designed for belonging, relevance, and authentic interaction, AI becomes less of a threat and more of a tool that can support the process instead of replacing it. That is a conversation higher education needs right now. Grateful to Maikel for sharing FIU’s work and to OLC for hosting the conversation.

Last week's OLC webinar with Maikel Right was a strong reminder that the real challenge in online learning is not just AI. It is scale. In How FIU Builds Human Engagement in Online Classes of Any Size (and Keeps It AI-Resilient), Maikel Right from FIU Online and Marcus Popetz shared an approach centered on human connection, relevance, and accountability in large online courses. They highlighted a framework built around custom “Mirror GPTs” and a collaborative cadence of individual work, peer review, and group discussion designed to help students engage more meaningfully with course content. What stood out most was the idea that when learning experiences are designed for belonging, relevance, and authentic interaction, AI becomes less of a threat and more of a tool that can support the process instead of replacing it. That is a conversation higher education needs right now. Grateful to Maikel for sharing FIU’s work and to OLC for hosting the conversation.

Designing passive online assignments is easy. Designing curiosity takes intention. In this upcoming USDLA-sponsored webinar, Heather Evans, CPC, CPB, CPMS of Wayne Community College will share how she transforms passive online submissions into active learning experiences through multimodal, learner-centered design with AI support. Teaching medical billing and coding fully online, Heather extends learning beyond the textbook by curating trusted YouTube videos and even short-form TikTok content that helps meet students where their attention already lives. Rather than overwhelming learners with more instructor-created video, she uses guided discovery to make outside media part of a more intentional learning experience. She’ll also share how AI tools like ChatGPT can help co-create assignment criteria, scaffold dialogue, and support authentic engagement in ways that deepen learning, increase motivation, and make academic honesty the easier path.

We had a great time connecting with old and new friends at the Virginia Community College System's annual New Horizons Conference in Roanoke last week.