Creating Terrific Readers through Terrible Drawings
Nichole DeWall
July 14, 2025
Could doodles, sketches, and stick figures help to keep the college reading apocalypse at bay?
Could doodles, sketches, and stick figures help to keep the college reading apocalypse at bay?
We’ve all faced it: the daunting stack of student work, each submission representing hours of potential grading. The familiar weight of this task can feel overwhelming, leaving us searching for more effective ways to provide meaningful feedback that truly fuels student learning. While the desire
Storytelling is one of the most powerful means of communication as it can captivate the audience, improving retention of the information. It also offers students a means to apply what they learn to real life. Instead of writing a research paper on a historical event,
For some of us, it takes some time to get into the swing of summer. Some of us only finished our academic years mid-June. Others immediately attended conferences or workshops. Every year, I look at the months of summer looming ahead and map out all
About a year ago, I decided to combine the ideas of a syllabus activity and a get-to-know-students activity. Using Microsoft Forms, I created an introductory exercise to share with students a week before the first day of classes. This optional activity included short videos related
The use of AI in higher education is growing, but many faculty members are still looking for ways to integrate it into their instruction. Here are three strategies we’ve used to incorporate AI—in grading, student artwork development, and online discussions—that can benefit both faculty and
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but what if it’s also the best first step to faculty teaching excellence? When it comes to pedagogy, we often focus on tips and techniques. Perhaps we have a handful of prescribed practices that we recommend or
Higher education has long recognized the value of Socratic dialogue in learning. Law schools traditionally adopt it in their teaching, with instructors more often asking questions of students in class than lecturing. But true Socratic dialogue is done one-on-one. Students in a law school lecture
After 35 years in higher education, I continue to embrace the summer as a prime opportunity to strengthen my professional identity by creating a professional growth plan. Taking at least one week after the semester concludes, I have learned, is essential. This time allows me
Last month I wrote about how students fool themselves into thinking they have learned concepts when they really haven’t. This month I focus on how faculty can fool themselves into thinking that they are teaching effectively when their students aren’t really learning.
