Faculty are increasingly using open educational resources (OER) to reduce textbook costs for students. But many faculty limit themselves to textbooks when in reality there are OER in nearly all formats, including videos, images, and complete lesson plans. Here are some of the best places
Faculty know that today’s students require different levels of support to be successful. Not all college students have experience planning a research paper, taking lecture notes, or creating a class presentation from scratch. A student’s weak executive functioning or time management skills may prohibit them
It seems like the most basic of course tasks: reading the syllabus. Yet, so often, student don’t do it. If you’re as tired as I am of responding to emails that could be easily answered by consulting the syllabus, you know we need some fresh
Many faculty members are focused on keeping AI out of the classroom. However, the real focus should be teaching students how to use it productively. Technology has always relieved humans of menial tasks to free them for higher-level ones. The calculator did not end the
Perhaps the earliest introduction a student has with a course is the syllabus as it’s generally the first document, next to the textbook and other purchased course materials, that students acquire. Quite simply, the syllabus provides guidance for students to help them succeed in the
I teach first-year writing at a small liberal arts college, and on the first day of class, I like to talk about dessert with my students. No, really! Sure, we (eventually) get into the nitty-gritty of the syllabus, but first we talk about dessert.
Like New Year’s Day, new academic semesters start with effervescent promise. Students and instructors recalibrate their sleep and wake cycles, set new routines or modify old ones, and prepare for the work ahead. First days of class can be boisterous affairs, full of nervous energy
The allure of the copy-and-paste approach to course design is ever present. Many of us, out of what often feels like sheer necessity, have fully embraced the comfort of teaching from muscle memory, recalling with ease the structure and rhythms of a course and therefore
The goal of a liberal arts education at the college level is to imbue students with a broad education that allows them to think critically, communicate clearly, and problem-solve from various perspectives. As part of the foundation of their liberal arts education, students take courses
I didn’t always offer full-throated endorsements of audiobooks in my literature courses. Maybe that’s because I’m not really an audiobook person. Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve always preferred to engage in real reading than outsource the job to some random celebrity voice actor.
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