I’ve been a college professor for over 40 years. As a cognitive psychologist, I’ve spent my career studying learning and memory and as a teacher, I’ve integrated my research knowledge with my practical teaching experience. When I took my last position at Samford University in
During a recent interview for a longitudinal study on undergraduate writing and learning that I am conducting at my school, one student described a course he was currently taking with a professor he admired deeply. He spoke warmly about the instructor’s passion, clarity, and care
I sidestepped the question for years.
When I first began teaching online, I thought creating engaging and relevant content was the biggest challenge. And while that’s certainly important, I’ve realized that organizing and communicating expectations to students is at least as critical. One simple strategy that has profoundly changed how I
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
In 1936, psychologist Muzafer Sherif reported a landmark study on the creation of social norms. Sherif made use of an optical illusion called the autokinetic effect. When people view a stationary pinpoint of light in a dark environment, they will perceive the light to move
You form an impression of a student within five seconds of seeing them. This impression is likely to stick even after you interact with them for a while (Ambady et al., 2020). While that thin slice of behavior may or may not provide an accurate
As faculty we tend to chalk up students’ failure on assessments to lack of effort or lack of understanding of the material. But often that failure is due instead to the gap between instruction and performance, where misunderstandings intervene to undermine performance. Guided evaluation of
You know, the one we all love to teach, the one whose learning showcases our pedagogical acumen. Does our vision of the ideal student at some point merge with our dreams of a perfect student?
Dear Student,
As a new academic term gets into gear, there is a good chance you are a little intimidated by all that needs to be done before you get to take your next vacation. You are not alone in feeling the stress and the
