Improving Teaching and Learning /
Research has shown that high-impact teaching practices greatly benefit students, but there are many barriers that prevent these practices from being applied in the classroom, writes Richard F. Vaz, professor of interdisciplinary and global studies and director of the Center for Project-Based Learning at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in a recent Inside Higher Ed op-ed. In the […]
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Improving Teaching and Learning / Integrating Active Learning /
Effective classroom discussions result from careful planning on the part of the instructor, writes Jay Howard, professor of sociology and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University, in a recent story in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Howard in the article shares tips for creating better class discussions including how to […]
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Almost all faculty, or 97 percent, think it’s “important” or “very important” for students to come to class having completed their assigned reading, but only three percent think students actually do their reading, according to results from the 2018 Faculty Survey of Student Engagement. The professors’ suspicions are not unfounded, as many studies demonstrate a drop […]
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Improving Teaching and Learning /
Ten activities can build student engagement and get them more actively involved in learning, writes Maryellen Weimer, Ph.D., professor emerita of teaching and learning at Penn State Berks, in a recent Faculty Focus story. In the article, Weimer outlines activities that fall into three major categories: “Creating the Climate for Learning,” “Let the Students Summarize,” […]
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Student apathy is common in classrooms but instructors can take a critical step to overcome it, writes Major Wolfgang S. Weber, assistant professor of Law at the US Air Force Academy, in a recent Faculty Focus story. In the article, Weber talks about incorporating a “motivation step” into the beginning of class sessions to show students […]
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Improving Teaching and Learning / Integrating Active Learning /
The Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University recently released a helpful guide to active learning. The document lists 10 steps that instructors can follow to implement active learning in their classroom including: Creating a safe and open environment; setting a goal for the activity; choosing the right exercise; identifying preparation for the exercise; considering links […]
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The end of the semester brings many questions from students, including, “Is there any extra credit I can do to help my final grade?” write Dana S. Dunn, professor and chair of psychology at Moravian College, and Jane S. Halonen, professor of psychology and former dean of arts and sciences at the University of West Florida, […]
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Improving Teaching and Learning /
Studying, even among students in higher education, can remain an elusive skill. Part of the reason is because some students never learned properly how to study, according to a recent Washington Post article. The story includes interviews with education professionals such as Henry Roediger III, professor of psychology and brain science at Washington University in St. […]
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Improving Teaching and Learning /
A St. Louis professor is implementing a new method to engage his students in foreign language study: Video games. Professor Simone Bregni from Saint Louis University uses video games in his class, “Intensive Italian for Gamers,” to teach students Italian language and culture. A video game enthusiast, Bregni uses about 10 different games in his course […]
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Teaching professionals sometimes worry that emphasizing rote memorization detracts from deeper thinking in learning, but memorization is an important part of increasing knowledge and expertise, writes Michelle Miller, professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Northern Arizona University, in a recent Faculty Focus story. In the article, Miller gives tips based on cognitive science […]
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