Course evaluations are a regular occurrence at the end of a semester, but the practice of asking end of course questions can be a meaningful way to encourage students to reflect on their learning and provide you with student input that is essential for improving the course. Brookfield (2017) wrote that to become a critically reflective teacher it is important to develop an … [Read more...] about Good to know! Questions to ask at the end of a course
Extra credit activities are often viewed as a way for students to make up points for not performing as well as expected on an exam or other assignments. Another approach might be to use this strategy as a tool for increasing engagement and reinforcing student learning. Goldina, Licona, and Ricci (2020) recommend that effective extra credit activities connect with the course … [Read more...] about Good to know! Extra Credit that motivates students and promotes student learning
With the different strategies explored during remote, online, and flex modalities the past two years; it’s often the researched-based practices of what was previously known that reinforces the framework of good teaching. One of these practices is transparent assignment design. When students don’t understand the why or how a particular assignment will help them learn, they … [Read more...] about Good to Know! One easy way to improve student success
Best practices for online teaching tell us that building community and creating a personal connection with our students has a positive impact on student motivation, engagement, and retention (Kwinn, 2018). Having social presence and a sense of belonging increases persistence and diminishes feelings of isolation (Nilson & Goodson, 2021). Evidence-based standards like Quality … [Read more...] about Good to know! Reconnecting online and in-person
Searching through Magna Commons library led to the discovery of a 20-Minute Mentor titled “How can I use microactivities to engage students and improve learning and retention?” by Dr. Wren Mills at Western Kentucky University. This video can be accessed from Magna Subscription in the Academic Community and will be the featured Monday Morning Mentor on April 4th. An earlier … [Read more...] about Good to Know! Micro-activities and improved student learning
The Teaching Professor recently sent a call for contributions for upcoming articles. This call focused on the humble quiz: The purpose of quizzes, advice on using this assessment technique, giving online quizzes, and designing quizzes that deal with learning issues. In addition to the collection of best practices used by guest contributors, the editor also featured several … [Read more...] about Good to Know! Helpful resources for designing assessments of student learning
With the spike of Omicron cases, it can be a challenge helping absent students to keep up with classwork without disrupting the class experience for all students. One approach is to keep it simple and maximize on the lessons learned during 2020. The Planning for the Unexpected planning document is a good place to start as the questions it asks are from the students’ … [Read more...] about Good to know: Strategies for what to do when students, or you, are out sick with Omicron COVID