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Teaching – Recovering student engagement at mid-course timeAlthough the end is in sight, do some of your students seem overwhelmed, lack motivation, or feel disconnected from the class? Have you tried midterm course evaluations but still feel this lack of engagement? This short Faculty Focus article provides some low-stakes active learning strategies that may help you and your students successfully cross the end-of-semester finish line together. |
CfLT Newsletter
The posts below are from the CfLT newsletter which includes curated, research-based digital resources to support ongoing faculty development and pedagogical engagement. As of August 2025, CfLT Director Karen Spierling oversees the content. Posts from July 2020-May 2025 were compiled by previous Director Lew Ludwig.
Tidbit- Four Classroom Lessons From Haunted Houses
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Tidbit – Four Classroom Lessons From Haunted HousesDo you like haunted houses? Dr. Sarah Rose Cavanagh shares four lessons we can take from “recreational fear” – the fun of being scared – to promote learning in our classrooms. |
Teaching II- When Revising, Read Out Loud
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Teaching – Presentations and groups
We’ve reached that point in the semester – student presentations. For many students, this can be daunting. Help build student confidence with some low-stakes presentations, as explained in this short Faculty Focus article. Want more resources on presentations? Check out this Guide to Effective Presentations from the Learning Scientist.
Are you using groups this semester? How are they going?
Tidbit – To cold call or not?
Do you cold call students in your classroom? I’ve seen colleagues use this technique to significant effect. I’ve seen others try it with lesser impact. I must admit I did not have the courage for this practice. After reading the article The Question of ‘Cold Calling,’ I may try it. But the piece made me realize that it will take forethought and trust to make this delicate tool effective.
Tech – Canvas Grading Tips
This week’s Canvas-related tip focuses on grading. After scouring the internet for helpful tips from those who have used Canvas a lot longer than those of us at Denison, ETS found a great video to share. Watch the video Top 5 Canvas Grading Tips for more on using rubrics, setting default grades, and more!
Do you have a Canvas tip you would like to share with colleagues?
Teaching – Your teaching doesn’t have to be perfect.
In the recent book, The New Colleges Classroom, the authors provide a host of activities to get students engaged: think, pair, share, and entrance and exit tickets, etc. But what happens when these fall short; the students aren’t engaged, and the class doesn’t gel? This short Chronicle article provides some advice on making that reset.
One way to get that critical “reset feedback” is midterm evaluations (the last TTT’s focus).
Tidbit – ‘Stop With the Academic Clickbaiting’ on the Humanities
Did you see the recent article, This Is How the Humanities End, by Steven Mintz? How did it sit with you? Our own Karen Spierling had some thoughts on the article and shared them in this IHE letter to the editor, ‘Stop With the Academic Clickbaiting’ on the Humanities. In it, she cautions not to dismiss the efforts of fellow academics—and especially the hard work of junior professors—to keep the humanities vital.
Tech – Modules in Canvas: How to make them work for your class!
Modules again??? Yes, we know, modules again. BUT this week’s tech tip looks at three different ways you can use modules to organize class content and why you might want to use modules rather than the other course navigation pages. Plus, there are a few bonus tips (including how to add Google Docs)! Watch this video by Denison’s ETS team member Kelli Van Wasshenova to learn more about leveraging Canvas Modules.
From the teaching archive – Midterm Course Evaluations
As we near the halfway mark, consider getting mid-semester feedback from your students. Mid-semester evaluations:
- If necessary, provide a chance to correct student misconceptions or make changes to the course schedule, activities, etc.
- Allow students to reflect on their expectations, efforts, and learning.
- Let students know you care about their input.
Here are some sample mid-semester evaluations you can use or adapt for your course:
- This check-off format from Seattle University makes it easy for your students to provide specific feedback and some open-ended questions.