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.

Tech – Using tablet capture to save time

Posted on by Neica Raker

Ever want to communicate a quick idea or demonstration to your students outside of class, but an email format was cumbersome? Have access to a tablet, such as an iPad? Consider making a quick tablet capture voice-over video. Unlike a talking-head video made in something like Loom, with an iPad connected to a desktop you can create a quick voice-over video to:

  • share a quick example that may involve drawings or computations
  • point out key parts of a reading or diagram
  • provide verbal feedback on students’ work

This excellent website from the University of Pittsburgh instructs how to create video capture on a variety of tablets and systems.

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Teaching – Course evaluations

Posted on by Neica Raker

It’s that time of year. Course evaluations are an important feedback tool that can help inform our course design. Historically, providing a set time during class provides the highest response rate. As such, if there is something I want specific feedback on, I will have a brief conversation with the class the week before. For example:

This semester, we tried <blank> which was something new for the course.

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Teaching – Assignments: low stakes vs. low workload

Posted on by Neica Raker

At a recent meeting with colleagues, the discussion of student workload came up. Specifically, many of us are using the best practice of creating low-stakes assignments to keep our students engaged. But if we all do this, are we overloading students?

An important distinction came up in our conversation: low stakes vs. low workload. Some interpret low stakes assignments as counting for a small percent of one’s grade.

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Tidbit – You’re Mid-Career, Now What?: Next Steps of Your Faculty Journey

Posted on by Neica Raker

On Wednesday, November 10 at 12:00 noon, the GLCA’s Consortium for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will present a second webinar in the series by Vicki L. Baker, Professor of Economics and Management at Albion College, entitled, So You’re Mid-Career, Now What?: Next Steps of Your Faculty Journey.  This installment focuses on “SWOT Analysis/Goal Setting.”

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Tech – Press Pause

Posted on by Neica Raker

If you, like so many of us, have said or thought the phrase “I’m just trying to make it until the end of the semester,” it might be a good time to pause your digital devices and/or your notifications to take a moment to yourself “unplugged.” Read this ETS blog post “Press Pause” to learn more about how to use various do not disturb modes on devices, pause your email, and turn off different notifications.

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Tidbit – You’re Mid-Career, Now What?: Next Steps of Your Faculty Journey

Posted on by Neica Raker

On Wednesday, November 10 at 12:00 noon, the GLCA’s Consortium for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will present a second webinar in the series by Vicki L. Baker, Professor of Economics and Management at Albion College, entitled, So You’re Mid-Career, Now What?: Next Steps of Your Faculty Journey.  This installment focuses on “SWOT Analysis/Goal Setting.”

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Tidbit – Sharpening Your Think-Pair-Share Game

Posted on by Neica Raker

At a conference in 2011, I saw a speaker use a think-pair-share exercise with a room of more than 200 strangers. Within two minutes, he could barely quiet the room and the following conversation was rich and meaningful. I have used this strategy heavily in my classroom ever since.

Even though I am a firm believer in this discussion method, I am not always the best practitioner.

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