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.
This short piece from the Chronicle provides seven ways to lighten things up in class that are emotionally, academically, and pedagogically sound.
Have students been asking for letters of recommendations? The Lisska Center has created this video to provide you with suggestions on writing letters of recommendation, including things to focus on and what to ask of students. To ensure you have the full picture, consider this recommendation letter check list which you can share with students.
Have access to two screens? In this video we see how to use the dual monitor feature in Zoom to see our entire class in one screen and our presentation in the other. There are also a few other nuggets including a more equitable class participation.
Looking for some more quick Zoom tips? Check out this list from Chaplain College which covers
Looking for a digital whiteboard where students can collaborate? Consider Google Jamboards. In this video, I show how to create these files as well as how to efficiently distribute the Jamboards to your students. I also share a few tips that can save you time and head off possible pit falls.
Waiting for the students to arrive, whether in person or remotely, this short video from the Chronicle provides three practical tips to make the most of that time.
If you are using Zoom for your classes this semester, you may be struggling with the same question I am: cameras on or off? I know there have been a number of studies and reports that argue it is more equitable to not require cameras on. Students may be Zooming from non-ideal situations – crowded apartment, a bathroom because its quiet, or even a parking lot to access wi-fi.
Hybrid, hyflex, synchronous, mixed-mode, transitional…. While the list of different class types (and what everyone calls them) could go on and on, one thing is certain: this academic year has been unpredictable. Even if you start the semester with all of your students in the classroom, there’s still a chance one of them could end up remote at some point before May.
Students say they are doing more work than ever. Faculty say they are lessening breadth and focussing on just the key ideas of the course. How can we have these two seemingly opposing ideas?
In this week’s deep dive, I look into the Chronicle article, Students Say Their Workload Increased During the Pandemic. Has It?
