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Teaching, Tech, and Tidbits Digest
The posts below are from a bi-weekly digest that encapsulates a range of evidence-based best practices and cutting-edge insights on innovative teaching strategies, effective use of technology, student engagement techniques, and effective assessment, to name a few. The content, diligently curated or crafted by the director Dr. Lew Ludwig, is grounded in robust research and drawn from a wide array of innovative articles, books, and online resources. The goal is to support timely, ongoing faculty development with the most current and impactful knowledge in the field.
Tidbit: But I studied really hard
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Have you ever had that difficult conversation with a student after a poor performance on a test or assignment? Often, the student will state in exasperation that they “studied really hard.” Nevertheless, their performance does not reflect this effort. In the article From Deficit to Empowerment: A Neuroscience Approach to Unveiling the Learning Brain, Mays Imad points out that learning is a very complex process and many things must properly align to succeed. |
Tech: Open Educational Resources- Internet Archive
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| Are you (or your students) interested in free books, movies, and more? Internet Archive is a non-profit library that hosts 38 million books, 11 million videos, and over 2 million TV shows in addition to concert recordings, audio files, and other media. From textbooks to novels to children’s books, the collection has something for everyone. Some items are available indefinitely, while others can be checked out for a few hours or a couple weeks. |
Teaching: How are classroom discussions going?
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Tidbit: Revitalizing the Later Years in Academe
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I recently had a birthday. Maybe I am getting wistful, but this Inside Higher Ed article by Kenneth McNay had some solid advice for those of us who have been here a while. In particular, it made me think about how I can explore innovation and risk-taking, that I should try to facilitate knowledge sharing, and finally, to redefine my research productivity metrics to encourage me to explore those high-risk, innovative areas. |
Teaching and AI: Why Professors are Polarized on AI
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| It is safe to say I have tumbled way down the AI rabbit hole. Since January, I have developed and led 15 workshops locally, regionally, and nationally. However, I still don’t know where our faculty at Denison stands concerning AI.
To be clear, the CfLT and ETS have run a series of workshops around AI. The attendees were very engaged but few in number. |
Teaching: How to Motivate and Engage the Whole Class
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Teaching: 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.
Tech: A picture tells a thousand words- unique images for your course
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Tidbit: But What if You Can’t Quit Your ‘Dead-End Job’?
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In my role as director, I subscribe to a large number of newsletters, listservs, and blogs. So, my inbox sees a lot of traffic. One article titled But What if You Can’t Quit Your ‘Dead-End Job’? recently stood out. It brought to mind a note I received from a senior colleague soon after I secured tenure back in 2007. |