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As my head slowly comes out of summer mode and I look toward the fall, it’s time to review and refine my syllabi. Our friend, Kevin Gannon, has updated his Chronicle piece, “How to create a syllabus,” with a handy table of contents link and a section on artificial intelligence. Gannon talks about the importance of workshopping—collaboratively reviewing and refining – your course syllabus with input from peers or experts. |
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.
Teaching: Your fall classes and AI
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Tidbit: Celebrating our graduates!
The Center for Learning and Teaching (CfLT) is excited to announce the first graduating cohort of the Denison Teaching Seminar (DTS). The cohort includes Leksa Lee from Global Commerce and East Asian Studies, Stacey Truex from Computer Science, Tim Attalah from Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Amanda Arnold from Health, Exercise, and Sport Studies. These four joined the DTS in the fall of 2021, pioneering this community of practice.
Tech: Summer course prep-What you need to know
Canvas has a sleek new template coming, thanks to the feedback from over 100 faculty/students. The new template will launch in May- check out this 30-second sneak peek!
OER resources: As you think about course content this summer, this LibGuide for Affordable Content & OER makes an excellent starting point. If you are interested in learning more about affordable content practices, the Open Education Resources Initiative has a streamlined, self-paced Canvas course worth exploring.
Teaching: Take a break
In conversations at our last Denison Teaching Seminar, I would casually ask, “Any interesting summer plans?” After about three of these queires, I had to pivot to, “Any non-work-related interesting summer plans?” You see, my original intent was to see what travel plans or other fun activities my junior colleagues were planning. Instead, like many of us, they reverted to the guilt-ridden ‘this has to be a productive summer or else’ mode.
Down the AI Rabbit Hole: Dumbledore’s Army
In this week’s ‘Down the AI Rabbit Hole’ I share some great resources from the Mollicks at the Wharton School of Business. I also make a revelation about my AI journey as it related to Denison and beyond.
Listen to Down the AI Rabbit Hole: Dumbledore’s Army
This week’s tip:
In the last few weeks we got two influential resources from Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School of Business, a leading innovator in generative AI.
Tidbit: How to escape grading jail
Yes, it’s that time of year again. You promised yourself you wouldn’t end up here, but here you are, preparing to enter the all-too-familiar “grading jail.” As we revisit the article “How to Escape Grading Jail,” Kevin Gannon offers long-term strategies for “next time.” However, he also provides practical tips for leveraging technology to streamline our grading processes.
Tech: Examples of student work- Getting permission for future use
On many occasions you may want to share previous student work. For example, students often like to see examples of an assignment to help them understand what they are being asked to do. Or you may want to share an anonymous example in your teaching portfolio or at a presentation for colleagues. As you know, instructors need to get student permission to share their work, as the student retains copyright.
Teaching: Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Harnessing Assignment Menus for Student Choice in Learning
Recently, I bemoaned the poor attendance record of my students this semester. By mid-semester, over half were chronically absent, having missed 10% or more of their classes. I followed that piece with this one: It’s Time to Start Teaching Your Students How to Be a Student. This led some faculty members to call for a larger Denison-wide conversation on this issue.
Down the AI Rabbit Hole: It Can’t Count but it CAN Code
In each ‘Down the AI Rabbit Hole’ post I aim to provide a tip on AI and then a broader perspective. This week, I am struggling as the two are blending together. I will start with a jaw-dropping tip that I discovered a few days ago, followed by the implications of this tip and the wider lens.