blog posts

• Design Considerations for Exam Wrappers

  Oct 23, 2014 8:00 am1 views

  Design Considerations for Exam Wrappers. "Exam wrappers are short activities that direct students to review their performance (and the instructor's feedback) on an exam with an eye toward adapting their future learning.  Exam wrappers ask students three kinds of questions: How did they prepare for the exam?  What kinds of errors did they make on the exam?  What could they do differently next time?"  Click here to see examples and strategies to help our students become more reflective about their learning.

• Encouraging Effective Discussions

  Oct 28, 2010 8:00 am1 views

  Encouraging Effective Discussions. You want to encourage more student participation, so you ask a question.  Instead of a lively discussion, there are blank faces, silence, or incorrect answers. There are a number of strategies that can help encourage participation, improve discussion and rapport. Click here to learn more.  

• Calling Online (actually All..)Instructors: There’s a Secret Bonus Level!

  Nov 4, 2019 3:15 pm1 views

  Calling Online (actually All..) Instructors: There’s a Secret Bonus Level! Back in 2005, my online courses were designed according to the “read and reply twice” design format, then in vogue among instructional designers. The interactions that I had with my learners were largely formulaic, and I was really good at them. I responded to my students’ discussion posts and activity submissions within hours of deadlines, and I did my best to move conversations forward by asking learners to make connections and begin new avenues of inquiry. Fast forward to 2018: several game platforms and dozens of video games later. About the same time that we were playing Lego City Undercover, I was discovering that my “great” online courses could be strengthened even further by paying attention to barriers that I hadn’t previously understood well—or hadn’t even noticed at all. One of those barriers is grades. In addition to exploring ungrading, I also learned that spaced practice is one of the best ways to study and remember information and techniques. We reinforce our learning when we can re-visit concepts and ideas just before we shift them out of short-term memory and forget them. I’m looking all over my everyday experiences for hints about how our minds work when we learn things, and everywhere that I can take down barriers to learning

• Thinking Creatively and Critically

  Nov 9, 2015 8:00 am1 views

  Thinking Creatively and Critically. Two popular targets on the list of Things These Students Can't Do are creative thinking (coming up with innovative ideas) and critical thinking (making judgments or choices and backing them up with evidence and logic). When our colleagues complain to us that their students can't do them, after we make appropriate sympathetic noises we ask, "Where were they supposed to learn to do it?" The answers may vary, but one we rarely hear is "In my class."  Here are some strategies from Rebecca Brent and Richard Felder.

• Creating Cartoons to Spark Engagement and Learning

  Nov 12, 2018 3:15 pm1 views

  Creating Cartoons to Spark Engagement and Learning. As instructors, we are constantly looking for new ways to capture our students’ attention and increase their participation in our classes, especially in the online modalities. We spend countless hours crafting weekly announcements for classes and then inevitably receive multiple emails from our students asking the very same questions that we so carefully and completely answered in those very same announcements! The question remains, how do we get them to read our posts?

  It was precisely that problem I was trying to solve when I came across several articles touting the benefits of comics in higher education classrooms. I wondered if I could create a content-related cartoon that would not only capture students’ attention and maybe make them laugh, but also interest them enough that they would read the entire announcement or post. After a positive response, I decided to provide my online and face-to-face students the opportunity to try their hand at cartoon creation. This activity provide more ways for students to develop higher levels of assimilation and creation (Bloom’s Taxonomy, 2001).

• Final Exams

  Nov 17, 2021 5:15 pm1 views

  (from Harvard University, Bok Center).  Final Exams. Final exams remain one of the most common genre of capstone assignments, set at the end of courses in order to give students (and instructors) the opportunity to synthesize and reflect on the full arc of the semester. To some degree, the popularity of exams among instructors and students may owe something to their sheer familiarity. Often, because instructors assume that students are familiar with the form, they also assume that students need relatively little preparation in order to do well on them, thus freeing up class time for more content coverage. This is not always the case, however, and in order for exams to fulfill their potential for assessing certain levels of understanding, instructors must be clear about the purpose of what they will ask students to do, write good questions, and scaffold students into the exam. 

  Before you settle on a particular genre of assessment, we recommend that you visit these pages on capstone assignments, writing effective assignment prompts, and sequencing and scaffolding.

   

• End-of-the-Semester Reflection from the Teachers Point of View

  Nov 30, 2018 2:00 pm1 views

  End-of-the-Semester Reflection from the Teachers Point of View. Make self-reflection a part of the end of the term teaching process. Self-reflection helps you retain the insights you’ve gained along the way as you have been teaching the current course, and it will inspire you to seek out new approaches; you’ll feel more comfortable, confident, and engaged next semester. Some areas to consider are general reflections and what to do with the information you gathered.
  

• Constructing Fair and Appropriate Final Exams

  Dec 5, 2013 8:00 am1 views

  Constructing Fair and Appropriate Final Exams. A common student complaint is that final exams do not always test the kinds of knowledge asked for in homework or quizzes or presented in lectures. The worst final exams can seem unfocused, determined to test everything, or random things. The best final exams are learning moments and are aligned with learning goals presented in your syllabus.  Here are some ways from the Berkeley teaching center to review the final exam you created.

• Research-Based Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity

  Jan 18, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  Research-Based Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity. You can lessen the number of academic integrity violations you'll face by presenting your students with a clear policy at the beginning of the semester.  This essay, part of the POD Network Teaching Excellence Essay Series, describes what such a policy should contain, how it should fit into your course, and how to present it to your students. Click here to learn how.

• Reading Textbooks: The College Plague

  Feb 4, 2020 5:15 pm0 views

  Reading Textbooks: The College Plague. First, let’s acknowledge this universal epidemic. College students despise reading textbooks and e-books that cover content with academic information. Fortunately, I discovered a cure for the reading plague that only requires five teaspoons of ingestion: 1) survey 2) question 3) read 4) retrieve and 5) review. In my class, I have found the SQ3R Method to be a step-by-step approach to learning and studying from textbooks. Although it took my students time and practice to master this method, it has been valuable in regards to preparing students for more content-driven class discussions, increased retention and understanding of information, strategic study skills, and test preparation.

• In the next few weeks, administer an Informal Early Feedback (IEF)

  Feb 9, 2017 8:00 am0 views

  In the next few weeks, administer an Informal Early Feedback (IEF). Student evaluations of teaching are an important part of the feedback that instructors receive. This feedback can be especially helpful when it is collected during the semester. Our students can tell us if we are clear, accessible, respectful or timely. They may also be able to tell us if the activities we give them are well aligned with the ways we evaluate their learning. Responding to students’ comments by discussing them in class, and making changes as appropriate, can lead to increased motivation, better learning, and possibly improved end-of-semester student ratings. Check this site for directions and sample IEF forms.
  

• Now is the time to do an Informal Early Feedback (IEF)

  Feb 22, 2016 8:00 am0 views

  Now is the time to do an Informal Early Feedback (IEF). Student evaluations of teaching are an important part of the feedback that instructors receive. This feedback can be especially helpful when it is collected during the semester. Our students can tell us if we are clear, accessible, respectful or timely. They may also be able to tell us if the activities we give them are well aligned with the ways we evaluate their learning. Responding to students’ comments by discussing them in class, and making changes as appropriate, can lead to increased motivation, better learning, and possibly improved end-of-semester student ratings. Here are the directions and example IEFs. If you would like assistance in developing your own IEF or interpreting the results, email did@illinois.edu
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)

  Feb 22, 2016 8:00 am0 views

  Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs). Want to get timely information about how well and what your students are learning? Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are generally simple, non-graded, anonymous, in-class activities designed to give you and your students useful feedback on the teaching-learning process as it is happening. An additional benefit of using CATs is that they also serve as active learning strategies. The standard references on CATs is Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers, 2nd edition, by Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross (Jossey-Bass, 1993). This article from Vanderbilt Center for Teaching provides several examples and how to implement CATs in your classes.

• Awake, Accountable, and Engaged

  Mar 23, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  Awake, Accountable, and Engaged. As the semester winds down, your students may begin to lose focus.  This posting from Tomorrow's Professor offers two easy techniques to keep them engaged in lectures. Click here to learn more.

• Five Types of Quizzes That Deepen Engagement with Course Content

  Mar 30, 2016 8:00 am0 views

  Five Types of Quizzes That Deepen Engagement with Course Content. Have you thought about ways in which to maximize the benefit of quizzes?  Have you used quizzes that rely on low-level questions where the right answer is a memorized detail or a quizzing strategy where the primary motivation is punitive, such as to force students to keep up with the reading. That kind of quizzing doesn’t motivate reading for the right reasons and it doesn’t promote deep, lasting learning. There are innovative ways faculty are using quizzes, and these practices rest on different premises. This article describes ways for students to learn content deeper.

• Global Learning Through Short-Term Study Abroad

  Apr 13, 2016 8:00 am0 views

  Global Learning Through Short-Term Study Abroad. Faculty members and program directors agree that when working with a short time frame for study abroad, preparation is tantamount to success, both for the students and for the faculty member leading the group. Nearly all short-term programs are faculty-led, rather than exchanges with foreign institutions, and this setup provides many built-in benefits. Faculty, administrators, and program directors tend to agree that students get the most out of short-term programs that are highly structured, require ongoing reflection, and include in-depth experience working or studying with host country participants. Here are five best practices for short-term study abroad projects.

• The Last Class: A Critical Course Component

  Apr 28, 2016 8:00 am0 views

  The Last Class: A Critical Course Component. There has been significant and well-deserved attention paid to the first class. This class is critical in setting the tone and expectations of the course. Unfortunately, the same amount of attention has not been paid to the last day of class. To us, this class is as important as the first. It is the class where the professor has an opportunity to celebrate the learning of the students. Unfortunately, this day is usually saved for final exam review, finishing up projects or dealing with logistical details like date, time, and location of the final or where to pick up graded term papers. The course ends with a whimper instead of a bang. Think about different ways in which to make this last day as important as the first day of class as a way for celebration and reflection.

• The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure

  May 2, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure. The end of the semester can be stressful for instructors as well as students.  Use these tips from the University of Minnesota to ensure that you end your course gracefully. Click here to read the strategies.

• The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure

  May 2, 2014 8:00 am0 views

  The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure. The end of the semester can be stressful for instructors as well as students. If you have a few minutes in this last session, take the opportunity for all to reflect about where the students started and how much they have learned. Here are some tips from the University of Minnesota. Click here to read the strategies.

• What Do You Do on the Last Day of Class?

  May 2, 2014 8:00 am0 views

  What Do You Do on the Last Day of Class?  Much of the literature on the last day of class notes three primary uses of this last class session: final examination preparation, completing course evaluations, and reflecting on the course. Given the importance of this last day it is worth just a bit of effort to think through the best use of your final minutes of the course.  Here are some thoughts from UNC-Chapel Hill. 

• Thresholds Are Troublesome

  May 21, 2015 8:00 am0 views

  Thresholds Are Troublesome. Few new ideas in the ongoing inquiry into effective teaching and learning have generated as much productive discussion as the idea of "threshold concepts" and its older sister, "troublesome knowledge."  Another name might be bottlenecks. Threshold concepts are “portals” or gateways to transformative educational development (Meyer & Land, 2003; Trafford, 2008), and “going through” this portal leads to significant and important outcomes for the student. To promote deeper learning, faculty should identify key threshold concepts in their disciplines and assist their students in mastering those concepts.

• Would They Play? Would They Learn?

  Jul 13, 2022 4:45 pm0 views

  (from Faculty Focus). Would They Play? Would They Learn? Like many of my colleagues, I’ve had my doubts about the educational value of “gaming” in college classrooms. In my mind, there’s an uneasy relationship between entertainment and education. Could gaming really be about learning, or is it just another example of pandering to student interests? And the games don’t have to be highly technical, expensive, or time-consuming to create. I’m pretty well convinced that game-like elements (rather than full blown games) can be powerful motivators and learning tools. Game-like elements could prompt engagement and learning in the classroom. I saw firsthand just how simple the gamification of our existing ideas can be. Teachers can use already existing activities and gamify them! Simply add a challenging problem-solving aspect to the activity, add surprises, and make it more playful, and you’ve gone from active to game-like!

• Learning Students' Names.

  Aug 14, 2010 8:00 am0 views

  Learning Students' Names. We all know the importance of learning our students' names as it promotes positive teacher-student relationships and demonstrates your desire to know each student as an individual. For those of us with large classes, this can be a difficult task.  Tomorrow's Professor Msg. #752 provides several strategies to help us.

• Advice for the First Day of Class: Today We Will.

  Aug 18, 2021 10:30 am0 views

  Advice for the First Day of Class: Today We Will. The first day of class is critical. What happens on the first day, even in the first moments, sets the tone for the entire course. The impression you make will last the entire semester, and today’s students are not shy about sharing their opinions. Most students will make up their minds about the course and the instructor during that first class period. That is why you must use the first day, the first moments of class, to inspire confidence in your abilities and create a classroom atmosphere where the rules are clear; expectations are high; and yet students feel welcome, comfortable, and engaged.

• Learning Students' Names

  Aug 23, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  Learning Students' Names. Research indicates that knowing students' names makes for a better semester for you and your students.  Here are some ideas from the Office of Graduate Studies at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln to start your semester off right.  Click here for ideas.

• The Add/Drop Period and Your Syllabus

  Aug 23, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  The Add/Drop Period and Your Syllabus. Many students "shop around" during the first week or two of classes.

  Will this affect the beginning of your course?  Jason B.  Jones of ProfHacker at the Chronicle of Higher Education offers some observations to get you thinking about how to handle this period of the semester. Click here for the article.

• Is Praise Enhancing or Undermining Student Motivation?

  Aug 29, 2016 8:00 am0 views

  Is Praise Enhancing or Undermining Student Motivation? Research has found that praise can actually undermine performance and self-esteem in many contexts. One study found that praise for intelligence leads to the belief by the recipient that their intelligence is fixed, and thus not something that they can influence through action or effort (Dweck, 2007).  A more effective feedback is to switch from praise for intelligence or achievement to praise for effort and process, rather than product. People have control over their level of effort, and if they see that the effort will be recognized, they tend to give more of it. This article describes how to provide more effective feedback that will help students to improve.
  

• Time to Conduct an Informal Early Feedback (IEF)

  Sep 14, 2015 8:00 am0 views

  Time to Conduct an Informal Early Feedback (IEF). Using the informal early feedback (IEF) tool can help you learn about what is working and what is not working in your class at a time when you can make important mid-course corrections. You can get valuable valuable information not only about your teaching, but also on what and how your students learn. Late-September to mid-October is a great time to collect this feedback.  Additional information and samples are on our website. Also, register for our workshops about IEF being offered now.
  

• Enhancing the Effectiveness of TA Office Hours

  Sep 14, 2015 8:00 am0 views

  Enhancing the Effectiveness of TA Office Hours. With any strategy, it is important that TAs send messages of genuine willingness to assist students. Undergraduate students do distinguish between "availability" and "approachability." They have told us that a person's "availability" during tutoring/office hours does not necessarily mean that they see him or her as "approachable." They are far more likely to "approach" someone whom they perceive as willing to assist - empathetic, patient, and interested in their learning.See this article from Tomorrow's Professor to learn more.
  

• Before You Skip My Class

  Sep 22, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  Before You Skip My Class.  Your syllabus should already contain an attendance policy.  Even if it doesn't, you'll need to deal with students who skip your class.  J. Ben Deaton from the Georgia Institute of Technology discusses the four types of students you may encounter, and makes his own suggestions about how to approach them. Click here to read. 

• The Importance of Early Feedback

  Sep 22, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  The Importance of Early Feedback. Student feedback needn't be collected only through ICES.  If you haven't collected feedback about how your class is doing, then read this article to understand how feedback is a valuable part of any semester, and the particular importance of early feedback.  Read the article here. Don't forget CTE's workshop about Informal Early Feedback (IEF) on Sept. 27, 2011.

• Have you done your Informal Early Feedback (IEF)?

  Sep 25, 2014 8:00 am0 views

  Have you done your Informal Early Feedback (IEF)? Using informal early feedback (IEF) can help you learn about what is working and what is not working in your class at a time when you can make mid-course corrections. Late-September to mid-October is a great time to collect this feedback from your students.  Additional information and samples are on our website.

• I Was Inspired by a Teaching Workshop, But Now What Do I Do?

  Sep 25, 2014 8:00 am0 views

  I Was Inspired by a Teaching Workshop, But Now What Do I Do?  This month, there are many workshops offered to help you learn new strategies and teaching approaches. Before implementing these new teaching techniques, keep in mind these helpful words of wisdom: be strategic about which techniques to implement, explain the techniques to your students, start with small, incremental steps. Here is more advice.  And, of course, you can always contact CITL (citl-info@illinois.edu).

• Time to Do This! Informal Early Feedback (IEF): A Valuable Opportunity for Just-in-Time Feedback.

  Sep 27, 2016 8:00 am0 views

  Time to Do This!  Informal Early Feedback (IEF): A Valuable Opportunity for Just-in-Time Feedback.  Student evaluations of teaching are an important part of the feedback that instructors receive. This feedback can be especially helpful when it is collected during the semester. Our students can tell us if we are clear, accessible, respectful or timely. They may also be able to tell us if the activities we give them are well aligned with the ways we evaluate their learning. Responding to students’ comments by discussing them in class, and making changes as appropriate, can lead to increased motivation, better learning, and possibly improved end-of-semester student ratings. Here is a description of the process and sample forms for you to adapt. You can contact CITL for assistance to create the form and/or analyze the results. 

• Five Questions That Will Improve Your Teaching

  Oct 6, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  Five Questions That Will Improve Your Teaching.  Becoming a reflective teacher begins with asking yourself questions about your teaching and ways in which to improve your students' learning. Here's a sample list of questions from Larry Ferlazzo to get you started.

   

• A Model of Learning Objectives

  Oct 6, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  A Model of Learning Objectives. If you're not already familiar with Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, you may find it to be a useful guide for asking effective questions, developing learning objectives, and writing test items. Click here to learn more about Bloom's Taxonomy. Note: There will be a CTE workshop on Effective Multiple-Choice Test Design on Oct. 25th.

• Journals that Publish the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

  Oct 20, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  Journals that Publish the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning. Sometimes the best advice is the most specific advice.  Use this list from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Kennesaw State University to help you find journals that publish articles in your field on the scholarship of teaching and learning. Here is the list of journals.

• Office Hours Off Campus

  Oct 21, 2019 11:00 am0 views

  Office Hours Off Campus. Dr. Campbell teaches large biology lecture courses at the University of Pittsburgh and few students came to his office to discuss problems they were having with his course. However, when he was sitting on the steps in front of the library reading the newspaper, students stopped to ask questions about that day’s lecture. He decided he would regularly read his newspaper there and when the weather turned colder, he moved to a coffee shop frequented by students. Before long, he was regularly meeting students off campus and never in his office. Here are some of the things that happened: impromptu study groups, mentoring, better teaching.

• Teaching and Technology

  Oct 31, 2011 8:00 am0 views

  Teaching and Technology. This article, by Steven J. Corbett at Inside Higher Ed, describes one instructor's experience with using technology to teach writing.  In the process, he offers several helpful suggestions and links that can help you decide what role technology should play in your course. Click here for the article.

   

• Don't Spam Your Students and Other Practical Communication Tips

  Nov 1, 2021 9:15 am0 views

  (from Faculty Focus) Don't Spam Your Students and Other Practical Communication Tips.  Like us, students get a lot of messages in their inbox, which leads to students’ eyes glazing over, and then our messages get lost in the mix. How can we avoid that? Set up a consistent communication protocol that is shared with students the first week and then stick to it.

  Here’s an example: Once a week, send students a message that includes what is upcoming along with other important information or announcements. Send that update on the same day each week so that students know that on Friday (or whichever day you choose) they will get a class update. We are going for quality rather than quantity. Yes, this takes a little planning ahead, but the resulting clarity of communication will pay off. Here are ways to maximize communication through other means, such as announcements section, course webpage, and student-friendly assignment schedule.

• Assigning Course Grades

  Nov 29, 2015 8:00 am0 views

  Assigning Course Grades. Various grading practices are used by college and university faculty. Some examples are absolute standard, relative grading, percent grading, and grading on the curve. The Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning provides an examination of the more widely used methods and discussion of the advantages, disadvantages and fallacies associated with each.

• Final Exams as Learning Moments

  Dec 3, 2014 8:00 am0 views

  Final Exams as Teaching Moments. A common complaint from students is that final exams do not always test the kinds of knowledge that is asked for in homework or quizzes or presented in lectures. Whether this perception is accurate or not, it’s an excellent starting point for talking about the final exam. The worst final exams can seem unfocused, determined to test everything, or random things. The best final exams are learning moments. Click here for suggestions from Berkeley’s teaching center.

• Considerations in Designing and Teaching Your Course

  Dec 22, 2015 8:00 am0 views

  Considerations in Designing and Teaching Your Course. Take advantage of the few weeks before the semester starts to look at the course you will be teaching – whether it is a new course or one you have already taught. Many of the decisions affecting the success of a course take place well before the first day of class. Careful planning at the course design stage not only makes teaching easier and more enjoyable, it also facilitates student learning. Once your course is planned, teaching involves implementing your course design on a day-to-day level. Here is a list of things for consideration.