Center for Innovative Pedagogy

Some interesting ideas for ways to make sure students are still learning when the environment conspires against coming together for class. (You can imagine a number of these strategies also applying to emergencies due to illness or travel problems.)

UC Davis has created a system to issue "digital badges" to certify student growth in a set of seven core intellectual competencies. This system exists along side the degree, major, and course grade, and is designed to act as something similar to an electronic portfolio to presents students' particular accomplishments.

An essay on six core titles on teaching and learning by Jose Bowen. (All 6 are in CONSORT and widely available in OhioLINK.) I particularly enjoyed Bowen's personal reflections on techniques he's taken from these books and applied in his own teaching of music.

From Jose Bowen's blog: course evaluations tend to focus on the perception of teaching. What if, instead, we focused them on institutional and departmental (and, I'd add, instructor and course) goals for learning?

"Collaboration reduces test anxiety" and "in most professional contexts, if you need an answer, consulting with others is almost always an option." How and why might you encourage students to practice collaborative skills in the traditionally isolated environment of a test or quiz?

This article makes a smart distinction between students' abilities to accomplish a task online (which may be overstated) and their framework for critically evaluating that task, and the tool they use.

"Like great art, a great course disturbs its audience. But if it is too disturbing, the audience may withdraw (figuratively or even literally). If it is too affirming, it is just entertainment; fun, but with no real impact."

Self-awareness is a central component to the Liberal Arts mission and this article lays out simple strategies to promote metacognitive awareness without setting aside class time for it.

A description of the author's process for grading with his iPad. The comments section includes some good alternatives, including Word's "Track Changes" feature, as well as a few suggestions of classroom strategies which improve students' receptiveness to paperless feedback.

When the avalanche of end-of-semester grading seems like just too much, it might be worthwhile to review these tips. Some are hints for your workflow, and others for your mindset.

It seems odd to consider meeting your Kenyon students through an online video chat - until you consider winter weather, cold and flu season, or the various other reasons you might not be able to meet in person. This article suggests some benefits and hurdles to videoconferencing with students.

Should you give your students your PowerPoint slides? The jury is still out on that one, but this article does list a few classroom strategies you can use to teach students what "good notes" really are and how they should be taking them and studying with them.

An interesting look at a digital archive set up to capture media and memories surrounding the Boston Marathon bombings, and the connections between the digital humanities and public history work.

Here are 6 ways faculty are using it to make their courses more engaging, flexible, and imaginative.

The New York Times reports on a recent study further confirming the benefits of regular, low-stakes testing. Benefits included grade and attendance improvements compared to a former class of equal size and notable improvements among students from lower-income households.