Center for Innovative Pedagogy

Now is the right time to engage students in discussion about what is and isn't cheating. Stress and bad scheduling can lead some students to make wrong choices at the end of the semester; a reminder about some of these "grey area" issues might save a lot of heartache later.

Ric Sheffield discusses past and future projects to engage students in learning about racial and ethnic diversity in Knox County, Ohio on the GLCA/GLAA Consortium for Teaching and Learning website.

Lynn Gillette uses a definitional grading system to prioritize meaningful preparation for class. His Class Preparation Assignments (don't call them homework!) help students learn to read disciplinary material, serve as a structure for better note taking, and allow for more discussion and active learning in his classes.

Tips on effectively framing your scholarly work on teaching and learning as scholarship and not just "extra-good" teaching.

Cathy N. Davidson lists the things she wishes she'd known when she started over a decade of commitment to active learning methods.

This professor uses an online forum to give students who are uncomfortable speaking in class a space where they can contribute their thoughts. Students report that it's useful and the professor reports that all students who used the forum did eventually speak in class. (It occurs to me that Moodle's "anonymous" and group-based forum options might help mitigate some of the social pressures.)

"When the same source always sends bad news, or phrases messages only in the imperative case, it becomes tempting to tune it out." How do your course or departmental emails measure against that standard?

Good thoughts on how we teach students to think about writing rules, beyond just following them. "What begins as a technicality can end up going pretty deep into the very nature of the writer's task."

I've noticed this as a weak spot in my own workshops. Small assessment exercises can give a lot more clarity than a roomful of blank stares (or worse, one right answer).

If you're feeling a little burned out as we head into spring break, maybe take some of that time for self-reflection and goal-setting.

Is your grading literally giving you a headache? Pay attention to these basic tips for eye health (and remember them for computer-intense classes as well).

This is an amusing visualization of the connection between Bloom's taxonomy and cognitive and classroom activities. I like the way it addresses complexity without the strict hierarchy of the more common pyramid visualization.

"Learning to write means making choices in the interests of fulfilling all dimensions of a rhetorical situation, and one of those choices should be length." I remember multiple teachers telling me that a paper should be "long enough", but none who gave me the tools Warner describes to figure out what that means.

Using the AP History exams as an example, Rick Warner from Wabash College shows how carefully-designed multiple choice questions can assess cognitive skills beyond "factoid recall."

James Lang wrote an essay for his college's newspaper encouraging students to use more effective study strategies.

A collection of guides, articles, web pages, and videos with strategies for teaching during difficult local, national, and international events.

Interesting claim that the qualities of a "critical thinker" can be enumerated, taught, and practiced as "intellectual virtues."

Remarkable suggestions here about the real potential benefits of being an active "moderator" for your panel and not just a time-keeper. The "take 3 questions before giving any answers" approach sounds particularly interesting.

One of the interesting findings in the literature on academic honesty is that specific policies or processes appear less important than having a visible campus conversation about the value and purpose of being honest. This memo might be an interesting starting point for having that conversation with your students.

I am not a fan of "extra credit" in general, but this faculty member has a compelling structure for it. I see three strengths: extra credit is available throughout the semester, not just at the end; it's based on reflection and analysis, not just attendance; and it encourages students to participate in campus events while using the lessons of the course.