Resources

Provides biographical information on Malcolm Knowles, one of the pioneers in teaching adult learners. Discusses his contributions to adult learning theory and highlights desired adult learning outcomes. Outlines key differences in teaching adult learners and child learners.

This University of Illinois resource provides all an instructor needs to get started with role-playing as an online (synchronous or asynchronous) learning activity: description, examples, goals & objectives, lesson outline and procedures, and guidelines for assessment and managing accessibility/accommodations.

A short, practical introduction to using online social media tools (like Twitter) to facilitate role-playing in courses involving literature or history.

Suggestions for using role-play with adult learners in online learning environments, both synchronous and asynchronous. Includes three models, student reactions, integration with Bloom's taxonomy, and assessment considerations.

Responding to Nicholas Kristof's widely-read NYT piece lamenting the lack of civic engagement by professors, Robin provides URLs to a great many online "public intellectuals" in several fields. An excellent resource for instructors looking for existing models of "civic engagement."

Responding to Nicholas Kristof's widely-read NYT piece lamenting the lack of civic engagement by professors, Goldberg describes how academic institutions can punish civic engagement because it distracts from grant procurement or other institutional service.

The "School of the Future" (grades 6-12) describes "authentic assessment" as involving performances that are 1) real-life, 2) engaging for learners, and 3) requiring synthesis and critical thinking. Narrators situate "authentic assessment" in the context of "backward course design."

A comparison of traditional ("forced-choice") assessment and authentic (performance-based) assessment. "Teaching to the test" ceases to be a problem when the test involves the performance of meaningful tasks that provide evidence of the understandings desired.

A guide to the creation of assessment rubrics, including ways an instructor might improve existing rubrics in light of experience. Describes the elements of a rubric (descriptors, levels of performance), and the difference between analytic and holistic rubrics.