Resources

How can we make experiences with those who are different from ourselves beneficial to everyone, both instructors and students? How can we turn this into an opportunity to value and learn from new, different, and worthwhile perspectives in our changing world?

The research on teaching and learning indicates that a student’s personal interaction with an instructor is one of the most important factors affecting his college experience. Office hours can be one of the places where a meaningful exchange of ideas occurs and individual interactions can be fostered.

Scaffolding is a teaching and learning process in which an instructor provides support that is tailored to students’ needs as they learn a skill or process, with the expectation that the scaffolding will be removed as students become more competent and independent at applying the skill or process.

Instructors exercise power over students, whether in giving them praise or criticism, evaluating them, or making recommendations for their further studies or employment. Actions by instructors and students that harm this atmosphere of mutual trust and respect undermine professionalism and hinder fulfillment of the university’s educational mission.

Learning technologies encompass a huge array of devices, software, web sites, campus-wide computing services, and cloud services, many of which can be accessed anytime/anywhere.

Teaching large classes can be intimidating to new instructors, but attending one can also be intimidating to students. Instructors can enhance student engagement in the classroom by facilitating interaction among students and between students and the instructor

High Impact Educational Practices are defined as “an investment of time and energy over an extended period that has unusually positive effects on student engagement in educationally purposeful behavior.” Studies indicate that students who participate more frequently in educationally purposeful activities are more satisfied with their college experience.

Consider “flipping” the class—moving the content coverage to outside the class in order to devote precious, in-class time to practice of important course skills.This brief note gives a helpful overview of this emerging concept in higher education (with links).

Instructors’ attentiveness to the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical environments creates a classroom climate conducive to student engagement with the content and skills of the discipline.

Matching student learning activites to course outcomes is one of the most important parts of the learning design process. This brief note provides questions to help you select learning strategies that align with the course outcomes, assessments, and goals.