Current global events, including a rise in nationalistic rhetoric, have put pressure on faculty from all disciplines to be able to facilitate discussions without disenfranchising or excluding any students. I’ve been teaching discussion-based courses for 25 years, and my own methods have evolved and grown,
Many years ago my wife sat in on one of my face-to-face classes to observe my teaching. I was surprised to hear about things I did not know I was doing, such as saying OK every couple of minutes and making puzzled expressions. This showed
I have been spouting off for over two decades in my general education (GE) courses that learning STEM helps students increase their earning potential, well-roundedness, and satisfaction from knowing things beyond their common sense. Unfortunately, these arguments have been falling on deaf ears since the
As an undergraduate I didn’t reflect on my learning. I did what I needed to pass my classes but never thought about how I was growing my knowledge base and skills. I was like most students, but this isn’t the best way to learn, for
We associate artificial intelligence with text-generating systems like ChatGPT. But AI can also produce content in a variety of digital formats, including images, videos, and audio. These tools allow instructors and instructional designers to create custom content that enriches their online courses without high-level technical
In the fourth season of Gilmore Girls, there’s a memorable episode where Rory, navigating her first semester at Yale, visits her ethics professor during office hours. Under the guise of clarifying notes, she secretly hopes for praise on her recent essay. Confident in her performance,
As widely used communications media, videos and podcasts should be at the heart of any online class. The problem is that it is nearly impossible to make mistake-free videos and podcasts—at least if you speak off the cuff, as people who make a lot of
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has produced a plentitude of apps to help faculty develop lesson content. But it can also create student interactions for that content. This is important as reflection on content is critical for retention. Prompts for that reflection can be as simple as
An ancient practice that has been adapted to modern times, meditation has a variety of definitions. The Tibetan word for meditation, gom, literally means “to become familiar with,” as with the mind (our thoughts, states of mind, emotions). Meditation methods generally take two forms: focused
Does your class end with a bang or a whimper?
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