Faculty Focus

JANUARY 30, 2024

Reimagining the traditional “syllabus day” to an engaged “preview day” provides an opportunity to set a desired tone for the semester. In the final 20 minutes of class, I tend to shift focus to the syllabus. Since I reimagined “syllabus day” to “preview day,” I have seen some positive outcomes.

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Lecturing Discussions Science 111

Faculty Focus

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

As an instructor, I have always considered myself to be friendly and approachable. Student perceptions of their instructors’ attitude toward them has been shown to be a predictor of student motivation (Wilson J. If they have not opened the course syllabus or were not in class on the first day, this could be addressed in the email.

Instructors 122

Instructors Syllabus Attention Teaching Assistants 122

Faculty Focus

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Ever wonder why students dont read the syllabus, despite the time and effort we put into creating it? It serves as a contract between instructors and students (Eberly, Newton, & Wiggins, 2001), outlining the entire semesters expectations, assignments, and deadlines. Use Notebook LM to create a podcast of your syllabus.

Syllabus 98

Syllabus Students Activities Instructors 98

eSchool News

OCTOBER 7, 2015

With that in mind, certain strategies, tips, and guidelines have been proven to help instructors begin what can seem like an overwhelming task—teaching a course without ever even needing to physically see her students. Prepare syllabus and assignment due dates carefully and well in advance so that students know what to expect and when.

Education 279

Education Syllabus Instructors Feedback 279

Faculty Focus

JUNE 18, 2023

In a face-to-face class, students see the instructor and other students and, even if not interacting with them directly, know they are not alone. But asynchronous courses, and especially asynchronous independent study courses, present a different scenario with challenges for both instructors and students. Who is my instructor?”

Instructors 105

Instructors Syllabus Assignments Feedback 105

Faculty Focus

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

As an instructor, I have always considered myself to be friendly and approachable. Student perceptions of their instructors’ attitude toward them has been shown to be a predictor of student motivation (Wilson J. If they have not opened the course syllabus or were not in class on the first day, this could be addressed in the email.

Instructors 98

Instructors Syllabus Attention Teaching Assistants 98

eSchool News

MARCH 24, 2020

That means educators of all types, including tutors, teachers, private language instructors, or parents homeschooling their children, can take advantage of the following resources for free until July 31: Their vocabulary learning tool, powered by a spaced-repetition algorithm. Available only in certain language pairs.

Language 189

Language Languages Learning Tools Syllabus 189

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

I recall one student who would wait until the night of the assignment deadline to dive into their schoolwork. All too often, they would wind up needing to ask their instructor a question about the assignment but had no time to receive an answer before the deadline passed. Don’t wait for an assignment notification to get started.

Online Learning 185

Online Learning Instructors Coaching Mobile Devices 185

Edsurge

APRIL 26, 2018

On Tuesday, April 24 the #DLNchat community got together to discuss and debate: How Can Alternative Assignments Effectively Assess Student Learning? Where there’s an alternative there must be a standard, so we started our chat creating a list of what those standard assignment are: exams, quizzes, essays, reports, lab manuals and the like.

Assignments 97

Assignments Exams Instructors Learning 97

Edsurge

MARCH 2, 2023

In the early days of online education, I imagined that virtual classrooms would follow the same basic model as in-person ones, with an instructor leading the same number of students typical in a campus class. Students attend WGU entirely on screen, with instructors engaging with them virtually by email, phone, text and video.

Teaching 173

Teaching Instructors Syllabus Assignments 173

eSchool News

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

Key points : Today’s students will undoubtedly encounter generative AI in their careers Two higher-ed instructors have designed a guide for using generative AI in life design and career education See related article: A scholar’s embrace of ChatGPT-4 Innovations that have transformed education have often been met with skepticism.

Ethics 337

Ethics Essay Syllabus Feedback 337

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Instead of thinking about the LMS as simply a repository for course essentials (syllabus, contact information, etc.), Duplicate or misplaced assignment pages create confusion (and potentially issues with the gradebook). Duplicate or misplaced assignment pages create confusion (and potentially issues with the gradebook).

Syllabus 122

Syllabus Instructors Assignments Faculty Development 122

Edsurge

JUNE 10, 2021

The journalism instructor at the University of Minnesota keeps the process simple, with brief questions similar to these: What should keep happening in this class? Between weeks five and eight—and after students have received results from a major assessment—instructors ask students to weigh in on how their learning is progressing.

Feedback 193

Feedback Instructors Students Syllabus 193

Faculty Focus

MARCH 14, 2023

These pedagogies provide instructors a powerful opportunity to create learning environments that effectively support all students, minimize student stress, and support overall student mental health, without sacrificing academic rigor. Described below are three ways that instructors support student well-being and mental health.

Syllabus 131

Syllabus Exams Instructors Assignments 131

Edsurge

OCTOBER 29, 2018

A Canvas-specific resource I have found helpful in thinking more creatively about embedding is a CanvasLIVE video featuring Laura Gibbs, an online instructor at the University of Oklahoma: Beautiful Curation: Flickr & Pinterest (+Diigo & Padlet). I would name it something like syllabus-BUSN114.pdf syllabus-BUSN114.pdf)

Syllabus 138

Syllabus Mobile Devices Learning Assignments 138

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Washington (2019) studied the face-to-face instructor experience, and we already had anecdotal information, along with some survey data, from our own faculty regarding their use and preferences regarding the LMS. Organization and structure  Students appreciate courses where assignments and course materials are organized and structured.

Syllabus 126

Syllabus Instructors Peer Review Lecturing 126

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

But Chatterjee, an international student from India, did not feel confident about the assignment, and thought it was Western-centric and focused on physical powers associated with attractive males. Based on that feedback, the professor, Julia Parra, says she changed the assignment to make it broader, and more inclusive.

Culture 152

Culture Teaching Syllabus English 152

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 20, 2018

Students cheating on assignments is hardly a new or surprising problem. In research and surveys conducted by Dr. Donald McCabe and the International Center for Academic Integrity over the span of 12 years, 68 percent of undergraduates who responded admitted to cheating on tests or written assignments.

Academic Integrity 148

Academic Integrity Exams Assignments Instructors 148

Edsurge

OCTOBER 22, 2021

It’s solution: Create a new marketplace where instructors can find them. He gave the example of a professor who wants to adopt a popular biology textbook, but doesn’t plan to assign one chapter of it. “So A key premise of the Lexington, Mass.-based

Textbooks 176

Textbooks Syllabus Instructors Peer Review 176

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Instead of thinking about the LMS as simply a repository for course essentials (syllabus, contact information, etc.), Duplicate or misplaced assignment pages create confusion (and potentially issues with the gradebook). Duplicate or misplaced assignment pages create confusion (and potentially issues with the gradebook).

Syllabus 105

Syllabus Instructors Assignments Faculty Development 105

Edsurge

JUNE 6, 2024

Tech giants Google, Microsoft and OpenAI have unintentionally assigned educators around the world major homework for the summer: Adjusting their assignments and teaching methods to adapt to a fresh batch of AI features that students will enter classrooms with in the fall. That’s going to be a real time saver for faculty,” he predicts.

Lecturing 216

Lecturing Education Assignments Syllabus 216

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 24, 2023

Language for the disability statement in their syllabus. A new way to write their course policy on academic integrity or late assignments. I want them to take ownership over their learning and their time and assignments.” “I A quick-guide on how to respond to microaggressions. I want them to learn for learning’s sake.” “I

Teaching 122

Teaching Syllabus Instructors Disabilities 122

Edsurge

APRIL 27, 2018

But because she is legally blind, she had an added challenge of not being able to see the diagrams and notes projected in the lecture hall or assigned for homework. Among that 11 percent, an even smaller portion tell their instructor. And some instructors even view the requisitions as as an infringement to academic freedom.

Accessibility 158

Accessibility Disabilities Instructors Syllabus 158

Faculty Focus

JUNE 2, 2024

Aside from a bare-bones syllabus, the professor never showed up. Most of our grade was supposed to come from a single class project, but no assignment instructions were ever posted. But what about this assignment that was worth so much of our grade? I emailed the professor and waited…and waited…and waited—silence.

Syllabus 131

Syllabus Course Design Learning Students 131

Faculty Focus

MAY 9, 2024

As educators and students grapple with what is allowed when using generative AI (GenAI) tools, I have compiled five tips to help you design or redesign academic integrity statements for your syllabus, assignments, exams, and course activities. Students might benefit from using these tools on some assignments, but not others.

Academic Integrity 137

Academic Integrity Writing Syllabus Exams 137

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Washington (2019) studied the face-to-face instructor experience, and we already had anecdotal information, along with some survey data, from our own faculty regarding their use and preferences regarding the LMS. Organization and structure  Students appreciate courses where assignments and course materials are organized and structured.

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Instructors Peer Review Lecturing 111

Faculty Focus

MARCH 12, 2023

The first day or week of the semester is often referred to as what students call “syllabus week,” because professors typically spend the first day of class reviewing the syllabus—interject a big yawn here. So, I moved onto showing them the “About Your Instructor” icon in our LMS.

Student Engagement 116

Student Engagement Activities Syllabus Instructors 116

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 18, 2024

I was handed a syllabus, a classroom, and students, and left to figure out the rest on my own. In preparing that first course, I focused on what I thought were the essentials of teaching: finalizing the syllabus, picking the readings, and writing the assignments. Co-create classroom norms with your students.

Teaching 119

Teaching Syllabus Feedback Instructors 119

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 29, 2023

However, as a former instructor of online courses, I have seen first-hand the power of introducing a librarian to a group of online students and how such exposure can lead to curiosity on a topic and deepen student learning. I begin with a caveat. I am not an academic librarian. In fact, I have never worked in a library.

Syllabus 98

Syllabus Instructors Learning Assignments 98

Faculty Focus

JUNE 1, 2023

As such, more instructors are teaching online courses. Asynchronous online courses can create barriers for instructors to connect with students, but instructors can implement small and significant changes to their online courses that can help build community, connection, and relationships. Why did you take this course?

Instructors 59

Instructors Syllabus Feedback Assignments 59

Edsurge

APRIL 30, 2020

But now that so many students are taking courses remotely, in improvised environments that may not be especially conducive to learning, it may take some extra effort to redesign instruction, assignments and assessments to address everyone’s needs. Start with your syllabus, make your syllabus accessible and then do one document per week.

Accessibility 218

Accessibility Disabilities Universal Design Syllabus 218

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 13, 2024

Often, there are suggestions on what AI can do, but instructors might struggle with figuring out how to use it effectively. However, with numerous upgrades and increasing faculty engagement, hopefully, instructors are now more comfortable using it as a valuable tool for preparing and managing the semester efficiently. Look no further.

Syllabus 119

Syllabus Assignments Feedback Teaching Assistants 119

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 21, 2024

Five strategies to foster sense of belonging Be caring and authentic: Syllabus policies and language, as well as introductory comments on the first day of class, set the tone for an entire term. Students must understand why the assignment is important, what is expected, and how the quality of their work will be judged.

Syllabus 132

Syllabus Exams Students Motivation 132

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 18, 2024

I was handed a syllabus, a classroom, and students, and left to figure out the rest on my own. In preparing that first course, I focused on what I thought were the essentials of teaching: finalizing the syllabus, picking the readings, and writing the assignments. Co-create classroom norms with your students.

Teaching 111

Teaching Syllabus Feedback Instructors 111

Faculty Focus

MARCH 14, 2023

These pedagogies provide instructors a powerful opportunity to create learning environments that effectively support all students, minimize student stress, and support overall student mental health, without sacrificing academic rigor. Described below are three ways that instructors support student well-being and mental health.

Syllabus 97

Syllabus Exams Instructors Assignments 97

Faculty Focus

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

Similar to Darby, I believe conversations about academic integrity and assignment design are crucial, and these conversations should extend to other learning spaces. For example, at the beginning of a tutoring session, the tutor could ask students to review the assignment directions and the instructor’s syllabus.

Syllabus 124

Syllabus Academic Integrity eLearning Assignments 124

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 13, 2024

Often, there are suggestions on what AI can do, but instructors might struggle with figuring out how to use it effectively. However, with numerous upgrades and increasing faculty engagement, hopefully, instructors are now more comfortable using it as a valuable tool for preparing and managing the semester efficiently. Look no further.

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Assignments Feedback Teaching Assistants 111