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 124

Syllabus Students Activities Instructors 124

eSchool News

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

I wanted to provoke them, to get them to ask questions, and to start using these tools—not to cheat—but to flip their learning on its head. Now I invited them to use ChatGPT during our final inquiry unit, during which they’d ask questions, come up with a plan, leverage their research, and then go public with their findings.

English 335

English Syllabus Intelligence Assignments 335

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. These questions reside in a discussion board so all students can see responses.

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Lecturing Discussions Science 111

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 31, 2023

Recently, I attended a conference and was sharing my new visual syllabus with some colleagues. After several interactions, I noticed the most frequent comment was, “What a cool syllabus…but is it accessible?” I was ecstatic to hear this question! Illustration 1 : Page 1 of my Pokémon-themed syllabus.

Syllabus 116

Syllabus Accessibility Quizzes Disabilities 116

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 2, 2023

Planners that break down assignments, scaffolded note-taking templates, or even a syllabus can make all the difference in setting clear expectations. A little kindness and asking a simple question like, “How’s it going?” ” can dramatically impact how they feel about school.

Reading 303

Reading Syllabus Learning Intelligence 303

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 31, 2023

Recently, I attended a conference and was sharing my new visual syllabus with some colleagues. After several interactions, I noticed the most frequent comment was, “What a cool syllabus…but is it accessible?” I was ecstatic to hear this question! Illustration 1 : Page 1 of my Pokémon-themed syllabus.

Syllabus 98

Syllabus Accessibility Quizzes Disabilities 98

eSchool News

OCTOBER 7, 2015

Taking part in class discussions by consistently asking leading questions, extending student thinking, and contributing relevant, instructive subject matter expertise will build a strong foundation for collaboration and engagement. Check for questions frequently and provide timely feedback on progress. Establish good course practices.

Education 279

Education Syllabus Instructors Feedback 279

eSchool News

AUGUST 29, 2024

Let’s unravel these questions. Additionally, these digital tools need to support the means of expression through written assignments, presentations, or discussions to make the learning environment as engaging as possible. But how does the concept of Universal Design Learning (UDL) fit into all this?

Learning 303

Learning Syllabus Universal Design Quizzes 303

eSchool News

OCTOBER 25, 2024

I typically assign a hefty 20-page final project in my STEM course, but I decided to take a more playful and hands-on approach for this group of students. My motivation was simple: I wanted to help the class build confidence in teaching STEAM concepts. This is a key consideration as I continue refining my courses for future educators.

Teaching 275

Teaching Teachers STEM Syllabus 275

eSchool News

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

It can handle a variety of language tasks, including answering questions, writing essays, generating creative content, offering explanations, giving advice, and engaging in natural-sounding conversations” (as explained by ChatGPT itself).

Ethics 337

Ethics Essay Syllabus Feedback 337

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 17, 2022

To help cultivate responsible decision-making in classrooms, educators should consider the following questions: How can I help students evaluate situations to identify the potential benefits and consequences of different decisions? The urgency of an assignment or task may make it feel important when it actually is not.

Learning 370

Learning Syllabus Evaluation Discussions 370

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

JANUARY 9, 2019

You can pose a question for a future column here. Dropbox Paper or Google Docs : these mainstream collaborative word-processing tools let instructors invite students to collaborate on assignments or group work. This past semester, each student submitted reading notes as an assignment in the LMS.

Instructors 164

Instructors Syllabus Peer Review Students 164

Edsurge

MARCH 7, 2024

But the experiment points to interesting possibilities — and raises ethical questions — about how the latest AI tech might be used to improve teaching. The AI agents will also be fed information from the course syllabi and turn in assignments. Brott says he has experimented with ChatGPT on a few assignments for classes.

Intelligence 212

Intelligence Syllabus Feedback Assignments 212

Edsurge

OCTOBER 29, 2018

You can pose a question for a future column here. I like being able to see when assignments are due, as it helps me recognize the need to block off time in my calendar for grading. I grew tired of uploading the syllabus as a file within our LMS, only to need to upload a new version every single semester. syllabus-BUSN114.pdf)

Syllabus 138

Syllabus Mobile Devices Learning Assignments 138

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

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

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). consider how it might be used as a tool for enhancing student learning and engagement. across the course.

Syllabus 122

Syllabus Instructors Assignments Faculty Development 122

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Plenty of colleagues on other campuses were wrestling with the same question, she saw in the portfolios, and they were finding ways that tried new approaches without throwing out the old completely—call it turning the class on its side rather than making a full flip. As scholars, we probably should do something like that.

Teaching Portfolio 167

Teaching Portfolio Teaching Syllabus Peer Review 167

Faculty Focus

MARCH 14, 2023

The following includes a few strategies and examples to ensure clarity: A clear, inclusive syllabus with a course calendar of class activities, routines, materials, links to rubrics, etc. Clear expectations for all assignments, homework, activities, etc. Wisner, 2022). A clear agenda for each class.

Syllabus 131

Syllabus Exams Instructors Assignments 131

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

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. Here, they were free to ask me any questions. I put the document on a screen and reviewed it with them.

Student Engagement 116

Student Engagement Activities Syllabus Instructors 116

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. Audience question]: So I had a question about students with ADHD. It's just crazy.

Accessibility 218

Accessibility Disabilities Universal Design Syllabus 218

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? Students may ask that assignments be due at 10 p.m. About a month into each semester, Gayle Golden sets aside a little time to ask her students about their learning.

Feedback 193

Feedback Instructors Students Syllabus 193

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 13, 2024

Whether it’s whipping up dazzling PowerPoint slides, rewording a syllabus, or designing a new and exciting lesson, AI has you covered. Need a YouTube video summarized or some awesome questions? Looking to add some flair or whip up Depth of Knowledge questions? Let AI handle rubrics, tailor assignments, and give feedback.

Syllabus 119

Syllabus Assignments Feedback Teaching Assistants 119

Edsurge

OCTOBER 27, 2020

My syllabus had a no-technology policy and it wasn’t perfect, but it helped. Stopping to ask for any questions is met with awkward silence and my own nervous laughter. I can cut a lot of slack, extend deadlines or excuse assignments. I performed then too. I feel like a comedian whose joke just fell flat.

Teachers 213

Teachers Syllabus Schools Students 213

Faculty Focus

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

The more I learn about ChatGPT and its rivals through attending webinars, talking to colleagues, and toying with this web-based tool, the more questions I have. Similar to Darby, I believe conversations about academic integrity and assignment design are crucial, and these conversations should extend to other learning spaces.

Syllabus 124

Syllabus Academic Integrity eLearning Assignments 124

Edsurge

MARCH 2, 2023

Classes don’t start and end according to an academic calendar, but begin when a student clicks “start course” and gets assigned a faculty member. On average, instructors are assigned 230 students at a time--a big change from the 20 or 30 I was used to at NYU and Stevens. Southern New Hampshire’s course completion rate is 90 percent.

Teaching 173

Teaching Instructors Syllabus Assignments 173

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). consider how it might be used as a tool for enhancing student learning and engagement. across the course.

Syllabus 105

Syllabus Instructors Assignments Faculty Development 105

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 20, 2024

We may not have a storefront window to attract attention, but we do have something that students see before the start of the semester that can grab their attention, set the tone, and get them excited about entering the class…your syllabus! Exhibit 2: Thompson’s Barbie themed class syllabus (Spring 2024). Let Them Play! Stay Playful!

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Attention Assignments Activities 111

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 20, 2024

We may not have a storefront window to attract attention, but we do have something that students see before the start of the semester that can grab their attention, set the tone, and get them excited about entering the class…your syllabus! Exhibit 2: Thompson’s Barbie themed class syllabus (Spring 2024). Let Them Play! Stay Playful!

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Attention Assignments Activities 111

Edsurge

MARCH 21, 2019

You can pose a question for a future column here. Dear Bonni, My question is how to prepare yourself for a doctorate in leadership in higher ed, even when you are over 50! I have created what I’m calling my “prep syllabus” and hope to set a solid foundation for myself. Thanks so much!

Syllabus 138

Syllabus Writing Schools Research Methods 138

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. Ask students to complete a pre-semester survey.

Teaching 119

Teaching Syllabus Feedback Instructors 119

Faculty Focus

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

The more I learn about ChatGPT and its rivals through attending webinars, talking to colleagues, and toying with this web-based tool, the more questions I have. Similar to Darby, I believe conversations about academic integrity and assignment design are crucial, and these conversations should extend to other learning spaces.

Syllabus 119

Syllabus Academic Integrity eLearning Assignments 119

Faculty Focus

AUGUST 13, 2024

Whether it’s whipping up dazzling PowerPoint slides, rewording a syllabus, or designing a new and exciting lesson, AI has you covered. Need a YouTube video summarized or some awesome questions? Looking to add some flair or whip up Depth of Knowledge questions? Let AI handle rubrics, tailor assignments, and give feedback.

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Assignments Feedback Teaching Assistants 111

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 Another way of asking the question is, “Do you talk to them about this?” This is the humdinger.

Teaching 122

Teaching Syllabus Instructors Disabilities 122