eSchool News

NOVEMBER 17, 2016

As November 8 th approached, I made sure to leave extra class time to allow my communications students to discuss the upcoming presidential election, hoping to align their discussions with topics on my syllabus. Next page: Facilitating online resource aggregation for post-election discussions).

Syllabus 253

Syllabus Teachers Counselling Beliefs 253

Edsurge

JANUARY 9, 2019

Rethink Discussion Boards We need to rethink discussion boards if they are ever going to be worthwhile. Students tell me that when they encounter a discussion board, they expect to see a long discussion prompt from the instructor with some questions they are supposed to answer in 300 to 400 words.

Instructors 161

Instructors Syllabus Peer Review Students 161

Gaggle Speaks

JULY 30, 2015

Paperless grading allows teachers to take back valuable instructional minutes and increase productivity. Whether you’re new to paperless grading or have experience using another tool, here are three tips to keep in mind. Discuss expectations with your students and add a tech policy to your class syllabus.

Grades 80

Grades Syllabus Assignments Discussions 80

Edsurge

JULY 21, 2025

Their middle school benefits from stable funding, high-quality teachers, and a strong IT department, all leading to discussions about AI in their sixth grade classrooms. The AI’s clarity helped me understand the syllabus better than just reading it on my own.” That idea alone changed how I’m approaching this class.”

English 149

English Syllabus Ethics Students 149

Edsurge

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Advisors can help students establish healthy work habits by sending helpful advice for meeting deadlines before classes begin such as: Plan ahead: Get a “lay of the land” of the course by reading the syllabus. They can check announcements during work breaks or read discussion posts while waiting for a flight at the airport.

Online Learning 189

Online Learning Instructors Coaching Mobile Devices 189

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. This form of scaffolding mitigates course-related student distress (GCU, 2023).

Syllabus 131

Syllabus Exams Instructors Assignments 131

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 21, 2025

Collaborative syllabus design: During the first class, engage students in setting community and classroom norms and goals. A co-created syllabus session fosters accountability and trust, as students feel ownership of the course structure (Cook-Sather et al., 2014; Agarwal, 2019).

Plagiarism 122

Plagiarism Syllabus Ethics Feedback 122

Faculty Focus

NOVEMBER 19, 2023

Successful syllabus While there are mandatory components of a standard syllabus, I also add welcoming elements. I always begin my syllabus with an inclusive and inspirational quote. I incorporate graphs and charts to clarify grading. Think-Pair-Share Students need opportunities to process information during lectures.

Syllabus 122

Syllabus Lecturing Instructors Feedback 122

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Instead of thinking about the LMS as simply a repository for course essentials (syllabus, contact information, etc.), Posting grades and feedback weeks or months after assignment submission is frustrating for students, especially for assignments that build on one another.

Syllabus 122

Syllabus Instructors Assignments Faculty Development 122

Edsurge

OCTOBER 3, 2016

What good is a blended and personalized classroom if students cannot openly discuss issues of equity? We need solutions that empower students to bring their culture, race, and socioeconomic status to classroom projects and discussions. Christopher Emdin’s book, “ For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood.

Culture 167

Culture Education Syllabus Attention 167

Edsurge

APRIL 30, 2020

On the latest installment of our monthly online discussion forum, EdSurge Live , we explored accessibility in this unusual era of emergency remote teaching. It's not like we're grading it for huge stakes. Start with your syllabus, make your syllabus accessible and then do one document per week. You should go back.”

Accessibility 217

Accessibility Disabilities Universal Design Syllabus 217

Faculty Focus

NOVEMBER 19, 2023

Successful syllabus While there are mandatory components of a standard syllabus, I also add welcoming elements. I always begin my syllabus with an inclusive and inspirational quote. I incorporate graphs and charts to clarify grading. Think-Pair-Share Students need opportunities to process information during lectures.

Syllabus 111

Syllabus Lecturing Instructors Feedback 111

Edsurge

MARCH 7, 2024

The bots will reportedly be equipped with voice recognition and speech capabilities that will allow them to participate in class discussions with actual students and ask questions of professors. One friend of his, for instance, recently told him about a course where everyone in the class had an average grade of only 60 percent by midterms.

Intelligence 211

Intelligence Syllabus Feedback Assignments 211

Faculty Focus

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Instead of thinking about the LMS as simply a repository for course essentials (syllabus, contact information, etc.), Posting grades and feedback weeks or months after assignment submission is frustrating for students, especially for assignments that build on one another.

Syllabus 105

Syllabus Instructors Assignments Faculty Development 105

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. For example, before an exam, I discuss how and why I would prepare differently for a multiple-choice versus an essay exam.

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. Use formative assessment. How might this work?

Teaching 119

Teaching Syllabus Feedback Instructors 119

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 21, 2025

Collaborative syllabus design: During the first class, engage students in setting community and classroom norms and goals. A co-created syllabus session fosters accountability and trust, as students feel ownership of the course structure (Cook-Sather et al., 2014; Agarwal, 2019).

Plagiarism 98

Plagiarism Syllabus Ethics Feedback 98

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 24, 2023

Language for the disability statement in their syllabus. Introductions and low-stake interactions in the syllabus, in your communications, and in class can reduce intimidation and help students get ready to learn. Be specific about what will need to happen to achieve their learning goals versus just to get the grade. Patusky, K.,

Teaching 122

Teaching Syllabus Instructors Disabilities 122

Faculty Focus

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

In fact, the long-term impact of discussing academics with the instructor was greater than that of participating in study groups and clubs (Schudde, 2019). You could include personal information and/or a photo, in addition to the course syllabus and other course-related information. The Review of Higher Education , 385-426. Wilson, J.

Instructors 122

Instructors Syllabus Attention Teaching Assistants 122

Faculty Focus

MAY 13, 2025

The instructor typically arrives, distributes a syllabus outlining course policies and expectations, explains assignments and grading criteria, and may include a brief activity or icebreaker. It reframes the syllabus not as a fixed legal document, but as a living agreement shaped by both instructor expertise and student input.

Syllabus 105

Syllabus Instructors Learning Confidentiality 105

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. Use formative assessment. How might this work?

Teaching 111

Teaching Syllabus Feedback Instructors 111

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. This form of scaffolding mitigates course-related student distress (GCU, 2023).

Syllabus 98

Syllabus Exams Instructors Assignments 98

Edsurge

OCTOBER 16, 2017

This includes the provision of electronic access to the course syllabus, reading and viewing materials, assessments, the course calendar, grades, course evaluations, discussion boards, and other important course materials. Student support technology supports students’ academic performance.

Technology 153

Technology Education Syllabus Counselling 153

Ask a Tech Teacher

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Certificates Certificates acknowledge a significant student achievement such as completion of a class or achieving a grade-specific standard. Older students can share knowledge in all the ways discussed in this article (such as a visual organizer, Venn Diagram, or an infographic). Publish/share/print. Click to view slideshow.

Syllabus 171

Syllabus Knowledge Achievement Math 171

Edsurge

APRIL 18, 2018

The concept of gradual release of responsibility is second nature to me when working with students in grades K-12, but in my new role teaching graduate students in an education technology program, I am struggling to model so many of the practices I expect these teachers to use in their own classrooms. But it’s more complex than that.

Teaching 163

Teaching Education Learning Syllabus 163

Edsurge

MARCH 2, 2023

In a dramatic departure from convention, grading is not performed by instructors or TA’s, but by “evaluators,” experts who don’t interact with students directly. Students gain access to their courses — syllabus, main project, required engagements, discussion forum and other materials — a week prior to the start of class.

Teaching 176

Teaching Instructors Syllabus Assignments 176

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 13, 2025

The instructor typically arrives, distributes a syllabus outlining course policies and expectations, explains assignments and grading criteria, and may include a brief activity or icebreaker. It reframes the syllabus not as a fixed legal document, but as a living agreement shaped by both instructor expertise and student input.

Syllabus 98

Syllabus Instructors Learning Confidentiality 98

Faculty Focus

DECEMBER 15, 2022

This is not the kind of refresh that comes from revising a syllabus, choosing a new textbook, or working out the details of a group project. I think colleagues can refresh each other but not with complaint-filled conversations or exchanges focused on ways to quickly grade quizzes or enrich online discussions.

Syllabus 126

Syllabus Quizzes Textbooks Motivation 126

Faculty Focus

MAY 29, 2025

The easiest way to start this segment is to use a graded, flipped simulation where students apply the application outside of class in that timeframe, with you testing the applied learning results using one concept per week. What are the Necessary Steps to Specifically Help SES Students?

Student Engagement 91

Student Engagement Syllabus Learning Students 91

Faculty Focus

JANUARY 24, 2023

Language for the disability statement in their syllabus. Introductions and low-stake interactions in the syllabus, in your communications, and in class can reduce intimidation and help students get ready to learn. Be specific about what will need to happen to achieve their learning goals versus just to get the grade. Patusky, K.,

Teaching 98

Teaching Syllabus Instructors Disabilities 98

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. For example, before an exam, I discuss how and why I would prepare differently for a multiple-choice versus an essay exam.

Syllabus 101

Syllabus Exams Students Motivation 101

Faculty Focus

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

I add the element of having them discuss their individual observations with a partner. These questions draw from information on the syllabus (which they are provided with the week before we meet) as well as general trivia like what’s Netflix’s most watched series, what is the most desired corporate stock, etc.

Exams 116

Exams Syllabus Group work Assignments 116

Faculty Focus

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

In fact, the long-term impact of discussing academics with the instructor was greater than that of participating in study groups and clubs (Schudde, 2019). You could include personal information and/or a photo, in addition to the course syllabus and other course-related information. The Review of Higher Education , 385-426. Wilson, J.

Instructors 98

Instructors Syllabus Attention Teaching Assistants 98

Faculty Focus

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

I add the element of having them discuss their individual observations with a partner. These questions draw from information on the syllabus (which they are provided with the week before we meet) as well as general trivia like what’s Netflix’s most watched series, what is the most desired corporate stock, etc.

Exams 111

Exams Syllabus Group work Assignments 111

Scholarly Teacher

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

We share background about the student-faculty partnership program, define linguistic implicit biases, provide examples of how these biases manifest, offer recommendations for how to challenge them, and invite a dialogue through discussion questions. What does the language in the syllabus/assignment assume about students (e.g.,

Teaching 98

Teaching Instructors English Language 98

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 109

Syllabus Course Design Learning Students 109