It’s an age-old problem faced by teachers: how to motivate students. While research has found a correlation between motivation and academic achievement, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to inspiring your students to engage in course material. But, with a bit of effort, you can effectively motivate different types of learners and, ultimately, […]
“The level of engagement in your students and your classrooms is not fixed. Yes, students will arrive in your classroom with varying levels of curiosity, but there are things you as an instructor can do to make your class better.”
Jasmine Roberts, a professor of communications at The Ohio State University, has a story to tell about how she ended up adopting open educational resources for her courses. It was, for her, a way to establish the Golden Rule: she did not want to treat her students the way she herself had been treated as […]
Jenel Cavazos and Greg Kitzmiller agree: if there’s one classroom tactic that’s effective at personalizing the student experience in their classrooms, it’s the word cloud. Often found on websites and in presentations, word clouds are clever graphic depictions of search terms and answers to open questions, with the most common words appearing in large print. […]
Psychology professor Jenel Cavazos shares some classroom management techniques for building rapport, keeping students on task and organizing content
Many students have to complete required courses in creative writing. Here's how Linda Rodriguez, Professor of Caribbean Literature, Film, and Creative Writing at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, uses the language of fairytales to introduce new writers to the process
How a digital marketing professor uses active learning tools to breathe new life into a three-hour night class
According to Susan Cain, author of the best-sellers Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts, and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, higher education often penalizes introverts through group work and participation points—and some students even have to pretend to be extroverts in order to fit into the system. […]
Introverts and extroverts, and the ‘extrovert ideal’ You’ll find a mixture of introverts and extroverts in any classroom. In fact, one of the most important aspects of personality is where someone falls on the introvert-extrovert spectrum. But what exactly does this mean and how should this inform how the modern higher ed class is taught? […]
In an extract from our new teaching guide, Innovative and Unexpected Ways to Teach Your College Class, we look at a couple of great gamification examples that can get students enthusiastically preparing for your class while they hope for victory over their peers… and have the side-effect of learning. Innovation isn’t always synonymous with technology. While […]
Undergraduates enrolled in Harvard University’s critically acclaimed and popular Introduction to Computer Science course this fall have received new and unusual instructions—that student attendance at lectures is encouraged. The previous year, lead instructor Professor David J. Malan had told students they need only attend the first and last meetings of the semester in person, and to […]
Dr. Thierry Karsenti, Canada Research Chair on Technologies in Education, believes technology in class is inevitable and should be embraced soon as possible.
Low retention rates hurt universities through loss of funding and morale. These tips can benefit any lecturer looking to keep students engaged.
Professors are increasingly leaving traditional lectures behind and making their teaching more effective by getting students to interact with course content.
As "pop" psychology competes with real psychological science, Dr. Laura Freberg from California Polytechnic State University shares her teaching techniques to keep the subject academic and relevant.
It's essential for instructors to have an accurate attendance tracker. Here's our evaluation of the most popular technologies—polling, GPS and proximity.
Education expert Dan Chambliss discusses what he calls his "capstone project," class sizes, and why simply knowing your students' names can go a long way.
In our webinar, Small Changes in Teaching, education expert James M. Lang covered active learning in a classroom. Here, he answers your questions.
Richard A Muller, author and Professor of Physics at UC Berkeley, writes about the inspirational teaching technique of political scientist Ken Jowitt.
How using Top Hat in a class of 200 hospitality students prepares them for a career in a sector that is already being changed by disruptive technology.