Why We Teach the Way We Teach

Several recent posts on the SPCS Pedagogy CoP list have pointed toward recent research findings in cognitive science that tell us more about the way students learn — and therefore have direct impact on the way we teach. Here are three examples. The Spacing Effect Mike Dixon’s daughter challenged him to present evidence that regular reviewing […]

Read More

Running Class Discussions on Divisive Topics Is Tricky. Here’s One Promising Approach.

The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Teaching newsletter shares Reflective Structured Dialogue as a successful method for facilitating class discussions on divisive topics. The highly structured approach follows strict guidelines for starting the discussion to ensure that participants both speak and listen without trying to convince someone else that their own ideas are best and others’ ideas […]

Read More

Battle over College Course Material is a Textbook Example of Technological Change

A revolution in college course materials is raising questions about cost, access and fairness. Publishers say their high-tech courseware — electronic books glowing with videos and interactive study guides — can improve the quality of learning at a small fraction of the cost of traditional textbooks. But student advocates call for adoption of open-source textbooks […]

Read More

Don’t Forget, Instructional Design Is About Problem Solving

In this EduCause Review blog post, Camille Dickson-Deane (Educational/Instructional Design Consultant at the University of Melbourne) and Tutaleni I. Asino (Assistant Professor of Educational Technology at Oklahoma State University) offer a quick refresher on the origins of instructional design, which is especially valuable because the demand for what we do is increasing. As Kyle Peck reminds us, “a […]

Read More

LERN Certificate in Teaching Adults

The School of Professional & Continuing Studies partners with the Learning Resource Network (LERN) to offer a number of online classes and certificates. Among these is the LERN Certificate in Teaching Adults. Course Overview This is your invitation to teach others in-person and join in one of the more important functions in life — passing […]

Read More