Great article by Theresa MacPhail, assistant professor in the science and technology studies program at the Stevens Institute of Technology, in The Chronicle of Higher Education: Tell Me a Smart Story: On Podcasts, Videos, and Websites as Writing Assignments.

MacPhail talks about “going out on a pedagogical limb” in giving her students—enrolled in a class focused on medical topics from the perspectives of the humanities and social sciences—the option to write a traditional research paper OR create  a 45-minute podcast, 10-to-15-minute video, a website, or an interactive, digital essay (on a blog or a Word document) that used embedded videos, photos, and audio for their final project.

Here’s my best argument for trying this in your own classes, summed up in — of course — a good story.

What struck me most about that first experiment was this: A couple of the students who had turned in lackluster reading responses all semester long had clearly taken the interactive essay — with its less formal and more journalistic tone — very seriously.

A standout in this category was a male student athlete who sat in the back corner of the classroom with three other athletes. Often it was clear they hadn’t done the readings, and the quality of their reading responses reflected that — yet they seemed alert and interested during class. This particular student, however, was quiet. So quiet that I had no idea what his voice sounded like, since he had never uttered a word in class discussions.

On his final project, he had chosen to do the interactive essay. His subject was rapid weight-loss techniques used by wrestlers before “weigh-ins” for competition and their effects on mental and physical health. He deftly used videos to illustrate not only how the techniques themselves worked, but how they were shared on social media and set up a culture that normalized dangerous methods of weight loss. He applied concepts from class and used them to work out his own personal relationship to his training routines and diet.

He wrote, very movingly, about how wrestling affected his body image and sense of self. At the bottom of the essay, he wrote a short note to thank me for allowing him to write in a nontraditional, creative way. He also said that the process of doing research on the topic had fundamentally changed how he would train as a wrestler and that he would no longer participate in the more dangerous weight-loss techniques.

He would, he said, never forget the class or what he had learned. If that’s not a major pedagogical victory, then I don’t know what is.”

We couldn’t agree more that allowing students to “write” in nontraditional formats has the potential to have a major impact on our classrooms. And, remember, ITS Academic Technologies is always here to support your students with video, podcast, or website-related projects!

Whew! We did it! We made it! What a great fall! We wish everyone a safe and happy, relaxing, restful winter break, and we look forward to seeing you in January 2019!

 

(For any of you overachievers, here’s a great, curated Lynda.com playlist created especially for students: Skills and Tools for Student Success.

If you want to prepare yourself for academic success by exploring the top tools and skills students need to effectively organize their work, present their knowledge, and prepare to transition to their careers, then this playlist is for you. Annnnnnnndddddd if you need to focus on getting some R&R, we totally understand!)

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How Faculty Can ‘Click’ Their Way to a More Inclusive Classroom

What do you think is important for an instructor to do when using classroom response systems (polling software or clickers)? Select all that apply.

A) Choose questions that most students will be able to answer correctly.
B) Vary the types of poll questions beyond multiple choice.
C) Ask students “Please discuss your answer with a neighbor.”
D) Stress that students answer questions independent of their peers.

Note: Kelly Hogan and Viji Sathy will be presenting at Winter Academy! Sign up for “Leveraging Technology to Cultivate an Inclusive Classroom” on Monday, December 10th at 9:15 am in Hillel 101 at go.wlu.edu/winteracademy.

Enhancing Learning through Zest, Grit, and Sweat

Early in my career, I focused most of my efforts on teaching content. That is, after all, what most of us are hired to do, right? With experience and greater understanding of how learning works, my attention shifted toward metacognition. I began investing lots of time and energy reading and identifying ways to help students grow as learners while they learned the content.

What Professors Can Learn About Teaching From Their Students

Marcos E. García-Ojeda wants to improve his teaching. He has flipped his classroom and embraced active-learning techniques. And he’s even invited some observers to sit in on his “General Microbiology” class here at the University of California at Merced on a recent afternoon.

The observers will give Mr. García-Ojeda, an associate teaching professor of biology, a detailed depiction of the teaching and learning in his class — actions that are central to a college’s purpose but rarely examined.

This examination is especially unusual because of who’s performing it: undergraduates.

Teaching Critical Thinking: Some Practical Points

We all endorse it and we all want our students to do it. We also claim to teach it. “It” is critical thinking, and very few of us actually teach it or even understand what it is (Paul & Elder, 2013).

What’s the blueprint for a 21st-century college campus?

With enrollments declining and technology advancing, colleges are breaking ground on spaces that give students and faculty new ways to engage.

Registration for Fall Academy begins on this Wednesday, August 1. Visit http://go.wlu.edu/FallAcademy to see all the technology instruction, pedagogy discussions, guest speakers, hands-on workshops, panels, and other sessions for new and returning faculty and staff!

Fall Academy begins on Monday, August 20 and runs through Friday, August 31. There are 90+ sessions this year being offered this year in coordination with the University Registrar, Dean of the College, Office of the Provost, and other offices.