In recent years, many of my students have told me they feel bored, anxious, and lonely. Some explain that they often reach for their phones and scroll just to fill the silence. Listening to them, I’ve learned that this habit is not really about killing
Video is arguably the most powerful, attention-grabbing way to communicate online. But developing video has traditionally required sophisticated equipment and expertise that is beyond the reach of most faculty—to say nothing of how time-consuming or frustrating the process can be.
As teachers, we often focus on the product of our work to the exclusion of the process of creating that product. That is, we talk about the objects our field studies—whether artworks, philosophical treatises, or physics theories—but not the thinking that went into producing those
Storytelling is a powerful tool that can transform the learning experience. By weaving a cohesive narrative throughout a course, educators can captivate students’ interest, deepen understanding, and create a more memorable and engaging learning journey. Storytelling can serve as a versatile means to deliver content,
In the Oxford English Dictionary, the most fitting definition of the word light-hearted (sic)for my purposes is this one: “Characterized by cheerfulness or easiness; amusing, entertaining.” I have been teaching for nearly 34 years—more than 70 semesters, including summer classes—and for as long as I
During my first few years of teaching, I made the classic mistake of adopting a “covering content” mentality. I planned my classes in terms of the topics I needed to cover and how I would motor through them. This is a sending-side perspective that views
In higher education, student success is a widely used yet insufficiently defined concept. While some students equate success with academic performance, others view it through lenses of personal development, career preparation, or perseverance in overcoming obstacles. These varied definitions are shaped by diverse personal, environmental,
While much of online learning occurs through discussion board conversations, it can be challenging for students to offer different perspectives or new responses to classmates’ posts when they are all answering the same question. Similarly, instructors may struggle to develop engaging questions.
“Why does my edition of Hamlet read ‘O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,’” my student Jake asked me, “but yours has ‘O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt’?”
After all, nearly every large language model (LLM) is good at summarizing readings, synthesizing large amounts of data and information across sources and culling it down to key points, and “remembering” foundational knowledge. So why memorize facts? Why practice applying concepts? Why learn to write?
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