Wondering how to set a welcoming tone, get to know your students, and engage everyone from the first day of classes? Use icebreakers to reduce the awkwardness of introductions, build an inclusive learning community, and offer students the opportunity to practice participating. The right icebreaker helps students apply course content and enhance their learning. Plus,… Read more »
Quick Tip of the Week: How to Take the Zzzzzs out of Zoom
If you are looking for new ways to teach using Zoom, I recommend reading Dan Levy’s book, Teaching Effectively with Zoom, and its companion site. The book provides brief explanations of Zoom features, along with the how and why of using them. Examples from instructors using Zoom, along with their tips, provide a wealth of… Read more »
Use office hours to set students up for successful completion of this semester
As we approach Thanksgiving we wanted to highlight ways to help students prepare for the upcoming transitions they may be facing. Some students will experience a disruption at Thanksgiving as they move home and/or experience a change in the format of their courses. Consider using your office hours to help your students prepare for successful… Read more »
Quick Tip of the Week: Allow Students to Choose which Zoom Breakout Room to Join
With a recent Zoom update, we can allow students to choose which breakout room they want to join. Instructors could specify topics of discussion for breakout rooms and let students join those based on their interests. Similarly, students could join breakout rooms based on their role in a group project, the type of question they… Read more »
Technologies for Creating Inclusive Classes
Research shows that creating inclusive classes can help your students improve their performance by enhancing their learning (Muruyama, et. al., 2000). A key starting point for inclusion is making sure everyone feels like they belong to the class community—that they have opportunities to be heard and engage with classmates. As an IUB instructor, you have… Read more »
Have Your Cake and Eat It Too: Tips for Finding Diverse, High-Quality, Affordable Course Material
In this post we will explore various options for finding and creating affordable course materials for your students. In 2017, the Babson Survey Group published survey results from over 2,700 faculty representing all disciplines and institutions spanning two-year, four-year, public, and private institutions in every Carnegie classification. When asked which factors were important or very… Read more »