Increasing numbers of campus events open with land acknowledgements that recognize Indigenous histories of the lands on which IUB is built, but what do you know about the history of Indigenous people in this area, or about our current indigenous student population? Here are three videos that instructors—and students—can use to enhance understanding of the… Read more »
Human Connections in Teaching 3: Love, Equity, and Justice and Student Partnerships
How can we teach with empathy, equity and justice in mind? For too many years, instructors have left it up to somebody else to talk about the overt and systemic inequities facing historically excluded people. Now, every teacher is encouraged to face a powerful reckoning in higher education. “LACE, or Love, Authenticity, Courage, and Empathy,… Read more »
Human Connections in Teaching 2: Growth Mindset and Sense of Belonging
What is mindset? Why does it matter for instructors? When instructors have a “weed-out” mentality or teach to the “best” students who seem likely go on to graduate school in our fields, it can result in helplessness and poor persistence for many other students. Professor Mary Murphy of IUB found that growth mindset reminds students… Read more »
Human Connections in Teaching 1: Relationship-Rich Education
What single factor makes for an excellent education? The simple answer to this question is human relationships. Learning is not just cognitive; it has social and emotional properties, and evidence shows that with a focus on relationships, achievement gaps can be halved. Students want to feel welcome in the classroom AND evidence shows this will… Read more »
Trust without Monitoring in Large Classes
During our move to remote learning during COVID, many instructors are struggling with how to assess students online while maintaining academic integrity. For many instructors, that has led to the use of online proctoring tools like Respondus Monitor or Examity. These technologies, however, rely on a surveillance model that presents a variety of challenges for… Read more »
Quick Tip: Encourage Sense of Belonging for a Positive Change
Take time on the first day of class or early in the semester to talk about the fact that adversity is to be expected in college, but it is temporary, and how you and the class will support each other to get through it. Why do I have to care about this when I teach… Read more »