Katie Cox, Department of Anthropology In late February 2020 - just before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the shutdown of university campuses and shelter-in-place orders around the world - I had the opportunity to attend a Lilly Conference in San Diego. The Lilly...
Course design
Should Music be Used in the Classroom to Help Students Learn?
Michelle E. Zuñiga, Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy To engage students, instructors have adopted a multitude of innovative learning activities. These activities include group work, flipped classroom, think, pair, share, and many more. Rarely, however,...
Promoting Student Agency and Learning Through Specifications Grading
Chris Woods, Department of Chemistry The current grading paradigm has been seldom challenged for a long time, and for many, leaves much to be desired. The assignment of grades can be a cause of trepidation for many educators. Many students feel that they do not earn a...
Preparing the Environmental Professionals of the Future: Backwards Design in Environmental Studies
Paroma Wagle, Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy Learning about sustainability, climate change, and environmental justice, the ‘wicked problems’ of the environment, is absolutely crucial for students, as they will not only go on maybe select careers in...
Taking Modern Pedogogy into the Large Classroom
Marc Sprague-Piercy, Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry The current thinking in pedagogy is moving away from the traditional classroom model. In the traditional classroom for large classes of undergraduates there is a clear plan. The students are given...
Improving Critical Thinking Skills in College Students
Erica M. Leung, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering “People grow best where they continuously experience an ingenious blend of support and challenge.” -Robert Kegan1 Cognitive Development of College Students Most students enter college with the notion...
Preparing for Difficult Conversations in Criminal Justice Classrooms
Bryant Jackson-Green, Department of Social Ecology Criminal justice coursework inevitably involves discussions about difficult topics. Learning about violent crime, sexual assault, and similarly traumatic experiences is a central part of the curriculum and key to...
Implementing Flipped Classrooms into Law School Pedagogy
Conor Gómez, School of Law Welcome to Law School. All your hard work wooing professors to write encouraging letters of recommendation and studying for a standardized test that supposedly predicts performance in the first year of law school is finally over. Now the...
Increasing Student Autonomy and Engagement in Biology Education at the Undergraduate and Graduate Level
Lianna Fung, Developmental and Cell Biology A typical traditional biology course at the undergraduate level is primarily lecture and a few exams. Lecture time is often only broken up periodically by a few iClicker questions or a few brave students who dare to ask...
Accommodating the Type 1 Diabetic Student
Morgan Coburn, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior *Please consult with your school’s unique medical support protocol for information on your institution guidelines for treating Type 1 Diabetes. What is Type 1 Diabetes? Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is an incurable...