As instructors, at some point we were taught to “put away childish things.” But if this included play, then we’re missing out on a powerful resource for the classroom. The latest book by the popular science writer Steven Johnson demonstrates the productivity of play. As Johnson mentioned at a recent visit to Powell’s, his…Continue Reading Play in Your Classroom
Before we initiated tutor training in our programs in the Learning Commons, it was common for peer assistants to do more explaining and less asking. Nowadays, questions increasingly play a major role in our peer assistance sessions. While our trained peer assistants may know by heart that the role of the tutor is to facilitate…Continue Reading Making thinking visible through questions
Presentations are a valuable learning activity – giving students the opportunity to practice speech and communication skills, to collaborate with others, and to develop digital, design, or storytelling literacies. However, when attempting to cycle through many individual or group presentations in limited class time, there can often be unneccesary stress and frustration as students take…Continue Reading TlC Toolkit: Managing Digital Files for Student Presentations
Recency, frequency and potency are three psychological tools teachers can harness to help students cram less and remember more. Click here to download a brief essay that describes how….Continue Reading Break the Cramming Cycle
Do you wonder why some students eligible for accommodations through accessible education services (AES) do not actually use their accommodations? In a recent qualitative study, students identified six key reasons: Desire for self-sufficiency Desire to avoid negative social reactions Insufficient knowledge about their accommodations Quality and usefulness of DSS and accommodations Negative experiences with professors Fear…Continue Reading Helping Students Use AES Services