Center for Teaching Excellence

Deep Dive from Inside Higher Ed

Back on Track: Helping Students Recover From COVID-19 Learning Disruption

By: Lindsay McKenzie 


Drawing on extensive research on how students learn, Chew and Cerbin proposed a framework for understanding what might be getting in the way of being able to teach a student effectively. These barriers don’t only block students; they represent roadblocks to our own effectiveness. Figure 1 shows the nine cognitive barriers to learning, as well as teaching strategies that aim to overcome them.

Chew, S. L., & Cerbin, W. J. (2020). The cognitive challenges of effective teaching. The Journal of Economic Education.

0921_Fisher_Frey_fig.1

In November of 1975, the great writer, Black feminist theorist, and critical pedagogy advocate Audre Lorde had a nightmare that many instructors will recognize: "Dream -- a classroom -- am I the teacher or a student? I have not attended enough --either lost or late.

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/08/16/academe-needs-structural-change-toward-more-equitable-pedagogy-opinion

(Thank you, Gamin Bartle, for sharing!)

Welcome back WP faculty-Virtual Event you may want to attend! (Thank you, Dr. Sandy Hill!)

Host: The Chronicle (Event 8/25 2 pm EST)

How your student success playbook must change after the pandemic (Use link below to access webcast):

Thank you for attending Student Success Post-Pandemic. This webcast is now on-demand, should you like to view it again. Use the link below to enter the webcast at any time.

WEBCAST LINK:  https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3336021/BD136ED1373687E4A8BF0E152B82F8BB?mode=login&email=hills21@wpunj.edu
EMAIL:  hills21@wpunj.edu



Creating Interactive Engagement During Online Classes

"How to Make Breakout Rooms Work Better" (December 10, 2020. The Chronicle of Higher Ed.)

Beth Mcmurtrie, senior writer at the Chronicles summarizes faculty readers’ tips for making breakout rooms less awkward and more productive.

“How to Play in the College Classroom in a Pandemic, and Why You Should.”  (The Chronicle of Higher Ed. 2/9/2021)

Sara Rose Cavanagh writes about ways to introduce elements of “play” into the classroom and lighten things up.

"How to Make Your Teaching More Engaging" (by Sara Rose Cavanagh, The Chronicle of Higher Ed. March 11, 2019)

This Chronicle’s article provides an understanding of some of the principles helpful to increase interests, energy, and enthusiasm among students.

"How to Hold a Better Class Discussion" (May 23, 2019. The Chronicle of Higher Ed.)

Jay Howard covers topics such as strategies to change the norms of class discussions, keeping the discussion on track, participation grades, and handling divisive topics. This is written in-person classroom settings in mind, but some tips could be used for online classes.

General Teaching Resources

Pedagogy of Cult is a blog site run by Jennifer Gonzalez and her team offering various teaching tips through blog, video, and podcast.

International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI)
International Center for Academic Integrity website has a wealth of information and resources about academic integrity. This page for example lists ten ways to improve academic integrity.

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