by Nicole States, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Mental Health and well-being among students have been put in the spotlight since the COVID-19 lockdown. However, mental health concerns in higher education did not begin during the pandemic. Katie Rose Guest Pryal emphasizes this point in her book, A Light in the Tower: A New Reckoning with… Continue reading Book Review- A Light in the Tower: A New Reckoning with Mental Health in Higher Education
Category: Engaging All Learners
Teaching Authentically: Strategies to Remain Present in Uncertain Times
by Christopher Grabau, Program Director, Reinert Center Educators in higher education are navigating an increasingly complex landscape, where faculty and graduate student instructors must balance demands ranging from maintaining academic integrity and designing effective assessments, to fostering meaningful student engagement. These challenges are compounded by broader societal stresses and uncertainties, which affect both students and… Continue reading Teaching Authentically: Strategies to Remain Present in Uncertain Times
Supporting Neurodiversity Using UDL: An Exercise in “Where Do I Begin?”
by Mitch Lorenz, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Winter break approaches and, with it, comes the Reinert Center’s annual Winter Institute. This half-day institute is tailored to match the Reinert Center’s annual theme. This year’s theme is “Teaching, Learning, and Neurodiversity” and the Winter Institute will focus on applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to support… Continue reading Supporting Neurodiversity Using UDL: An Exercise in “Where Do I Begin?”
A New Resoruce for Using Generative AI to Support Neurodiverse Students
by Robert Cole, Program Director, Reinert Center Many of us are curious about generative AI but don’t really want students to use it to complete assignments for our classes. Just asking generative AI to write something to turn in undermines their learning and presents issues with the ethical use of technology. There are ways to… Continue reading A New Resoruce for Using Generative AI to Support Neurodiverse Students
Diverse Brains in the Classroom: An Introduction to Neurodiversity
by Nicole States, Instructional Developer *a note on language: There is an ongoing discussion about whether to use person-first or identity-first language when discussing mental health and cognitive conditions. I have chosen to use identity-first language as it represents my personal stance with my neurodivergence. Studies show mixed preferences, so when speaking with or about… Continue reading Diverse Brains in the Classroom: An Introduction to Neurodiversity
Digital Storytelling as a Pandemic Community-Building Mechanism
by Eric Royer, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Since our shift to remote and now dual-mode teaching, students have become more adept at using our course sites to access materials and complete course activities. They’re also more comfortable using Zoom and other tools to collaborate, engage, and meet key learning outcomes. At the same time, countless… Continue reading Digital Storytelling as a Pandemic Community-Building Mechanism
Fostering Self-Regulated Learning
by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center So many of our frustrations with “today’s students” stem from their not-yet-well-developed ability to function as self-regulated learners. We could debate the reasons – cultural, generational, developmental – why many undergraduates have not yet cultivated a strong sense of self-regulation in their approach to education, but it may be… Continue reading Fostering Self-Regulated Learning
Teaching the Graduate Seminar
by Gina Merys, Assistant Director, Reinert Center In a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article, “Student-Centered Graduate Teaching,” the author asks, “if most academics want to teach graduate students, why do so few of us think hard about how to do it?” (Cassuto, 2013). While I disagree with the premise that instructors of graduate seminars… Continue reading Teaching the Graduate Seminar
Why Won’t Students Read for Class?
by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center This question arises frequently in conversations with faculty from all disciplines and at all levels of teaching. Although we’re quick to blame our attention-deficit culture – they’re too busy texting! – the fact is many students don’t do the reading for our classes because we haven’t actually taught them… Continue reading Why Won’t Students Read for Class?
Formative and Summative Feedback and Its Impact on Learner Motivation
Submitted to the Teaching Issues Writing Consortium by Julie Frese, Ph.D., University of the Rockies Julie.Frese@faculty.rockies.edu http://rockies.edu According to Dempsey & Sales (1993), the motivational approach to feedback is based on the belief that “…letting people know how well they are performing a task acts as an incentive for greater effort in the future” (p. 4).… Continue reading Formative and Summative Feedback and Its Impact on Learner Motivation
The Notebook 