by Sandy Gambill, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Now in it’s 2nd edition, L. Dee Fink’s Creating Significant Learning Experiences has impacted many instructors’ decisions around course design. I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual workshop offered by Fink and Associates on applying the course design model they have developed. Here are two elements… Continue reading Creating Significant Learning Experiences: Takeaways from the Annual National Workshop
Category: Reviews
Book Review: Teaching Intensive and Accelerated Courses: Instruction That Motivates Learning
by Sandy Gambill, Reinert Center, Instructional Developer Teaching Intensive and Accelerated Courses: Instruction That Motivates Learning by Raymond J. Wlodkowski and Margery B. Ginsberg July is traditionally a time for the beach and BBQs. It’s also traditionally the time both teachers and students question their decisions to be in the classroom instead of the swimming… Continue reading Book Review: Teaching Intensive and Accelerated Courses: Instruction That Motivates Learning
Summer Reading List
by Jerod Quinn, Instructional Developer I have the good fortune to be in a place where there is an abundance of great reading and research available for my profession, instructional development. My co-workers point me towards exciting new ideas in the field along with keeping a list of the foundational writings. And with all that… Continue reading Summer Reading List
The Assertion-Evidence Approach to Scientific Presentations
by Chris Grabau, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center In his 2003 book, The Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors to Avoid, Associate Professor of engineering communication at Pennsylvania State University, Michael Alley describes how an “assertion-evidence” approach to scientific presentations can create powerful and memorable learning experiences. Instead of presenting information… Continue reading The Assertion-Evidence Approach to Scientific Presentations
Taking Another Look at the Project-Based Class
by Gina Merys, Associate Director, Reinert Center In a recent article, "The Road to a Project-Based Classroom," Gintaras Duda explains how he has moved from lecture to projects in his quantum mechanics course. The course he describes is one that has gone through three iterations as it has evolved into the wholly project-based class that… Continue reading Taking Another Look at the Project-Based Class
Empowering Students to Use Sources Responsibly: One Small, Powerful Book for Students
by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center Let me begin with a confessional tale: When I was first assigned Gordon Harvey’s Writing with Sources, I was a young graduate student, preparing to teach an undergraduate course. The book seemed straightforward enough, and there were many things in it I already knew (e.g., the literal definition of… Continue reading Empowering Students to Use Sources Responsibly: One Small, Powerful Book for Students
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
From Cheating to Learning
by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center It’s easy to assume that student cheating and violations of academic integrity norms are on the rise. With students’ increasing use of technology and the increasingly blurry lines around re-use of existing creative works in our broader culture (just look at musical “sampling”), many worry that students’ understanding of… Continue reading From Cheating to Learning
I've Been MOOC'ed
by Jerod Quinn, Instructional Designer, Reinert Center By now you have likely heard of Massive Open Online Courses known as MOOCs. They are university-level courses, often taught by experts in the discipline or field, that have open enrollment, with tens of thousands of students in a single class. Massive amounts of hype have surrounded MOOCs… Continue reading I've Been MOOC'ed
Review: The Teaching Professor Newsletter and Successful Group Projects
by Gina Merys, Assistant Director, Reinert Center I often hear the laments of faculty about not having enough time to keep up with the current research in their disciplines, much less time to read about teaching and learning. While one of the best parts of the summer months is that it can be a time… Continue reading Review: The Teaching Professor Newsletter and Successful Group Projects
The Notebook 