by Eric Royer, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center A recent article discussing office hours in the Chronicle of Higher Education had me thinking about how this dedicated time to meet with students is such a vital, yet underutilized student support in our course learning environments. Students can ask questions or talk candidly about problems affecting their… Continue reading Reconstituting Office Hours
Category: Teaching Today’s Students
Bursting the Busywork Bubble
by Robert Cole, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Well, it’s that time of year. As we move closer to graduation we are administering and grading exams, final projects and presentations. We will also soon receive notification that our course evaluations are available. Course evaluations often provide an opportunity to take stock and identify if changes need… Continue reading Bursting the Busywork Bubble
New Resource Guide
The Reinert Center has created a new Resource Guide to help faculty when drafting recommendation letters. The guide offers a few framing thoughts as well as a strategies to help faculty work against implicit bias and stereotypes when writing letters for students. Avoiding Racial and Gender Bias When Writing Recommendation Letters Although the guide is… Continue reading New Resource Guide
Teaching Strategies to help combat Zoom fatigue
by Christopher Grabau, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Using video platforms like Zoom has quickly become a standard way to connect with colleagues, friends, or family. However, it is becoming apparent that video meetings can be both mentally and physically draining. Often referred to as “Zoom fatigue,” these exhausting feelings can have an impact on our… Continue reading Teaching Strategies to help combat Zoom fatigue
It’s Been A Year
By Sandy Gambill, Sr. Instructional Developer, Reinert Center When spring break started on March 9, 2020, students were asked to report their travel plans to the university, and quarantine after visiting countries on the CDC warning list. It was unthinkable that ten days later they would be moving out of residence halls, while instructors made… Continue reading It’s Been A Year
Striking a Balance in Scholarship and Teaching
by Robert Cole, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Upon entering academia, we are very aware that scholarship and research are emphasized on the path to success. Kehrer and Svenson (2012) state that “At its core, a university is a community of scholars, scholarship should permeate every… college and school”. However, now more than ever, universities are… Continue reading Striking a Balance in Scholarship and Teaching
Lecture Assistants in Large Lecture Courses
by Asmira Alagic, Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Peyton High, Learning Assistant, Chemistry Monotonous, one-sided, and non-interactive are among several descriptors of common large lecture settings. In order to change student’s perception of dull large lectures, we’ve implemented the use of Learning Assistants (LAs), undergraduate students who, through weekly preparation sessions and a pedagogy course, facilitate discussions… Continue reading Lecture Assistants in Large Lecture Courses
Pedagogy in Your In-Box
With the start of the new school year, you may be looking for some new ideas about teaching and learning. Here are three e-mail based resources we in the Reinert Center follow. Tomorrow’s Professor eNewsletter Published 100 times during the academic year. Subscribe at https://tomprof.stanford.edu/ Tomorrow’s Professor is a newsletter published by the Office of… Continue reading Pedagogy in Your In-Box
College Student Mental Health: The New Normal
by Christina Tisher, Coordinator of Clinical Research, Graduate Student Wellness, and Disability Outreach,University Counseling Center Mental health challenges are real and tangible forces in the lives of college students today. According to a national survey of nearly 20,000 undergraduate students, the three most frequently reported factors that negatively impacted students’ academic success were anxiety (27.4%), sleep difficulties… Continue reading College Student Mental Health: The New Normal
Trick or Treat
by Steve Sanchez, Assistant Provost Since this blog entry was due on Halloween, I thought it might be appropriate to share a “treat” from recent research conducted by SLU’s Office of Institutional Research (OIR) on the experiences of SLU undergraduates. The “trick” part of all this is regularly and intentionally acting on the research data… Continue reading Trick or Treat
The Notebook 