by Eric Royer, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning My disciplinary research and teaching area of expertise is in human rights and post-conflict transitions. Students in my classes are often exposed to genocides and mass killings, humanitarian crises, and child trafficking rings linked to conflict minerals. These topics, as well as the… Continue reading Navigating Difficult Conversations in the Classroom
Category: Tips on Teaching
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
Don’t Forget: Breakout Rooms Require Community, Too
by Eric Royer, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning In our push to accommodate the needs of students participating in online, hybrid, and remote learning formats, Zoom breakout rooms are consistently promoted as a viable tool to engage and connect students with content, each other, and course activities. The format has even… Continue reading Don’t Forget: Breakout Rooms Require Community, Too
Planning for Uncertainty: Tips to help establish a sense of consistency, care, and community
by Christopher Grabau, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center As we look ahead to the next semester, there may be an air of confusion as to how best to plan for the next term. While we cannot predict the future impact of the pandemic on our community, there are several ways instructors can offset uncertainty associated with… Continue reading Planning for Uncertainty: Tips to help establish a sense of consistency, care, and community
A Tip, An Article, and a Tool
by Sandy Gambill, Sr. Instructional Developer, Reinert Center As we’re in the downstretch of a fall semester like no other, we want to offer you a few resources that you might find useful as you plan for spring.The Tip: Are you feeling anxious and overwhelmed from teaching in a situation where you have students in… Continue reading A Tip, An Article, and a Tool
Taking the Guesswork Out of Developing Hybrid Courses
by Katie Devany, M.S., Program Director & Instructor - Leadership and Organizational Behavior, School for Professional Studies I was selected for the Innovative Teaching Fellowship (ITF) in fall 2017 and taught an introductory entrepreneurship course. My experience differs from many SLU faculty in that I have been teaching online almost exclusively for seven years. While… Continue reading Taking the Guesswork Out of Developing Hybrid Courses
How Thinking in the Backward Design Framework Saved Me from an Instructional Design Meltdown
by Kristin Broussard, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center As many of us have just recently experienced, things change – sometimes very rapidly. The recent pandemic forced many university instructors to move their planned in-person instruction to online formats in a very short span of time. This is obviously quite stressful, even for those familiar with online… Continue reading How Thinking in the Backward Design Framework Saved Me from an Instructional Design Meltdown
Leading Effective In-Class Discussions
by Konnor Brennan, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center In-class discussions are one of the most frequently used instructional strategies, and when intentionally designed, can yield many benefits for students. In-class discussions can fit into the overall design of a course in several ways. They could be used to formatively assess student learning, be used to develop… Continue reading Leading Effective In-Class Discussions
An Emotion-Based Teaching Toolbox
by Eric Royer, Instructional Design Specialist, Reinert Center As a social scientist, my disciplinary training repeatedly instilled the belief that emotions must be separated from virtually everything we think about and do as successful, respected academics. “Good science,” as the narrative goes, involves letting objective facts and data speak; “bad science” is the ill-advised enterprise… Continue reading An Emotion-Based Teaching Toolbox
Study Guides or Guidance for Studying?
by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center As we head into the final stretch of the term, you may be thinking about how best to support your students as they prepare for final exams (assuming you give final exams!). Often, students ask for study guides. But even when we provide them, we often find that what… Continue reading Study Guides or Guidance for Studying?
The Notebook 