by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center The syllabus is a fraught document. It needs to do different kinds of work, for different kinds of audiences, and often these differences seem downright contradictory. Although a dominant metaphor for the syllabus is that of a contract, other metaphors also apply - and often resonate more with faculty:… Continue reading The Graphic Syllabus
Book Review: Democracy and Education Reconsidered
by James Fortney, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center John Dewey’s seminal Democracy and Education is arguably one of the most influential books on education published in the twentieth century. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of its publication, a recent volume proposes “ways of revising Dewey’s thought in light of the challenges facing contemporary education and… Continue reading Book Review: Democracy and Education Reconsidered
Learning Styles Mini-Literature Review
by Sandy Gambill, Sr. Instructional Developer, Reinert Center The idea that individuals learn in different ways has been around for centuries. “As early as 334 BC, Aristotle said that “each child possessed specific talents and skills” and he noticed “individual differences in young children.” (Reiff, 92.) Research on learning styles in the 1970s (Kolb’s Experiential… Continue reading Learning Styles Mini-Literature Review
Person-Centered Perspectives on Inclusive Teaching
by Chris Grabau, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center "Learning of all kinds goes on best, lasts best, and tends to lead itself on more when it grows out of a real focus of interest in the learner." - Carl Rogers Establishing an inclusive learning environment can depend on how well instructors encourage and maintain working relationships… Continue reading Person-Centered Perspectives on Inclusive Teaching
A new resource guide on Assessment in Diverse Classrooms
A new resource guide on Assessment in Diverse Classrooms [LINK] has been posted to the Reinert Center website [LINK]. If you want to talk with someone about this topic in your own classes, you may request a teaching consultation by completing this form [LINK]. If you have ideas for resource guide topics you would like to see posted, share them here [LINK].
Collecting and Reacting to Student Feedback
by Mitch Lorenz, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center When thinking about asking students for feedback there are a number of factors to consider. Your motivation as the instructor, the students’ motivation to provide authentic feedback, as well as your intentions for how to use the feedback all play a role in how the feedback might look,… Continue reading Collecting and Reacting to Student Feedback
Queer Pedagogy
by James Fortney, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Queer pedagogy is an emerging area of research among scholars and instructors who are committed to creating inclusive learning environments for all students. Informed largely by queer theory and concerned with the experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender learners, queer pedagogy is an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes… Continue reading Queer Pedagogy
What We’re Reading Lately: About Online Teaching and Learning
Online Learning Journal Volume 2, Issue 4 - December 2016 https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/online-learning-journal/ The Online Learning Consortium (formerly Sloan C) recently published a special issue of the seven best research papers presented at The 2016 American Educational Research Association Special Interest Group (SIG) on Online Teaching and Learning. Research topics include Culturally Responsive Teaching Knowledge and Practices… Continue reading What We’re Reading Lately: About Online Teaching and Learning
Using Twitter to Promote Inclusive Learning
by Gina Merys, Associate Director, Reinert Center While it is easy to think of social media as a place for non-academic conversations or short bursts of impulsive prose, using social media can also be a way to link students’ experiences out of the classroom with what they are learning in the classroom. Not only can… Continue reading Using Twitter to Promote Inclusive Learning
Features of an Inclusive Syllabus
by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center Creating an inclusive learning environment begins with the course syllabus. In spite of how packed with information our syllabi can be, they often exclude more than they include. Disciplinary jargon and institutional abbreviations, the unwritten academic “rules of the game” we assume all students understand, the tone used when… Continue reading Features of an Inclusive Syllabus
