You may have heard that, when it comes to accessibility, PDFs are trouble. But what does that actually mean? Until recently, I had no idea. When I taught, I’d upload scanned articles, short stories, or chapters of books to Canvas with abandon. It was so easy! So convenient! I didn’t even need to use the…Continue…Continue Reading Can “The Dreaded PDF” Ever Truly Be Accessible?
According to Robert Talbert, co-author of Grading for Growth: A Guide to Alternative Grading Practices that Promote Authentic Learning and Student Engagement in Higher Education, many college classes don’t effectively assess learning. Meaningful assessments clearly define standards, allow students to reattempt without penalty, and give helpful feedback and marks indicating progress. …Continue Reading A Visit with Robert Talbert: Implementing Humane, Authentic, and Trustworthy Assessments
As we kick off our series on the Art of Teaching, I have been reflecting on what makes discussion unique. Seminar discussions were what made me want to be an academic. As an undergraduate, I was wowed and inspired by brilliant professors who could offer scintillating lectures. They seemed too distant and impressive, however, for…Continue…Continue Reading The Art of Discussion
Accessibility is important. You know this. I know this. But you, like me, may still have questions: What does it mean to make course content accessible? If I want to make my course more accessible, but don’t have students with specific accommodation needs – or don’t know what those needs are yet – how do I…Continue…Continue Reading Getting Started with Accessibility: 3 Steps to Providing More Accessible Content
One of the things I love most about Cornell is our diversity of study. In my role as an instructional designer, I may work with a neuroscientist, then a writer; a historian, then an artist; an Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert, then someone highly opposed to AI–and each person adds to the richness of our campus….Continue…Continue Reading The Spectrum of Teaching Across Our Ithaca Campus: Observing Big Red Teaching Days
Recognizing graduate students’ concerns about preparing for the academic job market, the Center for Teaching Innovation tailored their annual University-Wide Teaching Conference, also known as “U-Wide,” to help graduate students prepare for academic job applications – and build a sense of community in the process….Continue Reading Bringing the Graduate Community Together: The 2024 University-Wide Teaching Conference
When was the last time you gave an extension? When was the last time you were asked for one? Extension requests have always been common inbox arrivals – life happens, and it sometimes happens a little harder or more unexpectedly to students learning how to navigate their lives. During the pandemic, faculty and students were…Continue…Continue Reading Can extensions work for everyone? Study offers a possible solution
“But it is not enough to stand on the opposite river bank, shouting questions, challenging patriarchal, white conventions. A counterstance locks one into a duel of oppressor and oppressed; locked in mortal combat, like the cop and the criminal, both are reduced to a common denominator of violence. The counterstance refutes the dominant culture’s views…Continue…Continue Reading Stepping into the River: A meditation on Anzaldúa and flashpoints in the classroom
Getting out of the classroom can help to create especially strong memories of learning, partly because people tend to remember novelty. If you think back on your own education, learning experiences outside of the classroom may stand out in your memory as well. Museum visits can also nurture a sense of community among the students especially if activities are structured to provide opportunities for them to share ideas about the artwork they are seeing….Continue Reading Love, Hate & Active Learning at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art
Nobel prize-winning physicist and educator Carl Wieman brings people together. Specifically, he brings DBERs together. But this requires an explanation. …Continue Reading A Visit with Carl Wieman, Part 2: Bringing DBERs Together