News & Announcements
Game-based Learning & Gamification
Faculty Contributor: Amber Navarre (Senior Lecturer in Chinese, World Languages & Literatures)
(2 minute read)
Learning from Anywhere for Everyone: Inclusion in a Digital World
An inclusive conversation, open to all!
As the country transitioned to online learning in the spring of 2020, educators quickly learned that not everyone learns equally in a digital world. This conversation will explore how to promote inclusivity and equity in a remote teaching environment so that all students can learn.
Thursday, November 12, from 4.30-6.00pm. Hosted by Boston University’s School of Public Health (along with the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health).
Building Faculty and Student Resilience
(2 minute read)
Laughter; tears; virtual hugs; expressions of gratitude; sharing of great ideas – these were the “teaching therapy” moments shared by the people who attended the Building Faculty and Student Resilience Hub & Pub gathering facilitated by CTL-Hub Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellows (HTEFFs) on October 21. (The HTEFFS are: Kaytlin Eldred, SAR-Health Sciences; Sophie Godley, SPH–Public Health; Joe Harris, CAS-Sociology; Irit Kleiman, CAS-Romance Studies; and Ben Siegel, CAS-History.)
It was a great opportunity to share time, ideas, and resources with colleagues. Below are some of those ideas and resources: Read More
Faculty Guide to Assessment Options in Remote & Hybrid Classes Part 1:Overview of Exams & Assignments
(12 minute read)
Creating and administering assessment tasks such as assignments, quizzes, and exams during this remote and hybrid teaching period is a challenge, but also an opportunity to evaluate how to meet the learning objectives in your class. The options outlined in these multi-part series guide on assignments and exams will help you think about your decisions for summative and formative assessment tasks throughout the semester.
Visit Part 1 of our Faculty Guide to Assessment Options Series to learn more.
Avoiding “Radio-Silence” in Remote Discussions
(4 minute read)
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many instructors are now teaching their courses in a remote or hybrid modality. Many instructors are also reporting that they have found maintaining the same level of interaction as in physical classrooms and keeping students engaged in these new modalities presents its challenges. In general, it seems instructors have been finding it more manageable to engage students in smaller break-out rooms, while using collaborative documents and platforms; however, when it comes to the all-class discussion sessions, conversation is often paused or becomes awkward.
Recently, a group of CAS Writing Program instructors offered tips in a listserv discussion on what they have found useful for engaging students in an all-class discussion on Zoom. Below are some of their suggestions: Read More
Wikipedia in the Classroom: Getting Started
Thursday, October 29 from 2:00-3:30pm
Presented by faculty and staff from BU Libraries, BU CAS Writing Program, College of Communication, School of Public Health, and Wiki Education. Wikipedia editing has proven to be useful in academic courses. It can serve as a form of service learning and can lead to new informal communities of interest on campus. If you are BU faculty or staff and curious about the role of Wikipedia in higher education, please join us online. No experience necessary! Read more
Strategies for Connecting with Students
(2 minute read)
At the beginning of the American experience of COVID-19, Doug Lederman asked a number of higher education experts to predict the impact of the pandemic on students and faculty. A number of them suggested that students would need extra support, patience, and flexibility from their teachers – a prediction that has been borne out by more recent discussion of mental health on campuses. Awareness of the struggles that students are facing has led instructors to think deeply, and frequently, about the need to provide consistent support for their students.
At a recent open session for faculty coaches, discussion turned to strategies for strengthening connections with students. Here’s some of their tips: Read more