college teaching tips

I Stopped Grading my Students’ Work – and I Wish I’d Stopped Sooner

by Elizabeth Gruner I’ve been teaching college English for more than 30 years. Four years ago, I stopped putting grades on written work, and it has transformed my teaching and my students’ learning. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. Starting in...

Profs Need to Prepare Students to Succeed in Team-Based Work: Here’s How

by Debra Mashek In just a few months, throngs of college graduates are entering the workforce. Many may not be ready. Employers rate “ability to work in teams” as the.

Here’s How College Students Who Lack Basic Skills Can Learn to Love Reading and Writing

by Richard Leon Linfield I taught basic English writing at two community colleges in New Mexico before I retired in 2019. My students tended to be motivated; otherwise, they wouldn’t.

Five Characteristics of an Effective Science Teacher–Do You Have Them?

by Meenakshi Sharma Rather than have students memorize definitions and facts about a science topic such as light, an effective teacher today would have students investigate various types of objects under sunlight and flashlight. Students would collect evidence to understand how light helps them see,...

Tips for Helping (You and) Your Students Identify and Overcome the Discomfort of New Beginnings in the Classroom

by Kate Whalen COVID-19 catapulted our society on a mass scale into the online environment, and often we weren’t prepared. Many of us were forced to equip ourselves with new skills.

Here’s How to Make Your Courses Rigorous Without Assigning Piles of Homework

by KC Kulver How hard should it be to earn a college degree? When the book “Academically Adrift” appeared in 2011, it generated widespread concern that college was not effectively educating students.

How Keeping a Diary Helps Students Learn Foreign Languages

Using a diary after each lesson helped students consolidate what they had learned in class and reflect on the new language connections they had made. by Argyro Kanaki and Susana Carvajal Most of us assume that learning another language is very difficult. You need special...

Five Simple Strategies to Deter Student Cheating

by Clifton J. Fong and Megan Krou Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic caused many U.S. colleges to shift to remote learning in the spring of 2020, student cheating has been.

Five Ways to Build a Good Rapport with Your Online Students

by Meredith Aquila Of all the things needed for academic success, one of the most essential is for students to have a good rapport with their instructors. This is particularly true in the digital.

It’s No Joke: Using Humor is Tougher When Learning is Remote

by Scott Henderson Most discussions about the drawbacks of online education focus on the negative effects it has on learning. Less obvious – but also quite important – is how remote instruction can affect the teacher’s use of humor. Scholars have formulated various explanations for why people use humor....