Category: Teaching Tip

Quick and short tips on teaching practices.

Engaged or not? That is the Question.

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Faculty member teaching a classOne of the questions CELT receives on a regular basis is, “How can I engage my students in the course content?” Or, “How do I help my students engage with course content more meaningfully?”

In the article titled, “ Engaged Learning: Are we all on the same page” Dr. Bowen (2005) observed that “engagement is increasingly cited as a distinguishing characteristic of the best learning in American higher education today.” Dr. Bowen discusses four ways in which we can engage with student learners that may be known as other initiatives in higher education:

  • Engagement with the learning process is similar to active learning.
  • Engagement with the object of study is similar to experiential learning.
  • Engagement with contexts generally is similar to multidisciplinary learning.
  • Engagement with social and civic contexts is similar to service learning.

Our upcoming workshop, Engagement Strategies for Every Classroom on September 20 (12:10 – 1:00 p.m., 2030 Morrill Hall) will feature engagement with the learning process or active learning strategies. Many of the learning activities help students progress cognitively by engaging them on an affective level (enjoyment) and on a kinesthetic level (physical).

One of my favorite engagement strategies, from this workshop, is called the “Barometer” or the “Continuum”. It is an interactive opportunity for students to share their opinions by asking them to line up along a continuum based on their position on an issue. It is especially useful when you want to discuss an issue about which students have a wide range of opinions. The Barometer or Continuum can be used to:

  • Gauge student knowledge, beliefs, perceptions
  • Demonstrate the wide array of knowledge, beliefs, perceptions on a topic
  • Because a Barometer activity makes many positions viewable, it can be an effective pre-writing exercise before an essay assignment.

All that you need is space for students to physically move to their place of agreement on the continuum. If space is not available, you can ask students to indicate with their hands (raised or lowered) their opinion.

Register for the Engagement Strategies for Every Classroom workshop via the Learn@ISU website; as well as, download CELT’s 226 Active Learning Techniques (PDF).

See you there,

Sara Marcketti, Interim Director
Center for Excellence in Learning Teaching

 

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Engaged or not? That is the Question. (September 14, 2017 – Constant Contact) website.

Winter Health and Wellness (Teaching Tip)

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Iowa State campanile in the early stages of winter. The clock tower is feature with some trees and a light dusting of snow.

The first day of Winter is quickly approaching. As we wrap up the Fall 2021 semester and prepare to enter the Winter season, we want to remind you of the resources available to support you and your students.

  • ISU WellBeing: ISU WellBeing provides resources to help faculty and staff with a range of topics. They include mental health resources available to employees, financial well-being, and mindfulness. If you will be on campus or in the area, consider doing the Strolls for Well-Being at ISU. Keep an eye out for the upcoming Winter Strolls for Well-Being at ISU which will feature online and in-person options.
  • Student Wellness: Student Wellness supports the holistic health, wellbeing, and safety of students on campus. They provide various programs and services, including information about the Campus Food Pantry, a wellbeing assessment tool, and a myriad of other topics.
  • Student Counseling Services: Student Counseling Services offers clinical and campus-based services to help students achieve goals. As we navigate the pandemic, we have witnessed mental health needs for the entire campus community, and supporting students’ mental health is another way to support their wellbeing.
  • Campus Resources to Support Students (general): An extensive list of resources available to students and different ways of supporting your students can be found on the CELT website.

We wish you all a restful break and look forward to reconnecting for Spring 2022. Best wishes for the remainder of the Fall semester.

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (December 16, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for December 16, 2021 (PDF).

Important Semester Reminders

End of Semester

Grades are due by 2:15 p.m. on December 21.

Review the End of Semester Checklist and the Course Conclusion in Canvas webpage for helpful guides to wrap up your semester.

CELT will be closed the week of December 27-December 31. We will reopen January 3 with hours of 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Normal business hours resume Tuesday, January 18.

Start of Semester

Winter term runs from December 20-January 14. Grades will be due January 19 by 2:15 p.m.

Spring semester will begin Tuesday, January 18.

Review the Start of Semester Checklist for resources to help you begin your Spring course setup.

All about grade submission, incompletes, instructional tool updates, and more! (Teaching Tip)

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Ready for final grade submission?

Fall 2020 grades are due by 2:15 p.m. on Wed., Dec. 9. Use this End of Semester Checklist to submit final grades and conclude your Canvas course.

Do you have a student who was unable to complete your course?

Follow the process on the manage incomplete grades for students guide.

Note: Instructors must complete grade submission for incomplete grades through the Office of the Registrar. As an instructor, you will need to work with the Registrar to submit the grade for an incomplete. To do so, follow the instructions in the Registrar’s Incomplete Contract Form (DOCX). Questions about this process? Contact the Registrar via phone at 515-294-1840 or email registrar@iastate.edu.

Are you preparing to teach?

Use the Start of Semester Checklist to create your Canvas course, specify your course settings, choose a homepage, and make your course available to students.

  • Winter Session 2021 begins on Mon., Dec. 14, and ends Thurs., Jan. 21.
  • Spring Semester 2021 begins on Mon., Jan. 25, and ends Thurs., May 6.

Be sure to reference the CELT Quick Start Guide for Instructors and remember to add the New required syllabus statement on free expression to your syllabus (see the Required & Recommended ISU Syllabus Statements page).

See something new in an instructional tool you use?

Updates occurred on Dec. 2 with Canvas, ISU Admin Tools, Webex, TurnItIn, Panopto, and Piazza.

Stay up-to-date on ISU-approved learning technologies via the CELT’s Instructional Tools News & Updates page (https://bit.ly/35g7KqL). Questions about these updates? Email celt-help@iastate.edu.

 

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: All about grade submission, incompletes, instructional tool updates, and more! (December 2, 2020 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for December 2, 2020 (PDF).

Congratulations on the end of this historic academic year (Teaching Tip)

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The 11 authors in alphabetical order for the nine CELT Teaching Briefs - A Collection of Teaching Advice: Teaching through the Pandemic  are pictured

Congratulations on the end of this historic academic year

We did it! We persevered as educators, learners, and members of the Cyclone community.
 
Celebrate innovation; see our first collection of CELT Teaching Briefs from our faculty and teaching community. This collection reminds us of the importance of student engagement, community building, and practice –the same powerful pedagogies adapted from face-to-face settings work well for online environments.
 
Complete this semester; follow the steps outlined on the End of Semester Checklist to guide you through the grade submission process. As a reminder, grades are due Tuesday, May 11, at 2:15 p.m.
 
 
Begin planning; use the Start of Semester Checklist to get a head start on your future courses.
 
With a joy for teaching,
 
Sara Marcketti, Director 
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
 
Pictured above are the authors for the CELT Teaching Briefs in alphabetical order:
  • Top row (from left to right): Alzoubi, Baran, Bonaccorsi, Chatterjee, and Irish.
  • Bottom row (from left to right): Kukday, LaWare, McNicholl, Murphy, Stewart, and Zhang

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Congratulations on the end of this historic academic year (April 22, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for April 22, 2021 (PDF).

Preparing for Final Exams & End of Semester (Teaching Tip)

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Students studying in the Student Innovation Center at Iowa State University
As we wrap up the Fall semester and prepare for final exams, here are a few resources and key pieces of information to keep in mind:
  • Grades are due December 21. All grades must be submitted by 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, December 21. The End-of-Semester Checklist provides resources to help you submit grades through Canvas. The CELT Instructional Design Team will also hold Open Labs specifically focused on grade submission on December 20 and December 21 from 9 a.m.-2:15 p.m. in 3015 Morrill and online via Webex. Stop by at your convenience.
  • Course conclusion in Canvas. The anticipated date for Canvas course conclusion for Fall term courses is January 3, 2022. All faculty with Fall courses on Canvas are encouraged to review the Course Conclusion in Canvas CELT webpage, which provides tips to help you navigate the course conclusion process.
  • Winter Break hours. CELT will operate on a modified schedule over the winter term in an effort to conserve energy with fewer activities on campus. The CELT office will be closed the week of December 27-31. Beginning January 3, CELT will be open with modified hours of 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. We will resume normal business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) when the Spring semester begins on Tuesday, January 18.
  • Canvas Support, 24/7. We would like to remind you that Canvas support is available 24/7 if you are in need of assistance while our offices are closed or on a modified schedule. Follow the “? Help” icon in your left navigation bar in Canvas for all of the support options available to you.
If you need any further assistance, you can always email celt-help@iastate.edu. This will create a ticket and one of our team members will be assigned to help you as soon as they’re able. We wish you the best as we enter the final weeks of the semester!

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (December 2, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for December 2, 2021 (PDF).

Almost at the finish line (Teaching Tip)

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Over a decade ago, I participated in my first marathon. Despite being exhausted, the last two miles were my two best miles because the end was in sight. I knew that I would accomplish the goal that I had spent months preparing for. We are mere weeks away from the end of the semester. What could you do in the next class session to help your students and yourself see the finish line?

Review course objectives

Consider spending the first 2-5 minutes of an upcoming class period asking students to reflect on the new knowledge and skills they have gained from your course. You could ask students to examine the course objectives as outlined on your syllabus and rank them (either using paper or Top Hat – use the Sorting type of question) from their most to least confident. This information, combined with your knowledge of students’ progress in your course can help inform your final exam preparations.

Ask for their questions regarding final assessments

It is also a great time to display the course schedule. Remind students of the tremendous progress that has been made and ask for their questions on upcoming exams, projects, and assignments. If you have a particularly talkative class, this can be accomplished through verbal feedback. Alternatively, providing them a means to write down or type the responses and submit via a Canvas ungraded survey allows for the opportunity to clarify and hopefully improve their success on final assessments.

Student Ratings of Teaching

In the coming weeks, students will receive emails asking them to complete the student ratings of teaching. Students often do not understand why these are important to instructor’s formative plans to improve the class and summative annual reviews. To help provide guidance for students providing useful feedback, share the Providing useful and constructive feedback webpage with your students.

Finally remind your students that learning is hard work. There is an overabundance of neuroscience research that proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and fitness supports good health as well as improved learning.*

With a joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti, Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

*Doyle, T., Zakrajsek, T., & Gabriel, K. (2019). The new science of learning: How to learn in harmony with your brain / Terry Doyle and Todd Zakrajsek; foreword by Kathleen F. Gabriel. (Second ed.).

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: The 10,000-hour rule applied to improving your teaching (April 18, 2019 – Constant Contact) website.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for April 18, 2019 (PDF)

Tips to Make Your Course More Accessible (Teaching Tip)

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Students work together during Disability Awareness Week

This week, Iowa State University has been observing Disability Awareness Week, a week devoted to educating the Cyclone community about the experience of individuals with disabilities. As an instructor, you have a direct impact on a student’s experience and ability to grow and thrive at ISU. Consider these tips to increase accessibility and improve all student learning experiences.

  • Present information in multiple formats: A disability may impact a student’s ability to access specific forms of communication. Provide course content in a variety of modalities to eliminate this barrier, and allow all students the ability to access materials through the platform most beneficial to their learning. Create captions and transcripts for videos and audio recordings, include audio descriptions of images, diagrams, or maps, or include a simulation or hands-on experience.
  • Consider how students will engage with course materials and each other: Can you identify any barriers to or within the meeting location(s) or learning environment? Have you selected learning technologies accessible to students with disabilities? Support students by being flexible and providing alternative options for engaging with course materials and each other. Allow students to participate in person or virtually. Give them the opportunity to voice questions and comments, type them within a chat, or provide anonymous feedback via Qualtrics. Encourage students to work together using alternative formats including virtual rooms, team chats, discussion boards, or online interactive apps.
  • Use assessment for learning ownership: Identify alternative mechanisms students may utilize to demonstrate acquisition of knowledge and skills indicated in your learning objectives. Provide a variety of options for students to demonstrate their skills that allow for various strengths, preferences, abilities, and student disabilities.

Contact Lori Mickle (ldmickle@iastate.edu, 515-294-5299) for more information about course accessibility or email celt-help@iastate.edu with any questions.

Above photo courtesy of Alexandra Kelly/Iowa State Daily

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (October 28, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for October 28, 2021 (PDF).

Encouraging Student Ratings of Teaching (Teaching Tip)

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Jason Chan teaching a lecture course
We are rapidly approaching the end of Spring 2022, which means in part, seeking, end-of-course feedback from students. Student ratings are not perfect measurements of teaching effectiveness but can create an opportunity for students to reflect on their perceptions of the learning and the classroom environment.
 
Strategies for better course ratings include:
  • Seeking constructive feedback. Student input is most helpful when it is specific, focused, and respectful. Suggest a focus on observable behaviors and practices that the instructor can control, rather than remarks or criticisms based on identity.
  • Use class time to complete evaluations. Provide a bit of class time at the end of a session for students to complete their ratings (while you are not in the virtual or physical classroom).
  • Ensure students understand the importance of the feedback. Share with students an example of how you’ve used past feedback to make changes or provide examples of constructive feedback comments. 
  • Explain how ratings are used. Share with students how these evaluations are used by you to improve teaching, and how they are used at the department-level.
  • Consider offering an incentive. For example, once a percentage of the entire class has completed the evaluation, offer a small amount of extra credit.
To help make sense of the student ratings, consult the CELT Student Ratings Analysis Worksheet or work with a CELT Faculty Fellow or staff member.
 
If you have questions about end-of-course student ratings, contact your departmental SubUnit administrator.

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Resources for Success (April 21, 2022 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print Version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for April 21, 2022 (PDF).

“A journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step”

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The great Chinese thinker Laozi’s words could apply perfectly to the transition from teaching in Blackboard to Canvas. As I shared last week, in Confessions of a Procrastinator, I have not yet built my course in Canvas, but this week I started and here are some tips to help you take that first step.

Start with the end in mind

It is my great honor and pleasure to teach Everyday Creativity developed by my colleague and friend, Dr. Elena Karpova. As I started to build my Canvas course, I realized that first I needed to keep the learning outcome goal in mind. For us, that is students learning and then applying creative thinking strategies to generate multiple unique ideas. To accomplish this the students complete pre-class readings and quizzes, in class individual and group activities, and out of class work that demonstrates their use of the strategies.
As you are bidding farewell to Blackboard, filter and sort through your collection of instructional materials and make decisions whether they need to be updated and/or replaced in your new course. Then as you (re)build your course in Canvas, there are three actions you can take to begin the journey of teaching in spring semester.
  1. Build your modules: Modules organize your content by weeks, units, chapters, concepts or a different organizational structure. Modules give your course a consistent look and feel and make it easy for your students to navigate it. Modules also accommodate your delivery style: use them to re-create the folder set up from your course in the previous learning management system or, better yet, use them to chunk up your instruction into smaller, independent “digestible” units to empower student cognitive processes.** A module can contain files, discussions, assignments, quizzes, and other learning materials. Learn more using the Create a Module web guide.
  2. Choose your homepage: Your homepage sets the mood for learning in your course. Canvas has different options for choosing your course’s homepage. The syllabus is a great way to introduce your course, make your expectations transparent, and keep students abreast of all course happenings. Learn more via the Setting the Course Home Page web guide.
  3. Clean up your course’s menu: Your students should only see the course-specific menu options that allow to quickly and easily navigate all course information and keep distraction to a minimum. Learn how using the Customize the Course Navigation web guide.
  4. Check your quizzes: While most of your previous quizzes will import from previous Blackboard content, some, such as such as hot spot and quiz bowl do not transfer, and matching questions that have images in the answers must be fixed. Additionally, you will want to double-check multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, essay, matching, numerical, and formula question types before publishing your migrated quiz or survey. If a question format is not supported by Canvas, the question will become a simple text (students will not have the option to answer). The Quizzes tool in Canvas can be used for graded or practice quizzes, as well as graded and ungraded surveys and automatically creates a column in the grade book.
CELT developed this Canvas Course Building Basics YouTube video (below) and a Course Building Basics web guide on these actions that you can take to (re)build your course in Canvas.

If you have made it this far in the teaching tip, Congrats!

You probably realize this is going to be a multi-step journey. Don’t fear! CELT’s open labs will be closed Dec. 8-Jan. 2, 2018, but consultations with our instructional designers may be scheduled during that time via the appointment scheduling website. There are multiple ways to learn the Canvas learning management system, including workshops (below), recorded resources, self-paced tutorials and webinars on the ISU Canvas training and resources website.
Additionally, Canvas offers 24/7 support, listed in the “? Help” icon on the global navigation (far left of your Canvas website) or via the Canvas support line, 515-294-4000 (press 2, then 1).
Best wishes for your winter break and spring semester canvas course building,
Sara Marcketti, Interim Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: “A journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step” (December 14, 2017 – Constant Contact) website.

Print Version?

Prefer a Print version? If you would prefer to view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip December 14, 2017 (PDF)

Why don’t they attend? 12 ways to boost student participation in synchronous sessions

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Why don’t they attend? (Teaching Tip)

12 ways to boost student participation in synchronous sessions

Attendance expectations continue to be challenging due to Covid-19. In the fall semester, we heard from students that they needed and appreciated the flexibility in accessing lecture material; however, they sought more in-real-time experiences. We also heard from instructors that offered many synchronous opportunities but that students sparsely attended these. We gathered the following strategies for encouraging participation and attendance from the CELT Advisory Board, CELT Staff, and colleagues across campus. 

Before each synchronous class session — connect with your students.

During the synchronous session — encourage attention.

  • Check-in with your students. Start each session with an agenda slide to know what is coming and have a moment to gather necessary materials. As they log in, ask students a question of the day via the polling function in Webex or Zoom. Or share a Word Cloud that changes shape in front of their eyes. Create a one-question survey in Qualtrics, focus the question on the content, such as one word to describe the most recent class reading or a check-in regarding their current mood. Display the word cloud results in real-time or share them during the next class session using the Engage students with a Qualtrics word cloud in your course guide.
  • Make it meaningful. Why just read class notes or review the textbook material during a live session? Provide an experience that necessitates their attendance. Perhaps this is case-based learning, small group discussions in breakout rooms, or working on challenging problems.
  • Clarify. Identify common mistakes or errors from homework problems and offer a mini-lesson with a similar situation that students can take then-and-there. This step can provide valuable feedback to both students and you as the instructor – what are they still not understanding? 
  • Motivate. Start the session with a mini quiz drawn from the last session’s material. If for points, this can provide a small incentive to attend and provide valuable information regarding their current knowledge.
  • Engage. Share a document to take collaborative notes and emphasize these notes could be used for open-book exams by all, so the more attendees, the better and more precise the notes. 
  • Invite guest speakers. Both Evrim Baran, School of Education, and Elizabeth Stegemoller, Kinesiology, invite guest speakers to the synchronous sessions to connect students with professionals working in various settings (e.g., industry, academia, schools, etc.). They both carefully aligned the speakers with the current week’s focus and activities.
  • Incentivize proactiveness. Melissa Tropf, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, taught a class with all asynchronous lectures (pre-recorded) and weekly virtual synchronous review sessions and labs. Weekly quizzes incentivized students to stay current with the asynchronous material and come prepared for the live sessions. When Tropf reached out to students who struggled in the synchronous sessions, they shared that they were behind in their asynchronous material, inhibiting their ability/willingness to engage in the synchronous sessions. Students appreciated the accountability measures.

Closing a synchronous session — share highlights.

  • Finish a session with an exit ticket. Ask students to share one thing they have a better understanding of today’s class meeting. Save the chat transcript in Webex for tracking purposes. Sharing the chat and increasing student clarity encourage other students to attend future sessions (see the Save a meeting chat guide). 
  • To record or not record? Some faculty shared that they upload a recorded version of the live synchronous session. Others stated that they synchronize sessions so engaging and tailored to the specific experience they do not record and upload. Instead, they provide a synopsis document or short video sharing content, clarifying questions, reminders, and highlighting positive trends (e.g., lots of students submitted work on time, the discussion board is very active, etc.). 

As we continue to endure the pandemic, flexibility is vital (see the Be Flexible page). However, finding ways to ensure the students are aware of the sessions, making them interactive, collaborative, and timely, can go a long way towards encouraging participation. For more ideas, tips, and strategies, check out CELT’s Engaging students online page.

With a joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti, Director

Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Why don’t they attend? 12 ways to boost student participation in synchronous sessions (January 28, 2021 – Constant Contact) page.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for January 28, 2020 (PDF).

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