“Faculty Focus”: A great resource for higher education

Recently I discovered an excellent resource from Magna Publications, called Faculty Focus: Higher Ed Teaching Strategies by Magna Publications.  There are excellent resources on a wide range of topics:

TOPICS:

Check out Faculty Focus website at:  https://www.facultyfocus.com/ or on

 https://www.facebook.com/facultyfocus/

Using video as an ‘exit ticket’ to promote engagement

There is no escaping the many ways that technology has entered the classroom. In a recent discussion with some teaching colleagues, the majority have accepted that students have a powerful tool at their fingertips and as educators this tool can have many applications in the classroom. The following link to a blog post by Victotia Ingalls (2019) is a great illustration of this. By posing a problem to have the class solve in groups and then post a quick video to a shared Google drive, the instructor not only promotes active and collaborative learning but also receives formative assessment regarding comprehension of the problem.  Ingalls does indicate that there are a few that might be encountered such as ensuring that the chosen video app is available on both iOs and Android operating systems and sluggish wifi. Overall though, definitely a strategy worth trying.

A video-based exit ticket sparks engagement [blog post link]

Ingalls, V. (March 6, 2019). A video-based exit ticket sparks engagement. [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/a-video-based-exit-ticket-sparks-engagement/?st=FFdaily;s=FF190306;utm_term=FF190306&utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=A+Video-based+Exit+Ticket+Sparks+Engagement&utm_campaign=FF190306

 

When you planned your class, did you remember your introverted students?

According to best selling author Susan Cain, approximated one third to one half of all people are introverts.  What does this mean in the classroom and in the workplace?

Check out my podcast A Reflection on Introverts as Leaders (podcast)   as well as this excellent Tedtalk by Susan Cain

Related Articles:

“Motivation is the portal to engagement”

According to this quote Elizabeth Barkley (2010, p. 15) student motivation is the key to their engagement. But what contributes to their motivation?  Barley proposes that it is the product (not the sum) of how much they value the task and how much the student expects to succeed.  So as instructors, identifying whether students perceive value in the course, its activities and assignments as well as ensuring that they expect that they can succeed is the entry point to engaged learning.

Barkley’s book Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty is an excellent resource for instructors who are looking for a multitude of ways to engage students in their classrooms. This resource also translated many of the activities to the on-line environment.  I would encourage you to check it out!

[Reference: Barkley, E. F. (2010). Student engagement techniques: A handbook for college faculty.  Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.]