Toni Dimella Active Learning, Student Success

That’s a Wrap! Using Exam Wrappers to Encourage Reflection

Image from "Five Ways to Boost Metacognition in the Classroom" by J. Spencer (2013) By Jennifer Bland Have you ever been curious about how much your students are studying for exams, what material they are studying, and how they are preparing for exams?  Exam Wrappers are one way for you to gather this information from … Continue reading That’s a Wrap! Using Exam Wrappers to Encourage Reflection

Name Tag: Hello, I'm... Blank for someone to write their name
Toni Dimella Engaged Pedagogy, Online Learning, Technology, Universal Design for Learning

Name Pronunciations and Preferred Names Available in Blackboard Courses

By Celena Kusch We know how important it is for us to be the ones who determine how we would like to be recognized and addressed by name. We invite you to use the name pronunciation features in Blackboard to share your preferences with your instructors and classmates. Pronunciations and preferred names help us to … Continue reading Name Pronunciations and Preferred Names Available in Blackboard Courses

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Toni Dimella Social and Emotional Learning

Relationship Matters: Casual Conversation as Pedagogy

The Spartans' Table initiative is BACK! by Dave Marlow When you sit down together at the Spartans' Table, you belong. Belonging is a primary factor in student retention (Costello, et al., 2022). Students who feel connected to their university are more likely to persist in their educational goals. Interacting informally at the Spartan Cafe in … Continue reading Relationship Matters: Casual Conversation as Pedagogy

faculty spotlight chris bender
Toni Dimella Active Learning, Engaged Pedagogy, Faculty Spotlight

Faculty Spotlight: Chris Bender and Flipped STEM Courses

Want to give someone a shout-out? Email academicinnovation@uscupstate.edu! Even before COVID-19 forced us all online, Chris Bender, Associate Professor of Chemistry, was already rethinking his Chemistry 111 course in Spring 2020. The Smith Building was being closed for renovations and CHEM U111 had a long history of high withdrawal rates. With building renovations forcing courses … Continue reading Faculty Spotlight: Chris Bender and Flipped STEM Courses

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Toni Dimella Active Learning

Three Steps to Active Learning: Encounter, Engage, Reflect

Image from Top Hat's "How Active Learning Engages Students in The Virtual Classroom" By Jennifer Bland When teaching in online and hybrid courses, you may find it helpful to think through the framework of Encounter, Engage, and Reflect.  How will your students encounter the information you are presenting?  How will your students engage with the … Continue reading Three Steps to Active Learning: Encounter, Engage, Reflect