When I began teaching as a tenure track, assistant professor, I quickly realized I needed guidance and support when it came to pursuing scholarship, deciding which committees to serve on, and teaching in a new context. At the same time, I also discovered that the faculty around me, across the hall and in departmental and university meetings were open and willing to answer my questions, suggest collaborations, and give me the scoop on which committees to serve on. Though I had an assigned mentor who also supported me, it was the informal listening, solution-seeking, and friendship that helped create a strong sense of belonging, a commitment to persistence, and a collegial environment that I had not anticipated. In addition to being a friendly presence, mentors typically have valuable institutional knowledge about expectations, resources, opportunities, rules, and procedures and can share them in a conversational and invitational way.
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Teaching Critical Thinking is Essential
Critical thinking is a common cornerstone of education, emphasized across K-12 and higher education standards – from Common Core to NGSS to NACE and AACN. Yet, while it’s widely recognized as essential, students are rarely taught how to think critically in explicit, structured ways. This post offers some practical guidance for faculty to intentionally cultivate critical thinking in their courses. Or, if you want to take a deeper dive, consider completing ACUE’s short course (less than an hour), “Developing Students’ Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills,” on evidence-based ways to bring more critical thinking skills to your teaching. If you don’t have an ACUE Commons account yet, contact me at reeveslg@uscupstate.edu to get started! Learn more about ACUE’s Critical Thinking Short course here.
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That’s a Wrap! 5 Ways to End the Academic Year
As the semester comes to a close, I often think about what successes I had in my courses, which students really surprised and inspired me, and where I might adjust my design and delivery to cultivate more of that excitement, potential, and promise among learners. If you find yourself feeling the same way, check out the suggestions below to bring your year to an intentional close and start looking ahead to Fall 2025!
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Effective Strategies for Maymester and Summer Course Preparation
As the end of spring semester approaches, many faculty begin turning their attention to preparing for Maymester or the summer sessions. Converting 15 week courses into 8 week or 4 week format, however, presents a unique challenge. How can faculty nurture student understanding and provide meaningful feedback at such an accelerated pace?
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Get Started with the ACUE Learning Lab Today!
What is the ACUE Learning Lab? USC Upstate’s year-long partnership with the ACUE Learning Lab provides faculty with access to 11 evidence-based Quick Study Courses, offering best-practice guidance to enhance student success and engagement.
What are Quick Study Courses? Quick Study Courses are comprised of short, effective videos and implementation guides collaboratively developed with subject-matter experts. Once faculty have engaged with the content, they are prompted to complete a short reflection.
How long does it take to complete a Quick Study Course? The courses are self-paced, and can be completed in 1-2 hours.
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Contract Grading Increases Student Engagement and Reduces Anxiety
Have you ever had a student approach you and ask, “Dr. Reeves, what do I need to do to get an A in your course?” I have. I often suggest reviewing the syllabus and the percentage points associated with each grade category. I suggest reviewing the rubrics, planning ahead for upcoming due dates, and working with a partner to stay motivated and in conversation about course topics. While these are useful suggestions, they don’t necessarily address the quality or quantity of work students must create or give them the autonomy and choice they crave to build the knowledge and skills necessary to take their thinking to the next level. One way to better answer this familiar question and increase student motivation, autonomy, and responsibility (Hiller and Heitapelto, 2001; Strong et al. 2004; Danielewicz and Elbow, 2009; Bonner 2016; Litterio 2018) may be to adopt contract grading. Though many of the contract grading studies have been designed for and implemented in courses with a writing component, the models are easily adapted for other types of courses, as well. If you’re interested in exploring some examples of contract grading, check out the 3 models below.
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