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Writing Helps Students Build Bridges Between Perspectives
By Sara Wink Higher education provides students with a unique opportunity to explore perspectives beyond the students’ situated knowledge. Educators across multiple fields can create those opportunities through critical reading and writing activities in the classroom. In Wisconsin, one may find the roots of one of the most prestigious college presses to ever be founded:…
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How Democratic Deliberation Can Enhance Philosophical Writing
By Dr. Jennifer Caseldine-Bracht Students can develop skills for philosophical essay writing through seminar discussions that emphasize active listening and reasoned discourse. Both deliberative democracy and philosophy encourage engaged thinking by requiring students to consider opposing perspectives and develop their own arguments. This process cultivates intellectual humility and improves critical thinking skills, both of which…
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Insights from a Student Survey Across Generations
By David Healey This blog post shares the results of a voluntary survey of composition students about generational differences and perceptions in the classroom. To provide context, there are definitions of the generations and some of their shared experiences and traits. Suggestions are made for instructors who want to deepen these connections between generations in…
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Beyond the Books:
Diverse Design to Dispel Disengagement By Dr. Ritu Sharma This blog shares a personal journey from the less engaging, rote-learning educational system in India to the dynamic, inclusive pedagogical approaches in the USA. It contrasts the lack of personalized attention and discouraged creativity with current methods that emphasize engagement, diversity, and individualized learning styles. The…
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“Previously, on Talk Seminar”:
Building Presence in Unscripted Spaces By William Ashley Johnson This post explores how one instructor’s intentionally branded “after show” provides a low-stakes, high-engagement space for online learners to reflect, ask questions, and connect beyond the constraints of a live seminar. Blending autonomy-supportive design with research-backed student engagement strategies, Talk Seminar isn’t just office hours by…
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Building Community and Improving Pass Rates:
Implementing the Liquid Syllabus in Competency-Based Composition Courses By Gabriel Smith In competency-based, asynchronous writing courses, building community can feel like an uphill battle—especially when students face anxiety around the writing process. This post explores how implementing a liquid syllabus offered a simple, personal touchpoint that helped students feel more connected and confident. Early results…
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Humor Breaks in Seminars:
Inspiring Engagement, Focus, and Community By January Pearson In the online classroom, where the community is essential to student success, incorporating humor in seminars provides a simple yet effective way to enhance student engagement and learning. Considering research on the benefits of humor and mini-breaks, this strategy invites students to share simple pun-based humor halfway…
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Like a Human Being: Building Student Success
By Dr. Jacob Kaltenbach Stories from teaching and other vocations can help educators reflect on successes and failures in simply treating students as human beings. Examples from students’ reading and critical thinking show they are compelled to affirm their humanity by drawing connections to life outside school. In the interest of building patience and becoming…
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“Trick or Treat!”: Student Success and Halloween Pictures
By Dr. James McAdams Faculty now have permission to create extracurricular discussion modules as an option to boost student engagement. Examples might include modules for students in recovery, students in the military, cute pet pictures, baby advice, and so forth. Exploration and experimentation with this integration have resulted in increased audiovisual participation and a more…
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