What is active learning? Active learning has been proven to show an increase in student learning and a decrease in student failure compared to passive learning. As a result, many institutions have adopted various active learning pedagogies. Evidence also shows that active learning may decrease achievement gaps between students in traditionally underserved groups, such as women and underrepresented minority students. While active learning has been dubbed as inclusive teaching, it is still unclear if active learning is inclusive for all students. It has now been established that students from certain demographic backgrounds such as students with anxiety and the LGBTQ+ community have encountered barriers in an active learning setting. In a recent study , we interviewed 37 Disability Resource Centers (DRC) Directors from various U.S. Institutions to identify “To what extent is active learning inclusive for science undergraduates with disabilities” What is the DRC and who does it serve? Dis...

Flipgrid as a discussion-based educational technology has taken the K-12 world by storm, but beyond its stickers, filters, and fancy fonts, the tool has a lot to offer to higher education as well. One such use is as an audio visual dictionary or demonstration tool. Think of it as Audio/Visual flashcards for important terms and concepts in class. What is Flipgrid? Flipgrid is a free, Microsoft-owned and powered educational tool for creating video-based discussions in the classroom. Instructors create “Groups” similar to a message board for their classes which can include one or more “Topic” threads. Typically, Instructors supply a prompt and students respond to the prompt and to each other within a “Topic”. It’s an asynchronous video discussion. Flipgrid allows instructors to link from several applications to support their prompts and responses including: Microsoft products, Google, YouTube, Vimeo, Kahoot!, Adobe Spark and more. But the system’s built-in audio and video editor should n...

Do you feel disconnected in online spaces? Do you feel like it is difficult to connect with your students online and create community? This week we learned from Courtney Plotts, Ph.D. who shared small changes you can make to your online course that can make a big difference for you and your students.  The presentation featured discussion around the standards from the Council for At -Risk Student Education and Professional Standards (CASEPS) . Dr. Plotts shared  three strategies to increase a sense of community in the online space: Identify what your students are missing most and support them Define and share the online community culture and values Create a common experience Missing Community We began by defining the online space, and understanding the community, especially how both faculty and students can feel isolated. One example of how you can connect, is by asking your students what they miss most or if they are feeling disconnected in the online space. This can be made ...

As we arrive at the middle of the Fall semester, the Teaching Innovation Center team wants to share the upcoming events that have been planned for you. This semester we have partnered with the RISE Center to learn more about inclusiveness and how we can improve. We also recognize in this COVID era, the need to shift from what we have always done to making adjustments to our course design. This means rethinking assessments! Below is an overview of the upcoming events, and we hope to see you there!  Language Matters: Considering Racial Microaggressions in Science Thursday, October 8th 11:30am-12:30pm PST Zoom:  https://asu.zoom.us/j/97235381892    Facilitated by Colin Harrison ,Georgia Tech and Kimberly Tanner , San Francisco State University Join us for an interactive session where we will explore ways in which racial microaggressions manifest themselves in science. We will discuss what microaggressions are and how they affect underrepresented individuals in an acade...

Group work whether online or in-person almost always begets one or more emails that read “I’d really rather not do group work. Can I complete this project alone?”. Students, limited on time and juggling a number of courses and responsibilities rarely get a thrill at the thought of a “group project”. Despite our best efforts as instructors it can be difficult to inspire in students the notion that life and work in general are often group projects, and one can rarely go at it alone. We want our students to experience collaborative and active learning, and group work is often one way of doing this on a smaller, more intimate scale ( Hesterman, 2016 ). How can we relieve the pressure and the fear that one group member feels will become their solo burden under the name “group project”? Group contracts and reflections may be a good place to start. What is a Group Contract? In several of our courses we begin group projects with a Group Contract, a collaborative document signed by all group m...