The LSA Technology Services Teaching Tips are published bi-weekly during fall and winter terms. Subscribe to receive new publications of the Teaching Tips through email. We look forward to sharing new ideas, strategies, and tips with you.
Search all teaching tips :
-
Flashcards: A classic study tool that works for college students, too!
Flashcards are the classic study tool in K-12 education. But did you know flashcards have been shown to be effective with college students as well?
-
Turn Passive Listeners into Focused Learners with Guided Lecture Notes
Using guided notes can help students stay focused and organized, develop important note-taking and study skills, and achieve the learning objectives of the lesson.
-
If You Engage Them, They Will Come: Strategies to Increase Attendance
“We need to give students a varied experience. It’s really important to think about not just what you’re teaching–the content of the material and what you’re doing–but what is it like to be in the seat in that room?” (Young, 2023).
-
Creating a Syllabus Students Will Actually Use
A syllabus students will actually use is clear, warm, accessible, and easy to navigate. It communicates expectations, explains why they matter, and leaves room for clarification as the course unfolds. Most importantly, it helps students see the syllabus not as a one-time handout, but as a resource they can return to throughout the semester.
-
Make Canvas Work Smarter, Not Harder: Streamlining Your Canvas Course
Research shows that students benefit from having clear and organized instruction. Delivering course content clearly and effectively through your Canvas site will help students easily find the information they need and can help keep your materials organized.
-
Retro or Retire: Bluebooks and Paper Assessments
Returning to pen-and-paper testing has some trade-offs in terms of convenience, but it helps refocus students on the skills and mental discipline that supports academic rigor.
-
A Critical Look at NotebookLM
NotebookLM, Google’s AI note-taking app, is freely available for students to use, but should they?
-
Book Review: Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons From the Science of Learning
Imagine if you could improve your teaching not by working harder, but making one small, intentional change at a time.
-
Learning Through Conflict: How Dialogic Pedagogy Transforms Learning Spaces
When conflict comes up, usually the reaction is to manage or lessen the conflict. Dialogic pedagogy, however, reframes conflict as a powerful catalyst for deep learning through dialogue.
-
“If ChatGPT Writes it, Did the Student Learn It?” – 4 Practical Ways to Keep Essay Assessment Authentic
Generative AI has changed what we can easily expect student writing to show us; these concise research-informed ideas help essays remain a window into genuine student learning.
-
That Wasn’t Part of the Plan: Managing Incivility
Managing disruption isn’t one single pedagogy- it’s an applied classroom management approach rooted in clear expectations, instructor presence, relationship-building, and restorative dialogue.
-
Ensuring Successful Group Work
Group work depends on thoughtful design that encourages collaboration and accountability. Read on for some tips to ensure successful group work.
-
Unlocking Student Potential: Why Your Feedback is Worth More Than Any ‘A’
Your ongoing feedback can empower students by fostering self-awareness of learning, boosting motivation, and instilling continuous study habits.
-
Save Time and Give Better Feedback
Rubrics are known to save time, clarify expectations, and strengthen student learning; here’s one way to make these valuable instructional tools easier to create.
-
The Elusive Definition of Student Engagement
While the term student engagement is ubiquitous in communications about pedagogy, defining what the term is has proven to be very difficult.
-
Accessibility Tricks & Treats: Meet Your Support Team
Curious how small changes can keep your students engaged all semester? Discover accessibility tricks and treats to remove hidden barriers.
-
Help Students Use AI To Improve Their Research, Not Replace Their Thinking
When instructors guide students to treat AI like a research aid instead of a vending machine for homework, students can ask better questions, dig deeper into sources, and create work that’s actually their own.
-
Teaching During Contentious Times
As global crises continue to impact our students, this tip explores how instructors can foster care, manage difficult conversations, and address classroom disruptions with compassion.
-
Caring Out Loud: 5 Strategies for Building Connections in the Classroom
College students today face significant challenges. Depression, anxiety, and loneliness are increasingly common. Amid these realities, the role of faculty in building a culture of care is critical. Students learn best when they feel seen, valued, and connected. Saying you care is not enough, actually demonstrating care in all of your interactions with students builds…
-
Reducing Logistical Barriers without Reducing Rigor
The desire for rigor can lead to students facing logistical challenges rather than academic ones. This article discusses rigor and the ways rigor can be maintained without also maintaining inequities and allowing for student flexibility.
