News in brief

The Best Kind of Feedback You’ll Ever Receive
In her first job as an instructor, Bonni Stachowiak listened to a cassette of her teaching. She discovered that she had certain verbal tics and developed approaches to address them. Now, she reviews her podcasts and uses them as opportunities for self-reflection. She suggests other instructors find ways to watch or listen to themselves and use the experiences as feedback to inform their teaching. (Teaching in Higher Ed)

Getting Small-Group Work Right
According to Michel Estefan, small-group activities can facilitate inclusivity and active learning. However, he notes they can often fizzle out into unproductive conversations. He suggests five methods to prevent this from happening, such as providing clear instructions about the group structure and identifying a task to focus the discussion. (Inside Higher Ed)

Digital Media Has a Misinformation Problem—but It's an Opportunity for Teaching.
Jennifer Sparrow believes that educators have a responsibility to prepare students to become better consumers of information, data, and communication. Faculty support, combined with co-curricular opportunities such as using technological tools, can help students grow their critical thinking skills, she writes. (EdSurge)

Writing and Teaching with a Terminal Illness
Peter Kaufman, who recently passed away, describes how he approached teaching following the diagnosis of a serious illness. He explains how he learned to become flexible by taking on tasks such as giving extra student advising and assisting in the Faculty Development Center while maintaining a smaller course load. He also made other adjustments, including determining the best time and place to tell colleagues and students about his illness. (Vitae)

How One University Uses ‘Sneaky Learning’ to Help Students Develop Good Study Habits
Colorado State University is experimenting with the role science and technology can play in helping students develop better study habits. For example, Psychology Professor Anne Cleary teaches “The Science of Learning,” a course in which students learn about the research behind different learning strategies. (The Chronicle of Higher Education Teaching Newsletter)

We are excited to welcome our newest institutional members:

• College of the Canyons
• Folsom Lake College
• State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego

We look forward to working with you to support and credential your faculty members in using the evidence-based teaching practices that drive student engagement and learning!