News in Brief
The latest news and opinions in higher education.
Research Universities Need to Improve Their Teaching. But More Money Won’t Help, a Philosopher Says.
Teaching is a complex skill that requires investment, according to Harry Brighouse, a regular contributor to the ACUE Community. In this Q&A, he advocates ongoing training of TAs, early work with and incentivization for faculty, and frequent group discussions about teaching in departments to improve instruction at universities. (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
Faculty as Drivers of Innovation
Faculty are “at the heart of the academic experience through their interactions with students,” Steve Mintz writes. Mintz believes that faculty should be drivers of innovation at colleges and suggests institutions empower them through methods like revitalizing teaching centers, creating spaces for experimentation, and incentivizing innovation. (Higher Ed Gamma)
Expanding Beyond the Classroom: Adopting a Holistic Focus on Student Formation
Students must be exposed to opportunities that enable them to grow personally and professionally, according to P. Gerard Shaw. He suggests that institutions offer practical and experiential components, such as internships and research projects, to engage and empower students to grow. (The EvoLLLution)
4 Lessons From Moving a Face-to-Face Course Online
Considering the challenge of moving courses online, Kevin Gannon encourages instructors to focus on the opportunities the environment presents, rather than the obstacles. He notes, for example, that instructors must pay closer attention to the substance and tone of written documents and recommends using digital tools that promote interaction and engagement with the materials. (Vitae)
Students—They're Just Like Us!
Reflecting on the common complaint from faculty that students don’t read course materials, Inara Scott offers strategies for encouraging student engagement with documents such as the syllabus. For instance, she recommends making all assignments directly relevant to the learning objectives for the course. (LinkedIn)
Many Professors Want to Change Their Teaching but Don’t. One University Found Out Why.
Researchers from the University of Virginia (UVa) studied what prevents faculty from changing the way they teach. Hannah Sturtevant and Lindsay Wheeler surveyed about 300 faculty members in STEM disciplines and found that a lack of time to plan for teaching and departmental culture presented the biggest obstacles. UVa’s Center for Teaching Excellence is working to address these barriers through a course redesign program and other methods. (The Chronicle of Higher Education Teaching Newsletter)
Why Students Can’t Write — And Why Tech Is Part of the Problem
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing, John Warner says in this podcast. When students enter his first-year writing course, he wants to build their writing practice by teaching them to write for different audiences. He tries to create an environment in which students can engage with challenges and experiences that enable them to grow as writers. (EdSurge)
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Last week, we joined our partners from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to facilitate the session “Preparing Faculty: From Industry to Instruction” at CCCAOE’s spring conference. Presenters shared how California Career Technical Education (CTE) faculty are engaging in an ACUE course to develop their pedagogical skills and improve student persistence and completion. 
