Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

My family was buying tickets to see one of their favorite bands. They debated whether to get one for me, knowing I’m not much of a live concert person. I surprised all of us and agreed to go. As we walked to the venue, I was fully expecting not to enjoy the night. I was wrong.  I didn’t know most […] The post A Classroom in Concert: How to Design a Truly Rockin’ Learning Experience appeared first…

According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2025), the percent of students enrolled in distance education courses in postsecondary institutions in the fall of 2024 was 53.8%. Importantly and unfortunately, the withdrawal rate for this population far outpaces traditional students attending higher education institutions, requiring a closer examination of…

According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2025), the percent of students enrolled in distance education courses in postsecondary institutions in the fall of 2024 was 53.8%. Importantly and unfortunately, the withdrawal rate for this population far outpaces traditional students attending higher education institutions, requiring a closer examination of…

Whatever your institution’s policy on student AI use, whether strict prohibition, permitted use with disclosure, or something still being worked out, you face the same underlying challenge: when a submission raises questions about whether a student did their own thinking, you need a legitimate way to find out. AI detectors won’t give you one; research has shown […] The post 5 Ways to Verify Stude…

Whatever your institution’s policy on student AI use, whether strict prohibition, permitted use with disclosure, or something still being worked out, you face the same underlying challenge: when a submission raises questions about whether a student did their own thinking, you need a legitimate way to find out. AI detectors won’t give you one; research has shown […] The post 5 Ways to Verify Stude…

The first day of college teaching could be the most stressful moment ever in the teaching history of novice faculty members. Generally, the first day of teaching is intimidating for both faculty and students. According to Aydin (2021), it is common to experience anxiety on the first day of teaching, especially among newly experienced faculty members. Anxiety emotions […] The post Conquer the Firs…

The first day of college teaching could be the most stressful moment ever in the teaching history of novice faculty members. Generally, the first day of teaching is intimidating for both faculty and students. According to Aydin (2021), it is common to experience anxiety on the first day of teaching, especially among newly experienced faculty members. Anxiety emotions […] The post Conquer the Firs…

I teach a 300-level multimedia-design course, but last semester my most powerful teaching hack came from a 6-year-old. My daughter had scrawled two crayon figures—one with spiky blue hair, one with a superhero cape—and left them on the dining-room table. Instead of pinning them to the fridge, I uploaded the sketches to an “AI Image […] The post From Doodles to Discussion Boards: How “AI Image Com…

I teach a 300-level multimedia-design course, but last semester my most powerful teaching hack came from a 6-year-old. My daughter had scrawled two crayon figures—one with spiky blue hair, one with a superhero cape—and left them on the dining-room table. Instead of pinning them to the fridge, I uploaded the sketches to an “AI Image […] The post From Doodles to Discussion Boards: How “AI Image Com…

As online learning becomes more prevalent in higher education and professional development, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design have become essential to the effectiveness of digital learning environments (Tawfik, 2020; Quintana, 2020). UX includes users’ perceptions and responses to a system and is shaped by factors such as usability, functionality, and context of interaction (Zah…

As online learning becomes more prevalent in higher education and professional development, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design have become essential to the effectiveness of digital learning environments (Tawfik, 2020; Quintana, 2020). UX includes users’ perceptions and responses to a system and is shaped by factors such as usability, functionality, and context of interaction (Zah…

Many college teachers want to respond to students’ identities and cultures with respect, accurate perceptions, and sensitivity. We may face challenges within ourselves that arise from being shaped by societal forces. A self-reflective, repeating process of “…awareness, analysis, action, and accountability” (The Adaway Group; Love 2010) helped me. I hope that sharing my experiences with this proce…

Many college teachers want to respond to students’ identities and cultures with respect, accurate perceptions, and sensitivity. We may face challenges within ourselves that arise from being shaped by societal forces. A self-reflective, repeating process of “…awareness, analysis, action, and accountability” (The Adaway Group; Love 2010) helped me. I hope that sharing my experiences with this proce…

As an educational leadership professor, I hear inspiring messages from colleagues all the time, and I understand the impulse to lead with the highlight reel. Wins matter, from measurable improvement and real growth to culture building, trust restored, and students graduating. Aspiring leaders need those stories because this work is hard, and hope is fuel.  […] The post The Syllabus and the Scar T…

As an educational leadership professor, I hear inspiring messages from colleagues all the time, and I understand the impulse to lead with the highlight reel. Wins matter, from measurable improvement and real growth to culture building, trust restored, and students graduating. Aspiring leaders need those stories because this work is hard, and hope is fuel.  […] The post The Syllabus and the Scar T…

I never expected to begin teaching college biology when I did.  At the time, I was teaching secondary science and trying to build a marine science course for my high school students. I reached out to a local community college simply asking whether they had any preserved marine specimens I might be able to borrow […] The post What Nobody Warns You About Teaching College for the First Time appeared…

I never expected to begin teaching college biology when I did.  At the time, I was teaching secondary science and trying to build a marine science course for my high school students. I reached out to a local community college simply asking whether they had any preserved marine specimens I might be able to borrow […] The post What Nobody Warns You About Teaching College for the First Time appeared…

Across higher education, artificial intelligence has rapidly changed how students complete academic work. Essays, summaries, explanations, and structured problem-solving can now be generated instantly. The first concern has understandably been academic integrity. A deeper issue, however, is emerging.  We are beginning to mistake performance for understanding.  Students can now produce correct ans…

Across higher education, artificial intelligence has rapidly changed how students complete academic work. Essays, summaries, explanations, and structured problem-solving can now be generated instantly. The first concern has understandably been academic integrity. A deeper issue, however, is emerging.  We are beginning to mistake performance for understanding.  Students can now produce correct ans…

Once upon a time, there was this brave professor, who opened a word processor app to develop one of their most important tools in life; the syllabus.   When we design courses, we are focused on sharing knowledge that will be both informational and contextual. For this we integrate objectives, activities, and for the more technical part, assessments, rubrics, and […] The post What’s the Story Your…