Category Archives: Education

Taking the Virtual Temperature of Class

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Perry Samson

One strategy I’ve been using is to include a mechanism for students to share how they’re doing physically and emotionally. I started this long before the coronavirus by asking an image-based question using the engagement software I use in class … Continue reading →

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How the Polar Vortex Prepared Me to Teach with the Coronavirus

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Perry Samson

Unfortunately, it’s inevitable that at some point a student on my campus will be diagnosed with a highly communicable illness, be it the current coronavirus outbreak or another, perhaps even nastier, future disease. How should colleges and universities prepare for this? The experience of the 2019 polar vortex offers some options. Continue reading →

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Banning Laptops in Class is the Wrong Answer

Posted on December 31, 2016 by admin

Recent articles by Valerie Strauss (@valeriestrauss) in the Washington Post and Dan Rockwell (@Leadershipfreak) in the New Yorker pander to the insecurities of college instructors and ignore research showing that web applications designed to invite participation can lead to improved engagement in class.  I’ve been … Continue reading →

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Large Courses Create an Uneven Playing Field

Posted on September 17, 2016 by admin

Opening day!  First class of the year! For many of us this is a time to redesign our lectures with an eye to improving how we present our material.  But lost in our efforts to develop the clearest explanations and … Continue reading →

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