Blog
VU Faculty Test-drive Simple Syllabus
By Cynthia Rutz, Director, Valparaiso Institute for Teaching and Learning (CITAL) This summer several VU faculty piloted Simple Syllabus, a new tool that ensures students can, with a single click, get to the most important parts of your syllabus. In...
Helping All Your Students with Universal Design for Learning
By Cynthia Rutz, Director, Valparaiso Institute for Teaching and Learning (CITAL) Many of our students are struggling right now. Some are hampered by two years of lockdown and missed learning. Others have learning disabilities, whether diagnosed or not. How can...
The Green Campus and Eco-Pedagogy
By Cynthia Rutz, Director, Valparaiso Institute for Teaching and Learning (CITAL) Would you like to see VU become more sustainable? Then read on to learn about some green initiatives on campus. Alberto López Martín (WLC), VU’s first Faculty Development...
Helping Your Students Write Better
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL We all know that VU’s Writing Center exists to help students become better writers. But faculty often do not make full use of this splendid resource. In the following article, student...
Beyond Exams: Other Ways to Measure Student Learning
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL Do you ever wonder whether your tests, exams, and assignments are really developing the skills you want your students to learn? What would you like them to retain five minutes after your...
Getting Students to Read for Class by Using Perusall
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL Like many of you, I have struggled to get my students to read for class. I have tried daily reading quizzes, group presentations, even assigning questions for each reading. But nothing...
Using Student Groups Effectively
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL Putting students in groups during class improves engagement, retention of knowledge, and deep learning according to several studies (see list of further resources at the end of this article). Students learn better...
The Humane Syllabus
By Cynthia Rutz, Director, Valparaiso Institute for Teaching and Learning (CITAL) As we know all too well, both faculty and students have been worn down by the pandemic. In particular, the mental health of our students has suffered. Even before...
Getting Feedback on Your Teaching
Classroom Observations by Jen Gregory and Cynthia Rutz Teaching can be an isolating activity. It is hard to know whether things you are trying in the classroom are working well or not. Would you like some friendly feedback on your...
Tech Tools to Aid in Class and Group Communications
by Kevin Steele, Director of Instructional Technology, Design and Assessment, CITAL Communicating with students outside of class can be a challenge in our current time. Do you use social media, apps, text messaging, email, and the list goes on. There...