Tag: teacher effectiveness
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...
What is Your Favorite Feature of Canvas?
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL Many of you are trying the Canvas LMS for the first time this semester. So we asked you what features of Canvas you have found work best for teaching and learning in...
Why Quality Matters Matters
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development We all know that enrollment in traditional in-person university classes has declined across the country. But did you know that there has been a corresponding increase in enrollment in online and hybrid courses? ...
Self-Care for You and Your Students
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL The second half of fall semester is bound to be a stressful time both for you and your students. For students, major assignments start to pile up and they begin to feel...
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 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...
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...
Do Good Course Evaluations Mean You Are a Good Teacher?
BY: Allison M. Hunt, Assistant Director of Instructional Technology Why is teacher effectiveness so important? I think the obvious answer is that the measure, in part, determines one’s future in academe (i.e. promotion and tenure). Accreditors are also scrutinizing the...
…with a little help from your friends
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...