Tip: Planning for Summer 2024
Halfway through spring semester means it's time to start planning for summer...
When I started this newsletter as a monthly email to department colleagues back in September 2019 (moving to Substack in May 2020) I had no idea that I would still be writing 4+ years later, and certainly didn’t dream I’d have over 3,000 subscribers. (Thank you, readers!)
Over this time, I’ve done a few longer series of posts, mostly over the summer. In 2021 I did a series on course design and facilitation, (with pieces writing learning outcomes, connecting assessments to outcomes, planning learning activities & course materials), building structure (organization, expectations & syllabus), and teaching (instructor presence and facilitation).
Last summer, I posted a series on conducting classroom-based research, beginning with an introduction to SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) and how SoTL research fits your identity as a faculty member and researcher, and continuing with developing your wonderings about teaching and learning, coming up with SoTL research questions, and ending with building specific research plans.
Where to next?
I have a number of ideas for summer 2024, and would love to have some reader perspectives about what would be most interesting and helpful. Here’s the list of themes I’m considering:
Teaching with AI: AI presents exciting opportunities and complex challenges in academia. This series could explore the integration of AI tools into teaching and learning and consider ethical concerns around academic integrity, potential biases, and privacy.
Faculty Health & Well-Being: I suspect we all have experienced how the demands placed on faculty can lead to high levels of stress, burnout, and work-life imbalance. This series could focus on strategies for promoting self-care, time management, setting realistic boundaries, and fostering an institutional culture of support.
Student Engagement: Keeping students actively engaged and motivated in their learning is an ongoing challenge. This series could focus on incorporating innovative teaching methodologies (experiential learning, problem-based learning, gamification), understanding what drives student interests, exploring personalizing instruction, and creating opportunities for meaningful participation.
Online/Hybrid Learning: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a shift towards remote and hybrid learning models, a shift that continues to evolve. This series could focus on designing effective online/hybrid courses, leveraging digital tools for collaboration and interaction, and challenges of remote learning.
Please share your thoughts in the poll, and leave a comment if your top choice isn’t in the poll!
Update from the AI + Teaching Project…
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What do you think?
One of the goals of our project is to prepare students to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools ethically and responsibly. If you could teach your students one thing about AI tools, what would you teach them?
Next week, I’ll have a poll for selecting the next student-related charity that I’ll support - if you know of a organization doing great work, please leave me a comment. Thanks, as always, for reading!
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If GPT5 comes out this summer then there is going to be a lot to discuss ahead of the next year!