Why I Stopped Starting Class with Content—and What Happened Instead
Let me tell you something no one wants to admit: content is boring. There. I said it. It’s not that the ideas themselves aren’t important—it’s
Jeff DeGraff June 16, 2025
Effective Teaching Strategies
How to Significantly Improve Student Engagement and Retained Learning in Higher Education
After 13 years of testing higher-order active learning modalities in the classroom, collecting data, building a database, and analyzing student learning results in bi-annual principles
Jeffrey von Freymann May 30, 2025
Conversation and Coursework: Strategies to Engage Undergraduate Students with Course Content
Peer-to-peer conversations can help students to make connections with each other and course content. In a course that requires out-of-class reading, that conversation is highly
Melissa Parks, PhD May 21, 2025
Co-Creating the Classroom: Collaborative Ground Rules for Engaged Learning
Teaching in higher education involves far more than delivering content. It means cultivating an inclusive and participatory environment where students feel seen, valued, and empowered
Angela Rodriguez Mooney, PhD May 14, 2025
Bridging the Gap: Active Learning Strategies for Traditional and Online Classrooms
There I was, standing in front of my face-to-face Introduction to Psychology class on a sunny Monday afternoon in spring 2024. I was watching as
Dunja Trunk, PhD May 5, 2025
Engaging Students in Meaningful Learning Experiences
Two years ago, I was invited to deliver a course at a prestigious management school abroad. Though hesitant at first, I accepted the opportunity to
Amal Farhat, PhD May 2, 2025
Beyond Evaluation: Using Peer Observation to Strengthen Teaching Practices
University faculty members are usually immersed in various tasks related to teaching, research, committees, and office hours. As a result, they rarely have time to
Siham Al Amoush, PhD, and Amal Farhat, PhD April 2, 2025
Due Dates Provide a Structure for Spaced Learning
Every semester, a student hoping to “earn their desired grade” approaches me at the last minute, asking to make up all their missed assignments. I
Adriana J. LaGier, PhD March 28, 2025
Supporting Non-Major Biology Students: Making the Classroom YOUnique
Supporting biology courses for non-majors involves addressing the diverse needs of students with little intrinsic motivation to study the subject. Many take these courses as
Jack Sytsma, Robert Bear, and Dr. Eve McCulloch March 12, 2025
Tired of Awkward Silences? Upgrade your Think-Pair-Share
I’ve tried a few different techniques for class discussions over the years, some that I’ve written about previously in Faculty Focus. In recent years, I’ve
Ashley Harvey, PhD, LMFT March 10, 2025