Most Recent Collections

Shortly after OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public, Stephen Marche rang the death knell for the college essay. Is the essay as a genre actually dead, and if so, what will we, as instructors, create in its aftermath? This collection explores possible ways to revive and reimagine the essay for the 21st-century classroom. 

The resources here explore strategies for engaging students in discussion and active learning in a synchronous online class session. Topics include preparing students for live sessions, facilitating in inclusive and accessible ways, and situating a synchronous session in a bigger course design.

Are you tired of spending time with students who argue for fractions of points? Do you get frustrated spending your marking time on work that's not even close to what you want? Do you want a more equitable grading approach, maybe one that actually measures student learning outcomes? Specifications grading does that, and more. The resources in this collection include examples of specs grading in practice and reflections by practitioners.

Students appreciate clear guidance on which uses of generative AI are permitted in coursework, if any, and which are prohibited. The syllabus statements in this collection are examples that instructors can use as they set and communicate boundaries for student AI use that align with their course goals and teaching values.

Can a syllabus do more than convey policies and schedules? This collection includes our favorite examples of syllabi that embrace creative, fun, or otherwise unconventional interpretations of the syllabus genre while still fulfilling the basic roles of syllabi. It ends with advice and commentary about adding visual (and other) elements to your syllabus.

These annotated examples of specifications grading schemes can serve as models for your own design. Taken together, the examples illustrate the variety of approaches and emphases that are possible within specs grading.

A syllabus is often a student’s first impression of a course and its instructor. This collection highlights examples of syllabi that establish a tone of care, inclusion, and concern for student wellbeing from the outset. It also includes a blog post exploring the impact of syllabus language and a template designed to help instructors get started creating their own student-centered syllabus.

Accessible teaching involves more than making "reasonable accommodations" requested by individual students with disabilities. Where accommodations are reactive and targeted to individuals, accessibility is proactive and can affect many students. These resources give you a "behind-the-scenes" look at the impacts that accessibility can have on students in real-world ways you might not otherwise understand or recognize.

If you’re considering alternative grading schemes, these resources shed light on an approach called specifications grading, or specs grading.

Alternative grading methods are as diverse as the instructors who implement them. This guide reviews the underlying principles of alternative grading and describes the similarities and differences between the various approaches.