Faculty Spotlight

Check out short-interviews with Loyola instructors sharing practical strategies and helpful resources for teaching and learning.

Collaborate Platforms for Equitable Learning Experiences

The Problem:

Students often feel hesitant to speak in class, and those with diverse backgrounds and experiences may feel excluded or marginalized when traditional participation methods are employed in the classroom.

The Solution:

Janine Holc advocates for the use of collaborative platforms, such as Google Docs, to create more equitable learning experiences. By distributing authority and responsibility for learning to the class, students are empowered to engage with complex topics and contribute their unique perspectives to the conversation. Holc also suggests that collaborative platforms can help students generate new ideas and reach new conclusions through shared brainstorming and problem-solving activities. This approach leads to more inclusive and engaging learning environments that benefit all students.

 

Leveraging Moodle to Support In-Class Learning

The Problem:

Many Moodle courses lack intentional design, leading to lower levels of student engagement and participation when students come to class.

The Solution:

Nicole Reibe discusses the importance of intentional course design in Moodle to support student engagement and participation in class. By creating structured and intentional learning experiences before, during, and after in-class sessions, Reibe recommends that instructors can help students understand theory and apply that knowledge in practical ways. This leads to better learning outcomes and prepares students to engage in class, ultimately promoting a more successful learning experience.

Making Authentic Connections in Online Courses

The Problem:

Making connections with our students in online courses

The Solution:

Kelly Keane overviews four strategies she and her colleagues have developed for making online courses feel like personalized learning experiences.

By identifying individual student learning preferences, encouraging students through personalized communication, providing video feedback, and checking in with students privately, Kelly suggests that anyone can create real connections with their students, even in the online environment.

Creating Opportunities for Every Student to Succeed

The Problem:

Creating opportunities for every student to fully achieve the learning goals of each course

The Solution:

Tim Clark discusses a grading approach called specifications grading or grading for growth, which focuses on creating low-risk opportunities for students to develop their mastery of course concepts.

Besides providing a synthesis of how specifications grading works generally and how he has applied it in his courses, Tim further suggests ways newcomers to the concept can begin adjusting their own courses to make room for student growth.

Designing Learning Experiences that Engage Students

The Problem:

Designing active learning experiences that engage our students

The Solution:

Tuugi Chuluun discusses how active student learning leads to better learning outcomes and why intentional course design is essential to the success of both.

Making sure the course, module, and assignment objectives drive design choices, Tuugi recommends creating structured and intentional learning experiences before, during, and after in-class sessions to help students both understand theory and apply that knowledge in practical ways.