Supporting Teaching, Learning, and Technology in the College of Letters and Science
Created by Laura Schmidli and edited by Maria Widmer. Many instructors have collected a final paper or project, only to be disappointed that students missed the mark. This can stem from the gap between a complex prompt and students’ ability to organize the work and learning required. Breaking down complex tasks and providing temporary support …
Created by Maria Widmer and edited by Molly Harris. Every year, the University of Wisconsin–Madison welcomes around 8,500 first-year students and 1,200 transfer students to campus. Instructors in the College of Letters & Science teach 80% of first-year students’ credit hours. As a College, we play an outsized role in supporting the academic and social …
Copy our Canvas Orientation Module into your course to get students started smoothly with course information, instructor information, campus resources, and welcoming activities.
Created by Laura Schmidli and edited by Maria Widmer. Teaching in a team provides advantages within an increasingly complex higher education environment. Multiple instructors can more effectively manage larger classes, provide interdisciplinary context, handle complex educational technology, model collaboration for new instructors and students, and better meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. …
Created by Molly Harris and Laura Schmidli. Instructors want their students to learn, and inclusive teaching strategies can help! Although there are many ways to define inclusive teaching, there are common characteristics that can guide your teaching practice: What new strategy might you try this semester to make your class more inclusive? L&S Design for …
For many students and instructors, the start of the semester is a time of high energy and motivation. For others, beginning a new term may feel daunting or alienating. Immediately helping students connect with you, other students, and your course content can help those who are eager and energized as well as those who feel …
Make your own copy of our guide that helps you align your Canvas course settings with you syllabus policies, organize your course more effectively, and consider accessibility.
Created by Laura Schmidli and Molly Harris. Edited by Maria Widmer. Many students appreciate the opportunity to make up a missed exam. For some, this reduces pressure to meet academic requirements while also participating in important co-curricular experiences, like athletics or arts. For others, knowing a makeup exam is possible may ease stress about family …
This mini episode features two real-world questions from L&S instructors. We discuss a practical tool for scheduling office hours on demand and a recommendation for weekly assignments in Canvas.
Created by Laura Schmidli and edited by Jonathan Klein and Molly Harris. As generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) continues to become more sophisticated and ubiquitous, the utility of Gen AI tools, perspectives about their use, and cultural acceptance of them will continue to change. This landscape of larger societal change will continue to inform our …
Created by Molly Harris and edited by Laura Schmidli. Dedicating time for office hours that students do not attend can feel like a misuse of time. Managing large numbers of students, especially when it is unexpected, can be stressful. This may leave instructors wondering, Does it matter whether or not students attend office hours? We …
In this episode, Laura Schmidli speaks with Dr. Janet Batzli about inclusive practices in Biocore, experiential learning, student leadership and mentoring, threshold concepts, and ways of knowing within a discipline.