February 2008

Can Training Make You a Better Teacher?
Countless workshops, seminars, retreats, and other training opportunities are offered under the assumption that they can positively affect how faculty teach, which in turn will help students learn more. It seems pretty obvious, but solid empirical evidence supporting these positive benefits is not widespread.

11 Practice Priorities to Promote Empathy in Online Courses
By Richard G. Fuller, DEd
Some instructors generate and display great empathy in their online teaching, while others do not. Empathy allows an understanding of students’ reactions from the inside, a sensitive awareness of the way learning seems to students.

Increasing Faculty Diversity
By Charles Harrington, PhD, and Billie Jo Hunt
Arguments for diversifying faculty are as compelling as those for student diversity, which extend beyond the obvious reasons of equity. Faculty diversification fosters educational equality. The more diverse the faculty, the greater the diversity of course content and readings, the curricular and teaching methods, and the scholarly ideas presented to students.

Take the Poll!
Last month's question was "Does your institution or unit have post-tenure review? If so, how satisfied are you with the process?"