Category: Effective Teaching Strategies

Why I Stopped Starting Class with Content—and What Happened Instead – Faculty Focus

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 that we’ve turned teaching into a conveyor belt of information. Slide decks. Learning objectives. Case summaries. I did it for years, starting every session with the clean, structured logic of “what we’re going to cover today.” And every time, I could feel it: the emotional temperature of the room dropping by a degree with each bullet point.

Then one day, I threw it all out. I walked into my classroom and started with a question I didn’t know the answer to.

“Why do organizations love change, but hate their changemakers?”

The room blinked back at me. One student tilted their head. Another smiled. Someone raised an eyebrow. Then: silence.

And in that silence?

Engagement.

The Paradox Effect

That one question—unresolved, unanswerable, alive—did more to wake up my students than any HBR case ever had.

It turns out, paradoxes are rocket fuel for learning. They don’t just activate the intellect—they ignite curiosity. They create a space where both students and teachers can explore, not just explain. In The Art of Change, I call this the Paradoxical Mindset Cycle—an approach that doesn’t resolve contradiction, but uses it as an engine for insight.

Since then, I’ve started every class not with content, but with creative tension.

What I Do Now (and What I Don’t)

Let me make it clear—I still teach frameworks. I still assign readings. But I don’t start there anymore. I start here:

Step 1: Open with a real-word paradox

Something messy. Something provocative. Something I’m still trying to figure out myself. Examples I’ve used:

“Why do purpose-driven companies become bureaucracy-driven over time?”

“Why does the most insightful person in the room often go unheard?”

“Why do so many change initiatives begin with restructuring, even though we know it rarely works?”

The key? I never position the question as rhetorical. I treat it as alive.

Because it is.

Step 2: Set a timer and go dark

I put students in pairs and give them five minutes. No note-taking. No Googling. Just dialogue. It feels more like a café than a classroom. And something remarkable happens: they stop performing and start reflecting.

Step 3: We build a paradox map

Each group shares both sides of the paradox: Why we crave change. Why we kill it. I scribble the responses on the board—no sorting, no filtering. It looks chaotic. It’s supposed to.

Then I ask: “Where does this show up in your own experience?”

And that’s when it gets real. One student shares how their great idea for a campus project got stuck in endless approvals. Another talks about how their student club started strong but lost its energy as it grew.

Suddenly the paradox isn’t academic—it’s personal.

Step 4: Now we bring in the tools

Only after we’ve felt the tension do I introduce the day’s reading, model, or theory. It’s not the main event—it’s a flashlight. A way to examine the paradox from a new angle.

Frameworks become lenses, not gospels.

Step 5: End unresolved

I used to close class with “key takeaways.” Now, I end with a twist. I return to the paradox and ask: “What questions are you leaving with?”

This shift—from resolution to reflection—keeps the learning alive after the session ends.

Here’s What Happened

1. Students leaned in, not back

When we start with answers, students tune out. When we start with paradoxes, they lean in. They stop thinking, What does the professor want? and start wondering, What do I think?

2. The quiet voices spoke first

Here’s the weird part: when I started with content, only the confident students talked. But when I started with tension, the quieter students jumped in—maybe because no one had the answer yet, so there was no hierarchy of certainty.

3. I stopped pretending to know everything

This was harder than I expected. I’m a professor—I like having answers. But paradoxes humbled me. They reminded me that real learning is co-created. I had to model curiosity, not certainty. Vulnerability became my pedagogy.

What Surprised Me

Here’s the counterintuitive part: less structure created more rigor.

We didn’t just cover content—we interrogated it. Students asked sharper questions. They challenged assumptions. They made the frameworks work for them, not the other way around.

One of my BBAs said it best: “You didn’t just teach me models. You taught me how to think about things that don’t have easy answers.”

Isn’t that the point?

What Didn’t Work (and Why)

Let’s be real—this approach has a learning curve. Here’s what I learned the hard way:

Bad paradox = bad discussion

If the question is too vague or too clever, students freeze. The best paradoxes are rooted in lived tension, not philosophical abstraction.

You still need scaffolding

Don’t confuse openness with chaos. I learned to provide anchor points—definitions, boundaries, reflection prompts—so students don’t drift.

Sometimes they want the damn answer

And that’s okay. After exploring the paradox, I now say, “Here’s one way to look at it.” That shift—one way—keeps the door open.

Try This in Your Class Tomorrow

If you want to test this out without overhauling your syllabus, here’s a quick plug-and-play format:

Choose a paradox related to your next topic. Make it messy.

Write it on the board as the only thing visible when students walk in.

Have students pair up and discuss both sides for five minutes.

Map responses publicly—no editing.

Introduce the content as a way to explore the tension, not solve it.

End with a return question: “What’s still unresolved?”

Some of My Favorite Classroom Paradoxes

Themes	Paradoxes
Innovation	Why do we ask for disruption—but build systems to resist it?
Leadership	Why does empowering people sometimes make them feel abandoned?
Teams	Why do diverse teams perform better—and struggle more?
Ethics	Why do people follow rules that conflict with their values?
Strategy	Why does clear direction often limit flexibility?

Why This Matters (Now More Than Ever)

We live in an era defined by contradiction. Our students don’t need tidy formulas—they need tools to think through tension. That’s what the paradox-first approach cultivates. It’s not just pedagogy—it’s preparation for a world that’s never either/or.

I’ve found that the classroom is the perfect place to start. Not by offering answers—but by daring to ask the better questions.

It’s Not a Trick Question

When I walk into class now, I don’t open with a takeaway—I open with a paradox. I don’t know how it’ll go. That’s the point.

Because the moment we stop starting with certainty is the moment students start showing up with possibility.

Jeff DeGraff is Clinical Professor of Management and Organizations at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and co-author of The Art of Change: Transforming Paradoxes into Breakthroughs.

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June 16, 2025

How to Significantly Improve Student Engagement and Retained Learning in Higher Education – Faculty Focus

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 of marketing classes, my colleague and I saw two important results emerge. First, all students, regardless of their SES (socio-economic status) standing, showed significantly higher levels of retained learning than the control group which used the time-honored lectures, basic active learning techniques, and case approaches. Secondly, of greater importance, lower-level SES students showed significantly higher retained learning than the general student population. In surveying the literature, significant results have been reported for all students, but not significantly higher than the norm for lower-level SES students.

In the beginning, we decided to build a database measuring what might work better than the currently accepted flipped classroom concept. This step was taken especially since it became more difficult for me over the years in the classroom to keep today’s device-driven students focused beyond 10 seconds or less on an assigned major concept for each of my fifty-minute classes. Retained learning was there but not at the expected levels. In the last 15-20 years as a college professor, especially in marketing and management courses, I have struggled to keep students’ attention, keep them engaged, and keep them on the desired path to improved retained learning of the important course concepts. Fortunately, the classic lecture format, “we speak-you listen”, was replaced years ago by variations of the flipped classroom—students read and studied course content on their own and came to class ready to discuss the major components and issues of what was being studied. However, in this environment, professors must also demonstrate how to apply major concepts to actual problems.

What are the Necessary Steps to Specifically Help SES Students?

We started with guidance from Jean Piaget’s Constructivist Learning Theory, “a process of constructing knowledge based on experience” which embraced active learning modalities as viable examples of the theory. In doing so, we were able to proceed to acceptable testing for TBL/PjBL (Task-Based Learning/Project-Based Learning), simulation, and TBL/PjBL aspects of active learning. With the promise of significantly improving student retained learning experiences, we proceeded to apply the processes to the major classroom concepts under study, connecting them to relevant, firsthand, rigorously applied applications. The best results came from the highest order TBL/PjBL combined modalities where teams chose their own community service projects,

How do you start this process? Some form of testing should be considered if such modalities have not been tried in the past. While our data collection was for entry level classes to a major, it is not recommended that you do that. For that class level, I recommend the simulation modality as offered by some of the major publishers. In addition, we found that problem-based learning, using specific real -world problems, did not work well in my classes as every semester had a different local problem supplied. I also realized that any single problem assignment for the semester in the PjBL format could not be stretched to cover all the semester’s major concepts in the discipline.

Here is a basic framework for using simulation or the TBL/PjBL combination in certain marketing, management, and other related business classes as examples:

1. Choose a Familiar Visualization

To start with, for any principles or like-named introductory classes in the major, regardless of how you introduce the higher order modalities, it is important that you choose a visualization for students to use in their application exercises. In marketing, I use a bookbag (backpack) because of the obvious student familiarity. In management, it might be a company. In sociology, it might be a defined demographic group. In picking a visualization, make sure students have experience with it as a necessary knowledge base on which to build their applications for greater retained learning. This step is essential in all forms of active learning, especially in the higher order modalities. Even though current generational students resist group work, I encouraged them to team up with a study partner (for experience) where they can help each other with content, application, and reporting (even though all submissions must be individual and not just copied from their partner).

If you do not have experience with simulation or TBL/PjBL, it is strongly recommended to test the various forms in a segment of the course, such as in the last four weeks. The easiest way to start this segment is to use a graded, flipped simulation where students apply the application outside of class in that timeframe, with you testing the applied learning results using one concept per week. The way I did this was to have each student submit a written weekly ¾ page minimum response showing how they applied that week’s concept. This will require extra work for you, but the results should be enlightening to your teaching success along with problem areas that should be addressed.

If you choose just simulation, McGraw Hill, for example, uses 8-10 application-based activities (called ABAs) for critical inclusion at set times throughout the semester. Because of the lack of student experience in a general business operation, I allowed three tries at each activity before posting a student’s grade. Two weeks before the end of the semester, I offered students extra credit if they ran the whole marketing process to sell backpacks. Anecdotally, adding TBL/PjBL modalities were too much for them to manage and there was too much group conflict. Thus, a month of individual response classes could be considered a capstone for the class. Now, with the introduction to generative AI, you will now need to review how to let the students use it as a source, just like Google or any other such media; however, be sure to have them quote their source along with properly noting with exact quotes for any AI content used as presented.

For your classes at upper levels such as marketing communications and consumer behavior, use the combined higher order active learning TBL/PjBL model. On the first day of class, define the visualization requirement; however, this will be different for each group as they choose their project. Next, in that same class period, note that they will be working in groups for their TBL/PjBL project with each formed group confirmed by you two weeks in. Define the group size as no more than four students; no less than two students if necessary (class size, resistance etc. may impact choices). Even if you have used or are familiar with higher order modalities in the classroom, you should review the most current literature on how and why components of cooperation must be included (which includes collaboration) and what constitutes an effective TBL/PjBL group. My colleague and I have found that TBL/PjBL projects worked better if developed, designed, and implemented by each student team and with our professorial guidance.

I suggest that you review the details on why the community service project is best, starting with Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, and Whitt (2005) who first mentioned this approach and recognized its benefits, and Kuh (2008) who expanded on them. See also von Freymann and Cuffe (2020) for six reasons to choose community service projects. Our university has been quite pleased with the outcomes and publicity—along with a sizable donation to one of our schools as a thank you.

2. Form Intentional Teams and Track Achievement Data

Be sure to devise measurement methods for data collection from the start of class to record and compare lower-level SES student achievement versus non-lower-level SES student achievements. Allowing groups to form on their own may not allow for using all the aspects of higher-order cooperation. As an aside: Group composition is often the most difficult step in upper-level classes as many may have their friends in class and who they feel more comfortable working with. A class vote has not worked in the past, so you need to consider setting up the teams yourself guided by your experience with these students and their posted GPAs. You will get some pushbacks, but you should explain in class at the beginning of the semester why this will work better for everyone in the end.

3. Syllabus Inclusions

Syllabus inclusions—promise and provide proper guidance throughout the semester with individual teams outside of class. Also review situations and/or results in class that apply to all the groups’ efforts. Once decided, be sure to update your syllabus with the revised details of what’s expected, how to do it, and what graded parts will be needed.

From the beginning, it’s important to clearly explain in your syllabus how the process will be conducted and assessed, including the required written submissions and final presentation for all higher-order modality applications. For TBL/PjBL, part of the process should require a group response of what was found in the literature review. This will help support the plan recommendation in the final written document and presentation. (Students in the simulation classes should be assigned some individual concept research as well to help them get used to using other sources.) Due to the added student workload, the team research should be submitted by mid-semester for acceptance and separate grading by the professor. Each team member must submit three to five supporting articles with an assessment of how it will help the planning process.

Using the tenants of Constructivist Theory for support, explain to students how the theory should work for them and remind them throughout the course to focus on what they might know, can vicariously relate to, and what they have adapted to, as their base experience in learning the course core concepts as they are revealed by you throughout the semester.

Dr. von Freymann spent thirty years in advertising and marketing as a practitioner working with many companies from high tech to consumer products, national to local. Moving on, Jeff earned an MBA and DBA, each with a marketing emphasis and spent the later part of his career teaching, settling at Wingate University as an associate professor. Using his business experience, he was able to show students how the business process works and why it’s essential for them to be able to apply that learning after graduation.

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May 30, 2025
Conversation and Coursework: Strategies to Engage Undergraduate Students with Course Content – Faculty Focus
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 reliant on students doing their part and completing the assigned reading. However, in recent semesters, students engaging in focused reading in which they annotate text is dwindling. There has been a noticeable decline in students’ engagement with course materials, evidenced by reduced annotations and superficial reading habits (Deale & Hyun, 2021; Mizrachi & Salaz, 2022). It seems as if a quick scan of one of the assigned pages is the best effort. Without adequate reading, students will be reluctant, or unable, to participate in class discussions and conversations for lack of understanding and fear of not ‘measuring-up’ to peers (Severe, E., Stalnaker, J., Hubbard, A., Hafen, C. H., & Bailey, E. G., 2024). Subsequently, instructor facilitated classroom conversations intended to enhance understanding of course content may stagnate and falter. Naturally, to maximize student engagement with course content, students must have a degree of self-awareness and desire to do the work assigned to meet the goal of understanding, and mastering, course content.

The frame of content engagement can look different based on course, instructor and level of student. In this case, engagement is on the ‘micro’ level as it offers ideas on what can happen before, during, and after class (Handelsman, M. M., Briggs, W. L., Sullivan, N., & Towler, 2005). While engagement can be observed in many forms, this piece focuses on transactional engagement in which students interact with each other and with the instructor (Zepke & Leach, 2010). As instructors, we can provide the tools to help students engage with content and meaningfully participate in conversation to develop a more robust understanding of coursework.

Course Context

I teach a required, writing-intensive course for students in their junior year of their undergraduate studies. In addition to a heavy writing component, there is also a heavy reading component. While students enjoy the subject matter, they are not terribly thrilled by the amount of reading they are expected to complete. Generally, students start the semester strong, by keeping up with reading, sharing key points and participating in organic content-based conversations. By week four, they hit a wall. There is a notable drop off in the reading and conversations. In an ongoing effort to support students, I altered the clarified expectations and gave more support to students, both in class and beyond.

Choices

Students are busy with layers of competing obligations including classes, work, university organizations and athletics that may impact their time to prepare for class. They may also feel underprepared for reading focused non-fiction, informational texts that require more attention than a casual fiction novel. Being mindful of some students’ sensitivity to what they perceive as inadequate skills, the strategies listed below were shared in class. The whole group presentation and in-class practice encouraged students to try all the tools and self-determine which was most helpful for the time and abilities.

Before Class

Students were introduced to three strategies to use to capture the key points of the assigned reading. The activities provide multiple entry points that allow students to utilize the tool right away.
1. SQ3R. Although this is not a new strategy, I was surprised at how few students had experience working with it. Preparing to join classroom discussions requires intentional preparation. Some students may feel underprepared and think a simple scan of the assigned readings will enable them to join a conversation. While that may work on a superficial level, robust, and meaningful conversation requires proactive work. For students unsure of how to read for maximum understanding a review of the SQ3R strategy is helpful. After a class introduction to the strategy, all students are given a handout with the students so they can utilize as they see fit.
SQ3R
1. Launchpad. For some students, the formulaic nature of a guided strategy, like the SQ3R, may be too limiting. For the student that wants to prepare for in-class conversation, preparing and providing a few open-ended reading reflection questions (launchpad ideas) may be useful. The questions are intentional few in nature so students can focus on responding to one or two and reading to find solid text evidence to support responses.
Launchpad Example 1

Launchpad Example 2
1. Sketchnoting. For students that best express their understanding visually, sketchnoting is a wonderful tool (Parks, 2022). Sketchnoting involves using images, words, and colors to make thinking visible on paper (or a device). When introduced in class as a worthwhile way to capture understating, students may be more likely to try the method rather than just trying to remember what they read.
Sketchnote

The First 10 Minutes of Class

Even with adequate preparation and readings, students get busy with other obligations between assigned coursework and class time. To help students feel prepared, the first 10 minutes (no more) of class is provided as a focused reflection.
1. Focused Reflection. During the 10-minute reflection, students may review their SQ3R notes, add to their reading reflections or sketchnotes. Students may also reread (or, for some, read) the assigned pages. For students that have done it all, they are tasked with doodle time. It’s not as unstructured as it seems.
1. Doodle Time. If a student is reluctant to participate in any of the focused reflections, they are given a doodle paper and three colored pencils. The expectation is to keep the pencils moving during the entire 10-minute period. Some students may start by drawing squiggles or lines, but they do transition into drawing sketches of things they’ve read. Once students believe there is no judgment on their artistic ability and that the focus time is really intended to help them think about the course content, they respond positively to the task. Some have even transitioned from doodling to sketchnoting because, as shared by one student, “it matches the way I think.”
By allowing this 10-minute period to capture thoughts, students have to ability to organize their thoughts and feel confident in their classroom conversation contributions. While it doesn’t level the field completely, and there are still students that do not read, those that do have shared they appreciate the time to refocus their attention on the coursework.

There are only two rules for focused reflection time. The rules are aimed at keeping the classroom distraction free.
1. No talking (to me or each other). The quiet period allows think-time for all students.
1. No devices. The device free period encourages students to independently think about the assigned readings without supporting- or competing- interests. Students are told candidly, I care about their input, not a generative AI summary of the reading.
Building a Safe Space for Conversations

Even with adequate preparation, sharing connections to coursework can be daunting. To support students in the process, a small to big approach is beneficial. First, students are assigned, by the instructor, into conversation corner groups. These groups are intentionally small to promote equitable opportunities to speak. With small classes, I create the groups and intentionally separate any groups of friends to provide opportunities for students to interact with others that may bring new perspectives to the conversation. For larger groups, a random group generator such as https://www.randomlists.com/team-generator can be used. After allowing small group conversation, the students are transitioned into whole group discussions in which they share understanding or respond to instructor posed questions as a group.

Getting the Conversation Going

Students may need help starting content-based conversations. Using a ‘fun’ tool engages students and allows all to have a chance to contribute.
1. Spinning Questions. Pickerwheel (https://pickerwheel.com) or Spin the Wheel (https://spinthewheel.io/#google_vignette) are sites that allow the instructor to enter questions into a spinning wheel. Students spin the wheel and respond to questions in small groups. Students can also create a discussion wheel in their instructor assigned small groups using the questions they created for their SQ3R notes.
1. Conversation Cards. The use of Conversation Cards can help students engage in focused conversation about course content. Students can either draw random card or review all cards and choose the one that is most appealing to them.
Conversation Card Example 1

Conversation Card Example 2

Conversation Card Example 3

Conversation Card Example 4

Conversation Card Example 5

Ending Class

Ending class with an individual account of progress toward mastering course content helps students self-determine their next steps.
1. Accountability Audits. As a ticket out the door, students can complete an exit slip capturing their efforts for the day. Instructors may use the exit tickets as participation grades or as formative assessments to determine how students are understanding content. With larger courses, the instructor may elect to review a random sample of the work, telling students the work is about personal reflection and accountability. Exit slips may be handwritten or they may be done electronically.
Accountability Audit
1. One Last Word. Sometimes extra paper and written work just won’t work. An alternative is to ask individuals, or small groups of students, to suggest one word that sums up the main points of class. The main caveat is no word may be repeated. This one is fun, quick and pushes students to categorize their learning. Please consider a note of caution—this one can quickly turn into a small competition with individuals or groups trying to go first so “their” word is not shared by another group. Don’t worry—it’s all in good fun.
While engaging with content cannot be forced, finding tools that are interesting for students, focused enough for instructors to feel confident valuable class time is used productively and reinforces key points can make learning accessible to all.

Melissa Parks, PhD, is an associate professor of education at Stetson University in Deland, FL. Dr. Parks is an active member of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and is currently a member of the NSTA Early Childhood- Elementary Science Teaching Committee. Her research interests include elementary pedagogies and environmental stewardship.

References

Deale, C. S., & Lee, S. H. (2021). To read or not to read? Exploring the reading habits of hospitality management students. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 34(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2020.1868317

Handelsman, M. M., Briggs, W. L., Sullivan, N., & Towler, A. (2005). A measure of college student course engagement. The Journal of Educational Research, 98(3), 184–192. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.98.3.184-192

Mizrachi, D., & Salaz, A. M. (2022). Reading format attitudes in the time of COVID. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 48(4), 102552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102552

Parks, M. (2022). Drawing in college: Using sketchnoting to support student engagement. Faculty Focus. Magna Publications.

Severe, E., Stalnaker, J., Hubbard, A., Hafen, C. H., & Bailey, E. G. (2024). To participate or not to participate? A qualitative investigation of students’ complex motivations for verbal classroom participation. PloS one, 19(2), e0297771. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297771

Zepke, N., & Leach, L. (2010). Improving student engagement: Ten proposals for action. Active Learning in Higher Education, 11, 167-177. doi:10.1177/1469787410379680
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May 21, 2025
Bridging the Gap: Active Learning Strategies for Traditional and Online Classrooms – Faculty Focus

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 a few of my students took notes while the remaining students sat passively, perhaps hoping my animated gestures and pacing would somehow osmotically transfer my explanation of classical conditioning into their brains. Meanwhile, in my online section of the same course, students worked through carefully crafted modules at their own pace, their participation in discussion boards ebbing and flowing unpredictably. That’s when it hit me—despite years of teaching experience, I’m still searching for ways to spark the same level of engagement whether I’m interacting with students face-to-face or through carefully designed asynchronous activities. These parallel yet distinct teaching environments demand intentional strategies that can adapt while maintaining their power to actively engage students in the learning process.

Rethinking Active Learning for Asynchronous Spaces

Traditional active learning techniques that work beautifully in my face-to-face classes often fall flat in the asynchronous online environment. Take the classic “turn to your neighbor and discuss” prompt that energizes my traditional classes—there’s no direct equivalent when students are logging in at different times throughout the week. Yet simply abandoning these proven engagement strategies isn’t the answer. Instead, we need to reimagine active learning for both spaces, maintaining the core principles while adapting the execution. The key is finding techniques that preserve what makes active learning so powerful—student engagement, peer interaction, and immediate application of concepts—while acknowledging the unique constraints and opportunities of each learning environment.

One of the most powerful techniques in my traditional classroom is the think-pair-share discussion format. Students have those precious moments to gather their thoughts before turning to a classmate to discuss concepts like confirmation bias or the impact of classical conditioning on everyday behavior. The students are energized as pairs merge into small groups, building on each other’s insights before sharing with the whole class. But how do we capture that same collaborative energy in an asynchronous environment?

I’ve found success by structuring online discussions in three distinct phases that mirror the in-person experience. First, students post their initial response to a thought-provoking prompt (the “think” phase). Then, they must meaningfully respond to two classmates’ posts, building on their ideas rather than simply agreeing (the “pair” phase). Finally, students return to their original post and reflect on how their understanding has evolved after engaging with their peers’ perspectives (the “share” phase). The key is crafting prompts that demand critical thinking—instead of asking “What is classical conditioning?” I might ask “How would you use classical conditioning principles to help someone overcome their fear of public speaking?”

Timing matters, too. In my face-to-face class, I allow two to three minutes for individual reflection, five minutes for pair discussions, and 10 minutes for group sharing. Online, I’ve found success with a similar proportional structure: two days for initial posts, three days for peer responses, and two days for final reflections. This creates a rhythm that keeps the discussion moving while accommodating varied schedules.

Designing Collaborative Learning Experiences

Interactive content creation transforms how students engage with course material in both environments. In my traditional classes, I divide students into small groups to create concept maps exploring the relationships between different psychological disorders. Armed with markers and paper, they work collaboratively to connect concepts like anxiety, depression, and trauma responses, discovering links they might have missed studying alone. The energy is palpable as groups share their maps, debating connections and building on each other’s insights.

For my online students, I’ve adapted this activity using collaborative digital tools. Students work in small groups throughout the week to build their concept maps using shared online workspaces. Each student must add at least three concepts and make meaningful connections to their groupmates’ contributions. The asynchronous format actually offers an advantage here – students have time to think deeply about their contributions and can watch their group’s map evolve over several days. I provide specific deadlines for initial contributions and peer feedback to maintain momentum.

I have found that the key to success in either environment lies in providing clear examples of strong concept maps at the outset, establishing specific criteria for meaningful connections, and requiring students to explain their reasoning for each link they create. Deadlines for each phase keep the momentum going, while incorporating peer evaluation into the final grade ensures consistent participation. The resulting maps often reveal insights that surprise both me and my students, demonstrating how collaborative learning can deepen understanding regardless of the teaching modality.

Measuring Engagement and Refining Strategy

One-minute papers serve as powerful self-assessment tools in my traditional classes. For example, at the end of our discussion on memory formation, I ask students to quickly write down the most important concept they learned and one question they still have. This simple exercise reveals gaps in understanding and helps students consolidate their learning. In our next class, I address the most common questions, creating a feedback loop that keeps everyone engaged.

For my online students, I’ve transformed this into structured reflection journals. After completing each module, students must identify their key takeaway and pose one substantive question about the material. The asynchronous format allows for deeper reflection, and I’ve noticed online students often make fascinating connections to their personal experiences. Each week, I compile the most thought-provoking questions into a FAQ document, creating a collaborative resource that benefits the entire class.

Success in both formats require clear guidelines about what constitutes a meaningful reflection versus surface-level observations. Students stating that “the limbic system processes emotions” won’t suffice—they need to explain how this knowledge changes their understanding of human behavior. This approach not only reinforces learning but also develops critical thinking skills that serve students well beyond our course.

Measuring engagement across different learning environments requires that I use a systematic approach. In my traditional classroom, I track participation through observation and collect quick feedback via index cards. For my online students, I monitor not just the frequency but the quality of their discussion posts and collaborative work. The key metrics that I use remain consistent across both spaces: depth of analysis, peer interaction quality, and concept application.

I use a simple framework that examines three elements: initial engagement (participation in discussions or activities), sustained interaction (meaningful responses to peers), and learning application (connecting concepts to real-world scenarios). For each component, I look for evidence of critical thinking rather than mere completion. This approach helps identify which strategies are working and which need adjustment.

Beyond quantitative measures, I pay attention to qualitative indicators like the sophistication of student questions and the complexity of peer-to-peer discussions. These insights guide my refinement of teaching strategies in both environments, ensuring that active learning remains effective regardless of delivery method.

As the spring semester progressed, I saw the impact of the adapted strategies in both my traditional and online psychology classes. Those initially passive students in my traditional class began to engage in our active learning exercises, while my online students built an active learning community through their thoughtful asynchronous interactions. In my experience, the key isn’t choosing between traditional and online teaching methods—it’s understanding how to preserve active learning while adapting strategies to fit each unique environment. By reimagining rather than simply transplanting these strategies, we can create engaging learning experiences that work effectively across both spaces.

Dr. Dunja “Dee” Trunk, a professor of psychology at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, has a passion for teaching and a genuine belief in the transformative power of education.

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May 5, 2025
Bridging the Gap: Active Learning Strategies for Traditional and Online Classrooms – Faculty Focus

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 a few of my students took notes while the remaining students sat passively, perhaps hoping my animated gestures and pacing would somehow osmotically transfer my explanation of classical conditioning into their brains. Meanwhile, in my online section of the same course, students worked through carefully crafted modules at their own pace, their participation in discussion boards ebbing and flowing unpredictably. That’s when it hit me—despite years of teaching experience, I’m still searching for ways to spark the same level of engagement whether I’m interacting with students face-to-face or through carefully designed asynchronous activities. These parallel yet distinct teaching environments demand intentional strategies that can adapt while maintaining their power to actively engage students in the learning process.

Rethinking Active Learning for Asynchronous Spaces

Traditional active learning techniques that work beautifully in my face-to-face classes often fall flat in the asynchronous online environment. Take the classic “turn to your neighbor and discuss” prompt that energizes my traditional classes—there’s no direct equivalent when students are logging in at different times throughout the week. Yet simply abandoning these proven engagement strategies isn’t the answer. Instead, we need to reimagine active learning for both spaces, maintaining the core principles while adapting the execution. The key is finding techniques that preserve what makes active learning so powerful—student engagement, peer interaction, and immediate application of concepts—while acknowledging the unique constraints and opportunities of each learning environment.

One of the most powerful techniques in my traditional classroom is the think-pair-share discussion format. Students have those precious moments to gather their thoughts before turning to a classmate to discuss concepts like confirmation bias or the impact of classical conditioning on everyday behavior. The students are energized as pairs merge into small groups, building on each other’s insights before sharing with the whole class. But how do we capture that same collaborative energy in an asynchronous environment?

I’ve found success by structuring online discussions in three distinct phases that mirror the in-person experience. First, students post their initial response to a thought-provoking prompt (the “think” phase). Then, they must meaningfully respond to two classmates’ posts, building on their ideas rather than simply agreeing (the “pair” phase). Finally, students return to their original post and reflect on how their understanding has evolved after engaging with their peers’ perspectives (the “share” phase). The key is crafting prompts that demand critical thinking—instead of asking “What is classical conditioning?” I might ask “How would you use classical conditioning principles to help someone overcome their fear of public speaking?”

Timing matters, too. In my face-to-face class, I allow two to three minutes for individual reflection, five minutes for pair discussions, and 10 minutes for group sharing. Online, I’ve found success with a similar proportional structure: two days for initial posts, three days for peer responses, and two days for final reflections. This creates a rhythm that keeps the discussion moving while accommodating varied schedules.

Designing Collaborative Learning Experiences

Interactive content creation transforms how students engage with course material in both environments. In my traditional classes, I divide students into small groups to create concept maps exploring the relationships between different psychological disorders. Armed with markers and paper, they work collaboratively to connect concepts like anxiety, depression, and trauma responses, discovering links they might have missed studying alone. The energy is palpable as groups share their maps, debating connections and building on each other’s insights.

For my online students, I’ve adapted this activity using collaborative digital tools. Students work in small groups throughout the week to build their concept maps using shared online workspaces. Each student must add at least three concepts and make meaningful connections to their groupmates’ contributions. The asynchronous format actually offers an advantage here – students have time to think deeply about their contributions and can watch their group’s map evolve over several days. I provide specific deadlines for initial contributions and peer feedback to maintain momentum.

I have found that the key to success in either environment lies in providing clear examples of strong concept maps at the outset, establishing specific criteria for meaningful connections, and requiring students to explain their reasoning for each link they create. Deadlines for each phase keep the momentum going, while incorporating peer evaluation into the final grade ensures consistent participation. The resulting maps often reveal insights that surprise both me and my students, demonstrating how collaborative learning can deepen understanding regardless of the teaching modality.

Measuring Engagement and Refining Strategy

One-minute papers serve as powerful self-assessment tools in my traditional classes. For example, at the end of our discussion on memory formation, I ask students to quickly write down the most important concept they learned and one question they still have. This simple exercise reveals gaps in understanding and helps students consolidate their learning. In our next class, I address the most common questions, creating a feedback loop that keeps everyone engaged.

For my online students, I’ve transformed this into structured reflection journals. After completing each module, students must identify their key takeaway and pose one substantive question about the material. The asynchronous format allows for deeper reflection, and I’ve noticed online students often make fascinating connections to their personal experiences. Each week, I compile the most thought-provoking questions into a FAQ document, creating a collaborative resource that benefits the entire class.

Success in both formats require clear guidelines about what constitutes a meaningful reflection versus surface-level observations. Students stating that “the limbic system processes emotions” won’t suffice—they need to explain how this knowledge changes their understanding of human behavior. This approach not only reinforces learning but also develops critical thinking skills that serve students well beyond our course.

Measuring engagement across different learning environments requires that I use a systematic approach. In my traditional classroom, I track participation through observation and collect quick feedback via index cards. For my online students, I monitor not just the frequency but the quality of their discussion posts and collaborative work. The key metrics that I use remain consistent across both spaces: depth of analysis, peer interaction quality, and concept application.

I use a simple framework that examines three elements: initial engagement (participation in discussions or activities), sustained interaction (meaningful responses to peers), and learning application (connecting concepts to real-world scenarios). For each component, I look for evidence of critical thinking rather than mere completion. This approach helps identify which strategies are working and which need adjustment.

Beyond quantitative measures, I pay attention to qualitative indicators like the sophistication of student questions and the complexity of peer-to-peer discussions. These insights guide my refinement of teaching strategies in both environments, ensuring that active learning remains effective regardless of delivery method.

As the spring semester progressed, I saw the impact of the adapted strategies in both my traditional and online psychology classes. Those initially passive students in my traditional class began to engage in our active learning exercises, while my online students built an active learning community through their thoughtful asynchronous interactions. In my experience, the key isn’t choosing between traditional and online teaching methods—it’s understanding how to preserve active learning while adapting strategies to fit each unique environment. By reimagining rather than simply transplanting these strategies, we can create engaging learning experiences that work effectively across both spaces.

Dr. Dunja “Dee” Trunk, a professor of psychology at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, has a passion for teaching and a genuine belief in the transformative power of education.

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May 5, 2025
Engaging Students in Meaningful Learning Experiences – Faculty Focus
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 do what turned out to be one of my most rewarding teaching experiences. I taught a group of students unlike any I had taught over the span of my long teaching experience in diverse settings and institutions.

The students portrayed an exceptional level of behavioral engagement. This surprised me since I had never seen them before, and I was new to them. I had not had the chance to establish any social or emotional bonds with them. I could see them taking their own notes during the lessons, never asking me for my slides, a common practice among other students I have taught. They would work on the assigned tasks in class and use their time efficiently. Assigned homework was always completed without me having to send them reminders. When I gave a break during a session, many would open books and read until the class resumed.

It happened that my class was interrupted by the New Year’s one-day holiday. I asked the class after the holiday to think of a new year’s resolution, and to my surprise, a handful of students said that they intended to increase the number of books they would read in the coming year.

At the end of my visit, I left those students and went back home to my regular educational setting. I found myself reflecting on my own recent experience. In my setting, most teachers I work with grapple with the challenge of engaging their students in their learning; thus, they work hard on providing students with incentives and support to stay on tasks, contribute to their groups, and complete their assigned work. I know that many of those teachers designed very good learning experiences and tried to accommodate their students’ needs, yet they did not observe the engagement they hoped for.

This contrast raised several questions:
- What are we missing as educators when it comes to student engagement?
- Are the challenges related to the curriculum, the school, or the larger context extending beyond the school to the home and society?
- Is it the collective perception toward education a factor in fostering student engagement? Have educators and parents been able to help students understand the bigger meaning behind their school experiences and tasks?
- Have we been able to help them make the connection between these tasks and their reality?
- Has the system taken these into considerations when designing the educational curricula?
Talking about relating learning experiences to real life brings to my attention how this group of young management students integrated their academic knowledge with their online profiles. Many connected with me on LinkedIn, where I have been seeing them share deep reflections and insights from their studies. Although they are still in their early years of their university studies, they express their opinions and stand as though they are experts in their field. They report on activities they engage in related to what they study and reflect on what they encounter and experience. They provide bulleted lists of advice and practice. Reading their posts, I see these students already can foretell their placement in life after they graduate and are acting accordingly. This could be a reason why they embrace schoolwork and engage with it willingly.

I end with two incidents from my visit that resonate with me. For one of the assessments, I conducted an online, objective-type quiz, consisting mainly of multiple-choice questions. The class speed in which the students submitted their responses led me to think they had worked collectively on a WhatsApp group. When I raised this concern, one student who seemed offended assured me that they would not do such a thing. This claim was validated when I graded the final exam, a rigorous three-hour subjective type of exam. The class average was an impressive A.

The second incident was when I asked the class for feedback on my teaching, as I usually do towards the end of a semester. One student advised me: “Next time you teach here, be tougher on students. We are used to working hard, and we can handle it.” I had never heard of anything similar from a student; on the contrary I have students who often request reduced workload and extended deadlines.

Reflecting on this experience, I believe the following can be considered as main takeaways for educators:
- Design meaningful learning experiences: The type of learning experiences we design for our students should relate to their realities and be meaningful and to where the students see themselves later in life
- Recognize the multifaceted nature of engagement: Student engagement is not necessarily the product of the teacher’s efforts but a myriad of aspects including the curriculum, perceptions, school and culture.
- Allow students’ voices: Listening to the students’ voices provides us with a lot of tips on how we can improve the learning experiences for them and attend to what they think they need help with.
- Foster student accountability: There are ways to help students be accountable to their own actions and to behave responsibly towards their learning
- Cultivate academic integrity: academic integrity can be achieved effortlessly when students are interested in what they do and understand the positive impact of their learning on their lives.
Amal Farhat has experience in teaching and instructional coaching at K-12 schools and higher education. She has worked in the private and public sectors. Her interests mainly pertain to the development of professional learning communities through positive, constructive interactions among stakeholders of an institution. In higher education, she taught in the Faculty of Letters and Humanities and Faculty of Education. Additionally, she works as a teaching and learning specialist supporting faculty members with their teaching practices. Amal holds a PhD in education from the Doctoral Institute at Lebanese University, a counseling in pedagogy diploma from St. Joseph University, and is CAEL (Certificate in Advanced Education Leadership) certified from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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May 2, 2025
Beyond Evaluation: Using Peer Observation to Strengthen Teaching Practices – Faculty Focus
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 explore the practices of their colleagues or seek advice on their own, which leads them to work in isolation. This isolation can hinder their professional development and growth, especially if they do not take the time to reflect on their own teaching methods and practices. Ultimately, student learning is impacted. One effective practice that can break this cycle is peer observation.

Peer observation is a valuable university practice with mutual benefits for the observer and observee, with an emphasis on learning, reflection, and improvement to enhance teaching methods and overall practices. Exploring peer observation models, their stages, and practical methods and resources for use in higher education are all part of this process. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement through pedagogical observation, educators engage in dialogue to share insights, plan for instructional improvement, self-reflect, adopt effective strategies, and refine teaching practices.

Models of Peer Observation

The focus of the peer observation defines its goal, context, and the way the participants act and feel toward the process. Based on the focus, peer observations can be classified into two models: formative-developmental and summative-evaluative.

While the formative-developmental observation aims to enhance and promote the improvement of teaching skills within a supportive and collegial context, the summative-evaluative observation aims to evaluate and judge the faculty based on the observation. Therefore, if an institution aims at improving the teaching practices of its faculty members and wants them to engage in professional development activities that they welcome and accept, it should incorporate a formative-developmental type of observation.

Although summative-evaluative peer observations are needed to evaluate the teaching skills of faculty members, we believe that it is a fair practice for the faculty to experience formative-developmental observations several times and to receive the necessary support before they undergo an evaluative observation especially if it is high-stakes in that it impacts their job retention or promotion. In our discussion, we will focus on formative-developmental observations because we are interested in practices that help in the improvement of teaching practices in educational institutions.

Benefits of Formative-developmental Observations

When approached as a developmental or formative practice, peer observations afford faculty valuable opportunities to improve their practices and grow professionally. This is mainly true if observations are done periodically, rather than as one-shot classroom visits, when the outcomes of one observation feed into another, and when on-going dialogue between the observer and the observee takes place. The practices of the process of classroom observations are critical as they:
- Encourage professional growth: Formative observations provide faculty with structured opportunities to enhance their teaching skills and improve student learning outcomes.
- Facilitate reflective practice: Formative observations enable faculty to critically assess their teaching methods and refine their instructional approaches.
- Support learning in and from practice: As highlighted by Ball and Cohen (1999), learning is most effective when embedded in practice, making peer observations a powerful tool for professional development.
- Promote the haring of best practices: Faculty can observe, discuss, and integrate effective teaching strategies used by their peers.
- Challenge teaching assumptions: Through peer feedback and reflection, faculty can identify and modify ingrained teaching habits to enhance student engagement.
- Build confidence in implementing new strategies: Observing peers in action helps faculty see new techniques in practice, making them more confident in adopting these approaches.
- Enhance course content and delivery: observations allow for a structured review of both the material taught and the teaching methods used, leading to refinements in instruction.
- Strengthen collegial support and collaboration: Collegial observations enhance a culture of open dialogue among faculty, fostering a supportive and collaborative academic environment.
- Improve teaching and learning quality: Observations encourage continuous improvement in instructional effectiveness, ultimately benefiting student learning experiences.
Stages of Formative-developmental Observations

Peer observations have numerous merits. They can be perceived as a cyclic process, each cycle including a peer observation session that is preceded and followed by meetings between the observer and the faculty whose class is to be observed, thus making it a three-stage process. Each of the stages has its benefits and contributes to the overall outcome of the process if done with a clear purpose in a safe, collegial, and supportive context. The three stages are:
- Pre-observation: To introduce the process and set the stage for effective peer observation, it is necessary to discuss the observation goals and establish mutual expectations for the process, in addition to discussing the session learning outcomes, learning activities and any content or documents that will be used during the observed session. This stage helps the observer clarify the goal of the observation and establishes an atmosphere of collaboration between the observer and the observee which reduces anxiety on the part of the observee. Moreover, it allows the observee to clarify the lesson context and allows for customization of the lesson before the observation takes place.
- Lesson Observation: This includes observing a teaching session with all its happenings such as teaching strategies, students’ engagement, modes of interaction, indicators of learning, assessment tasks, questioning techniques, and learning activities. At this stage, the observer collects notes describing what is observed without making any judgment about the performance of the teacher. To this end, we prefer using the narrative log as it enables the observer to document the timing of behaviors, techniques, and actions of both the observed instructor and the students. These are recorded objectively; i.e., recording solely what is observed without including any of the observer’s judgments. However, the observer can add comments or questions about the classroom events to be discussed later in the post-observation meeting. Narrative logs are considered an effective tool to describe verbal and non-verbal behavior, highlighting what the observer sees rather than making judgements (Chism, 2007). To this end, the observer must keep in mind the golden rule: Learning to see, unlearning to judge.
- Post- observation: At this stage, discussion of the class activities and reflection occurs. The observer uses the observation notes collected during the lesson observation to lead the discussion and to refer to for evidence for the different points being discussed. The observee reflects on the class; and the observer, to provide helpful feedback, seeks to understand more about the classroom by asking questions for clarification or to gain a clearer understanding of the lesson, students, and content. An excellent tool designed by Project-Zero at Harvard University is the Ladder of Feedback, which can help structure the discussion to be constructive, supportive and growth-promoting in a non-threatening manner.
The post-observation meeting should occur as soon as possible after the observation. The discussion in this stage should lead to an action plan. Therefore, as a good practice, the observer can summarize the points discussed in this meeting, emphasize points of strength, provide suggestions toward improving teaching practices, and agree with the observee on an action plan for improvement. The date for the following observation or meeting can be scheduled at the end of this stage.

How to Encourage Peer Observation in Higher Education

Although peer observation is a vital practice for professional development, it is not well-perceived by faculty members, and it is not a common practice in universities. Faculty members are mostly reluctant to voluntarily participate in peer observation. Thus, we recommend that universities start developing a culture of trust and collegiality to support this practice. At the personal level of faculty members, they can be encouraged to ask their colleagues to observe their classrooms and collect notes during the observations. To sharpen this practice and make it more relevant to one’s instructional needs, the observee can set specific goals for the observation. These suggestions can help promote the culture where peer observation becomes a practice for continuous, accessible professional development that can transform universities into learning communities and make them better learning spaces for their faculty members.

Dr. Siham Al Amoush is an experienced educator specializing in teacher education and higher education professional development, she obtained her PhD in Chemistry Education from Bremen University, where she researched and compared teacher beliefs in Jordan, Turkey, and Germany. She has published several papers in international journals on topics such as teacher beliefs, curriculum design, and technology integration in the classroom. Passionate about improving teacher education and supporting educators to reach their full potential, she aims to make a difference in the education system through collaboration between different sectors. Currently, she works in faculty development at the Excellence in Teaching and Learning Center at Qatar University.

Dr. Amal Farhat is an experienced educator and instructional coach with a background in both K-12 and higher education across the private and public sectors. She is interested in fostering professional learning communities through positive, constructive collaboration among all institutional stakeholders. In higher education, she has taught future educators and supported faculty in enhancing their teaching practices. Dr. Farhat holds a PhD in Education from the Lebanese University, a Counseling in Pedagogy diploma from St. Joseph University, and a CAEL certification from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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April 2, 2025
Beyond Evaluation: Using Peer Observation to Strengthen Teaching Practices – Faculty Focus
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 explore the practices of their colleagues or seek advice on their own, which leads them to work in isolation. This isolation can hinder their professional development and growth, especially if they do not take the time to reflect on their own teaching methods and practices. Ultimately, student learning is impacted. One effective practice that can break this cycle is peer observation.

Peer observation is a valuable university practice with mutual benefits for the observer and observee, with an emphasis on learning, reflection, and improvement to enhance teaching methods and overall practices. Exploring peer observation models, their stages, and practical methods and resources for use in higher education are all part of this process. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement through pedagogical observation, educators engage in dialogue to share insights, plan for instructional improvement, self-reflect, adopt effective strategies, and refine teaching practices.

Models of Peer Observation

The focus of the peer observation defines its goal, context, and the way the participants act and feel toward the process. Based on the focus, peer observations can be classified into two models: formative-developmental and summative-evaluative.

While the formative-developmental observation aims to enhance and promote the improvement of teaching skills within a supportive and collegial context, the summative-evaluative observation aims to evaluate and judge the faculty based on the observation. Therefore, if an institution aims at improving the teaching practices of its faculty members and wants them to engage in professional development activities that they welcome and accept, it should incorporate a formative-developmental type of observation.

Although summative-evaluative peer observations are needed to evaluate the teaching skills of faculty members, we believe that it is a fair practice for the faculty to experience formative-developmental observations several times and to receive the necessary support before they undergo an evaluative observation especially if it is high-stakes in that it impacts their job retention or promotion. In our discussion, we will focus on formative-developmental observations because we are interested in practices that help in the improvement of teaching practices in educational institutions.

Benefits of Formative-developmental Observations

When approached as a developmental or formative practice, peer observations afford faculty valuable opportunities to improve their practices and grow professionally. This is mainly true if observations are done periodically, rather than as one-shot classroom visits, when the outcomes of one observation feed into another, and when on-going dialogue between the observer and the observee takes place. The practices of the process of classroom observations are critical as they:
- Encourage professional growth: Formative observations provide faculty with structured opportunities to enhance their teaching skills and improve student learning outcomes.
- Facilitate reflective practice: Formative observations enable faculty to critically assess their teaching methods and refine their instructional approaches.
- Support learning in and from practice: As highlighted by Ball and Cohen (1999), learning is most effective when embedded in practice, making peer observations a powerful tool for professional development.
- Promote the haring of best practices: Faculty can observe, discuss, and integrate effective teaching strategies used by their peers.
- Challenge teaching assumptions: Through peer feedback and reflection, faculty can identify and modify ingrained teaching habits to enhance student engagement.
- Build confidence in implementing new strategies: Observing peers in action helps faculty see new techniques in practice, making them more confident in adopting these approaches.
- Enhance course content and delivery: observations allow for a structured review of both the material taught and the teaching methods used, leading to refinements in instruction.
- Strengthen collegial support and collaboration: Collegial observations enhance a culture of open dialogue among faculty, fostering a supportive and collaborative academic environment.
- Improve teaching and learning quality: Observations encourage continuous improvement in instructional effectiveness, ultimately benefiting student learning experiences.
Stages of Formative-developmental Observations

Peer observations have numerous merits. They can be perceived as a cyclic process, each cycle including a peer observation session that is preceded and followed by meetings between the observer and the faculty whose class is to be observed, thus making it a three-stage process. Each of the stages has its benefits and contributes to the overall outcome of the process if done with a clear purpose in a safe, collegial, and supportive context. The three stages are:
- Pre-observation: To introduce the process and set the stage for effective peer observation, it is necessary to discuss the observation goals and establish mutual expectations for the process, in addition to discussing the session learning outcomes, learning activities and any content or documents that will be used during the observed session. This stage helps the observer clarify the goal of the observation and establishes an atmosphere of collaboration between the observer and the observee which reduces anxiety on the part of the observee. Moreover, it allows the observee to clarify the lesson context and allows for customization of the lesson before the observation takes place.
- Lesson Observation: This includes observing a teaching session with all its happenings such as teaching strategies, students’ engagement, modes of interaction, indicators of learning, assessment tasks, questioning techniques, and learning activities. At this stage, the observer collects notes describing what is observed without making any judgment about the performance of the teacher. To this end, we prefer using the narrative log as it enables the observer to document the timing of behaviors, techniques, and actions of both the observed instructor and the students. These are recorded objectively; i.e., recording solely what is observed without including any of the observer’s judgments. However, the observer can add comments or questions about the classroom events to be discussed later in the post-observation meeting. Narrative logs are considered an effective tool to describe verbal and non-verbal behavior, highlighting what the observer sees rather than making judgements (Chism, 2007). To this end, the observer must keep in mind the golden rule: Learning to see, unlearning to judge.
- Post- observation: At this stage, discussion of the class activities and reflection occurs. The observer uses the observation notes collected during the lesson observation to lead the discussion and to refer to for evidence for the different points being discussed. The observee reflects on the class; and the observer, to provide helpful feedback, seeks to understand more about the classroom by asking questions for clarification or to gain a clearer understanding of the lesson, students, and content. An excellent tool designed by Project-Zero at Harvard University is the Ladder of Feedback, which can help structure the discussion to be constructive, supportive and growth-promoting in a non-threatening manner.
The post-observation meeting should occur as soon as possible after the observation. The discussion in this stage should lead to an action plan. Therefore, as a good practice, the observer can summarize the points discussed in this meeting, emphasize points of strength, provide suggestions toward improving teaching practices, and agree with the observee on an action plan for improvement. The date for the following observation or meeting can be scheduled at the end of this stage.

How to Encourage Peer Observation in Higher Education

Although peer observation is a vital practice for professional development, it is not well-perceived by faculty members, and it is not a common practice in universities. Faculty members are mostly reluctant to voluntarily participate in peer observation. Thus, we recommend that universities start developing a culture of trust and collegiality to support this practice. At the personal level of faculty members, they can be encouraged to ask their colleagues to observe their classrooms and collect notes during the observations. To sharpen this practice and make it more relevant to one’s instructional needs, the observee can set specific goals for the observation. These suggestions can help promote the culture where peer observation becomes a practice for continuous, accessible professional development that can transform universities into learning communities and make them better learning spaces for their faculty members.

Dr. Siham Al Amoush is an experienced educator specializing in teacher education and higher education professional development, she obtained her PhD in Chemistry Education from Bremen University, where she researched and compared teacher beliefs in Jordan, Turkey, and Germany. She has published several papers in international journals on topics such as teacher beliefs, curriculum design, and technology integration in the classroom. Passionate about improving teacher education and supporting educators to reach their full potential, she aims to make a difference in the education system through collaboration between different sectors. Currently, she works in faculty development at the Excellence in Teaching and Learning Center at Qatar University.

Dr. Amal Farhat is an experienced educator and instructional coach with a background in both K-12 and higher education across the private and public sectors. She is interested in fostering professional learning communities through positive, constructive collaboration among all institutional stakeholders. In higher education, she has taught future educators and supported faculty in enhancing their teaching practices. Dr. Farhat holds a PhD in Education from the Lebanese University, a Counseling in Pedagogy diploma from St. Joseph University, and a CAEL certification from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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April 2, 2025
Due Dates Provide a Structure for Spaced Learning – Faculty Focus

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 have a standard missed due date policy, 1) let me know (communication) and 2) get it done in a week (extended deadline). The students requesting to stockpile assignments at the end of the semester usually had not completed the assignment at all or had not completed the assignment even with an extended deadline. Basically, they hadn’t even tried to complete assignments. It wasn’t like they had completed it at 12:01 am and it was due at 11:59 pm.

That being said, I do wonder, Why not grant a student’s request to get it (the class) all done at once? You know the requests: “I know this already. Isn’t there a test I can take so I don’t have to sit through the class?” or “I am sure I can get all these assignments done before finals week.” It makes sense that if a student can pass all the assessments, they should pass the class. So why not just complete all the assessments at the same time?

Would these students who were absent from most of the class or hadn’t done any of the assignments on their due dates pass the class with a C or better? Probably. So why enforce due dates at all. Why shouldn’t a professor simply allow a student to complete all the assignments before final grades are due without regard to timing?

The caveat in this “all at once” scenario is that a successful grade is wrongly associated with learning. If a student completes all the assignments in a few days during the semester, then assessments are the sole criteria used to define successful learning. However, the truth is that learning means much more than successfully navigating a certain percentage of the assignments.

In my reality, most students could use their previous knowledge to muddle through the assessments of an introductory course at an accelerated pace. Let’s view the situation from the perspective of a student. They have after all been in school for the last 13 years and they have become really good at taking quizzes and exams and writing essays with thesis statements. My pre- and post-quiz data for the course reveals this. At the beginning of the semester without warning, I ask a group of anxious, ill-prepared students to (within a limited and unreasonable amount of time) answer 20 questions about a topic that they haven’t even considered before walking into the room. The questions are a sampling of the final exam. The average on the pre-quiz hovers at about 50%. Given more time and a couple of days to study and contemplate, most of these students would pass the pre-quiz, and in essence, have the knowledge required to pass the final exam.

Nevertheless, is completing all the assessments what defines learning the contents of a course? Should a student be allowed to stockpile all the assignments and get credit for them as long as they get them done before the final grades are due. In my humble opinion, absolutely not, and it’s not for the classic soft skills reason. Of course, deadlines help students to navigate the world, (e.g. being responsible). After all, the professor is required to turn in final grades by a deadline.

That said, to me, deadlines are important because people (not just students) learn best when information is spaced out or interleaved (Birnbaum et al., 2013; Samani and Pan, 2021). In order to retrieve something from memory, you need time to learn it. Retrieving information is when you know something without having to look it up—like your name and phone number or all the lyrics of your favorite song. This type of learning requires time—spaced learning. You need to learn it, forget it, be asked about it, refresh it, forget it, be asked about it, refresh it and then if you’re lucky you can retrieve it (Feng et al., 2019; Kobayashi, 2022). This is considered spaced learning and is why deadlines are so important.

Due dates provide the structure for spaced learning and learning that is more substantive. Much to the chagrin of the student who wants to “get it all done at once,” this isn’t the way to learn retrievable material. Retrieving information is what allows you to progress to the next set of information and then progress to creativity and eventually creation. Assessments play a crucial role, but true learning doesn’t come from merely completing them. Instead, it happens through active participation in class, where students engage with the material and are consistently challenged by the professor to recall and apply previous lessons.

As professors, we should enforce due dates to give students the time to learn content in a meaningful and retrievable way. But maybe, just maybe, we can do it with a spoon full of sugar.

Adriana J. LaGier is an American Cell Biologist, whose main area of research is active learning and mechanobiology. She is a professor of biology at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, specializing in teaching undergraduate level general biology and cell biology courses.

References

Birnbaum, Monica S., Nate Kornell, Elizabeth Ligon Bjork, and Robert A. Bjork. 2013. “Why Interleaving Enhances Inductive Learning: The Roles of Discrimination and Retrieval.” Memory & Cognition 41 (3): 392–402. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-012-0272-7.

Feng, Kanyin, Xiao Zhao, Jing Liu, Ying Cai, Zhifang Ye, Chuansheng Chen, and Gui Xue. 2019. “Spaced Learning Enhances Episodic Memory by Increasing Neural Pattern Similarity Across Repetitions.” The Journal of Neuroscience 39 (27): 5351–60. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNeurosci.2741-18.2019.

Kobayashi, Keiichi. 2022. “The Retrieval Practice Hypothesis in Research on Learning by Teaching: Current Status and Challenges.” Frontiers in Psychology 13 (May):842668. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.842668.

Samani, Joshua, and Steven C. Pan. 2021. “Interleaved Practice Enhances Memory and Problem-Solving Ability in Undergraduate Physics.” NPJ Science of Learning 6 (November):32. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-021-00110-x.

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March 28, 2025
Due Dates Provide a Structure for Spaced Learning – Faculty Focus

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 have a standard missed due date policy, 1) let me know (communication) and 2) get it done in a week (extended deadline). The students requesting to stockpile assignments at the end of the semester usually had not completed the assignment at all or had not completed the assignment even with an extended deadline. Basically, they hadn’t even tried to complete assignments. It wasn’t like they had completed it at 12:01 am and it was due at 11:59 pm.

That being said, I do wonder, Why not grant a student’s request to get it (the class) all done at once? You know the requests: “I know this already. Isn’t there a test I can take so I don’t have to sit through the class?” or “I am sure I can get all these assignments done before finals week.” It makes sense that if a student can pass all the assessments, they should pass the class. So why not just complete all the assessments at the same time?

Would these students who were absent from most of the class or hadn’t done any of the assignments on their due dates pass the class with a C or better? Probably. So why enforce due dates at all. Why shouldn’t a professor simply allow a student to complete all the assignments before final grades are due without regard to timing?

The caveat in this “all at once” scenario is that a successful grade is wrongly associated with learning. If a student completes all the assignments in a few days during the semester, then assessments are the sole criteria used to define successful learning. However, the truth is that learning means much more than successfully navigating a certain percentage of the assignments.

In my reality, most students could use their previous knowledge to muddle through the assessments of an introductory course at an accelerated pace. Let’s view the situation from the perspective of a student. They have after all been in school for the last 13 years and they have become really good at taking quizzes and exams and writing essays with thesis statements. My pre- and post-quiz data for the course reveals this. At the beginning of the semester without warning, I ask a group of anxious, ill-prepared students to (within a limited and unreasonable amount of time) answer 20 questions about a topic that they haven’t even considered before walking into the room. The questions are a sampling of the final exam. The average on the pre-quiz hovers at about 50%. Given more time and a couple of days to study and contemplate, most of these students would pass the pre-quiz, and in essence, have the knowledge required to pass the final exam.

Nevertheless, is completing all the assessments what defines learning the contents of a course? Should a student be allowed to stockpile all the assignments and get credit for them as long as they get them done before the final grades are due. In my humble opinion, absolutely not, and it’s not for the classic soft skills reason. Of course, deadlines help students to navigate the world, (e.g. being responsible). After all, the professor is required to turn in final grades by a deadline.

That said, to me, deadlines are important because people (not just students) learn best when information is spaced out or interleaved (Birnbaum et al., 2013; Samani and Pan, 2021). In order to retrieve something from memory, you need time to learn it. Retrieving information is when you know something without having to look it up—like your name and phone number or all the lyrics of your favorite song. This type of learning requires time—spaced learning. You need to learn it, forget it, be asked about it, refresh it, forget it, be asked about it, refresh it and then if you’re lucky you can retrieve it (Feng et al., 2019; Kobayashi, 2022). This is considered spaced learning and is why deadlines are so important.

Due dates provide the structure for spaced learning and learning that is more substantive. Much to the chagrin of the student who wants to “get it all done at once,” this isn’t the way to learn retrievable material. Retrieving information is what allows you to progress to the next set of information and then progress to creativity and eventually creation. Assessments play a crucial role, but true learning doesn’t come from merely completing them. Instead, it happens through active participation in class, where students engage with the material and are consistently challenged by the professor to recall and apply previous lessons.

As professors, we should enforce due dates to give students the time to learn content in a meaningful and retrievable way. But maybe, just maybe, we can do it with a spoon full of sugar.

Adriana J. LaGier is an American Cell Biologist, whose main area of research is active learning and mechanobiology. She is a professor of biology at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, specializing in teaching undergraduate level general biology and cell biology courses.

References

Birnbaum, Monica S., Nate Kornell, Elizabeth Ligon Bjork, and Robert A. Bjork. 2013. “Why Interleaving Enhances Inductive Learning: The Roles of Discrimination and Retrieval.” Memory & Cognition 41 (3): 392–402. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-012-0272-7.

Feng, Kanyin, Xiao Zhao, Jing Liu, Ying Cai, Zhifang Ye, Chuansheng Chen, and Gui Xue. 2019. “Spaced Learning Enhances Episodic Memory by Increasing Neural Pattern Similarity Across Repetitions.” The Journal of Neuroscience 39 (27): 5351–60. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNeurosci.2741-18.2019.

Kobayashi, Keiichi. 2022. “The Retrieval Practice Hypothesis in Research on Learning by Teaching: Current Status and Challenges.” Frontiers in Psychology 13 (May):842668. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.842668.

Samani, Joshua, and Steven C. Pan. 2021. “Interleaved Practice Enhances Memory and Problem-Solving Ability in Undergraduate Physics.” NPJ Science of Learning 6 (November):32. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-021-00110-x.

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March 28, 2025

Category: Effective Teaching Strategies

The Paradox Effect

What I Do Now (and What I Don’t)

Step 1: Open with a real-word paradox

Step 2: Set a timer and go dark

Step 3: We build a paradox map

Step 4: Now we bring in the tools

Step 5: End unresolved

Here’s What Happened

1. Students leaned in, not back

2. The quiet voices spoke first

3. I stopped pretending to know everything

What Surprised Me

What Didn’t Work (and Why)

Bad paradox = bad discussion

You still need scaffolding

Sometimes they want the damn answer

Try This in Your Class Tomorrow

Some of My Favorite Classroom Paradoxes

Why This Matters (Now More Than Ever)

It’s Not a Trick Question

What are the Necessary Steps to Specifically Help SES Students?

1. Choose a Familiar Visualization

2. Form Intentional Teams and Track Achievement Data

3. Syllabus Inclusions

Course Context

Choices

Before Class

The First 10 Minutes of Class

Building a Safe Space for Conversations

Getting the Conversation Going

Ending Class

Rethinking Active Learning for Asynchronous Spaces

Designing Collaborative Learning Experiences

Measuring Engagement and Refining Strategy

Rethinking Active Learning for Asynchronous Spaces

Designing Collaborative Learning Experiences

Measuring Engagement and Refining Strategy

Models of Peer Observation

Benefits of Formative-developmental Observations

Stages of Formative-developmental Observations

How to Encourage Peer Observation in Higher Education

Models of Peer Observation

Benefits of Formative-developmental Observations

Stages of Formative-developmental Observations

How to Encourage Peer Observation in Higher Education