Week of April 27, 2026
As the semester winds down, the goal is to bridge the gap between finishing strong and starting fresh. Here is a quick guide to wrapping up your current courses while setting the stage for a smooth transition next term.
1. The Grade Lockdown
Export Everything: Download your final gradebook as a .CSV file. Having an offline backup is essential for grade disputes or departmental audits later.
Archive Student Work: If you used digital rubrics or feedback loops, export a few "high, medium, and low" examples (anonymized) to use as future benchmarks.
Final Verification: Cross-check that all "Incomplete" or "M" (Missing) grades have been converted according to your syllabus policy to avoid frantic emails over the break.
2. The "Post-Semester" Reflection
The 80/20 Rule: Identify the 20% of assignments that caused 80% of the student confusion. Mark those for a rewrite or a supplemental video.
Syllabus Audit: Note any dates, dead links, or policy wording that felt clunky this semester so you don't have to rediscover those flaws in the fall.
3. Prepping for the Next Wave
Template Your Shell: Roll your current course content into your new semester shell now.
The "Welcome" Automations: Draft your "Welcome to Class" announcement and set it to post a few days before the start date. Include the syllabus and a "How to get the textbook" guide to reduce early-semester inbox clutter.
Week of April 20, 2026
Adapting Learning Assignments for Different Learning Styles
Adapting assignments to offer multiple ways of demonstrating learning can increase engagement and support diverse learners without lowering rigor. Instead of a single format, consider giving students structured choices that align with the same learning goals.
Example: In a history course, students might choose to write a traditional essay, create a podcast episode, or design a visual timeline—each requiring analysis of the same primary sources and argument, but allowing different strengths to shine.
Adaptive Learning to Personalized Learning
Week of April 13, 2026
Elements of an AI Prompt
1. Be specific about the task
Vague: "Explain photosynthesis"
Better: "Explain photosynthesis in 3–4 sentences for first-year college students"
2. Provide context
Give the AI background so it can tailor the response.
"I’m teaching an intro biology course. Explain photosynthesis in a way that connects to climate change."
3. Define the format
Tell it what the output should look like.
- bullet points
- paragraph
- table
- email
- lesson plan
"Provide the answer as a short bullet-point list."
4. Set the audience and tone
This dramatically improves usefulness.
"Write this for non-science majors using simple language."
5. Add constraints or criteria
This keeps responses focused and usable.
"Limit to 5 bullet points and include one real-world example."
Simple Prompt Formula
You can use this structure: Task + Context + Audience + Format + Constraints
Example: "Create a 3-question quiz on photosynthesis for first-year biology students. Use multiple choice format and include an answer key."
Common Mistakes:
Being too vague (“Tell me about…”)
Asking too many things at once
Not specifying audience or level
Forgetting to define format
Tips:
Treat prompting as iteration:
Start simple → refine → ask follow-ups like:
“Make this more concise”
“Add an example”
“Rewrite for clarity”
Additional Resources: Effective Prompts for AI: The Essentials - MIT Sloan Teaching & Learning Technologies
Week of April 6, 2026
Creating a short podcast assignment invites students to synthesize ideas, explain concepts in their own voice, and communicate to an authentic audience. Audio projects can deepen learning by requiring clarity, organization, and engagement—skills that go beyond traditional written work. Consider offering podcasts as an alternative assessment to increase creativity while still meeting your learning goals.
Additional Resources: How To Start A Podcast, According To NPR Experts : Life Kit : NPR
Week of March 30, 2026
Microsoft Forms is a quick way to check understanding and gather student input in real time without adding grading burden. Use it for low-stakes quizzes, exit tickets, or mid-class polls to surface misconceptions and adjust your teaching on the spot. Its automatic summaries make it easy to see trends and respond to student needs right away.
Additional Resources: Microsoft Forms and Get started - Microsoft Support
Week of March 23, 2026
Learning Objectives vs. Learning Outcomes
Learning Objective - What the instructor intends to teach
A learning objective describes instructional intent — the topic, skill, or concept that will be covered during a course or unit. It is faculty-facing and guides curriculum design.
Key Components:
| Topic or content area |
The subject matter being addressed |
| Instructional action |
What the instructor will do — teach, introduce, cover, demonstrate |
| Scope |
How broadly or deeply the topic will be treated |
Example: This course will introduce students to the principles of evidence-based practice in nursing, including how to locate, evaluate, and apply peer-reviewed research in clinical decision-making.
Learning Outcome - What the student will be able to do
A learning outcome describes observable, measurable student behavior at the end of instruction. It is student-facing and drives assessment design. Strong outcomes use action verbs from Bloom's Taxonomy.
Key components — the A-B-C-D framework
| Audience (A) |
Who is performing — typically "the student" |
| Behavior (B) |
A measurable action verb: analyze, construct, evaluate, compare |
| Condition (C) |
The context or constraints under which performance occurs |
| Degree (D) |
The standard or level of acceptable performance |
Example Given a clinical scenario, the student (A) will evaluate (B) the quality of a peer-reviewed study using an established appraisal checklist (C) with at least 80% accuracy on key criteria (D).
Objective — think instructor
- Guides what you plan to teach
- Broader in scope
- Allows soft verbs: understand, appreciate, explore
- Shapes the syllabus
Outcome — think student
- Guides what you assess
- Specific and measurable
- Requires action verbs: analyze, design, defend
- Shapes assignments and rubrics
Faculty tip: Start with outcomes, then work backward. If you can't assess it, rewrite it. Ask yourself: "Can I build a rubric for this?" If yes, you have a solid outcome.
Based on Bloom's Taxonomy and the A-B-C-D model for outcome writing. ( Writing Learning Outcomes - Information Literacy Toolkit: Resource for Teaching Faculty - Research Guides at University of Maryland Libraries)
Week of March 16, 2026
As AI tools become more common in academic work, it’s important to guide students in using and citing AI. Encourage students to acknowledge when AI helped generate ideas, outlines, or text, just as they would cite any other source that influenced their work. Setting clear expectations for AI citations helps maintain academic integrity while teaching students responsible AI use.
Additional Resources: How to Cite AI Generated Content - Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Research Guides at Purdue University Libraries
Week of March 9, 2026
Assessment is most effective when it is designed as part of the learning process, not just the final measurement. Consider using frequent, low-stakes assessments such as short reflections, quick quizzes, or problem checks to give students opportunities to practice and receive feedback before major assignments. These small checkpoints help you see what students understand in real time and allow you to adjust instruction while learning is still happening.
Additional Resources: Formative in a Flash - Low-Stakes Checks with AI & Mastering Low-Stakes Assessment
Week of March 2, 2026
A RAFT assignment (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) invites students to demonstrate learning through perspective-taking and purposeful communication rather than traditional essays alone. By asking students to adopt a specific role, write for a defined audience, choose a format, and address a focused topic, you deepen critical thinking and make learning more authentic and applied. Try offering a few RAFT options aligned to your course outcomes to increase engagement while still assessing the same core skills and concepts.
Chemistry Example:
- Role: Environmental chemist
- Audience: City council members
- Format: Policy brief
- Topic: Explaining the chemical impact of road salt on local water systems and recommending evidence-based alternatives
This approach asks students not just to explain chemical reactions, but to translate scientific concepts into clear, real-world communication—strengthening both content mastery and professional skills.
Additional Resources: lirvin.net/RAFTassignshandout.pdf
Week of February 23, 2026
Using SensusAccess in Brightspace makes course materials more accessible by letting students convert documents into formats that work best for their learning needs—like audio, e-text, braille, or MP3—without extra work from you. Embedding or linking to SensusAccess within your course empowers learners to choose how they engage with content, supporting diverse reading preferences and accessibility requirements. See the Chatham guide for directions on adding and using SensusAccess in Brightspace to make your course more inclusive. Article - SensusAccess
Week of February 16, 2026
Using NameCoach in Brightspace helps build a more inclusive classroom by allowing students to share and hear the correct pronunciation of their names, showing respect for identity and fostering a sense of belonging. When faculty add NameCoach to their course, students can record their names in their own voice and include their pronouns, making participation and community building easier from day one. Learn how to set it up and use it in Brightspace - Article - NameCoach
Week of February 9, 2026
Using live captions during instruction makes your teaching more accessible by supporting students who are deaf or hard of hearing, English language learners, and others who benefit from both reading and hearing content. Captions also help everyone stay focused, clarify complex terminology in real time, and provide a written reference that reinforces learning. Visit the documentation to learn how to enable live captions on Mac and PC, making your next class more inclusive and effective. (Article - Live Captions on a PC and Mac)
Week of February 2, 2026
H5P helps students learn by doing—instead of just watching or reading, they can interact with videos, flashcards, timelines, and other activities that build practice and self-checks right into the lesson. To add H5P to your Brightspace course, create your activity at chatham.h5p.com, then in Brightspace open a page/assignment/discussion and use Insert Stuff to embed the H5P content directly where students will engage with it. This is a great way to break content into smaller chunks, check understanding in the moment, and keep students actively involved throughout the week.
Article - H5P
Week of January 26, 2026
LinkedIn Learning offers thousands of expert-led, self-paced courses that you can easily integrate into your Brightspace course. LinkedIn Learning can enrich your curriculum and support student skill development. Using LinkedIn Learning in Brightspace lets you add full courses or individual videos that align with your learning goals, making content visible right where your students are already working. Visit the Chatham LinkedIn Learning knowledge base article for step-by-step instructions on adding this content to your Brightspace courses - Article - Add LinkedIn Learning to yo...
Week of January 19, 2026
Padlet is a simple and flexible way to boost engagement by allowing students to share ideas, collaborate, and reflect in real-time—whether you’re teaching in-person or online. To get started, visit https://padlet.com/chathamuniversity and click "Log in with Microsoft." Then, sign in using your Chatham email address and password. Try it for a quick discussion board, brainstorming wall, or exit ticket and see how easily it brings every student’s voice into the learning space.
Week of January 12, 2026
Here’s a quick Brightspace tip you can do in under a minute: set a student’s accommodation at the course level, so it automatically applies to all quizzes in that course (e.g., extended time).
How to do it Article - Adding Accommodations to Br...
Why it helps
- You set it once and it propagates to every quiz in the course—no need to edit each quiz individually.
- It reduces setup errors and ensures consistency for the student.
Notes
- Assignments don’t inherit quiz-style accommodations. If you need extended deadlines or alternate windows for assignments, use Special Access on the individual assignment.