Productivity Hacks for Academics

The start of a new year is a great time for introspection about our habits and processes, and for adjusting or renewing our patterns. Academics have unique challenges in terms of work productivity. We have competing priorities (those imposed from our roles as well as our own projects), different types of work (teaching, research, committees/service),Continue reading “Productivity Hacks for Academics”

3 Significant Benefits of Integrated Course (Re)Design

One of the best parts of teaching a course about course design is seeing faculty view prior teaching “challenges” as exciting new opportunities. In Significant Learning by Design, based on Dee Fink’s Integrated Course Design framework and the Taxonomy of Significant Learning, this happens quite frequently. Although it would be wonderful to share each andContinue reading “3 Significant Benefits of Integrated Course (Re)Design”

Learning Outcome Verb List for Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning

Download our list of learning outcome verbs that align with Dee Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning. A word of caution about using verbs as a magical solution.  As a study by Claudia Stanny exemplifies, an analysis of 30 widely-used compilations of verbs for Bloom’s categories revealed that many lists frequently put the same verb inContinue reading “Learning Outcome Verb List for Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning”

The Caring Category in Fink’s Taxonomy: How Do We Support and Assess Caring?

Dee Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning has led thousands of college instructors to reimagine their courses and articulate what they truly hope for their students. This taxonomy goes beyond the well-known Bloom’s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain, and empowers instructors to include meaningful and desired goals — goals such as wanting their students to valueContinue reading “The Caring Category in Fink’s Taxonomy: How Do We Support and Assess Caring?”

Course Design: Building around your big rocks

You may be familiar with the Big Rocks analogy. It goes like this…let’s pretend we are trying to fit big rocks, little rocks, and sand into a jar. If we start with the sand, then the little rocks, and then the big rocks, we cannot fit everything in. There is simply not enough room andContinue reading “Course Design: Building around your big rocks”