Implementation Insights
Aryn and Pat are big fans of ACUE strategies! That’s probably not too surprising, given the fact that they’re your current Teaching & Learning Faculty Fellows. But maybe you’ve never taken a micro-credential course with ACUE, and you’re not sure how it might help improve your courses or engage your students. Well, you’re in luck, because Pat and Aryn are here to share some real-world experiences with ACUE strategies!
Aryn: One of ACUE’s strategies is to “build student-to-student relationships.” One simple way that I incorporate this strategy is by using Padlet for weekly attendance check-ins. I post a silly “would you rather” or “controversial opinion” question, for example, “Is a hotdog a sandwich?” or “Does Mike Wazowski wink or blink?” Then, students create a post and answer the question to prove their attendance for the week. It’s a low-stakes, playful way to get students talking, but the questions are just provocative enough to spark conversation. My students really enjoy them! At the end of each course, I ask my students to give me some “Stop, Start, Continue” feedback (another ACUE strategy!), and students inevitably bring up this activity. At the end of A term, one student wrote, “Continue using attendance questions. It’s really fun to debate classmates and build relationships. I wasn’t friends with the people at my table until I took this class.” Another wrote, “This class is fun and engaging. I love how you allowed time for everyone to talk and feel like a family.” It really was a simple change that offered a big return on investment!
Pat: I’ve implemented the “providing support outside of class” practice. For my Principles of Management class, I’ve created several resources that can help students with their writing assignments. I have provided links in the course shell that direct students to the school’s library. Also, I’ve embedded videos that show students how to cite in APA and where to find more information on using APA citations on the school’s library website. Also, I’ve included an example of a paper written in APA citation for their reference. For the exams in the class, I provide practice quizzes that are not graded, and they can retake as many times as needed. The quizzes are taken from a huge pool of questions and students should get new questions each time they retake the quiz. This way students are able to learn various areas of each chapter. There are details in the course shell that show how to book a tutor at the tutor center on campus. Additionally, I offer in-person and virtual office hours. I explain my office hours on the first day of class and encourage students to visit throughout the semester. I’ve selected these practices to ensure students have access to resources that can improve their understanding of the material and their grades. I recommend incorporating the College Writing Center’s Citation & Documentation InfoGuide into any courses with writing assignments to provide additional support for students.
So... are you intrigued yet? Are you hungry for more? If so, please join us for our next Snack and Share event on Wednesday, November 15 from 2-3 PM. We’ll be in-person in the FIC, but you can also join us virtually via Teams. We’ll be sharing our experiences and having conversations around Promoting Active Learning and Inspiring Inquiry. Everyone is welcome - you don’t have to be enrolled in ACUE to Snack and Share. We hope to see lots of you there. Happy Learning!
Aryn Davis, M.Ed.
Associate Professor
School of Education
aryn.davis@daytonastate.edu | 386-506-3077
Pat Herndon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Business Administration
pat.herndon@daytonastate.edu | 386-506-3085