• Canvas,  Educational Tools,  Teaching & Learning

    Canvas Update: Grade by Question in SpeedGrader

    Reading Time: 2 minutesWith the update releasing April 15, Canvas is adjusting how instructors can review and grade New Quiz questions in SpeedGrader.   Previously when scoring questions that needed manual grading, instructors could only view results organized by student. Now, Canvas will allow instructors to flip between students to grade by question. This is controlled by a setting in the “options” menu when you’re in SpeedGrader for a New Quiz.   Turning on grade by question  When in SpeedGrader for a New Quiz, click the settings gear at the top left, then click “options” in the menu.   In the window that pops up, check the box for “grade by question,” then…

  • Educational Theories,  Podcast,  Teaching & Learning

    Transform Your Teaching: A Debrief of Servant Teaching 

    Reading Time: 2 minutesIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles wrap up the servant teaching series, highlighting crucial points from their various guests. Check out the episode to hear their own takeaways on applying servant teaching.   Servant teaching defines who we are as believers in Christ, but any instructor—regardless of belief—can use servant teaching principles in their instruction. To implement servant teaching, consider these takeaways from our series.   Resources  Amerstorfer, C. M., & Freiin von Munster-Kistner, C. (2021). Student Perceptions of Academic Engagement and Student-Teacher Relationships in Problem-Based Learning. Front Psychol, 12, 713057. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.713057  Sybing, R. (2019). Making Connections: Student-Teacher Rapport in Higher Education Classrooms. Journal of…

  • Educational Tools,  Teaching & Learning

    ChatGPT: What’s Next?

    Reading Time: 3 minutesVaulting onto my stand-up stool, I contorted into a jockey’s position while piping the Classical Motivation playlist from Apple’s freshly minted Classical Music app–off to the races of the new, new frontier. Using the old to discuss the new isn’t unfamiliar, but Apple isn’t the only tech company to release something recently. OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, released ChatGPT-4 last week–a total paradigm shift. Below is an example of the power of ChatGPT-4. I fed it my first two ChatGPT blog posts and asked it to write the next post.  As we continue to grapple with the integration of AI tools like ChatGPT into our educational…

  • Educational Theories,  Podcast,  Teaching & Learning

    Transform Your Teaching: Servant Teaching with Dr. Thomas Mach 

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteDr. Robert McDole and Jared Pyles have a conversation with Dr. Thomas Mach, the Vice President for Academics and a professor of history at Cedarville University. Dr. Mach—who received his PhD from the University of Akron—talks about motivating students to understand the importance of the content of a course. Check out this episode to hear how he removes ambiguity while caring for his students.   Podcast links Show notes  Dr. Mach runs study sessions with his students which have a direct correlation to his philosophy of education. He wants to remove ambiguity and help students understand what is important as well as pique their interest in the…

  • Canvas,  Educational Tools,  Teaching & Learning

    Canvas Update: Instructors Can Upload Files to Assignments for Students 

    Reading Time: 2 minutesCanvas has recently added a feature to allow instructors to upload files to assignments for students. To use this feature, you need to start in the gradebook. Click on the student’s cell for the assignment you want to upload, then click the arrow.   Canvas will slide out a panel from the right side of your screen. Click the “Submit for Student” link.   Drag and drop or use the file picker to add the assignment file(s), then click “submit.” If you upload multiple files, they will be added as one submission.   The file is now available to be graded in SpeedGrader! Any files uploaded using this method will…

  • Educational Theories,  Podcast,  Teaching & Learning

    Transform Your Teaching: Servant Teaching with Professor Jim Leightenheimer

    Reading Time: 2 minutesDr. Robert McDole and Jared Pyles have a conversation with Jim Leightenheimer—“Mr. L”—who challenges faculty to build relationships with students outside of the classroom. Check out the episode to hear about the importance of mentoring relationships with students and preparing them for life after academics.  Podcast links Show notes “If we work marble, it will perish; if we work upon brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds and instill into them just principles, we are then engraving upon tablets which no time will efface, but will brighten and brighten to all eternity.” –…

  • Educational Theories,  Podcast,  Teaching & Learning

    Transform Your Teaching: Servant Teaching with Dr. Tom Hutchison

    Reading Time: 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared chat with Dr. Tom Hutchison. Dr. Hutchison – who received his PhD in Education from Marquette University and currently teaches in the School of Biblical and Theological Studies at Cedarville University – talks about servant teaching and preparing students for their careers and lives. Check out this episode to hear their conversation keeping instruction student-centered. Podcast links Show notes Dr. Hutchison identified four variables in teaching: teacher, student, content, and context. Our understanding and reflection of each of those can help strengthen our teaching and make us better servant teachers. According to Dr. Hutchison, servant teaching is not necessarily a…

  • Canvas,  Teaching & Learning

    Dr. Seth Hamman: Top Ten Reasons to Consider Offering your Course Online

    Reading Time: 3 minutesI have always been a little skeptical of online courses. I have never taken an online course and have never taught one either. But as I’ve seen them grow in popularity, especially among dual enrollment and homeschool students, I started to reconsider: maybe they do have an important role to play in the higher education ecosystem? I decided to suspend judgement and spend 3 days with the Center for Teaching and Learning in early January to learn more about online learning and how one of my favorite courses to teach, CY-1000 Introduction to Cybersecurity, could be taught online. By the end of those 3 days my perspective…

  • Educational Theories,  Podcast,  Teaching & Learning

    Transform Your Teaching: Servant Teaching with Dr. Quentin Schultze, Part 3

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles conclude their interview with Dr. Quentin Schultze. Dr. Schultze—who has written several books, including one on servant teaching—talks about recording yourself teaching. Check out this episode to hear their conversation about how those recordings will benefit both you and your students.  Podcast links Show notes There is always room for improvement in our teaching. Being reflective about how we teach is an excellent way of finding areas for improving our instruction. Recording—video, audio, or both—our teaching can be an opportunity to reflect on our teaching and make adjustments. You’ll usually see the major flaws right away, but…

  • Educational Theories,  Podcast,  Teaching & Learning

    Transform Your Teaching: Servant Teaching with Dr. Quentin Schultze, Part 2

    Reading Time: 2 minutesIn this episode, Dr. Rob McDole and Jared Pyles continue their interview with Dr. Quentin Schultze.  Dr. Schultze—who has written several books, including one on servant teaching—talks about cheating and how to discourage cheating. They also touch on the topic of using ChatGPT effectively in a course. Check out the episode to hear their conversation about the relationship between respect and cheating. Podcast links Show notes Many students will cheat without realizing that they are cheating. They could be citing sources incorrectly or asking a student about a test they just took. Other students will cheat intentionally, doing things like acquiring completed assignments. The truth is that…