Beyond Equivalency: Redesigning Online Labs for Rigor, Engagement, and Joy
For years, online science labs have been judged by a single, persistent question: Are they equivalent to face-to-face labs? The question is understandable. It emerged from legitimate concerns about rigor, accreditation, and student learning. But over time, this framing has quietly become one of the biggest obstacles to meaningful innovation in digital learning. Equivalency was […]
Skills over content: Ready or not, here come the digital accessibility requirements
The United States Department of Justice’s deadline for public colleges and universities to strictly use accessible digital content is almost here. Starting April 24 of this year (institutions serving smaller communities have another year), WCAG 2.1, Level AA are the digital content standards. This means that spaces and resources like websites, apps, service portals, and […]
Building Better Courses Together
The most powerful changes in teaching often start with a simple idea: what if we didn’t have to do everything alone? In large Computer Science programs, where multiple instructors teach the same course across different sections, keeping things aligned can feel like an ongoing engineering challenge. This article explores a collaborative Course Coordinator Cohort Model […]
From Perfection to Imperfection in Student Assessment—GenAI’s Impact
Introduction The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools such as ChatGPT, GrammarlyGO, or Microsoft Copilot has led to a significant change in academic writing. Whereas a decade ago, the primary focus of writing evaluation was on students’ mastery of grammar, structure, argumentation, and citation skills, today, we as educators, must also consider how these […]
When Civility Is Optional in Higher Education
Higher education prides itself on values of inquiry, community, and social justice. Mission statements emphasize belonging, respect, and shared responsibility. Yet within the everyday rhythms of academic life, a troubling pattern often emerges: civility is optional for those with the most privilege, while staff, students, adjuncts, and early-career scholars disproportionately absorb the costs of incivility. […]