Why the First-Year Seminar Matters

A great resource for first-year seminar course coordinators.  In this book, you'll find an overview of the evidence for first-year seminars and a call to action to increase the focus on career exploration.  

A research-based first-year seminar textbook that uses a Guided Pathways framework to help students choose and stay on a path, published by Cengage Learning.  MindTap, an interactive e-book with numerous online resources is available.

Dynamic Lecturing: Research-Based Strategies to Enhance Lecture Effectiveness

This book presents up-to-date research on the different types of lecture, on what constitutes effective lecturing, and on the impact of lecturing when done appropriately and well.

Designing a Motivational Syllabus: Creating a Learning Path for Student Engagement

This book challenges faculty to think about the syllabus as a motivational tool.  By mapping out the course using effective course design strategies and communicating these expectations in a positive, clear manner, faculty can use the syllabus to engage students in the learning process.

An exploration of critical thinking skills students need and how faculty can support students in developing these essential skills.  Practical strategies and case studies are provided.

The Syllabus Can Do That? Strategies to Motivate and Engage Students Before the Semester Begins

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Webinar sponsored by Stylus Publishing.

Increasing Academic Rigor in First-Year Seminar Courses

Plenary speech at the 36th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition

Creating a Powerful Syllabus

Discover how your syllabus can be used as a motivational and informational resource to help students be successful.

Dynamic Lecturing

In this video, you'll discover research that demonstrates the value of lecturing and perhaps more importantly several strategies you can use to enhance or improve your lectures.

The Value of Teaching Research

In this video, we'll explore the value of teaching first-year seminar students about peer-reviewed research.

Teaching Students about Research

This video focuses on how to teach first-year students about research, emphasizing the different components of a peer-reviewed research article.

The Jigsaw Classroom Exercise

The Jigsaw Classroom Exercise is an excellent example of how to effectively use group work in class.  In this video, you will see how the Jigsaw Classroom Exercise works.  You'll discover how this approach gets every student engaged and why this approach is so effective.

Group and Presentation Skills

In this video, we'll discuss strategies to help students function effectively in groups.  We'll also focus on how we can help students apply Mayer's (2008) multi-media principles to create amazing presentations.

Goal Setting and a Visual Imagery Activity

Discover the ABC'S Approach to Goal Setting:  Aim High, Believe in Yourself, Care and Commit, and Specify and Self-Reflect and the importance of teaching students about goal setting.  In this video, you'll also see a visual imagery activity demonstrated.

Outcome Driven Design

Explore outcomes driven design to improve student learning. In particular, the backwards design process will be reviewed.

Creating a Welcoming Environment

Discover strategies you can use at the start of the semester to create a welcoming environment that fosters inclusion and learning.

Group Work

Explore strategies to increase learning through group work.

Written and Verbal Feedback

Explore ways to improve the quality of feedback provided to students without taxing your time.

Peer Feedback

Discover strategies to improve how students give and receive feedback.

Getting Students to Read their Textbook

Explore the research on whether students read their textbook and strategies to increase the likelihood that they will do so.

Online Discussions

Explore strategies to create effective online discussion prompts and facilitate meaningful online conversations.

Grading Policies

Do your grading policies result in student grades that accurately capture whether or not a student has achieved the course learning outcomes?  During this presentation, several grading policy issues will be discussed.

Academic Integrity: A Video for Students

This video was created to help students learn about academic integrity and how to avoid unintentional dishonest actions.

Academic Integrity: A Video for Faculty

Explore how you as a faculty member can promote academic integrity among students.

A Syllabus Checklist

This syllabus checklist provides an overview of key content that should be included in the syllabus and poses questions to consider as you strive to use your syllabus as a motivational tool.  For a syllabus rubric and additional information, check out Designing a Motivational Syllabus:  Creating a Learning Path for Student Engagement.

Student Success Course

A first-year seminar syllabus that focuses on both career exploration and developing strategies for academic success.

Student Success Course

A backwards design approach to the student success course syllabus that can be easily customized.

Lifespan Development

A syllabus for Lifespan Development.  This syllabus has been peer-reviewed and identified as an exemplar by Project Syllabus, Teaching of Psychology, American Psychological Association.

Educational Psychology

A syllabus for Educational Psychology.  This syllabus has been peer-reviewed and identified as an exemplar by Project Syllabus, Teaching of Psychology, American Psychological Association.

Presented at 2-Day Institute at North Carolina Center for Student Success

Presented at League for Innovation at Community Colleges, Manhattan, NY

Presented at Community College Excellence Conference, Bronx Community College NY

Presented with Sabrina Mathues at the Annual Conference of the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, Las Vegas, NV

Presented with Sabrina Mathues at the Annual Conference of the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, Las Vegas, NV