This resource provides guidance for incorporating community building activities into a course to foster belonging, increase engagement, and build collaboration and communication skills. It includes strategies and considerations for using community building activities as well as sample activities categorized by purpose. Keywords: community building, icebreakers, belonging, inclusion, collaboration, group work.
This is the second of a two-part series on academic dialogue and is a collaboration between The Center for Excellence in Teaching; Quade French, USC Dornsife Associate Dean of Academic Culture and Well-being; and Kamy Akhavan, USC Dornsife Executive Director of the Center for the Political Future. This video features Kamy Akhavan discussing what individuals can do to unite conversations.
This resource describes different kinds of rubrics and considerations for selecting a rubric best aligned with an instructor’s grading practice, assignments, and learning objectives. Examples of rubrics are provided.
Keywords: rubric, assessment, assignment, evaluation, learning objective
This resource provides an overview of creating and using community agreements in a course to support respectful and productive student engagement. It includes options for how to create agreements, tips for implementation, and example agreements.
Keywords: community agreements, discussion norms, discussion guidelines, community guidelines, challenging discussions, academic discussions, dialogue, student engagement.
This resource provides tips for streamlining grading and making student assessment and feedback more efficient.
This resource provides strategies for integrating current event topics into your course.
Keywords: current events, discussion, challenging discussions, academic dialogue, facilitation, controversial topics, active learning.
This resource provides a checklist of considerations for providing student feedback verbally, in writing, or through video.
This resource provides a summary of what students report is important to them in an online learning or LMS environment.
A brief introduction to mindfulness including examples of contemplative pedagogical practices that can be incorporated into courses to support student learning and wellbeing. Created in collaboration with Mindful USC.
A panel discussion on strategies to engage students with appropriate support services at USC. Hear from Patrick Prince, Associate Vice Provost for Threat Assessment and Management, Lynette Merriman, Associate Vice Provost for Campus Support and Intervention, and Naddia Palacios, Senior Associate Vice Provost for Student Life, about how their resources and programs support USC faculty and students.
Center for Excellence in Teaching