4 Ways to Update Your Courses
In June, I mentioned that one thing we, as professors, should do in the summer is spend some time brainstorming new ideas for our courses and thinking about how we to implement them during the next academic year. Refreshing our approach each year (and in some cases semester) is important, not only for keeping our courses engaging and relevant, but also igniting our enthusiasm as teachers.
As you begin your planning for the fall, consider making one or two significant changes or additions to your classes. These could be new in-class activities, adjustments to major assignments, or the inclusion of content around emerging topics and trends in your field.
Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas to help you update your courses, so you can provide dynamic and impactful learning experiences.
Add an Assignment that Uses Generative AI
Whether we like it or not, generative AI tools are here to stay - and are only going to get more powerful. This fall is a great time to embrace how AI can be used in your field of study and teach students how to use it in productive and ethical ways. The options for using programs like ChatGPT or Claude are limitless!
Create an assignment that requires students to use AI tools to analyze datasets related to your course (but remember to keep any confidential information out!)
Have students create custom GPTs to improve their efficiency in some daily task so they can see the potential to save time and energy for bigger, more thoughtful tasks
Assign a traditional essay and have students use generative AI tools to create an outline and a first draft (require them to turn in their conversation with the tool so you can see their thought process)
Give students an assignment to explore the ethical implications of AI in their field using a generative AI tool as the first line of research
Require students to use generative AI tools to create images for class presentations that are unique to a given assignment prompt
2. Incorporate More Active Learning Techniques
Research shows that using active learning techniques in the classroom results in more engagement and better learning outcomes. Take a look at your weekly topics for class and identify areas you can add in these types of activities to engage students during class time.
Write a short case based around a current issue or topic in your field and have students complete it and present their results to the rest of the class
Create in-class competitions that require creativity to apply course concepts (have students work with a partner and pitch their ideas to classmates who vote for the winner)
Organize debates on ethical scenarios in your field and have students take the stance opposite to their preferred one
Have students create concept maps around complex theories or topics
Implement gamification when possible using quiz-like tools (platforms like Kahoot! or Poll Everywhere are great tools for doing so)
3. Consider Alternative Outputs for Major Assignments
One thing we know for sure - our students live on TikTok and Instagram. That means video is king in their minds. Yet, many of our assignments require students to write some sort of traditional paper. Take a look at your assignments and see if there are places you can implement alternative outputs that meet students where they are. You might be surprised in the quality of submissions.
Use design tools like Canva and Adobe Express to have students create infographics, web pages, or brochures as their final projects
Have students record a podcast episode to educate or inform a target audience about a topic in the field (let students do so with a partner to ease their anxiety)
Complete final exams orally via video recording tools or one-to-one meetings (group oral final exams are a great option if you have a lot of students but are short on time)
Integrate video into your final projects as either the main output or an overview/executive summary
Ask students to create a series of social media posts to communicate their main ideas or tell their story
4. Update Your Content to Include New Examples and Trends
It is definitely all too easy to just rinse and repeat with our lecture slides. Sometimes, we look back and realize we have been using the same examples and the same photos for 10 years! Students will connect better if they see the world they know represented in your course content. A reference to Saved By The Bell isn’t going to go very far with today’s students.
If you aren’t sure what is popular with Generation Z, do a quick Google and try watching a few shows (like Stranger Things) to see what can be used in your content. Having current references indicates to students that you are an engaged teacher and, when you care enough to try to connect with them, they are more likely to care as well.
Search for recent news in your field and find new examples of core concepts in your course
Update photos of anything and everything that you can in our lecture slides
Check all of the statistics used in course content and look for more recent reports or information and provide data from 2023 or 2024
Find journal articles published since 2020 to use as readings
Add at least one trending topic in your field of study, even if it is just a brief mention as part of a bigger course conversation
Hopefully, after reading this list your mind is spinning with ideas, but remember, don’t try to do it all at once! Pick one, maybe two, of the above for each class. The changes you make might not be permanent additions to the course, but you have to try new things to find out what works and what doesn’t.
