Each week, we send out three bite-sized tidbits with upcoming events: Teaching Tip, Research Review, and Favorite Resource. Find the archived postcards here.
See all Teaching Tips | See all Research Reviews | See all Favorite Resources
Teaching Tips 💡
Feedback Modality
Faculty feedback is an essential component of the learning process. Research suggests that the modality of the feedback is most effective when aligned to the task type and learner needs.
Teacher Confirmation
Teacher Confirmation Theory (Ellis, 2000) explains how instructor behaviors communicate to students that they are valued, respected, and capable of learning. These confirming behaviors reduce psychological distance, increase motivation, and…
Instructive Alt Text
All images in your files need to have alternate text that describes the purpose and important information for those who cannot see the image. While we used to just consider…
Retrieval Practice
Did you know that one of the simplest and most effective ways to remember something is to take time to forget it and then work hard to remember it?
Research Review 🔍
New Meta-Analysis Probes Technology’s Link to Cognitive Aging
In this meta-analysis, researchers found that use of digital technologies was associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment and reduced rates of cognitive decline, even when controlling for demographics,…
Highly-Cited “AI Erodes Critical Thinking” Study Appears To Be AI Generated Slop
This week, I want to highlight a substack post critiquing a recent research article. The author critically examines a widely referenced paper claiming that increased AI use degrades critical thinking skills. Pookins…
Generative and retrieval tasks: Does the sequence matter and do sequence effects depend on learning task delay?
This 2026 study investigated whether the order in which students complete generative tasks (like generating their own examples of concepts) and retrieval tasks (like cued recall) affects learning outcomes. Using…
Removing Phones from Classrooms Improves Academic Performance
Researchers in India conducted a randomized-control trial study with close to 17,000 at 10 colleges to test the impact of mandatory in-class phone collection versus unrestricted phone use. What do…
Favorite Resources 🔖
Student AI Bill of Rights
The National Student Legal Defense Network recently released a Student AI Bill of Rights, a document outlining considerations for higher education as generative AI becomes more prolific in learning and…
AI Pedagogy Project
The AI Pedagogy Project is a free, open-access resource developed by metaLAB (at) Harvard that helps educators understand and engage with generative AI — particularly large language models (LLMs) like…
AI Prompt Library
From faculty member Ethan Mollick at the Wharton School of Business, here is a collection of prompts you can use with an AI chatbot to help you and your learners…
PDF Accessibility Training Videos
This PDF Accessibility training series was provided to Microsoft employees on creating accessible PDF documents. Use these videos, along with documentation from Adobe to learn to…