Michael Dennin

Episode 9: Hard is Not the Same as Rigorous

by | May 7, 2021 | Blogs

Previously, we have discussed broadening standards and thinking of the undergraduate experience as a telescope. The goal of these discussions is to think about the elements of instruction (such as policies, exams, and approaches to teaching) to ensure that we do not...

Episode 7:Teaching is a Team Effort

by | Apr 23, 2021 | Blogs

  Is teaching an individual responsibility or a collective responsibility? Based on the reward system, it seems the assumption is that teaching is individual. After all, it is often evaluated in the context of individual classes or during the individual faculty...

Episode 6: Post-Pandemic Experimentation in Instruction

by | Apr 16, 2021 | Blogs

In my first #DenninInsights post, I discussed some of the common course designations that UCI will be using for the upcoming 2021/22 academic year. After that, we took a journey through course structures, grading philosophy and practices, the meaning of standards, and...

Episode 5: Academic Integrity and Authentic Assessments

by | Apr 9, 2021 | Blogs

When it comes to academic integrity, what is the role of the instructor? Is it to punish instances of cheating as a warning for other students? Is it to minimize opportunities for dishonesty? Or should it be to teach students how to act with integrity? As we...

Episode 4: Broader Standards Not Lower Standards

by | Apr 2, 2021 | Blogs

In last week’s blog post we focused on grading and how it should be grounded in “standards.” But what do we really mean by “standards”? How do we ensure standards are accomplishing what we want them to do? And what do we want them to do? At UCI, there are sets of...