teaching
TagPhilosophers On Reopening Colleges and Universities in a Pandemic
Six philosophers discuss various issues related to the operation of institutions of higher education this fall, in this edition of Philosophers On, guest edited by Lisa Fuller. (more…)
Philosophy Camps for Teens (guest post by Claire Katz)
What we did not anticipate in that first summer was the intense relationship our campers would develop with each other, with philosophy, and with the experience of developing an intellectual community in the setting of a philosophy summer camp. (more…)
How Should We Grade Students During a Pandemic? (guest post by Wes Siscoe)
How, if at all, should instructors grade their college students this coming term? In the following guest post*, Wes Siscoe, a postdoctoral fellow at Florida State University and the Mellon Course Design Coordinator for the Philosophy as a Way of Life Project at the University of Notre Dame, offers some suggestions.
How Do Moral Philosophy Courses Affect Student Behavior?
Do college philosophy courses in ethics affect the real-world choices of the students who take them? A trio of philosophers recently took up this question and have just published their results. (more…)
Yes, There’s Still Time to Design an Excellent Fall Course (guest post by Paul Blaschko)
It’s almost August (sorry!). Do you know what you are doing in your courses this fall? Don’t panic. Paul Blaschko is back with another guest post* to explain how you still have time to put together a great course. (more…)
Hybrid & Online Teaching: Four Helpful Workshops
Julia Staffel, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Zak Kopeikin, a new graduate of the PhD program there, recently conducted four online workshops on hybrid and online teaching, sharing what they know about online teaching strategies and technology to save others the time and trouble of researching and figuring out various o..
Trump Administration Abandons Plan to Revoke Visas of International Students with Online-Only Schedules
The Trump administration has withdrawn a plan proposed earlier this month to withhold or revoke visas of international students at U.S. schools whose courses have all been moved entirely online. (more…)
Six Ways to Use Tech to Design Flexible, Student-Centered Philosophy Courses (guest post by Paul Blaschko)
As the pandemic continues, there are lots of uncertainties about how universities will function in Fall 2020, but it is likely that many courses will be taught entirely online or have substantial online elements. In this guest post*, Paul Blaschko provides some advice for making those courses go well. (more…)
Homeland Security To Ban International Students From U.S. If Their Colleges Adopt Online-Only Instruction
The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States. Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as tra..
An Argument to Move College Students to Follow COVID-19 Guidelines
Though the COVID-19 pandemic is strengthening in parts of the United States, many universities here are planning to reopen their doors in the fall to educate, house, feed, and entertain students. (more…)
Lower-Level Course Materials on Race, Racism, and Protests
Philosophy professors who will be teaching courses like “Contemporary Moral Problems” this fall may be interested in adding a unit on race, racism, protests, and related issues that have been at the forefront of the public’s attention recently. (more…)
Hybrid or Blended Classes: How Can They Be Done Well?
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some universities are telling students that, this fall, they will be able to choose to take particular courses either in-person or online. This means some professors will face the challenge of teaching simultaneously to students sitting in a classroom with them and to students who are videoconferencing in to the class session. (..
BU Philosophers Object To University’s Fall 2020 Plans
Two philosophy professors at Boston University (BU), Russell Powell and Daniel Star, have authored a statement objecting to their administration’s plans for how teaching during the Fall 2020 term will proceed, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)
Cambridge: All Lectures Online Until Summer 2021
There will be no in-person lectures at the University of Cambridge until the Summer of 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school announced today. (more…)
Uncovering A New Approach to Teaching Philosophy Texts (guest post)
“Texts can be challenging in multiple ways, some more useful than others…” (more…)
Ending Face-to-Face Instruction Before Thanksgiving Break
Earlier this month we looked at the University of South Carolina’s plan to offer in-person courses this coming fall term. The university has now updated its plans by announcing a change to the fall term schedule. (more…)
If Given the Choice Whether to Teach In-Person or Remotely in the Fall…
Last week, the University of South Carolina announced it is planning to have in-person teaching in the fall, but also that each faculty, staff, and student will be allowed to make for themselves a “decision to either return or delay their return”. Other schools are considering similar arrangements. (more…)
California State University System This Fall Will Be Primarily Online
Timothy White, Chancellor of the California State University (CSU) system, which includes 23 campuses, announced that most courses scheduled for the Fall 2020 term will be taught online, rather than face-to-face, owing to the current Covid-19 pandemic and a possible “serious second wave” of it. (more…)
Courses at McGill this Fall: “Primarily Through Remote Delivery Platforms”
McGill University announced today that most teaching there in Fall 2020 will be done remotely, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)
Win a Jingle for Your Course
Daniel Groll, associate professor of philosophy at Carleton College, has been creating videos of short jingles written to promote online courses he and his colleagues are teaching. (more…)
“I can do both these jobs. But can I do them both at once?”
“Is Aristotle a person, or is he a subject that you study?” This is a question from my youngest son, a star, a tap-dancer, almost eight, standing beside me in our living room as I conduct a Zoom class for my undergraduates. (more…)
Which Essays Should All Philosophy Graduate Students Read?
A philosophy professor tasked with teaching the required proseminar for incoming graduate students has a question for Daily Nous readers. (more…)
Lasting Lessons of the Academic Lockdown
Most university and college campuses have been mostly closed for a month or so at this point, with professors teaching their courses online from home and meetings happening via videoconferencing. (more…)
COVID-19 and Teaching Evaluations
The abrupt transition to online teaching, the hasty reorganization or course schedules in light of cancelled classes, and the move to pass/fail grading options characteristic of many schools’ responses to the pandemic will likely affect students opinions of the courses they’re taking and the instructors teaching them. (more…)
Having Fun Teaching Philosophy Online? Christina Van Dyke Is.
Christina Van Dyke, professor of philosophy at Calvin College, like many of us, had to move her courses online. She has been teaching her students Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics lately, posting videos online for her students to watch. But she’s not content to record a lecture over slides. (more…)
APA Grad Council: How to Support Grad Students During the Pandemic
The Graduate Student Council (GSC) of the American Philosophical Association (APA) has issued a set of recommendations for how departments of philosophy and universities can and should support graduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)
Now May Be The Time To Transition to Tutorial Instruction (guest post)
The pandemic and the various disruptions it is causing to the operation of academic institutions has prompted people to reflect on the value and qualities of those institutions. This guest post*, by Preston Stovall, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic, is one example of this. (more…)
Running Interactive Philosophy Classes Online (guest post by Alex Hyun & Scott Wisor)
The following is a guest post* by Alex Hyun and Scott Wisor, both of Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute (one of the Claremont Colleges) in which they provide specific advice on a variety of matters related to teaching philosophy courses effectively online. (more…)