Some classrooms feel like obstacle courses. The syllabus is a maze, the unwritten rules are in another language, and the only map is labeled Office Hours—whatever that means. But in others, the path is clear, the doors are open, and everyone knows they belong. In this episode of The What and Who of EDU, we asked ten instructors how they make learning accessible. About the small shifts, the flexible paths, and the “you actually can sit with us” energy that make learning possible for every student. Be sure to check out the full podcast episode "10 Ways to Create Accessible Classrooms that Lower the Barriers (Not the Standards)" on Apple & Spotify  to hear all the tips.  1. Clear the Ramp for Everyone Some people treat accessibility like extra credit, located squarely in the “if I have time” column of teaching. Jennifer Duncan sees it as core. “I love the cartoon that they often use in those workshops where it shows a bunch of people standing outside of a house. It's snowing, and the person says, as soon as I clear the steps I'll handle the handicapped ramp, and the person says, but if you clear the ramp everybody can walk up it.”  Why it works: Accessibility tools like captions and alt text aren’t just for students with documented disabilities, they make learning smoother for everyone. When you “clear the ramp” from the start, you don’t just meet accommodation needs, you remove friction for the whole class. 2. You Don’t Have to Know Everything, Just Who to Call.  Accessibility often relies on specialized skills and technology—things most instructors were never formally trained to do. Kendra Thomas learned that instead of trying to master every detail herself, she relies on colleagues, campus services, and embedded resources that make sure her materials meet high standards without adding an impossible workload. “There’s a huge amount of technicality in accessibility that requires things that I frankly don’t know and haven’t been prepared for. And so I find that those resources that come with a textbook have been incredibly helpful.” Why it works: You don’t have to be a tech expert to have an accessible course, you just need to know your partners. Leveraging campus resources, learning companies and accessibility specialists ensures the work gets done without sacrificing quality. 3. Design for Variability, Not Exceptions Instead of adding one-off accommodations after the fact, Dr. Christin Monroe builds flexibility right into her course design. Whether it’s deadlines, materials, or learning paths, she gives students options that work for them, without changing the end goal. “I use flexibility and personalized learning. I get students that come in with a variety of different skills. And they're all neurodivergent. So it's important for me to allow them to take advantage of the learning strategy that works best for them rather than dictating what I think is going to work for them.”  Why it works: Flexibility doesn’t mean chaos. It means giving students control over how they engage with material, while keeping the goals the same. When choice is built in, students can adapt without asking for exceptions. 4. Lose the Secret Handshake & Make Connections Easy The hidden rules of academia can keep students from getting help before they even start. Dr. Eric Chiang makes those unspoken rules explicit, replacing intimidating traditions with approachable alternatives that bring students in instead of pushing them away. “In the 1st two weeks of class I don't have office hours. Instead, I offer meet and greet sessions, where I encourage my students to stop by and say hello for a few seconds with no questions or preparations needed. Just come by and introduce yourself, so I can put a name to a face. And then from there students will often feel much more comfortable seeking help in the course.” Why it works: Traditions and jargon can unintentionally exclude students. Reframing them with student-friendly language and structure signals that help is for them. 5. Say It Like You Mean Everyone Small shifts in language can change how comfortable students are in speaking up. Dr. Daniel Look swaps “Any questions?” for “What would you like to know more about?” to invite curiosity and signal that all students belong. “A few years ago I had a student mention to me that they didn't know what office hours were. They kind of thought that was the time when I was doing office work, and they shouldn't come by. And then a colleague of mine … started calling them student hours and holding them in a public space. They know it's for them, and you kind of avoid that line out your door, because now I'm in a larger space. So if there are 10 people there, they can all hear the answer to what I'm discussing with a particular student, and then often it becomes a conversation.”  Why it works: Subtle cues shape classroom culture. When your words invite curiosity instead of implying a deficit, more students engage and participate. 6. Flexibility ≠ Lower Standards Mary Gourley knows you can hold students to high expectations and still leave room for life to happen. Her approach combines clear structure with targeted flexibility so students can recover when the unexpected gets in the way. “I've got some pretty strict deadlines in place, and they're gonna stay there. But I do think that it's really important to be flexible in circumstances. I feel like that's closer to real life. I feel like that helps students.” Why it works: Strict deadlines with room for exceptions keep students accountable while recognizing real-life obstacles. Built-in flexibility makes success achievable without diluting learning goals. 7. Let Students Show What They Know, Their Way Universal Design for Learning (UDL) isn’t just about access to course content, it’s also about giving students different ways to demonstrate mastery. Erika Martinez uses a mix of formats so students can lean into their strengths without lowering the bar. “I use universal design for learning principles and aim to create flexible learning environments by providing multiple ways for students to access information and engage with the content and demonstrate their understanding … I allow for flexible dates and deadlines for students facing accessibility challenges and really try to accommodate diverse needs for my students.”  Why it works: Allowing choice in assignments, like video, presentation, model, or paper, can help students lean into their strengths while still meeting the same learning objectives. 8. Light the Way Attendance isn’t the only measure of engagement. Jennifer Ripley Stueckle uses tools and formats that make sure students can keep up with the material, even if life keeps them out of the classroom for a bit. Make sure missing a day doesn’t mean missing the learning. “I always run a live zoom during my class period. I tell my students that it is not going to be pretty. It is not going to be professional. I'm going to be moving around because my priority is teaching the in-person students, but they can hear my voice. And the Powerpoint lectures are posted online. So you can still get all the material you can get. You can log into the zoom real time if you can't make it to class, or you can watch it recorded. So it provides accessibility to students that are sick and are afraid to miss class.”  Why it works: The semester doesn’t always go as planned for you or your students. Tools like Lightboard videos and HyFlex formats allow students to keep pace during illness, anxiety spikes, or family emergencies, reducing the risk of falling behind. Details Are the Design. Sweat the Small Stuff. Sometimes the biggest difference comes from the smallest choices. Derek Harmon tweaks colors, labels, and descriptions in his materials to make sure no one is left out—not even in the details. “For my students, I use purple arrows, purple boxes, things that I think work for the majority of individuals that might have a colorblindness which is typically red or green. But I might make it a little bit more accessible for them in that way.”  Why it works: Alt text, color choices, and clear labeling make materials accessible to students with visual impairments or other needs. The details send a message: everyone’s experience matters. 10. Connect Students to the Right Resources Amy Goodman knows accessibility doesn’t mean having every tool or skill in your own toolkit—it means knowing how to get students what they need when they need it. Amy Goodman leans on Baylor’s built-in LMS features, campus accommodation services, and a strong network of colleagues to make sure her students can access the right supports. The most important part? Keeping the conversation open so students feel comfortable telling her what they need. “I just like to keep that line of communication open with my students. Are there any needs that you have that I can meet? And if so, what are they? And if they're not something that I can just make a small adjustment to meet in the classroom, then what can we do outside of the classroom to meet those needs.”  Why it works: No one instructor can be an expert in every aspect of accessibility. By listening, staying curious, and knowing where to turn, you can connect students to the specialized resources that remove barriers and help them thrive. 🎧 Want to hear it all in action? Be sure to check out the full podcast episode "10 Ways to Create Accessible Classrooms that Lower the Barriers (Not the Standards)" on Apple & Spotify  to hear all the tips.  ... View more

Authentic Assessment. Active Learning. Title 2. Workforce Readiness. Edutainment. Flipped Classrooms. These are some of the many buzzwords that you’ve heard in professional development sessions, seen across whiteboards and dropped in the dozens of webinars hitting your inbox. They show up everywhere and, depending on the day, they can sound like either inspiring ideas or eye-roll-worthy jargon.  But here’s the thing: there’s a reason these terms keep buzzing. They point to real challenges in education. But once they go mainstream, these terms often lose their depth and get tossed around without much clarity. In other words, their use outpaces understanding. Oftentimes these words point to real solutions that are worth our time, if we look past the surface. Let’s break down what three of the most common buzzwords actually mean, why they’re everywhere right now, and how they connect to the work teachers and learning companies (like ours) are doing every day. Authentic Assessment Why you’re hearing it: Because traditional assessments aren’t always cutting it in the age of AI. Especially when we want to know what students can do, not the answer that GPT gave them or what they’ve memorized. In a nutshell, they’re assessments that ask students to apply higher-order, critical thinking skills in real-world contexts. You can find authentic assessments in grading practices, project-based learning and research-backed tools that focus on learning transfer. In the classroom they could be, among other things, portfolios that show students’ progress over time, debates that allow students to demonstrate knowledge or writing tasks that mirror professional work.  Done well, authentic assessments support deeper thinking, creativity and long-term retention. And as more educators rethink grading and outcomes, we’re seeing a shift toward making learning meaningful, not just measurable. Read more about authentic assessment: Demystifying Authentic Assessment: What It Means, Why It Matters, Tips to Use it  Beyond the Bubble Test: Bringing Authentic Assessment to Every Discipline Active Learning Why you’re hearing it: Because sitting passively in class isn’t working, especially when engagement is low and attention spans are shorter than ever.  Active learning flips the script on traditional lectures. Instead of absorbing information, students are actively doing something with it, like solving problems, debating peers, answering real-time polls, or connecting concepts to case studies. It’s showing up more often in flipped classrooms, peer instruction, and even simple check-ins that get students thinking.  The goal isn’t to make everything hands-on all the time, but to create regular moments of interaction that boost attention and deepen understanding. The research tells us that when students engage actively, especially in structured ways, learning outcomes improve. Find low-lift ways to implement active learning in your class: 7 Surprising Ways You Can Use iClicker in Class … and at Work Six Practical Ways AI Can Make Learning and Assessments More Engaging From “Is This on the Test?” to “Here’s What I Think”: 10 Ways to Make Critical Thinking Happen Title 2 Why you’re hearing it: Because designing for “most” students isn’t good enough, and more people are realizing it. Also, because accessibility is about everyone, not just the students with a letter from the disability office. Accessibility conversations have expanded from checklists to a deeper rethinking of how we design learning environments. Yes, it includes things like screen reader compatibility and captioned videos, but it also means offering materials in multiple formats, reducing unnecessary complexity, and anticipating a range of learner needs from the start.  Instructors are leaning into universal design principles not just because they have to (hello Title 2) but because it helps everyone, not just students with accommodations. Inclusive learning is becoming less of an afterthought and more of a foundation, whether it’s rethinking course structure or refining classroom communication so all students feel like they belong. Check out some of our blogs with practical solutions: Where to Start When Designing an Accessible Course From Challenges to Solutions: Advice for Enhancing Accessibility in Your Classroom Five Practical Steps You Can Take To Ensure You’re Ready for Recent Changes to Title II Your Title II Questions … Answered Why Collaboration Matters for Accessible and Inclusive Teaching and Learning Short-Term Wins, Long-Term Change: A Real-World Accessibility Roadmap Belonging is a Strategy not a Vibe Buzzwords get a bad rap. And these are the buzziest of them all. But behind each one is a signal that there’s a problem that deserves our attention. So before we tune out these opportunities, it’s worth asking how we can help make sure the conversation doesn’t stop at the jargon. And stay tuned, we’ll cover three more buzzwords in September and we've got a series of webinars on these buzzwords that explore the reasons why they matter. ... View more

Imagine this: Your economics class is buzzing with energy, your students are leaning in, and instead of tuning out during a discussion on elasticity or opportunity cost. They're actually laughing. Thinking. Debating. That’s the magic of having rock stars in the room. We’re not talking about stadium tours, we’re talking Betsey Stevenson & Justin Wolfers. Stevenson & Wolfers aren’t just co-authors of one of the most engaging Principles of Economics textbooks out there, they’re also dynamic educators, celebrated researchers, and public voices who bring real-world insight, personality, and clarity to complex economic ideas. And coming this Spring, they could be in your classroom. Helping you teach your economics students, live and in person. They’re offering to co-teach a class as part of a contest tied to the release of their Principles of Economics, 3rd Edition. And there’s a contest to make it happen. Here’s why your students will never forget the day Stevenson & Wolfers visited your class: 1. Authentic, Inviting Teaching Style That Makes Economics Relatable Stevenson and Wolfers intentionally move away from dry “widget economics,” instead grounding lessons in real-world decisions students face, like parking struggles, negotiating a raise or understanding rent pressures. Their approach helps students see that economic concepts apply to their everyday lives, increasing understanding and engagement. 2. Engagement-Driven, Student-Centered Content Design Their textbook and accompanying digital tools (we’re talking Macmillan Learning’s Achieve platform) are purpose-built for paced teaching. This structure makes teaching more seamless and learning more immersive. And while we think you should adopt their book, you don’t need to in order to enter the contest. 3. Experts Who Bridge Theory, Policy, and Real‑World Impact Both are prominent voices in economics with extensive research and policy backgrounds. Betsey Stevenson has experience as Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor and as a member of Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers. Justin Wolfers is well-respected for contributions to macro and applied microeconomics and economic commentary in outlets like “The Professor is In” every week on MSNBC and The New York Times. This means students can see economics as both rigorous and deeply connected to real-world issues. 4. A Joyful Teaching Philosophy They don’t just teach economics, they celebrate it. Their tone is described as humanizing and inclusive, and they aim to make the field accessible to all students. They actively work to break down barriers, encouraging broader participation in a field that has historically lacked gender diversity. 5. Multimedia Tools That Reinforce Learning—Podcasts, Digital Platforms, and Beyond Beyond the classroom, their “Think Like an Economist” podcast extends learning into everyday life, highlighting economic principles applied to career choices, personal decisions, and broader societal trends. This multimedia approach strengthens students’ grasp of core concepts while offering flexible learning moments outside the traditional lecture. Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers are offering to co-teach a class and you can win that opportunity. Enter the contest and give your students an unforgettable experience learning from two of the most respected (and fun) economists working today. ... View more

Some students are quietly swapping study groups for LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude. AI and AI Tutors can give students 24/7 help, offer personalized feedback, and provide them with infinite patience. But … they can also be a dangerously easy way to skip the hard stuff, like critical thinking, persistence, and productive struggle that students need long after graduation. In the latest episode of The What and Who of EDU, we break down the data, the dilemmas, and the real classroom results of AI tutors and share 10 ways educators can make sure students are actually learning (and not just copy-pasting their way to a passing grade). You’ll hear about everything from AI’s retro roots to what’s working in real classrooms today.  🎧 Listen to the full episode: “Friend, Foe, or Fellow Teacher? What the Data Says About AI Tutors” on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite place to tune into podcasts. A Brief History of AI: AI in education isn’t as new as it seems. In fact, the first “teaching machines” were introduced back in the 1950s, thanks to behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner. These early tools may seem dated now but were foundational for what came next. By the 1960s, the PLATO system offered interactive lessons, messaging functions, and even early forms of adaptive learning. From there, the field evolved through the development of “intelligent tutoring systems” in the 1980s and adaptive platforms in the 2000s. Now, with generative AI, students are chatting with bots like ChatGPT and Claude that simulate conversation, ask follow-up questions and provide judgment-free, personalized support. What started as multiple-choice feedback has become something that feels like a tutor.  This is just a small taste of the history dive into the beginnings of AI in the classroom. There's way more in the episode, including some unexpected moments in AI’s educational evolution. The Data on AI & Learning Is Surprising: Recent studies suggest AI tutoring has real potential, when used well. Also, students aren’t just using AI … they’re using it a lot. A 2025 Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) survey found that 92% of students are using AI in some form, and 88% said they’ve used it for assessments. Many describe using AI to explain concepts, summarize articles, and generate research ideas. That being said, almost 1 in 5 students admitted to copy-pasting AI responses directly into their work. In two semesters of testing, Macmillan Learning found that students who actively messaged with the AI tutor, not just used pre-written prompts, saw real gains in exam scores, assignment grades, and course confidence. A 2–5% bump in assignment grades, a 6–10% boost in exam scores, and up to a 3% lift in final course grades can really make a difference for students, especially those that are struggling. But students who used it passively saw no improvement. And those who used it on more than 75% of assignments also saw diminishing returns, suggesting there is such a thing as too much AI. So yes, AI tutors can support learning, but only when students (and instructors) use them intentionally. A Few Tips to Get You Started Here’s a sneak peek at two strategies from the episode that can help you guide students to use AI tutors wisely. If you want all 10 tips, be sure to check out the podcast. Use AI as a Scaffold, Not a Crutch: AI is helpful... until it’s not. Students in the “sweet spot” used the AI tutor on 25–75% of assignments saw the biggest academic gains. Overuse and overreliance backfired. Tip: Encourage intentional use. Enough to boost confidence, but not so much that it replaces thinking. Teach Students to Question AI, Not Just Use It: AI isn’t always right. And that’s a teaching opportunity. Tip: Have students analyze its output: Does this explanation make sense? Is it accurate? Can they find a better answer in their textbook or class notes? That goes beyond just using tech so that it becomes critical thinking in action. Whether you’re an early adopter or still in the “it might bite” camp, this episode gives you the real story and some real strategies behind one of today’s most debated tools. Also be sure to check out our AI Tutor. 🎧 Listen now → to Friend, Foe, or Fellow Teacher? What the Data Says About AI Tutors on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, And while you’re there, hit follow so you never miss an episode of The What and Who of EDU. ... View more

Some students walk into class already ahead. And we’re not talking about their SAT scores. Success in college isn’t about being the smartest person in the room, it’s about knowing how to navigate it. They’re the ones who manage their time, ask for help, and keep showing up. Turns out, success leaves a trail, and these students are already laying it down by week three. In this episode of The What and Who of EDU, we asked ten instructors what their most successful students have in common. From showing up early to asking for help loudly, here are the real-world behaviors that quietly predict student success—and how you can encourage more of them in your own classroom. Be sure to check out the full podcast episode "10 Things Successful Students Do Differently, According to the People Who Grade Them" on Apple or Spotify to hear all the tips.  1. Preview the Menu The most successful students don’t just show up, they show up ready. They’ve scanned the syllabus, scoped out the class structure, and already know what they need to ask. “My most successful students are extremely organized. When I arrive 15 minutes before class, they’re already waiting outside. They’ve read the syllabus and come prepared with clarifying questions—not ones that are already answered. I compare it to going to a restaurant: they’ve read the menu ahead of time, they know what they want, and they’re not wasting time being indecisive.” —Dr. Eric Chiang, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Why it works: Preparation creates presence with purpose. When students preview expectations before the first day, they use class time more effectively, reduce confusion, and start forming habits of proactive engagement.. 2. Manage Your Time Like Your Mom Is Watching When students leave the structure of high school, many mistakenly assume fewer classes mean more free time. That illusion can sink a semester fast unless they learn to plan ahead. “High schoolers come in thinking, ‘Oh, I only have class twice a week,’ and that means they only need to do homework two nights a week. And that is a big thing that destroys them. So those who can manage their time well, honestly, that’s the number one thing.” —Julie Moore, Eastern University Why it works: Time management isn’t just about calendars and checklists. It’s about controlling your environment so it doesn’t control you. When students map out their week, they free up mental bandwidth, reduce stress, and create room for flexibility when life happens. 3. Study Like You Brush Your Teeth Forget cramming. The students who do well aren’t pulling all-nighters, they’re building small, repeatable habits. “I give them that five-day-a-week schedule so I can take a complicated subject—like calculus—and break it into tiny little bite-sized pieces. Students that hear me and believe me and say, ‘Sure, I’ll give it 30 minutes a day and work 10 problems a day,’ never feel overwhelmed. They never get behind.” —Dr. Amy Goodman, Baylor University Why it works: Consistency beats intensity. Just like brushing your teeth, short, regular sessions build academic hygiene and prevent buildup of both cognitive load and panic. When students study daily, they stay curious, confident, and way ahead of the last-minute scramble. 4. Know Thyself Copying someone else’s study method doesn’t always work. The most successful students are the ones who reflect on what actually helps them learn. “I’ve reached out to students who were quite successful in the course and asked them, ‘Hey, what worked for you?’ It ends up being quite varied—different strategies for different students. So I would attribute success to students who know what works best for themselves.”  —Dr. Charlotte de Araujo, York University Why it works: Metacognition matters. When students figure out their learning style, whether that means attending peer mentoring, asking questions anonymously, or leading a study group, they take ownership of their education and reduce unnecessary struggle. 5. Ask for Help Some students think asking for help means they’ve failed. The successful ones know it’s just a smart strategy. “You have to learn to ask for help. If you get a note from financial aid that says you're kicked out of your classes because you didn’t pay, don’t wait. Call me. Call someone else. Don’t settle for a door being shut in your face. Practice asking for help in this class, because you're going to need that skill the rest of your life.” —Mary Gourley, Gaston College Why it works: Help-seeking is a sign of self-awareness, not weakness. Students who know when and how to reach out stay in motion, even when they hit barriers.  6. Believe You Can Grow Struggling isn’t failing, it’s part of the process. Successful students don’t just push through setbacks. They see them as part of how learning works. “One of the most important factors in student success is making sure they have a growth mindset. That’s the belief that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, learning, and persistence. You view challenges as opportunities to grow and learn rather than obstacles to overcome.” —Dr. Erika Martinez, University of South Florida Why it works: When students adopt a growth mindset, they stop avoiding difficulty and start engaging with it. That shift builds resilience, increases motivation, and keeps them from quitting too early, especially in tough, foundational courses. 7. Stay Curious Curiosity isn’t just a personality trait—it’s a success strategy. The students who go deeper, ask weird questions, and follow the tangents often end up learning the most. “Students that are inherently curious and asking questions that are tangentially related to the topic, or always trying to go a little bit deeper… they are, without a doubt, the most successful students.” —Dr. Derek Harmon, The Ohio State University College of Medicine Why it works: Intrinsic motivation drives engagement. When students are genuinely interested in the “why,” they retain more, ask better questions, and make broader connections. Curiosity keeps them learning long after the test is over. 8. Practice Until It’s Automatic You don’t master a skill by understanding it once, you master it by doing it over and over until it becomes second nature. Repetition builds rhythm, and rhythm builds confidence.  “There’s really no substitute for seat time and repetitions. I was a swimmer when I was growing up, and I remember how often we practiced flip turns… swimming to the wall and pushing off, over and over. Students will be successful if they do enough problems to get a chance to do that.” —Dr. Mike May, Saint Louis University Why it works: Whether it’s math problems or presentations, successful students practice until the process becomes automatic—freeing up mental space to focus on nuance, not just basics. 9. Learn the Story, Not Just the Answers Memorization might get you through a quiz. But true understanding comes from connecting the dots and successful students know how to zoom out and see the big picture. “You can’t just come to class every day, take notes, and then study the weekend before. You’re not going to get all the points. I force them to learn every day—with clicker questions, group activities, homework assignments. The students that actually incorporate the material into themselves, instead of just memorizing it, are the ones that succeed.” —Dr. Jennifer Ripley Stueckle, West Virginia University Why it works: Learning is cumulative. When students engage with material throughout the semester, they aren’t just prepping for a test—they’re building a framework they can use again and again. And when finals come around, they’re not scrambling—they’re connecting. 10. Level Up ... On Purpose Some students don’t just complete the assignment—they challenge it. They go beyond what’s comfortable and take creative risks that lead to real growth. “I notice that successful students challenge themselves with the assignment. They don’t go with something they’re comfortable with—they’ll try something new. And they get excited about it. They go to the next level in their critical thinking or creativity. And they’re often the leaders in the class.” —Adriana Bryant, Lone Star College–Kingwood Why it works: Academic risk-taking builds confidence and creativity. Students who stretch themselves not only develop deeper thinking skills—they also become classroom leaders, modeling initiative and inspiring others to raise the bar. Some students just get it. Not because they’re naturally gifted, but because they’ve built habits that make learning work for them. From reading the syllabus before Day 1 to asking better questions, their success doesn’t come from luck—it comes from intention. Want more students to follow their lead? Start by showing them what those habits look like. Then, give them space to try, adjust, and try again. That’s where success begins—not with a cheat code, but with real strategy, reflection, and a few reps 🎧 Want to hear it all in action? Listen to the full episode → on Apple or Spotify Have a tip? Leave us a voicemail at (512) 765-4688 and you might just hear yourself on a future episode ... View more

College isn’t just a stepping stone to a degree, it’s a launchpad for life beyond the classroom. While content mastery still matters, today’s employers are asking for something more: graduates who can think critically, communicate clearly, and tackle real-world problems with confidence. Fortunately, helping students build those skills doesn’t require a curriculum overhaul. Sometimes, it’s about the right activity at the right time. Employers consistently emphasize the need for graduates who can think critically, communicate effectively, and solve real-world problems. In fact, according to a national survey by AAC&U, 87% of employers say critical thinking is very important, and 79% want to see students apply knowledge to real-world settings. These aren’t just soft skills, they’re career-launching ones. So how do we build them in a college classroom? So how do we build them in a college classroom? Here are six practical tips that help students build authentic, transferable skills without losing sight of your learning objectives. Host a Mini-Consulting Challenge Want to teach students problem-solving, collaboration, and how to apply knowledge just like how it works in the real world? A mini consulting challenge could get all three at once. Instead of answering hypothetical questions, students analyze a real issue for a real stakeholder, like a local nonprofit or a university office. Give students a short case or challenge prompt from the real world (or ask a campus partner for one). In small groups, students brainstorm solutions and pitch them. Bonus: If time allows, invite the stakeholder to class or record a thank-you video. Run a Real-Time Problem-Solving Sprint Want to energize class time and challenge students to think on their feet? Try a problem-solving sprint. Present a complex, real-world issue with no obvious solution. In small groups, students brainstorm, prioritize, and propose an action plan within a limited time. Think: 20 minutes, 2 whiteboards, and one big question. Then have each group pitch their plan in 90 seconds. Fast-paced, high-stakes, and full of creativity. It’s a great way to surface different perspectives, push deeper thinking, and activate content knowledge in real time. Invite “Reality Check” Guest Speakers Want students to connect classroom content with real-world careers? Invite someone who uses it every day. Guest speakers aren’t groundbreakingly new, but framing them as a reality check makes them more than just a break in the routine. Ask former students, alumni, or industry professionals to share “what I wish I knew before entering the field.” Keep it short and focused with a prompt like “what surprised you about this work?” or “what skills do you use most from college?” Whether live or recorded, these insights add a tremendous amount of relevance to what they’re learning in your class. Have Students Create Something Public Help students both build pride in what they create and in the process build content that brings real-world benefits. Whether it’s a blog post, infographic, zine, podcast episode, or short video, publishing work (even informally) raises the stakes in a motivating way. Start with a small assignment and a real or imagined audience, provide clear guidelines, and let students take ownership. Hosting a class showcase, in person or online, could add a sense of occasion and celebration. Plus having an audience beyond the classroom to showcase on their resume and portfolio may be just the advantage they need to land their dream job. Run a Roleplay  Roleplay isn’t just for theater majors, it’s a high-engagement strategy that works across disciplines. It helps students to build their empathy, critical thinking, and communication skills all at once? Create a real-world scenario with competing interests (a city council meeting, a budget proposal, a policy change). Assign students stakeholder roles with different priorities and give them time to prepare their position. Then run the “meeting” in class. After the roleplay, debrief as a group: What changed your mind? What felt realistic? What would your real-life counterpart do? Students learn how to defend ideas, navigate disagreement and think beyond their own perspective. Try a Reverse Pitch Exercise If you want students to analyze instead of just absorb, try flipping the script with a reverse pitch, where students act as the client or stakeholder. Their job is to define the challenge, explain what’s already been tried, and outline what kind of help or innovation they’re looking for. Then, the rest of the class responds with possible solutions. This twist gives students practice in strategic thinking, context-setting, and audience awareness, which are all key real-world skills. It works especially well in business, communications, education, public health, or any field where defining the problem is half the job. For students, especially those who were learning remotely during the pandemic, learning how to work together, build their critical thinking, better communicate and more are critical. Not just to their success in the class, but in the world outside of it as well. The good news is that building real-world skills doesn’t require a total course redesign. With small but intentional changes, you can give students more opportunities to think deeply, communicate clearly, and engage with meaningful challenges. These activities help answer the question students often ask: “When will I use this?” because the answer is … now. ... View more

When you’re a new instructor, it can feel like everyone else got the manual, and you’re just trying to remember your LMS password. The syllabus is hot off the printer. The students just called you “professor” for the first time. And somewhere between uploading the first quiz and responding to an email about extra credit, you’re already wondering: Am I doing this right? In this episode of The What and Who of EDU, we asked 10 experienced educators to share the advice they wish they’d gotten when they started. From course chaos and impostor syndrome to feedback that stings, here are 10 tips for new teachers delivered with real talk, humor, and just enough pedagogical duct tape to hold it all together. Be sure to check out the full podcast episode "Advice New Teachers Actually Need: 10 Tips From Educators Who’ve Been There" on Apple or Spotify to hear all the tips straight from the instructors themselves. Here's a preview of what they shared: 1. Be One Day Smarter Betsy Langness started teaching full time after a career in counseling, and had to learn on the fly. But there was a mantra that stuck out to her, and that's to be one day smarter than your students.  “Don't stress about it. It's going to be okay. Show your personality through little tidbits while you're explaining some of the content and start really small with technology. Just try one thing, and when you get that down you can add more to your plate.” Why it works: Perfection is paralyzing. Progress is possible. This mindset gives instructors permission to grow alongside their students and builds a classroom culture of continuous learning. 2. Don't Take It Personally Student feedback can hit hard, especially when you're giving it everything you've got. Dr. Ryan Herzog reminds new instructors that frustration is part of the learning process and not always about you. “You're doing the best you can. You're experimenting. You're trying things out. And things are gonna fail. Students are gonna have frustration. But that's okay. Learn from what you're doing. Reflect on it and make modifications and changes. Don't worry about being perfect. And don't take the comments personal.” Why it works: Feedback isn’t a verdict. It’s data. And the sooner you stop treating it like a personal Yelp review, the faster you can use it to improve. 3. Find Your Inner Goldilocks After each semester, Dr. Kendra Thomas reflects with a simple quadrant matrix: what took the most time and had the least impact? That’s the first thing to go. “If I can't change everything next semester, I should at least change the things that took the students the most time and had the least impact. Because that's busy work. And I'll do the same thing for me. What took the most time grading, and had the least impact?” Why it works: Reflection doesn’t have to be a full-course redesign. This tip makes course tweaks feel doable, data-informed, and actually student-centered. 4. Just Pick One New Thing to Try Dr. Jennifer Ripley Stueckle wants new instructors to keep it simple. Don’t download every new tool. Don’t revamp your course overnight. Just pick one thing. “Your classroom could turn into a circus very quickly, and your students will never have a clue what's going on… I started with Clickers. And then it took me another year. I threw in a few group activities. But even now, I won't try more than one thing.” Why it works: New instructors often feel pressure to “tech up” fast. This tip reframes that instinct: better to build one strong bridge to your students than scatter stepping stones they can’t follow. Students need consistency more than bells and whistles. 5. Channel Your Inner Beginner. Teach Like It’s Still Hard for You Dr. Mike May has a reminder: when you forget how hard it was to learn something, you start designing for the expert you’ve become not the learner in your classroom. “If you're a teacher in college, you were never an ordinary student in the class that you're teaching; beginning classes are as hard for the students ... as advanced students are for the PhD students.” Why it works: When you assume confusion is the default, not the exception, you design for access. You can get through to the students who find the content challenging. 6. Teach with Confidence and Help Students Build Theirs Dr. Derek Harmon works with graduate students on the brink of becoming faculty, and even they wrestle with impostor syndrome. Remember what helped you learn. And then teach from that version of yourself. “You are now trying to transition to now being a person that is taking in this content as a student, to now trying to convey this content as a faculty member... Always pay close attention to their facial and visual cues they give you, because oftentimes they do not want to admit when they don't understand something, because they don't want the risk of potential embarrassment.” Why it works: Expertise isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about remembering what helped you find them. Your younger self might just be your best guide. 7. Not Everyone Got Sorted Into ‘Loves School’ House—And That’s OK Jennifer Duncan learned early on that her students weren’t mirrors of herself. She reminds us that students don’t always love school, and that’s not a flaw. It’s your starting point.  “They were not necessarily the same type of learner that I was. They were not necessarily the same place in their life that I was. They weren't necessarily going to go about college the way that I went about college. So, realizing that our students are not clones of us, our students have their own things going on, and taking the time to figure out what that is. So it's not going to be so much about us presenting information to them. It's going to be about us becoming a resource and a guide that will partner with them.” Why it works:  Some students are in House Survival. Some are in House Group Project Ghosters. Your job isn’t to sort them, it’s to support them. 8. Don't Do It Alone Adriana Bryant says your colleagues are one of your greatest assets. Because there's always someone who has been there, done that and has a Google Drive full of resources to share. “Don't be afraid to ask for help. We have so many great minds out there and colleagues who have been at this for so many years and have this great wealth of knowledge.” Why it works: Teaching well is more about being resourceful than trying to do it alone. Colleagues are your curriculum. Passion is your power source.  9. Plan Like a Pro, Reflect Like a Rookie Dr. Amy Goodman is a 26-year veteran, but she still adjusts her classes every semester. Her secret is to plan early, listen to feedback and reflect honestly. “Plan your entire semester before it begins… Then just go and execute that. While you're teaching, take notes about things that really clicked with your class… Read those early feedback forms. Compare that to your own reflections.” Why it works: Even the best plans will wobble. But reflection is what turns “this didn’t work” into “next time, here’s what I’ll try.”  10. You Will Make a Difference Julie Moore knows that job is hard and can feel thankless at times. She thinks new teachers should all get the preparatory talk, reminding them that the system isn't perfect. But they're changing lives every single day.. “You're going to go into this hoping to make a difference, and you will. You will make a difference in some students' lives. And those students will be really grateful to you for that.” Why it works: There may be no applause, no gold stars, and no RateMyProfessor bump. But impact shows up quietly in the students who stay because you showed up.  BONUS TIP: Lead with Kindness Mary Gourley isn’t here for the internet hot takes or Reddit rants, she’s here for the students. And her advice to new instructors is simple, powerful, and hard to forget: kindness isn’t a bonus. It’s the job. “Is a privilege and an honor to be in front of students every day... to change lives, and to have a real platform every day ... I’m getting chills right now talking about it. It is something that you do not need to lose focus on. ”  She encourages all new teachers to read What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain. Why it works: It’s easy to get caught up in the noise with grading, policies, and performance reviews. This tip reminds us that teaching is a platform. A privilege. A chance to change lives. And leading with kindness is where it starts. Some of these tips are about mindset. Some are about mechanics. And some are about just trying to get through the week without reinventing your entire course at 11 p.m. on a Sunday. But what they all have in common is this: you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to show up with curiosity, compassion, maybe, with a backup plan for when the LMS goes down. 🎧 Want to hear it all in action? Listen to the full episode on The What & Who of EDU →  and be sure to check out the podcast on Apple or Spotify to hear all the tips straight from the instructors themselves. Have a tip for a new teacher? Leave us a voicemail at (512) 765-4688 and you might just hear yourself on a future episode. ... View more

What does it look like to believe in the power of learning?  That's what we set out to capture when we reimagined our brand. When you look at it now, I hope you will see more than a design. I hope you will see a signal. A signal that Macmillan Learning has grown into something new. That we’re showing up differently, because we are different. That we’re building a future for students that feels more personal, more human, and full of possibility. We needed an identity that could move with us and with the learners we support. One that works equally well on a platform, a textbook, or an app. One that feels as modern and authentic as the learning experiences we aim to create. So, we asked ourselves: how can our brand better reflect who we’ve become? To answer it, we listened. We heard from thousands of instructors, administrators, students, and partners about their goals, ideals, and expectations. Along the way, one educator asked us, honestly: “Does any of this really matter?” It’s a fair question. Here’s why we believe it does. A logo doesn’t teach a student or support an educator. But how we show up, through our content, our tools, and our services, does matter. Because signals matter. They show what we stand for. They help people recognize us, and understand what kind of partner we are. We believe learning has the power to open doors, connect people, and change lives. And our new identity is designed to reflect that belief. It’s designed to symbolize our mission to inspire what’s possible in every learner. The open, radiating symbol in our logo captures the outward motion of learning, how it grows, connects, and creates opportunity. It reflects the diversity of the students and educators we serve, and our commitment to meeting them wherever they are. It reflects how we think, build, and support learning every day. We’re proud of what this new identity stands for. It shows that we’re not just keeping up with change; we’re driving it. We’re helping shape what learning looks like now, and what comes next. With purpose. Our logo may not be the most important thing about us. But what it stands for is. It’s a marker of progress and of the possibilities we’re working toward, together. No matter your role, student, educator, partner, or learner, thank you for being part of what learning makes possible.  We’re just getting started. ... View more

Today, we’re proud to introduce a bold new visual identity for Macmillan Learning, one that reflects not only who we are today, but the future we’re building alongside educators and learners to help inspire what’s possible.  This is about more than a new logo. It’s a signal of how far we’ve come and how far we plan to go. It’s a visible signal of our continued evolution from a company that puts words on paper to one that provides digital-first, student-centered learning experiences. We’ve expanded what we offer and how we show up, creating partnerships, addressing critical learning challenges, and offering tools, platforms and services that drive learning wherever and however it takes place. Our new logo was designed to reflect the growth and energy of learning — how it expands, changes, comes into focus, connects people, and creates opportunity. The bright, digital-first colors reflect our optimism for the future of education, the possibilities for learners and the energy and momentum behind everything we are building. This new identity is built for the digital landscape. It is distinctive, flexible, and a powerful expression of our company whether in an app, on a learning platform, or on a product.  We share a proud heritage with the Macmillan name, but feel that this identity clarifies what makes Macmillan Learning’s story unique. We are a learning company — research-driven, outcomes-focused, and committed to helping students succeed by supporting them and the educators who guide them. It captures what we know to be true, which is that learning is dynamic and as limitless as it is deeply human. The bright colors reflect our optimism for the future and the energy and momentum felt across every part of our business. In the coming weeks, you’ll see our new look across our sites, platforms, and products. Despite these exciting shifts, what won’t change is our mission: to inspire what’s possible for every learner. This moment is about more than design. It’s about what the design represents — and the belief that, together, we can shape a future where all students feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive. Thank you for being part of this journey. ... View more

In a world of instant answers, where students can summon AI-generated text faster than they can raise their hand, how do we actually teach critical thinking? Critical thinking might be one of the most in-demand skills. But it can also be one of the most elusive. In essence, it’s the ability to slow down, ask better questions and make sense of complexity. It’s about how to think: analyzing assumptions, evaluating evidence, connecting ideas, and articulating why something makes sense (or doesn’t).   In a world full of instant answers, critical thinking helps students stop and think. It can be found just about anywhere, including assignment rubrics, baked into learning outcomes or even tossed into syllabi under "course goals." But ask students to explain how they think, and you might just get a long pause, a hopeful shrug, or a copy-paste from ChatGPT. So how do we move beyond the buzzword to discover how it belongs in the classroom? At The What and Who of EDU,, we asked instructors from across the country to show us what critical thinking looks like in real classrooms, with real students. No ivory tower theories. Just 10 practical, powerful ways to help students do more than find the right answer to help them figure out why it’s the right answer in the first place. Be sure to check out the full podcast episode From “Is This on the Test?” to “Here’s What I Think”: 10 Ways to Make Critical Thinking Happen on Apple or Spotify to hear all the tips straight from the instructors themselves. Here's a preview of what they shared: Remove the Fear of Failure Instead of punishing wrong answers, Dr. Christin Monroe makes space for them. She offers unlimited attempts on auto-graded assignments and one revision opportunity on hand-graded work to support her neurodivergent learners, and shift their mindset from perfection to persistence. “I think that if you give a student one attempt on an assignment, the challenge is that they're not incentivized to go back and redo it. But if you give them those multiple attempts, then they have more of an incentive to keep going with it, and they're less likely to just get frustrated and give up.” Why it works: When students know their first attempt isn’t their final grade, they feel freer to explore, revise, and learn from the process. Unplug to Go Deeper To help students think for themselves, Dr. Margaret Holloway starts by taking away their favorite crutch: their phones. She prints out readings, insists on handwritten annotations, and makes sure the conversation happens in class, and not online. “Students who come into my classroom are so heavily reliant on their phones, and what other people are saying. They're scared to voice their opinion on something. They go to the Internet to see who's saying what or what the right answer is.” Why it works: No screens, no shortcuts. Students have to generate their own questions and ideas, and get comfortable being uncomfortable. Focus on the Thinking Dr. Amy Goodman doesn’t spend class time lecturing. Instead, she flips the script, delivering direct instruction through videos so students can use class to engage in metacognition—thinking about how they think. “I offload the direct instruction part to video lectures that happen outside of class, so that when they come to class, we can really focus on that metacognitive component. And I have been rewarded in the assumption that students do come to class prepared. I just ask them to do it and then talk to them like they’ve done it—and far and away, most students really do.” Why it works: When you come to class, the assumption is that students have actually watched the video beforehand. And most students really do come to class prepared. Answer Every Question With a Question Ask Dr. Erika Martinez a question, and she’ll probably respond with another one. Her go-to method? Socratic questioning that keeps students building, refining, and defending their reasoning. “Socratic questioning is my go-to. I'm constantly engaging the students. When students have a question, I almost always answer it with another question. Sometimes a series of questions. I push students to justify their reasoning with follow-up questions.” Why it works: Students stay mentally engaged and learn to justify their thought process, not just memorize talking points. Teach the Process, Not Just the Point Instead of telling students how science works, Dr. Charlotte de Araujo immerses them in it. Her lectures feature live data interpretation, real-time hypothesis building, and scenario-based experimentation. “Students are required to interpret the information. We'll provide scenarios in our molecular biology course, where we ask if the hypothetical samples are positive for covid and students perform the calculations. They'll submit trends they've identified during our lecture in real time. providing these many scenarios encourages students to develop hypotheses and also actively apply content that they've been taught.” Why it works: Active problem-solving mimics the scientific process, and turns learners into investigators. Give Them Problems Worth Solving From minimum wage to marijuana legislation, Dr. Ryan Herzog invites students to apply economic principles to real-world problems. The messier the question, the more engaged the classroom. “There's a lot of research over fun areas, and so whether it's at a principals or an intermediate or even like in a field course, I like introducing them to some of the kind of research questions that we're talking about ... it's getting them to be curious about the world and ask those questions." Why it works: Relevance fuels curiosity. And curiosity is the engine of critical thought. Make Them Explain It Like a Kid Is Listening Complex concepts become clear when students have to explain them to a fictional nine-year-old. Dr. Mike May plays the curious kid, misinterpreting every answer until his students really nail it. “They have to get it specific, because whatever they say, I'm going to come up with a way to misinterpret it.” Why it works: No jargon. No filler. Just the clean, simple logic of someone who really gets it. Hide the Critical Thinking in Plain Sight Say “critical thinking” and watch students shut down. That’s why Dr. Jennifer Ripley Stickle disguises it with quick, layered iClicker questions that build a chain of logic without ever announcing the goal. “For critical thinking, I try to hide it. If I tell them it's critical thinking, the door closes and they shut out on me. And so I've used clicker questions to build critical thinking skills.” She starts with a simple iClicker ... question: What’s the oldest type of cell? Then builds on it—Which domain is the oldest? What type of cell are bacteria? In less than a minute, students connect the dots themselves: bacteria are prokaryotes, and prokaryotes are the oldest cells. This is layered questioning that quietly leads to critical thinking. Why it works: Stealth mode engagement lets students build confidence without the pressure of high-stakes thinking. Let AI Make the Mistakes AI isn’t the enemy in Dr. Jennifer Duncan’s class, it’s the case study. She has students ask ChatGPT for answers, then critique them for bias, hallucinations, and logical gaps. “Instead of asking students to give their work to ChatGPT, I ask them to have it generate something—a thesis, for example—and then evaluate it. What works? What doesn’t? What hallucinations do you spot? So I’m having them think critically about what the AI produces.” Why it works: Critiquing machine-made responses trains students to read more critically—and trust their own analytical instincts. Make Them Teach It Live Dr. Derek Harmon’s anatomy students don’t just study the body—they dissect it, discuss it, and teach it. At the end of each lab, groups present live demos to their peers (with cameras rolling). “At the end of each lab session, I assign a lab group to do a live teaching demonstration to the entire class. And the way that we think about this in kind of this Bloom's taxonomy or learning kind of hierarchy is if you can explain a topic to somebody else that is essentially the highest level of learning that you can kind of get to." Why it works: Teaching forces synthesis. When you have to explain it, you own it. Critical thinking isn’t a concept, it’s a craft. And like any craft, it gets messy, takes time, and starts with the courage to say, “I’m not sure, but here’s what I’m thinking.” These 10 instructors aren’t just assigning critical thinking. They’re building the conditions that make it possible. These 10 educators didn’t rely on trendy frameworks or clever acronyms. They built learning environments where students could actually practice thinking asking why, making connections, and staying curious long enough to figure something out. Because critical thinking is one of the most important and impactful strategies students can master. 🎧 Want to hear it all in action? Listen to the full episode → From “Is This on the Test?” to “Here’s What I Think”: 10 Ways to Make Critical Thinking Happen on Apple or Spotify Have a critical thinking hack of your own? Leave us a voicemail at (512) 765-4688 and you might just hear yourself on a future episode ... View more

There’s a curriculum most students don’t see on the syllabus. It’s not in the textbook, but it shows up in every group project, every deadline, every class discussion. That’s where they learn how to communicate, collaborate, and stay organized—skills that will shape their future just as much as the subject matter. These so-called “soft skills” are anything but soft. They’re essential for thriving in college, in the workplace and in life. And increasingly, employers say they matter more than technical knowledge. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the top three attributes employers seek on a resume are communication skills, problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a team. And many instructors are already teaching those skills, even if it’s not in the official learning objectives.  The Hidden Curriculum: Small choices make a big difference. Embedding checkpoints into a project builds time management muscle. Asking students to respond to a classmate before offering their own encourages active listening. Building in moments of reflection helps them understand how they learn, and advocate for what they need next. The curriculum usually doesn’t have a column of “soft skills”, but that doesn’t mean they’re not being taught. These skills are embedded in how assignments are structured, how students collaborate, and how instructors create space for personal reflection and growth. In The What and Who of EDU, Macmillan Learning’s podcast about teaching, learning, and the humans behind both, we’ve heard instructors share how these skills show up in action: Dr. Margaret Holloway addresses students' fear of failure straight on—an often overlooked barrier to participation and self-advocacy. She shares her own undergraduate essays with students to normalize growth and imperfection. This fosters psychological safety and builds confidence, both of which are foundational to risk-taking and effective communication (10 Ways to Build Student Confidence).   Jennifer Ripley Stueckle teaches in large lecture settings but doesn’t let size limit connection. She incorporates service-learning projects to help students build relationships with peers and engage with the community. These experiences promote collaboration, initiative, and a sense of shared responsibility. (10 Strategies to Build Belonging in Your Classroom) Amanda Peach, a librarian at Berea College, teaches students how to approach information critically, collaborate across perspectives, and navigate ambiguity. These are essential skills for both teamwork and problem-solving. (How Hutchins Library Builds Community and Critical Thinkers).  Each of these approaches reflects intentional teaching of the hidden curriculum. And none of them require a standalone workshop or extra unit because they’re woven into the everyday fabric of learning. How It Comes Together The challenge, of course, is time. Instructors are already balancing content coverage, assessments, and student support. But teaching soft skills doesn’t have to mean adding new units. It can be a subtle shift, one opportunity at a time. At Macmillan Learning, we’ve seen this approach in action. Instructors using Achieve build in self-reflection assignments to help students track their own progress. Tools like iClicker encourage peer-to-peer interaction in large lectures, promoting engagement and quick collaboration. Our research on metacognition and sense of belonging showed that when students gain confidence managing their own learning, they perform better and stick with it, even when it gets challenging. In fact, students in our study saw up to a 10-point improvement in course performance. If the goal of education is to prepare students for what comes next, then soft skills aren’t extra. They’re the foundation. That means students don’t need another seminar on time management. They need instructors who bake those skills into the way learning happens every day. And increasingly, the job market is rewarding exactly that kind of preparation. Nearly two-thirds of employers now say they use skills-based hiring to evaluate entry-level candidates, often placing more value on what students can do than what’s on their transcript. That means the skills built through classroom collaboration, time management, and reflection don’t just prepare students to succeed in college. They’re becoming the ticket to what comes next. ... View more

Accessibility initiatives in higher education are often perceived as top-down mandates, implemented in response to evolving laws or institutional policies. But some of the most transformative and sustainable changes come from students with disabilities who experience navigating campus systems every day. At Macmillan Learning, we are committed to making our learning tools inclusive by design. One of the most powerful ways we do this is by learning directly from students with disabilities. This blog explores students' impact on accessibility practices both on campus as advocates and with us through ongoing feedback. We also explore some ways that institutions can work with students, not just for them, to create truly inclusive learning environments. Students as Advocates and Policy Influencers Students bring critical insight to accessibility efforts, not just as recipients of accommodations but as active agents of change. Their experiences, ideas, and persistence often highlight gaps in current systems and illuminate pathways toward a more inclusive future. Samm Nelson, Digital Accessibility Coordinator at Mount Holyoke College, shared how students have driven impactful change: “The students that I work with are amazing advocates, allies, and champions of accessible higher education. They have intentionally formed a community with peers and mentors with disabilities to support one another in challenges and victories. The current students on campus were able to get the attention of our administration to draw attention to the needs of disabled students in higher education and make systemic changes at our university. Our students are the reason I am hopeful that our world will continue to be a more welcoming and accessible place for all people, regardless of disability.” Nelson believes that student engagement does more than raise awareness. It shapes policy, builds community, and reframes disability as a vital identity. “It is my hope that a disability cultural center on campus will not only improve the experience of all our disabled faculty, students, and staff on campus, but the presence of the center alone signals our priorities and our understanding that disability is an identity to be celebrated and better understood on our campus.” Students as Experts Through Lived Experience When institutions include students with disabilities in accessibility workflows, they gain not only user feedback but authentic expertise. Lived experience, particularly from students who rely on assistive technologies, can uncover barriers that automated tools or testers without disabilities may miss. Danae Harris, Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist at the University of North Texas, explains how her institution benefits from this approach: “In my division, we hire Accessibility Testers who are current or former students and native assistive technology users. They play a huge role in testing content from various perspectives. Our team includes a student who relies on a screen reader and Nemeth Braille keyboard, a student who uses magnification software alongside a screen reader, and a student who relies solely on a screen reader. It is important to get the input of the students. We cannot effectively create and advocate for accessible content without their input.” Shifting from a reactive to a proactive accessibility model means designing with students in mind from the beginning. That shift requires more than intention. It calls for systems that center disabled voices in testing, procurement, and decision-making processes.  What Can You Do? Creating meaningful partnerships with students with disabilities isn’t complicated, but it does require commitment, consistency, and care. Here are some recommendations about how you can make an impact:  Promote Opportunities for Students to Share Their Experiences. At Macmillan Learning, we conduct paid usability tests and surveys with students with disabilities to better understand their experience with our products. Their feedback has helped identify both barriers and successes that have directly shaped product development, including the redesign of one of our digital assessment experiences. If you’re a higher education student with a disability or an instructor working with students with disabilities, we'd love to partner with you. Email webaccessibility@macmillan.com to join our accessibility research database.   This can be implemented more broadly with institutions by establishing paid student tester programs, usability panels, or advisory boards. Creating formal roles for students with disabilities in campus accessibility planning helps move from simply accommodating students to intentionally partnering with them in the design and evaluation of accessible learning environments. Invite Student Feedback Early and Often.  It’s important to get their perspectives through regular surveys, open office hours, or focus groups to learn about urgent needs and long-term goals. Include accessibility questions in course evaluations or feedback forms. Offer flexible alternatives that reflect student suggestions and support diverse learning needs. Also, consider launching accessibility ambassador programs or adding student seats to digital accessibility committees. Help Create Community. When we talk about accessibility, it’s easy to focus on physical or digital accommodations, like ramps, captions, or screen readers. But for students with disabilities, belonging is just as critical. Community isn’t a bonus feature; it’s infrastructure. And instructors can play a powerful role in helping students find or build it. A quick mention in class of your school's disability services, student affinity groups, or mental health resources can be a game-changer, especially for students who are new, unsure, or reluctant to self-advocate. Accessibility is not just about compliance; it’s about community. And as Samm Nelson so eloquently put it, “We as disabled people belong in every space where decisions are made.”   Danae Harris is the Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist at the University of North Texas. In addition to reviewing online courses to help faculty create accessible content, she also works with third-party representatives, including publishers and e-learning software providers, to address accessibility concerns and shares best practices and tools for making digital content accessible. Samm Nelson, CPACC is the Digital Accessibility Coordinator at Mount Holyoke College. She is responsible for ensuring faculty, students, and staff have equitable access to digital spaces on campus. She trains individuals on how to use assistive technology and oversees training, auditing, and remediation of digital spaces on campus to ensure accessibility.   ... View more

College students are constantly sending signals about what’s working, and what’s not, in their learning experiences. Sometimes those signals are subtle, like a student withdrawing quietly from class participation. Other times they’re loud and clear. But too often, it’s easy to treat those signals as noise instead of data. At Macmillan Learning, we set out to listen more closely and learn more about those signals. With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we launched a multi-semester study focused on two essential—but often underexamined—aspects of learning metacognition (how they reflect on their learning habits and strategies) and sense of belonging (how connected they feel to their peers, instructors, and institution).  We partnered with 29 instructors (11 biology and 18 psychology) across 29 institutions and 42 course sections in Fall 2023. Together, we explored what happens when digital tools are used to foster reflection and connection, and what students are willing to share when given the space. Would they participate in weekly reflections, shared classroom experiences and peer-to-peer discussions? And even then, would it make a difference? Turns out: yes. And yes. Here’s what they said. “It really has helped me feel more connected to the people in my class.” We learned from students that connection matters more than icebreakers. Across in-person and virtual classrooms, students described the power of simply feeling like they weren’t alone. Sharing experiences, learning about each other’s habits, and seeing common struggles helped students build confidence and community. One student explained, “Once you read about other students, you see who you have things in common with... that can play a factor into y’all building a friendship or even having the courage to talk to them.” In online classes especially, this kind of connection can be hard to find. But when students saw their peers reflected back at them, even in small ways, it made a difference. “It really has helped me feel more connected to the people in my class.” This wasn’t just about social comfort. The sense of being seen helped students speak up, ask questions, and participate more. As one student shared, “It definitely encouraged me to raise my hand. I noticed that when I first started… a lot of people started doing it afterwards.” In fact, students who regularly reflected and engaged with their peers saw up to a 10-point lift in course grades compared to those who didn’t, showing that small moments of connection can drive meaningful academic gains. According to Guido Gatti, Senior Quantitative Research Analyst at Macmillan Learning, “There is a real academic impact from consistent interventions targeting student belongingness. The key is to get the whole class involved on a regular basis, then engagement improves, scores go up and student retention gets better.   “It helped me to be more mindful of myself.” That’s what one student told us about metacognitive reflection. And they weren’t alone. Every week, students were asked to pause and take stock: what’s working? What’s not? What might I try differently next time? These moments of structured self-reflection helped students to see learning not as something that happened to them, but something they could shape. For some, it was the first time they’d been asked to reflect in this way. One instructor that participated in the study noted, “Sometimes they don't even think about how they feel and this leads to frustration. Exposing students to asking those questions of themselves is a great way for them to address certain issues before they become so large that they affect their schoolwork.” Reflection also fostered connection. Students began to understand not just what they were doing, but why. As one student put it, “Getting to know how all my peers are approaching problems and their new college life has really helped me fit in and understand things since I'm a new college student.” They didn’t just reflect, they also borrowed. Study tips, time management strategies, different ways of approaching assignments were all swapped freely. Hearing how others handled challenges made it easier to try something new, especially for students just starting out or returning after time away. “It doesn’t take Socrates to see that going through the motions in your classes is not going to help students reach their potential. Real growth requires intentional effort. Sticking with the same strategies and hoping for better outcomes rarely works. Progress starts by stepping back, thinking critically about what’s working and what isn’t, and committing to a realistic plan that they’re willing to take seriously,” Gatti said. “What I have to say matters. It feels like I get to have a voice.” Belonging isn’t a bonus, it’s foundational. The study confirmed what many educators know instinctively: when students feel like they belong, they engage more deeply and perform better. While not all gaps were closed, the study showed meaningful progress when classrooms prioritized connection and reflection. But this isn’t just about outcomes, it’s also about culture.  Students noticed when instructors listened. One student shared how their professor responded to class feedback by restructuring group time. “She told us that the overall results weren't exactly where she wanted them… and if she feels like it's not going the right way, then she'll just put us in groups… so that you can be more familiar with your classmates and peers.” Another student described the difference it made when their experience was acknowledged, “That class specifically is the only class where I have a group of friends. And I guess you could say there's a larger feeling of belonging in that class.” “When all students feel they can contribute, and their contribution matters, now you have something bigger than a collection of individuals; engagement and learning can become contagious,” Gatti said.  “It was reassuring… like, I’m not the only one who feels this way.” Normalizing struggle builds resilience. One of the most powerful effects of peer-shared experiences was helping students feel less alone in their academic doubts. Mentor stories and classroom discussions allowed students to see that frustration, confusion, and fear weren’t signs of failure; rather that they were normal parts of learning. One student noted, “I am still scared to raise my hand or talk in front of people in my classes, but I think there was one video where a student mentions, ‘Everybody feels scared when they come to college.’ That video was extremely creative, at least to me.” In these moments, vulnerability became strength. Seeing peers reflect on and work through challenges helped students do the same. Belonging doesn’t come from perfection, it comes from knowing you’re not the only one navigating through college. What students told us, and what we do next The feedback students shared throughout this study went far beyond opinions or preferences. It was a window into what helps them feel more confident, more connected, and more in control of their learning. It confirmed that belonging and reflection aren’t extras, they’re essential. Students told us that being seen and heard changes how they engage. So does having the space to pause, reflect, and rethink their learning strategies. And while digital tools can’t replace good teaching, they can help create the conditions where connection and confidence grow. “The weekly feedback we received from students was more than survey data, it was insight into what truly matters to them,” Gatti said. "They reminded us that belonging isn’t something students bring with them, it’s something we help build. And most importantly, they reminded us that teaching is about more than delivering content. It’s about creating conditions for students to thrive.” When students are invited to share their experiences, they do. And what they say can reshape how we think about learning, if we’re willing to listen. Speaking of listening ... be sure to check out  "Little Reflections, Big Gains: Digging Into the Data on Student Belonging & Metacognition"  and "Four Strategies, Five Point Gains: Digging Into The Data on The Real Impact of Evidence-Based Teaching" on recent episodes of The What & Who of EDU to learn even more about the results from our work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Or for a quick take, check out "10 Things You Should Know About Evidence-Based Teaching (Some Will Surprise You)" and "From Soft Skills to Strong Gains: 6 Practical Tips from Research on Belonging & Metacognition." on our Learning Stories blog. ... View more

What happens when you build a library that’s more than just a place to study? At Berea College, a tuition-free, work college nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, Amanda Peach and her colleagues at Hutchins Library have created something powerful. The library has become a third space, a mentorship hub, and a launchpad for student research and agency. After our conversation on The What & Who of EDU, I haven’t stopped thinking about what every educator (and every institution) can learn from their approach. Here are four takeaways that stuck with me, and that I hope will stick with you too. 1. The Invitation Matters Sometimes the most transformative thing an educator can do is extend the invitation.  Amanda doesn't wait for students to come to her, she reaches out. She actively invites them to co-author research papers, present at conferences, and engage in work that’s typically reserved for graduate students. Every semester, someone says yes. Why does that matter? Because for many students, especially first-gen or underrepresented students, asking to do research, or even knowing it’s an option, can feel out of reach. Amanda takes the wondering out of it by extending the invitation. In the process, students build their portfolios as well as something even deeper: a sense of scholarly identity. 2. Third Spaces Build Belonging Libraries are not just academic commons, they’re cultural ones too.  Hutchins Library leans into this by offering board games, pots and pans, podcast equipment, and ample gathering places for students to just pause and breathe.  Third spaces like these matter, especially on campuses where community is sometimes hard to find or harder to keep. In an era where such spaces are disappearing, libraries can step in and  give students agency to create and nurture them. 3. Information Literacy Is Everyone’s Job The information landscape isn’t just complex, it’s also constantly shifting. Amanda and her team realized that a legacy framework from the early 2000s wasn’t enough to equip today’s students to navigate deepfakes, echo chambers, and algorithmic bias. So they pivoted.  They replaced outdated interventions with one-on-one research consultations, partnered with faculty to embed information literacy into assignments, and rethought what students need—not just to write a paper, but to become critical, ethical consumers and creators of information. This work isn’t extra. It’s fundamental and foundational. 4. Access Is a Design Choice Yes, Berea’s endowment helps make their tuition-free model possible, but the intent behind it is what matters most. Berea shows us that higher education can be reimagined with access and agency at the center. We may not all work at a work college, but we can all ask: “What can I do, in my role, to remove barriers and open doors?” Whether it’s redesigning an assignment, rethinking who we co-create with, or making a trip to the library a part of our class plans, we all have levers we can pull. There’s so much more to our conversation and you should tune in to hear all of it.  Listen to the full episode of "The Heartbeat of Berea: How Hutchins Library Builds Community and Critical Thinkers" on The What & Who of EDU featuring Amanda Peach, available wherever you get your podcasts. And if it sparks something, leave us a voicemail at 📞 512-765-4688. We’d love to feature your voice on a future episode. ... View more

What if students could get a jumpstart on college while still in high school?  That’s the opportunity dual enrollment offers. And while it’s not a new idea, it’s becoming a bigger part of the conversation about college access, affordability and student success.  Dual enrollment allows high school students to take college-level courses, often earning both high school and college credit, through partnerships between their school and a local college or university. The courses will often mirror the core classes students would take during their first year of college, like English composition, U.S. history, psychology, and biology. The courses are taken at a local college, online or right in the high school classroom. According to the Community College Resource Center, around 2.5 million high school students take dual enrollment courses each year. And demand is growing as more students look for ways to lower the cost of college, explore career paths or simply get ahead. Dual enrollment programs are offered in all 50 states and available on 90% of high school campuses, though the structure and requirements can vary significantly from one program to another. In states like Florida and Georgia, the programs are state-funded and widely accessible, meaning students can often participate at no cost. In other states, families may face tuition or materials fees, and students’ access to the programs may depend on local partnerships between colleges and school districts. And while students do earn college credit, not all institutions accept those credits equally. “When designed to reflect the rigor and expectations of true college coursework and classroom environment, dual enrollment offers far more than academic credit, it provides students with an early, meaningful introduction to college life. This early exposure, delivered in a supportive, lower-stakes setting, has the potential to help students develop the confidence, discipline, and academic habits essential for a successful transition into higher education,” said Hilary Duplantis, Learning Research Specialist at Macmillan Learning. Why It Matters For many students, dual enrollment isn’t just a way to earn college credits faster. It’s also a way to shift what they believe is realistic or even possible for them, opening doors for students who might not otherwise see college as part of their future.  Take a high school junior who’s the first in her family to even consider college. Or imagine a student from a low-income household, where every dollar counts. There’s also the student who’s breezing through their high school classes, itching for something more challenging. And then there are students in rural communities or students in under-resourced schools.  These aren’t hypothetical, they represent real stories happening in classrooms across the country. An Institute of Education Sciences (IES) review in 2017 found that dual enrollment programs have positive effects on college degree attainment, access and enrollment, credit accumulation, high school completion, and general academic achievement in high school. “Post-COVID studies show these benefits persist. Dual enrollment students continue to enroll in college at higher rates and are more likely to persist through their first year and complete their degrees. These outcomes are especially significant for first-generation, low-income, and minority students, for whom dual enrollment can be a transformative stepping stone,” said Hilary.  Specifically, the CCRC found that 81% percent of dual enrollment students went to college just after high school, compared with about 70% of students overall. When students see themselves succeeding in college-level work, they start to believe they belong in college. That sense of belonging and early success can shape how they approach the rest of their educational journey.  In a time when students are questioning the value of college, dual enrollment offers one way to change the narrative. It can also change the math. Taking just a few college courses in high school can significantly cut the time (and money) it takes to earn a degree. For students balancing work, family and school, that flexibility can make all the difference. “Ultimately, the success of dual enrollment depends on structured support, clear academic pathways, and equitable access. Addressing these challenges while maximizing the benefits can help ensure that all students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, can fully reap the benefits of dual enrollment,” Hilary added. ... View more