We’ve made it to the mid-semester slump. Often, this is the time that students start to fall behind, miss classes, and lose sight of the end goal for their courses. But it’s not too late to reengage students and motivate them to finish well. 

In our recent presentation at the Innovations in Teaching and Learning (ITL) conference with representatives from Learning Services and Disability Services, we shared key insights into how instructors in Mason Core courses can empower students to be successful through small, intentional changes. We wanted to share a few of those insights here: 

1. Know what's expected of you regarding accommodations: Some students may just be realizing now that they still need the accommodations that were in place in high school or at community college. Be aware that you may see some new accommodation letters. These student accommodations, such as extended time on exams, alternative formats, etc., ensure that all students have appropriate access to course content. Proactively responding to these requests is not only helpful to students but also required by law. Read more about faculty expectations in the Disability Services Faculty Guide. 
2. Incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into your course design: Providing multiple options for content engagement and ensuring accessibility of virtual content supports students by reducing the need for individualized accommodations. Proactively designing your course will support success for all students. It is not too late in the term to rethink how you are presenting material. 
3. Incorporate study skills into your course: Did mid-term exams not go as well as some of your students expected? Considering using a cognitive wrapper to get students to reflect on their performance and the study strategies they used. Try adding 10-minute mini lessons at the start of class covering essential study skills, such as taking notes in your discipline or how to analyze material. Scaffold larger assignments to include smaller steps you might assume are automatic, such as brainstorming or outlining, but that students outside of your discipline might not know to do.  
4. Start small: Is there a project coming up that students typically struggle with, or one that generates a lot of similar questions? Can you chunk the assignment into smaller, more manageable parts? Consider how you can introduce the information in different ways, such as through a video with captions or by modeling parts of the assignment in class.  
5. Refer students to Learning Services: Students have access to a variety of resources, including tutoring, academic coaching, and workshops, through Learning Services. Consider giving extra credit for attending an event or participating in course-specific tutoring.  

Looking for more ways to increase student success in your Mason Core courses? Consider participating in the Mason Core Instructor Certification Program – read more about it below! The next available level 1 sessions are on Thursday, October 23 at 10:00 am for Teaching Fundamentals and at 11:00 am for Solving the Puzzle: Engaging Non-Majors in Mason Core. 

Next Workshop Offerings Next Week! 

Participating in MC-ICP also allows instructors to   

• Learn about strategies, assignments, and approaches that can make their teaching more effective, engaging, and efficient in a general education course   
• Connect with a wider community of faculty teaching general education courses  
• Document their teaching for reappointment or promotion processes  

MC-ICP is open to all George Mason University instructors who have taught one or more Mason Core courses in the past two years. Instructors may complete one or multiple levels as they have time and interest. All instructors who complete the program will receive a certificate and a special email signature-file recognition icon. In addition, their academic unit leaders will be notified directly of their achievements.  

Don’t forget two of the required workshops for the Certified Instructor level (Level 1) are offered next week! 

Starting this semester, we will begin collecting student artifacts for the following categories: Global History, Natural Science, and Writing Intensive. We appreciate your ongoing commitment to Mason Core, and the data we receive from the assessment process helps to further refine Mason Core to better serve our students. If you are teaching a course in any of these categories, please plan to participate. Please refer to the resources shared with you from Chris Lee, Associate Director of Institutional Effectiveness in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP), or follow the button below for information regarding the assessment collection process. 

Scoring of student artifacts collected from the Arts, Literature, and Social and Behavioral Science categories will take place across two days: December 9 and 12. More information on this paid opportunity will be provided later this semester to instructors who have taught courses within these categories. We appreciate your consideration and commitment to our assessment efforts. 

Revising a course or developing something new for Mason Core consideration? We recommend faculty review our course development and proposal resources available on our website.  

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