February 2022

Celebrating EdTech Leader Courtney Williams

Courtney Williams wearing a blue suit, sitting on a bench in front of a brick wall

In celebration of Black History Month, we'd like to highlight the contributions of Courtney Williams, a leader in the education technology industry. Mr. Williams is the Founder and CEO of TORSH Talent, a suite of observation, feedback, and coaching tools to help educators do their jobs more effectively. He was inspired to create Torsh from his experience as an immigrant and seeing how a good education can change the trajectory of one's life. The platform is used by educators in early education, K-12, and higher education institutions.

Mr. Williams is also a board member of the Johns Hopkins School of Education National Advisory Council and a 2010 CUP Fellow, a fellowship awarded to executives with a keen interest in social change through public service.

Does the idea of getting feedback on your course sound intriguing? While we don’t use the TORSH Talent platform, the IMPACT team offers confidential course facilitation and instructional design observations on a per-request basis. Availability is limited, so contact Laurie (lbl@gwu.edu) or Alison (alisonmcguire@gwu.edu) to reserve your spot.

Do Your Multiple Choice Questions Reliably Assess Learning?

Which answer is correct? A: all of the below, B: none of the below, C: all of the above, D: one of the above

Are you unwittingly giving “test-wise” students clues in your multiple choice questions? Do your multiple choice questions have common flaws, reducing their ability to reliably assess learning? This short interactive article has examples of flawed questions with explanations as well as a checklist for your next test or quiz. The article deals with medical education, but the principles are universal.

A practical discussion to avoid common pitfalls when constructing multiple choice questions items. Journal of Family & Community Medicine, 17(2), 96–102.

How to Handle Discriminatory Comments in Your Class

Sadly, hate, bias, and discrimination can happen in online and on-campus classes. Fortunately, it does not happen often in GW Health Sciences classes, but we have heard about incidents.

Don’t get caught like a deer in headlights. Prepare ahead of time for how you might handle it, whether you are on-campus, Zoom, or in a discussion board. The resources below from the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning at the University of Michigan might be helpful.

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