Encouraging Creativity and Innovation in Yourself and Your Students

By: Laura Taddei, Ed.D

Innovation and creativity are two words heard frequently in higher education today. How can we encourage innovation and creativity in ourselves and our students? Reimers-Hild and King (2009) described components of innovation as fun, creative, diverse, collaborative, and intuitive. Taking small steps to accomplish this goal is the way to go, but there needs to be support and encouragement. Taking risks and sometimes even looking at failure as "fuel for innovation" can help promote this process (Ryshke, 2012). If something does not work, we can learn from it, and then modify and try again. While serving as Director of a Center for Faculty Development, I often asked faculty how they encourage creativity and innovation in their classroom. Here are some of the key themes that arose from these conversations...

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Five Tips for Wrapping Up a Course

By: Margaret Walsh, Ph.D.

The ending of a course deserves greater attention than it typically receives. While we have thoroughly ritualized the start of a new semester often somewhere between weeks 11 and 14, what seemed like reasonable plans are regretfully sidelined and we launch into catch-up overdrive.

Keep these tips in mind when considering the end of a course.

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5 Apps to Empower College Students' Study Skills

By: D. Frank Smith

Thousands of new students are exploring their new campus, armed with some of the latest smartphones and tablets the market has to offer.

The average college student brings seven internet-connected devices with them to campus, according to re:fuel Agency's 2014 College Explorer report. Of course, students who use tablets and smartphones on campus aren't working exclusively within their college's official learning management system. They're using apps...

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