Curriculum, Assessment & Teaching Transformation Blog

Ever wondered how to make math not just understandable but also exciting? Join us as we uncover innovative teaching techniques with Corey Placito, a dynamic lecturer in the University at Buffalo's department of mathematics. Since 2012, Corey has honed his methods through trial and error, becoming a master at connecting with diverse learning styles and fostering a student-centric environment. Discover how he uses multimodal learning and exciting Python projects to transform his differential equations classes, making math more approachable and engaging. Corey's public speaking skills and his knack for student engagement are just the tip of the iceberg in this enlightening conversation.

As the close of the academic year arrives and students complete their coursework, we turn our attention to the importance of end-of-semester evaluation. Course evaluations often carry misconceptions that can influence both teaching and administrative practices. In this blog post, we unravel several prevalent myths about course evaluations, providing insights that can help instructors better understand and utilize this feedback mechanism effectively.

The purpose of this study is to explore variables contributing to differences in student assessments of overall instructor quality from 2017-2019. Using data from 362,238 course evaluations, across four semesters (Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019), this study asks, “What instructor, student, and course variables predict overall evaluation of instructors?”

The end of the semester doesn’t have to be exhausting. Taking time for yourself during fall recess to recharge. Reflection is crucial step to this process. I encourage you to challenge your students to do the same.

Effective exam proctoring is a critical component in the overall process of protecting exam integrity and accurate assessment of student learning in the classroom. Nevertheless, a recent court case involving Cleveland State University (CSU) has highlighted the fundamental contention between rigorous proctoring and student privacy.

Now that we've begun a new academic year, we thought that it would be fitting to look back on CATT's impact throughout the previous academic year. As we gain stride with our work this fall, we are standing on the shoulders of the great work done by each of CATT's respective teams.

UBIT recently released the results of their 2021 Student Experience Survey. Unsurprisingly, students across the University at Buffalo rely upon technology in most facets of their lives, from using GroupMe and Discord to communicate with classmates, the new Level Up studio to play and develop games, and even using smart lightbulbs in their homes.

UB recently lost a wonderful member of our longstanding community and, as two people whose lives were greatly impacted by J. Ronald Gentile (Ron), we wanted to take a moment to reflect on this extraordinary mentor.

An interview with Jeanne Myers and Steven Sturman. The FACT2 Excellence in Administrative Leadership Award is a system-level honor conferred to acknowledge and recognize consistently noteworthy achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

This past week, President Tripathi notified the university community that our self-study efforts toward re-accreditation are officially underway. As he indicated, the decennial accreditation process is indeed important for our institution as a whole. While UB comprises numerous unique academic units and programs—many of which have their own internal accreditation standards and obligations—this decennial accreditation process is our chance to come together as a broader institution.

As a University at Buffalo graduate student turned academic affairs professional, part of my role is reflecting on my student experience and the shared experiences of my peers as we make consistent efforts to move forward as an ever-changing and growing campus community. I often think back to the long hours spent in various lecture halls around north and south campus: collaborating with classmates, engaging in shared learning with my instructors and eventually leading my own courses in statistics and educational psychology.