News Roundup: Texting, Gameplay, and Picturesque Syllabi

See how some educators are using new ways to engage students—from texting to gameplay to graphic novel-inspired syllabi.

Texting to New Perspectives
In a small-scale study, Missy Watson and Madhuri Karak found that texting can be a useful communication tool in education, requiring students to think critically and consider their language before composing responses to professors. (Inside Higher Ed)

Your Syllabus Doesn’t Have to Look Like a Contract
Simplicity, clarity, and visual appeal are key to an effective syllabus, according to David Gooblar, who describes how one professor redesigned his syllabus to look like a comic book and saw a noticeable increase in how students engaged with the document. (Pedagogy Unbound)

Games in the Higher Ed Classroom
In this podcast, Stacy Jacob explains how building gameplay and game creation into her syllabus helps her students understand course material in real-world contexts. (Teaching in Higher Ed)

How Generation Z Is Shaping the Change in Education
A Barnes & Noble College study finds that members of Generation Z who are now in college seek to be fully engaged in and part of the learning process, are self-reliant and career-driven, and prefer collaborative, interactive environments where digital tools play a key role. (Forbes)

Chancellor: College Education Benefits the Public Good
Bernie Patterson, chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, cites a UWSP study that found people with college degrees are more likely to be healthy, happy, and civically engaged. They also tend to have more meaningful careers and earn higher wages than those without college educations. (Stevens Point Journal)

Partner News

Southern Connecticut State University: Experiences on Campus Are Key Predictor of Academic Success (Campus Technology)

University of Southern Mississippi: USM Honored as School of Distinction for Online Degree Programs (Southern Miss Now)