News of the Week – April 17, 2026

 This week’s issue is curated by Stephanie Strand.  Stephanie is an Associate Professor of Biology,  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The College of Wooster. 

 Teaching and Learning

What Happens When Students Stop Believing Their Work Matters (by Marc Watkins; April 12, 2026). A thoughtful article about the complexity of finding meaning in work that can be done with AI technology.

When AI Can Do Everything, What is Left to Learn? (by Chrysanthos Dellarocas; The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 13, 2026).  The question posed by the author, “What do we want students to do in the age of intelligent machines, and do our courses still develop those capabilities” is one we should all consider as we wrap up spring semester and plan for summer/fall courses.

A Simple Weekly Question That Adds Curiosity and Critical Thinking to Online Courses (by Nicole Kripalani; Faculty Focus, April 10, 2026).  This simple once-a-week strategy would be an interesting add-on to any course regardless of whether it is in-person or online.

Can’t Quit the Lecture?  Try Quasi-Active Learning (by Yunteng He, Inside Higher Education, March 25, 2026). This article offers some accessible tips for adding active learning to your class.

Use White Boards for Flexible Retrieval Practice (by Pooja K. Agarwal; retrievalpractice.org).  If you are looking for a screen-free active learning practice for your classroom, this article suggests an interesting option.

Tidbits

How to Form and Sustain a Faculty Growth Club (Zhanna Sahatjian, Jimena Ramirez Marin and Eileen L. Zurbriggen, Inside Higher Education, March 4, 2026). I love the idea of a small, personalized professional development community; this article suggests how to start one.

Forget “Work-Life Balance” (by Olga Kipnis, Inside Higher Education; April 7, 2026) The reflections questions within this article encourage us to continue the important work of building meaningful and sustainable careers.