CrossCurrents Library

CrossCurrents is an electronic publication that offers articles on a wide range of topics related to teaching and learning in higher education. Through engaging content that encourages exploration and reflection on best practices, innovative pedagogies, and emerging trends in higher education, we try to help college teachers successfully navigate the challenges they face in today’s complex classroom.

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Beyond Learning Objectives: Backward Design as a Framework for Instructional Alignment

Introduction Learning design is the intentional process of planning and implementing educational experiences to create cohesive, engaging learning environments. It is one of the most challenging aspects of being a college instructor because it requires balancing multiple goals: meeting institutional and accreditation standards, aligning with departmental expectations, supporting diverse learning needs, and ensuring that assessments accurately measure student learning. Instructors

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Scaffolding AI as a Learning Collaborator: Integrating Artificial Intelligence in College Classes

Introduction The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education represents more than technological advancement—it signals a pedagogical and cultural transformation (Ouyang & Jiao, 2021). While universities actively implement AI platforms and train faculty, a critical gap persists: students often lack structured guidance in AI engagement and integration into their learning process. This delayed exposure to rapidly evolving AI tools

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Creating Safe Spaces for Hot Topics: Successfully Teaching Delicate Issues

Introduction Addressing sensitive topics in the classroom presents one of the most delicate challenges faced by educators. As societal discussions become increasingly polarized, the task of navigating controversial subjects with students grows ever more complex. This complexity is not merely a matter of content selection; it can significantly affect classroom dynamics, student engagement, critical thinking development, and overall learning outcomes.

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Announcing Exciting Changes for the K. Patricia Cross Academy

We are thrilled to announce that the K. Patricia Cross Academy is embarking on a new and exciting chapter.

Enhancing Emotional Intelligence in the classroom. The K. Patricia Cross Academy logo.

Enhancing Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand, use, and manage our own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. It includes the ability to understand and influence the emotions of others. In higher education, fostering EI is not just beneficial but essential for students’ personal and professional success. However,

Engaging College Students in Effective Classroom Discussions THE K. PATRICIA CROSS ACADEMY

Engaging College Students in Effective Classroom Discussions

Discussion as a teaching method has deep-rooted historical origins dating back to the ancient Greeks, including the legendary philosopher Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC). Socrates is renowned for his teaching methods that prioritized questioning over traditional lectures. He believed in using probing questions to stimulate critical thinking and deeper understanding in his students. Socrates’s discussion-oriented teaching strategy has left

Strategies for Sustaining Student Motivation for the Full Academic Term THE K. PATRICIA CROSS ACADEMY

Strategies for Sustaining Student Motivation for the Full Academic Term

Maintaining student motivation throughout an academic term presents one of the most persistent challenges faced by educators. As the semester unfolds, the initial excitement and enthusiasm that students exhibit at the start can begin to fade. This decline is not simply a matter of reduced energy; it can significantly affect student engagement, persistence, learning outcomes, and overall academic performance and

Strategies for Getting Students to Prepare for Class THE K. PATRICIA CROSS ACADEMY

Enhancing Classroom Engagement: Strategies for Getting Students to Prepare for Class

The importance of student preparation for class cannot be overstated, as it serves as the foundation upon which meaningful learning experiences are built. However, motivating students to prepare can be a substantial challenge, particularly in a world filled with digital distractions and competing priorities. As educators, our task is not only to emphasize the significance of preparation but also to

Making Online Course Fun Engaging Students with Enjoyable Learning Experiences. The K. Patricia Cross Acdemy.

Making Online Courses Fun: Engaging Students with Enjoyable Learning Experiences

Making online courses enjoyable can have great benefits. A fun learning experience not only enhances student engagement but also fosters a genuine passion for seeking and gaining knowledge. By infusing fun into online courses, instructors can inspire a more joyful and interactive approach to learning. The Fundamentals of Making Online Courses Fun Several educational concepts can be applied to make

Providing a Path for Lifelong Success: Helping Students Learn How to Learn -THE K. PATRICIA CROSS ACADEMY

Providing a Path for Lifelong Success: Helping Students Learn How to Learn

As college faculty, we have become quite adept at learning. Most students, however, are still acquiring those skills. They struggle with how to learn efficiently and effectively, often lacking even awareness that strategies exist that might assist them. We can help students become better able to direct and manage their learning by showing them how to use “learning strategies.”

ChatGPT in College Education: Promises, Limitations, and Ethical Considerations. THE K. PATRICIA CROSS ACADEMY.

ChatGPT in College Education: Promises, Limitations, and Ethical Considerations

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) language model developed by OpenAI. In practice, when a user inputs a prompt, ChatGPT searches an extensive dataset gathered prior to 2021 to identify patterns in the data. Its capacity to search relevant content and generate human-like responses from the data makes it a significant advancement in natural language processing and a valuable tool

You've Got This! Helping Students Expect to Succeed THE K. PATRICIA CROSS ACADEMY

You’ve Got This! Helping Students Expect to Succeed

As Henry Ford once observed, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” His perceptive remark neatly summarizes an important principle that applies to teaching. The best way to lead students to expect success is to structure the course so that they can succeed, and then demonstrate throughout the course that they will succeed if they work hard and persist even when the going gets tough.