In the first part of this two-article series (Click Here), I presented the findings of a study conducted at Harvard College on grading, an issue near and dear to all of us. In that first article, I presented some of their findings, which also resonate across higher education, including PA education....

In October of 2025, Harvard College (Claybaugh, 2025) released a report that sparked significant discussion in higher education about grading. Although the report reflects the findings from the faculty and student body at Harvard, what is happening there is likely happening in many other institution...

I’m sure you have had this experience. After the test scores are released, one or more students show up at your office and say, “I felt really confident going into this test. I know the material, but my grade doesn’t show it.” 

Research has shown that students often believe they have learned the ma...

In previous articles, I shared how the first and last five minutes of class shape learning and retention (primacy and recency effect). In this edition, we’ll zoom out further and look at how we end an entire course. The end of a semester often arrives with stress, fatigue, and a shared sense of “let...

Recently, the NCCPA released its 2024 statistics report. Every few years, I like to present a summary of some of that data because, as educators, I believe it’s important that we have our finger on the pulse of what is happening in our profession at the national level. 

All of the information prese...

In a previous post, we discussed the importance of learning students' names. In this one, I will continue that thought and expand on it in relation to enhancing student success through respect and care. 

For a moment, think about a teacher you had that you really liked. One that affected, impacted,...

In this blog, we shift gears to talk about something so important yet commonly overlooked—learning students' names. It has come to the surface again, given the impact of the pandemic on learning and the continued, growing impact of detached interactions through social media. The effects have contrib...

In previous articles, I wrote about the primacy and recency effects, the forgetting curve, and retrieval practice. Keeping these four concepts at the forefront of your mind can significantly help you plan your teaching sessions and courses, so that you engage your students and help them remember wha...

In a previous newsletter, the concepts of primacy and recency effects were presented from the perspective of encouraging faculty to intentionally plan the first and last 5 minutes of class in such a way as to foster and support learning and retention. This week, we will tackle the concepts of the 'f...

Did you know that how you begin and end your class can have one of the biggest impacts on what students remember? 

Psychology research shows that people are most likely to retain information presented at the beginning and end of a learning session. Known as the primacy and recency effect, this prin...