Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
type: channel
description: The Journal on Excellence in College Teaching is a peer-reviewed journal published at Miami University by and for faculty at universities and two- and four-year colleges to increase student learning through effective teaching, interest in and enthusiasm for the profession of teaching, and communication among faculty about their classroom experiences. The Journal is published four times a year. Reimagining Learning Outcomes Through AI-Enhanced Pedagogy Read about the latest advancements in the uses of AI in your teaching in this special issue.
publisher: Miami University
language: en
publication name: Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
issn: 1945-2993
copyright: Access Agreement Journal on Excellence in College Teaching Before proceeding you must agree to the terms and conditions of usage as outlined below by clicking on the Accept button and/or by both parties’ signatures below. You will have to do this only once. After agreement, you will be redirected back to the main Journal page. A pdf copy of the terms is available for download. This Access Agreement (the "Agreement") is effective upon processing of payment ("Effective Date") and is entered into by and between the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching (“JECT”) and the Customer (“Customer"). This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes and voids all prior communications, understandings, and agreements relating to the Product(s), including any terms of use displayed to Authorized Users via the online site of the Product(s). Alterations to the Agreement and to any Addendum to the Agreement are only valid and binding if they are recorded in writing and signed by both parties . I. Definitions "Authorized Users" shall mean individuals who are authorized by the Customer (which shall include those individuals authorized by the Institutions hereunder) to access the Customer's information services whether on-site or off-site via secure authentication and who are affiliated with the Customer as a student (undergraduates and postgraduates), employee (whether on a permanent or temporary basis), or a contractor of the Customer. Individuals who are not a current student, employee, or a contractor of the Customer, but who are permitted to access the Customer's information services from computer terminals within the physical premises of the Customer ("Walk-In Users"), are also deemed to be Authorized Users, but only for the time they are within the physical premises of the Customer. Walk-In Users may not be given means to access the Product(s) when they are not within the physical premises of the Customer. "Commercial Use" shall mean use for the purpose of moneta…
items: Studying a Moving Target: Generating Evidence on AI’s Impact on Teaching and Learning
items: Reflections From the Editors: Reimagining Learning Outcomes Through AI-Enhanced Pedagogy
items: Neuroscience-Informed Theory and Strategies for AI-Enhanced Classrooms
items: Understanding Students’ Enthusiasm to Participate in Service-Learning
items: Responding to Student Contributions in Discussion-Based Learning Environments
items: Assessment of a Critical Information Literacy Intervention in Graduate Education: A Quasi-Experimental Pilot Study
items: Evaluating Various Large Language Models’ Scoring Characteristics of Open-Ended Responses and Essays
items: Using Advocacy Exercises to Promote Academic Identity and Ownership
items: From Accommodation to Empowerment: The Risks and Benefits of GenAI for Neurodiverse College Students
items: Generative AI in College Writing: Critical Literacies, Student Perspectives, and Strategies for Authorial Balance
items: Using a Chatbot to Assess: Application of a Conversational Tool in an Assessment Course
items: Permitted or Prohibited? Mapping AI Use Across University Disciplines
items: From Classroom to Career: Intentional Competency Development in a Caring Undergraduate Learning Environment
items: Supporting Preservice Teachers in Eliciting Student Mathematical Thinking Through AI-Enhanced Pedagogy
items: The Role of Emotions and Beliefs in Shaping How Students and Instructors Navigate GenAI
items: Doctoral Students’ Beliefs and Practices About GenAI: A Case Study of One Doctoral Program
items: Learning With Generative AI Through Custom Chatbots
items: Impact of Using Generative AI as a “Feedback Partner” on Students’ Writing Quality
items: Engaging a Faculty Learning Community for Incorporating Artificial Intelligence in Graduate Teaching
items: Integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence Technologies Across the Disciplines to Facilitate Learning and Responsible Usage
items: Designing Together: How Generative AI Can Support Faculty–Instructional Designer Collaboration
items: Decoding the Decline: Examining Student Evaluation of Teaching Participation in Higher Education
items: Using Academic Circles to Foster Enjoyment, Learning, and Practice in an Undergraduate Course
items: Collective Impact and Professional Identity Transformation: Outcomes From a Multidisciplinary Child and Adult Advocacy Curriculum
items: College Program for Academic Success: A Case Study on the Experiences of Students
items: Proving Provenance: Empowering Students to Validate Their Work to Avoid AI Academic Misconduct Accusations
items: From Narnia to Neverland: A Guide for Developing and Teaching Popular Culture-Themed Courses
items: Inspiring Students to Seek the Meaning of Global Citizenship in Their Lives: Lessons From Personal Pedagogy and Research
items: Peer Mentorship in Social Work Higher Education: Experiences of Undergraduate and Graduate Students
items: “When They Are Real With Us”: Student Perceptions of Inclusive Teaching and Learning Practices

Studying a Moving Target: Generating Evidence on AI’s Impact on Teaching and Learning
type: item
description: We desperately need research evidence on AI-enhanced pedagogy. And we may never be able to generate it fast enough.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: Artificial Intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: Generative Artificial Intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: Classroom Policies
  topic: keywords
subject: Equity
  topic: keywords
subject: Scholarship of Teaching ad Learning
  topic: keywords
creator: Aubrey H. Wang
creator: Lew Ludwig
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Reflections From the Editors: Reimagining Learning Outcomes Through AI-Enhanced Pedagogy
type: item
description: With its 40 years of history, the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is an established approach for generating evidence in teaching and learning. Yet little is known about doing SoTL on AI-enhanced pedagogy. This reflective synthesis of the studies in this special issue reinforces the importance of using SoTL to generate transparent and replicable evidence. The editors used a systematic approach to synthesize the issue’s articles and combined it with a critical reflection model to deepen our understanding of the connections between evidence on effective AI use in teaching and learning and its implications for the field.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: higher education
  topic: keywords
subject: teaching
  topic: keywords
subject: ethics in AI use
  topic: keywords
subject: critical reflection
  topic: keywords
subject: human-in-the-loop
  topic: keywords
subject: scholarship of teaching and learning
  topic: keywords
subject: synthesis
  topic: keywords
creator: Aubrey H. Wang
creator: Gregg W. Wentzell
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Neuroscience-Informed Theory and Strategies for AI-Enhanced Classrooms
type: item
description: Artificial intelligence now sits at the center of both work and learning, challenging educators to strengthen, not surrender, human cognition. This article links economic change, cognitive neuroscience, and educational pedagogy to show how critical thinking becomes the decisive learning outcome in an AI age. Drawing from research on memory, feedback, and reinforcement, the author outlines how knowledge is built, not merely accessed. These principles are then applied in redesigning an undergraduate analytics course using an AI platform to individualize student challenge and feedback. The result is a model for teaching that uses AI to cultivate reasoning, adaptability, and ethical awareness.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Application
  topic: category
subject: Integration
  topic: category
subject: artificial intelligence, education technology, heutagogy, workforce development
  topic: keywords
creator: Larry Wigger
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-08-05
publication date: 2026-08-05

Understanding Students’ Enthusiasm to Participate in Service-Learning
type: item
description: Educators increasingly incorporate service-learning to connect business with society while enhancing career readiness. Student enthusiasm is vital: Enthusiastic participants embrace opportunities and benefits, enhancing learning potential and advantages to community partners. Despite its importance, this relationship remains under-researched. This study applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (Azjen, 1991) to examine factors influencing students’ enthusiasm for a sophomore-level business course service-learning assignment. Using survey data from 140 students, the authors’ model explained 61% of variance in enthusiasm. Students reported greater enthusiasm when they held positive attitudes toward service-learning, felt supported, had adequate skills and time, and approached the experience with openness.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Service-Learning, Student Enthusiasm, Theory of Planned Behavior
  topic: keywords
creator: Jennifer Bott
creator: David Flanagan
creator: Timothy Palmer
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-08-05
publication date: 2026-08-05

Responding to Student Contributions in Discussion-Based Learning Environments
type: item
description: To facilitate effective classroom discussions, college teachers must develop skills in questioning, listening, and responding. Designing questions that stimulate and encourage critical thinking is essential. Likewise, effective instructors actively listen and are present during interactions with their students. Equally important is how an instructor chooses to respond to student contributions. However, the skill of responding has largely been neglected in previous scholarship. This article identifies and describes 18 research-based techniques that college teachers can utilize in responding to student contributions in discussion-based learning environments.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Innovation
  topic: category
subject: Application
  topic: category
subject: discussion; responding; active learning; student engagement; inclusive teaching
  topic: keywords
creator: Christopher Garrett
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-08-05
publication date: 2026-08-05

Assessment of a Critical Information Literacy Intervention in Graduate Education: A Quasi-Experimental Pilot Study
type: item
description: This study evaluates the effectiveness of a pedagogical intervention aimed at enhancing critical information literacy among graduate students. Utilizing a pre-post survey approach, participants engaged with varied instructional activities, including videos, peer-led discussions, and reflections on the information cycle and its socio-political dimensions. Results indicated statistically significant improvements: Uncertainty about the information cycle decreased from 46% to 0%, and correct identification of publication timelines increased from 17.86% to 88% for government documents, and from 11% to 88% for scholarly articles. These findings underscore the potential of targeted curricula to strengthen students’ information evaluation capabilities that are essential for health practice.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Integration
  topic: category
subject: Critical Information Literacy
  topic: keywords
subject: Academic Intervention
  topic: keywords
subject: Assessment of Student Learning
  topic: keywords
creator: Monideepa Becerra
creator: Gina Schlesselman-Tarango
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-08-05
publication date: 2026-08-05

Evaluating Various Large Language Models’ Scoring Characteristics of Open-Ended Responses and Essays
type: item
description: This study evaluates the grading effectiveness of large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT-5, Claude, and DeepSeek, on open-ended responses and essays. In Phase 1, AI scores were compared with scores of human instructors, revealing differences in leniency, depth, and alignment, quantified using a normalized distance metric. In Phase 2, prompt engineering and few-shot learning improved alignment with human graders. Principal Component Analysis plots with Kernel Density Estimation contours supported these gains. A single middle-performing exemplar strategy consistently improved grading alignment across models and assignments without negative effects, while other strategies showed variable results. Careful design remains essential to ensure fairness and responsible AI-assisted assessment.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: : grading reliability, large language models (LLMs), prompt engineering
  topic: keywords
creator: Seungyeon Lee
creator: Yeseul Nam
creator: James E. Wages III
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Using Advocacy Exercises to Promote Academic Identity and Ownership
type: item
description: Many science students leave their discipline before graduation. To combat this trend, educators use laboratory experiences and independent research to foster positive scientific attitudes. A non-laboratory Neuroscience pilot course was structured around advocacy to determine if advocacy-themed exercises would also enhance student attitudes. At the end of the semester, students in the advocacy course, but not a comparable control course, scored higher on the Persistence in the Sciences (PITS) questionnaire. This result suggests that advocacy efforts can enhance students’ academic identity and ownership. Further studies within and across disciplines are needed to determine the full extent of these effects.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Advocacy Exercises
  topic: keywords
subject: Academic Identity
  topic: keywords
subject: STEM
  topic: keywords
creator: Timothy J. Schoenfeld
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-01-20
publication date: 2026-01-20

From Accommodation to Empowerment: The Risks and Benefits of GenAI for Neurodiverse College Students
type: item
description: While the potential for GenAI in the academic environment is extensively debated, the discussion largely excludes the impact of this technology on the neurodiverse population. Current AI research is focused on the neurotypical population, with little consideration for neurodiverse students. While there is an opportunity for AI to be used as a personalized support system and a powerful contributor to a classroom founded on UDL, this cannot be accomplished without instructor support and guidance along with the careful incorporation of feedback. Careful policy creation and classroom implementation are required to best meet all student needs.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: college teaching; generative AI; neurodiversity; universal design for learning; assistive technology
  topic: keywords
creator: Gretchen Dreimiller
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Generative AI in College Writing: Critical Literacies, Student Perspectives, and Strategies for Authorial Balance
type: item
description: Drawing from interviews with undergraduates, this article offers a critical analysis of the problems with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and student-centered recommendations for approaching college writing and GenAI. Data presented include examples of how students work with GenAI, showing critical engagement with writing processes, the challenges created by non-AI use policies, and considerations of overreliance, examining how students negotiate writing with GenAI. Recommendations include the benefits of an invitational, trust-centered pedagogy, the importance of fostering critical literacies about GenAI, the need to articulate what overreliance looks like for specific assignments, and strategies for helping students find authorial balance.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: Artificial Intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: Writing
  topic: keywords
subject: Technological Literacies
  topic: keywords
creator: Heidi McKee
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Using a Chatbot to Assess: Application of a Conversational Tool in an Assessment Course
type: item
description: The authors describe the development of an AI chatbot, based on a large language model (LLM), as a formative assessment tool in a master’s-level educational assessment class. The pedagogical goal was to provide an experiential assessment and feedback on student content knowledge. The students and instructor found the conversational assessment straightforward, but were concerned about feedback quality, grading reliability, and development time. For use in classroom assessments, LLM-based chatbots and related applications will need guidance from educators on appropriate conversational responses. Educators will also need to develop verification methods regarding the reliability of chatbot-assigned grades.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: assessment
  topic: keywords
subject: chatbot
  topic: keywords
subject: generative AI
  topic: keywords
creator: Karen Moran Jackson
creator: Yuki Miyoshi
creator: Emma Sherbine
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Permitted or Prohibited? Mapping AI Use Across University Disciplines
type: item
description: Examining the implementation of AI policies in different disciplines in the postsecondary context is relevant for understanding this changing terrain. This study examines potential disciplinary differences between postsecondary educators’ strictness level in the adoption of AI policies in their courses and use of generative AI in policy creation, using a publicly available dataset that describes syllabi policies for generative AI use at a variety of institutions in the United States. Implications from this study offer insight into AI integration and use based on broader discussions of levels of strictness and ethics in higher education.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: Artificial Intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: Syllabi policies
  topic: keywords
subject: Faculty
  topic: keywords
creator: Andrea Arce-Trigatti
creator: Aimee Klaschus
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

From Classroom to Career: Intentional Competency Development in a Caring Undergraduate Learning Environment
type: item
description: This study examined a redesigned professional development course that embedded the eight National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career-readiness competencies into classroom practice. Using a caring climate theoretical framework as the foundation, communities of practice (CoP) strategies were implemented to support student engagement, collaboration, and applied learning. Undergraduate students completed pre/post assessments of career competencies and rated the classroom climate. Results of t tests revealed significant gains across all competencies, suggesting that a caring climate enabled successful integration of career competencies into the classroom, ultimately helping students articulate their competency growth to future employers. ers.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Innovation
  topic: category
subject: Application
  topic: category
subject: Integration
  topic: category
subject: caring climate; NACE; Communities of Practice (CoP); career-readiness; health science
  topic: keywords
creator: Theresa Brown
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-07-13
publication date: 2026-07-13

Supporting Preservice Teachers in Eliciting Student Mathematical Thinking Through AI-Enhanced Pedagogy
type: item
description: This study redesigned mathematics coursework to strengthen elementary teacher candidates’ diagnostic competence using AI-generated cases of children’s thinking. Three courses were restructured with brief, progressive tasks focused on eliciting, interpreting, and responding to student reasoning. Compared with teacher candidates in non-AI-enhanced courses, those in AI-enhanced courses demonstrated stronger pedagogical reasoning and were more likely to elicit student thinking than to correct it.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: AI-enhanced pedagogy
  topic: keywords
subject: pre-service teacher education
  topic: keywords
subject: mathematics teacher education
  topic: keywords
creator: Jessie C. Store
rights: Copyright (c) 2026 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

The Role of Emotions and Beliefs in Shaping How Students and Instructors Navigate GenAI
type: item
description: As higher education navigates the impacts of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), understand-ing student and instructor perspectives is critical. This study surfaced instructor and student emo-tions and beliefs to interpret their stances toward GenAI. Building on paradigms from Fawns’s (2022) entangled pedagogy, the authors investigated how student and instructor perspectives of GenAI aligned with these paradigms. The results reveal polarized attitudes toward GenAI common in both groups that reflect perceived hierarchies between technology and pedagogy. Findings sug-gest that ambivalent or hopeful emotional states and awareness of the diversity of learner-technology relationships enables a nuanced understanding of GenAI’s possibilities.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: entangled pedagogy
  topic: keywords
subject: perceptions of technology
  topic: keywords
subject: emotionality
  topic: keywords
creator: Melissa Ko
creator: Tara Mason
creator: Rachel Weiher
creator: Courtney Gomas
creator: Breanna Cabusao
creator: Maya Wu
creator: Carys Atmodjo
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Doctoral Students’ Beliefs and Practices About GenAI: A Case Study of One Doctoral Program
type: item
description: Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), which has emerged as a widely utilized tool in doctoral programs in educational leadership, presents potential benefits, risks, and ethical dilemmas (Kumar & Gunn, 2024). Reconciling faculty expectations with students’ uses of AI has emerged as a daunting challenge (Boyd & Harding, 2025). This article describes doctoral students’ knowledge, use, perceptions, and concerns about GenAI with the program’s informal and formal policies and practices for both coursework and dissertations. Results of a program-wide survey of current doctoral students and alumni are discussed in relation to programmatic expectations and guidelines. Implications for practice are provided.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: Doctoral study
  topic: keywords
subject: generative artificial intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: educational research
  topic: keywords
creator: Nora C. R. Broege
creator: Susan VanDeventer Iverson
creator: Shelley B. Wepner
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Learning With Generative AI Through Custom Chatbots
type: item
description: This design-based study chronicles a four-semester process of developing, refining, and evaluating custom AI chatbots built with OpenAI for marketing education. Across fall 2024–fall 2025, iterative classroom pilots revealed how to address ethical and equity issues (usage limits, hallucinations), reduce cross-domain confusion, and build scalable multi-persona chatbots for guided inquiry. Quantitative results showed significant learning gains from traditional lecture-based instruction to one supplemented by personalized AI-supported tutoring, while POGIL and tutor chatbots produced comparable learning outcomes. The study offers a step-by-step guide for building, deploying, and analyzing AI chatbots to support equitable, responsible, and theory-informed active learning.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: Generative AI
  topic: keywords
subject: inquiry-based learning
  topic: keywords
subject: Active Learning
  topic: keywords
subject: custom GPT
  topic: keywords
subject: Marketing Education
  topic: keywords
subject: chatbot pedagogy
  topic: keywords
creator: Kevin Flynn
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Impact of Using Generative AI as a “Feedback Partner” on Students’ Writing Quality
type: item
description: The authors examined the impacts of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as a “feedback partner” on students’ writing quality and self-efficacy for producing claims with supporting evidence. They assigned approximately 420 students across first-year writing courses to four conditions (one peer review and three GenAI feedback conditions). In all conditions, performance and self-efficacy increased on second drafts. Writing skills improved most when students received multiple rounds of GenAI feedback. Subsequent instructor feedback further increased performance. Students receiving peer feedback reported a more positive experience than those receiving GenAI feedback. The authors discuss practical implications for writing instruction and teaching with GenAI.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: generative AI; SOTL; writing instruction
  topic: keywords
creator: Laura Pottmeyer
creator: Chad Hershock
creator: Danielle Wetzel
creator: Zach Mineroff
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Engaging a Faculty Learning Community for Incorporating Artificial Intelligence in Graduate Teaching
type: item
description: The accelerated growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on teaching and learning is undeniable (Bowen & Watson, 2024). Yet opportunities for faculty to engage in discipline-specific and multidisciplinary dialogues about AI-infused pedagogical strategies are limited (Cabellos et al., 2024; Shata & Hartley, 2025). This article will describe the constructive potential of a faculty learning community (FLC) for developing the integration of AI within courses and programs (Baidoo-Anu & Ansah, 2023), illuminating three examples from this FLC.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: Faculty Learning Communities
  topic: keywords
subject: generative artifical intelligence
  topic: keywords
creator: Susan VanDeventer Iverson
creator: Kalli Kemp
creator: John Shekitka
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence Technologies Across the Disciplines to Facilitate Learning and Responsible Usage
type: item
description: The authors describe the implementation of generative AI-aware course assignments in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM disciplines while preserving or augmenting course learning goals at a time when the technologies are pervasive. Instructors developed their course assignments during a seven-month long faculty fellowship program and focused on fostering students’ critical-thinking skills, scientific writing and communication, information literacy, storytelling, and gamification. Preliminary research on students’ attitudes toward GenAI revealed statistically significant increases in their reported willingness to use GenAI technologies after completing the activities. Many students described the value of using GenAI while simultaneously critically acknowledging challenges and limitations.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: generative AI
  topic: keywords
subject: student attitudes
  topic: keywords
subject: skill development
  topic: keywords
subject: undergraduate education
  topic: keywords
creator: Tracie Addy
creator: Crystal Quillen
creator: Samantha Luxmikanthan
creator: Anna Kornienko
creator: Douglas Cantor
creator: Xenia Morin
creator: Ines Rauschenbach
creator: Carmela Bernadetta Scala
creator: Lyra Stein
creator: Jenny Yang
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Designing Together: How Generative AI Can Support Faculty–Instructional Designer Collaboration
type: item
description: This article explores how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can enrich collaboration between faculty and instructional designers in online course development. Through personal reflection and a co-developed graduate course, we show how GenAI can support ideation, alignment, and creativity. Discomfort, we argue, is not only inevitable but essential to this work. When used intentionally, GenAI fosters curiosity, experimentation, and deeper dialogue. By reframing GenAI as a partner in meaning-making rather than automation, we invite teams to embrace course design as an evolving, relational process—where connection, not speed, becomes the foundation for innovation.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: Special Issue
  topic: category
subject: generative AI, instructional design, faculty-ID collaboration, course development
  topic: keywords
creator: Carey Borkoski
creator: Lydia Tippett
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

Decoding the Decline: Examining Student Evaluation of Teaching Participation in Higher Education
type: item
description: Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) measure teaching performance. Recent declines in SETs response rates have been noted. Limited research has examined student perceptions of SET or motivating factors for participation/nonparticipation. This study examines SET participation on five dimensions: student perceived value of SETs; student knowledge of SET usage; student motivation for SET completion; incentivizing SET completion; and SET design, delivery, and timing. An e-survey (n = 833) was implemented to identify student perceptions and student-informed recommendations. Findings reveal student-oriented strategies/best practices to improve SET participation.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: teaching evaluation, students, higher education, participation incentives
  topic: keywords
creator: Jeffrey Walsh
creator: Jessie Krienert
creator: Kimberly Ingold
creator: Braden Angelo
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-08-05
publication date: 2026-08-05

Using Academic Circles to Foster Enjoyment, Learning, and Practice in an Undergraduate Course
type: item
description: The authors used a qualitative study to investigate the use of academic circles in a post-secondary classroom management course. Two major themes (enjoyment and connections) and three subthemes (personal connections, connections to learning and practice, and connections to classmates) were created to capture student reflections about academic circles. Students reflected on their learning, application of behavior principles, and connections with peers. A discussion of study implications, limitations, and future research directions are included.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: academic circles, classroom management, connections, enjoyment, learning to practice.
  topic: keywords
creator: Todd Haydon
creator: Alana Kennedy-Donica
creator: Mizanur Rahman Babu
creator: Stephen Kroeger
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-05-15
publication date: 2026-05-15

Collective Impact and Professional Identity Transformation: Outcomes From a Multidisciplinary Child and Adult Advocacy Curriculum
type: item
description: This mixed-methods study examined the impact of the Child & Adult Advocacy Studies (CAASt) certificate program on trauma-informed competencies among multidisciplinary professionals. Quantitative findings from pre- and post-program surveys revealed significant improvements in trauma-informed self-efficacy, knowledge, beliefs, responses to problem behavior, and reactions to the work. Qualitative analysis identified themes of professional identity transformation, collective impact, and recognition of systemic opportunities. Participants reported increased adoption of trauma-informed practices, cultural alignment, and empowerment to influence organizational change. These findings support the effectiveness of CAASt in enhancing trauma-informed advocacy across human services systems.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Application
  topic: category
subject: Trauma-informed child welfare
  topic: keywords
subject: multidisciplinary
  topic: keywords
subject: child maltreatment
  topic: keywords
subject: mandatory reporting
  topic: keywords
creator: Shana Cerny
creator: Kelly Bass
creator: Carrie Sanderson
creator: Tracy Bird
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-05-15
publication date: 2026-05-15

College Program for Academic Success: A Case Study on the Experiences of Students
type: item
description: This study examines the experiences of participants in a student success program at a midwestern U.S. university, focusing on the 2021 cohort. The program predominantly serves first-generation, non-traditional students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds and marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Through a case study approach, three core themes emerged regarding the barriers these students face in college: personal investment, self-doubt, and confusion. The findings highlight a disconnect between the services offered by the program and the students’ perceived needs, suggesting areas for improvement to better support student success.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Innovation
  topic: category
subject: Student success
  topic: keywords
subject: Qualitative
  topic: keywords
subject: Narrative inquiry
  topic: keywords
subject: Student experience
  topic: keywords
subject: Student perceptions
  topic: keywords
creator: Nicholas P. Burkhart
creator: Youn Seon Lim
creator: Lori Foote
creator: Stephen Kroeger
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-01-20
publication date: 2026-01-20

Proving Provenance: Empowering Students to Validate Their Work to Avoid AI Academic Misconduct Accusations
type: item
description: This quantitative study examined how artificial intelligence (AI) has influenced academic misconduct cases reported by instructors. Findings show AI-related cases now surpass all other types of misconduct, with most reports involving computer science majors, males, and international students. The study recommends moving beyond unreliable AI detection tools and adopting innovative practices—such as requiring students to follow the Cole (2024) framework to verify the provenance of their assignments before submission—to promote fairness and accountability in academic integrity practices.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Artificial Intelligence; Course design; Academic misconduct; Proving provenance
  topic: keywords
creator: Sheri Stover
creator: Carol Carol Logan Patitu
creator: Christopher James Hogan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-04-06
publication date: 2026-04-06

From Narnia to Neverland: A Guide for Developing and Teaching Popular Culture-Themed Courses
type: item
description: Research on popular culture-themed (PCT) courses and their potential to boost student engagement and related educational outcomes has grown in recent years. To address this interest, this study gathered data-driven advice for instructors teaching PCT courses. Qualitative data were collected from 59 higher education instructors from across the United States who represented a wide range of disciplines and were currently teaching or had formerly taught a PCT course. Thematic analysis identified eight themes in response to the question, “What advice would you give to an instructor just starting out with themed courses?” Future research directions are also discussed.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Application
  topic: category
subject: Themed courses; student engagement; popular culture; popular culture themed courses
  topic: keywords
creator: Jill Swirsky
creator: Cole Belinsky
creator: Kathy Doody
creator: Pamela Scheutze
creator: Susan Geffen
creator: Emily Coyle
creator: Justin Crossfox
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-08-05
publication date: 2026-08-05

Inspiring Students to Seek the Meaning of Global Citizenship in Their Lives: Lessons From Personal Pedagogy and Research
type: item
description: Inspiring students to seek the meaning of global citizenship in their personal lives is a critical responsibility of a higher education curriculum that aims to provide students with indispensable knowledge and skills to participate successfully in an increasingly pluralistic and interconnected global society. This article relates personal reflections from teaching and research to offer a view that higher education should provide all learners with a holistic global citizenship education. Both curricular and extracurricular activities are needed that intentionally cultivate the requisite knowledge and skills associated with global awareness, social responsibility, and engaged civic action.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Innovation
  topic: category
subject: Application
  topic: category
subject: global citizenship education;
  topic: keywords
subject: integrated curriculum
  topic: keywords
subject: inspired meaning
  topic: keywords
creator: Paul Sherman
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-01-20
publication date: 2026-01-20

Peer Mentorship in Social Work Higher Education: Experiences of Undergraduate and Graduate Students
type: item
description: Mentorship programs provide significant career and psychosocial benefits for students in higher education. While research explores faculty and alumni mentorship, little is known about undergraduate-graduate social work mentorship. This study examines the benefits of a mentorship program pairing Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) students at Miami University. Using purposive sampling, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 participants. Findings indicate mentees gained guidance and encouragement, while mentors valued building connections. Notably, some participants reported pursuing graduate studies due to the program. All participating students reported the program to be a valuable use of time.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: Innovation
  topic: category
subject: mentorship;
  topic: keywords
subject: social work
  topic: keywords
subject: higher education
  topic: keywords
creator: Kayleigh Gregory
creator: Carlyn Kimiecik
creator: Mastano Dzimbiri
creator: Karley Stefanik
creator: Amy Roberts
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-07-23
publication date: 2026-07-23

“When They Are Real With Us”: Student Perceptions of Inclusive Teaching and Learning Practices
type: item
description: Instructors are encouraged to use inclusive learning strategies, but few studies examine student perceptions of these approaches (Cook-Sather et al., 2021). In this mixed-methods study, participants completed a 14-question survey assessing their perceptions of inclusive learning, including which strategies they consider inclusive and supportive of learning processes and which they consider exclusionary. Overall, participants noted that positive reinforcement, clear communication, and group-based learning support inclusivity, while instructor bias and poor communication make students feel excluded. Based on the findings, the authors recommend promoting inclusivity by being transparent, building clear expectations, recognizing personal biases, and facilitating a culture of grace.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Research
  topic: category
subject: inclusive pedagogy
  topic: keywords
subject: learning climate
  topic: keywords
subject: bias
  topic: keywords
creator: Pamela Lewis-Kipkulei
creator: Kelly Fulkerson Dikuua
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Journal on Excellence in College Teaching
date: 2026-01-20
publication date: 2026-01-20