Ball State UniversityThe Teaching Innovation Blog

  • The Hidden Performance of Teaching: Why Faculty Need a Warm-Up Routine 
    by Carlos Lopez Mercado
    October 29, 2025
    Remember that moment right before hitting “Start Recording” for your first lecture? That flutter in your stomach, the sudden awareness of every “um” and “uh,” the nagging thought that you should have worn something different?  Congratulations! You’ve just experienced what musicians call performance anxiety. And you’re not alone. Teaching is Performance (Whether We Like It… Read more: The Hidden Performance of Teaching: Why Faculty Need a Warm-Up Routine 
  • No More “Meh”: How to Design Speaking Assignments That Matter
    by Carlos Lopez Mercado
    October 15, 2025
    In this blog, senior lecturer Mary Moore advocates for the inclusion of speaking assignments in the classroom, providing suggestions for authentic and effective versions of these assignments.   Communication is not a “soft skill.” Rather, it is a core competency, essential in careers, civic life, and relationships. In fact, it’s hard to imagine we can… Read more: No More “Meh”: How to Design Speaking Assignments That Matter
  • Challenges Learners Face: Exhaustion and Fatigue
    by Caleb Green
    October 1, 2025
    Caleb and Leilani examine the data and stories behind student exhaustion and offer practical strategies for instructors to make a difference.  In our previous post, we outlined the top five challenges from the Ball State Student Satisfaction Survey. This post kicks off a series that will dive deep into the top five challenges students face.… Read more: Challenges Learners Face: Exhaustion and Fatigue
  • Securing Exams in Canvas Featured Image
    Canvas Magic: Securing Exams
    by Mac Clark
    September 17, 2025
    In this entry in the Canvas Magic Series, learn about three Canvas quiz features for securing exams and combating academic dishonesty. For some students, cheating has never been easier.  Artificial Intelligence (AI), online computation software, and the ability to “Chegg it” are only a few of the ways students may practice academic dishonesty.   While no… Read more: Canvas Magic: Securing Exams
  • "Student Challenges" text superimposed over an image of a student looking intently at their laptop.
    The Persistence of Top Challenges from the Student Satisfaction Survey 
    by Caleb Green
    September 3, 2025
    Every fall and spring semester, the Division of Online and Strategic Learning administers the Student Satisfaction Survey to learners at Ball State. We use this data to understand the biggest challenges our students report. In the past few years, the top five challenges have remained consistent. This blog explores those five student challenges and how… Read more: The Persistence of Top Challenges from the Student Satisfaction Survey 

The Teaching Innovation Blog at Ball State University is your virtual hub for dialogue and community: learn about and share research-informed, learner-centered pedagogy, from teaching with technology to experimental and active learning strategies. You can expect a new article every other Wednesday.

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  • The Hidden Performance of Teaching: Why Faculty Need a Warm-Up Routine 
  • No More “Meh”: How to Design Speaking Assignments That Matter
  • Challenges Learners Face: Exhaustion and Fatigue

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