{"id":3527,"date":"2024-10-02T20:07:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T20:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/?post_type=furman-update&p=3527"},"modified":"2024-10-03T16:27:13","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T16:27:13","slug":"helene-hiatus-course-adjustment-guide","status":"publish","type":"furman-update","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/updates\/helene-hiatus-course-adjustment-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Helene Hiatus Course Adjustment Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a community, we have heavy concerns weighing on us. You may be celebrating your first shower in several days, navigating insurance claims and conversations with adjusters, anxiously awaiting to hear from loved ones in other hard-hit areas, or finding solace in contributing to relief efforts near and far. As you work to make necessary course adjustments for the remainder of the semester, the following guide prioritizing <\/span><\/span>well-being\u2014both students\u2019 and your own\u2014may be helpful.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the book <\/span>Subtract<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>Leidy Klotz suggests that our brains are wired to add, and subtraction produces cognitive and affective discomfort due to loss aversion<\/span>\u2014<\/span>a cognitive bias in which we tend to avoid losses more than we seek gains of equal value. One <\/span>recent study<\/span><\/a> attempted to leverage loss aversion to motivate students to engage more in an economics class by subtracting rather than adding points to an economics course grade! (Spoiler alert: it kind of worked.) While we are not necessarily advocating this approach, we wanted to acknowledge the discomfort of loss aversion to normalize how challenging Helene hiatus course adjustments might feel.\u00a0<\/span> As you work through the feasibility of potential changes, consider how they might impact students with accommodations in your courses, and contact the Student Office of Accessibility Resources (SOAR)<\/a> for guidance as needed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1. Mindful Assessment of Course Content<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider your course content through the lens of student success and apply the \u201cFink Test\u201d (from Dee Fink, author of <\/span>Creating Significant Learning Experiences)<\/span><\/i>: <\/span>What do you want students to be able to know and do 5 years after the course concludes?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n