{"id":4435,"date":"2026-03-02T21:36:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T21:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/?post_type=furman-update&#038;p=4435"},"modified":"2026-03-25T15:10:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T15:10:12","slug":"andy-coes-teaching-tips-march","status":"publish","type":"furman-update","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/updates\/andy-coes-teaching-tips-march\/","title":{"rendered":"Andy Coe&#8217;s Teaching Tips &#8211; March"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"none\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4436 alignleft lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/108\/2026\/03\/AndyCoe-TT-768x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"268\" height=\"268\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/108\/2026\/03\/AndyCoe-TT-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/108\/2026\/03\/AndyCoe-TT-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/108\/2026\/03\/AndyCoe-TT-512x512.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/108\/2026\/03\/AndyCoe-TT.jpg 800w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 268px) 100vw, 268px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 268px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 268\/268;\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Furman instructors are no strangers to innovative and evidence-based pedagogies. In this month\u2019s \u201cTeaching Tips\u201d story, Andy Coe shares his <a href=\"https:\/\/newsletter.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center?mailpoet_router&amp;endpoint=track&amp;action=click&amp;data=WyI2MTEiLCJjYjA4MzBhYWE5YzI0OTg4M2ViNmFlOTg0MWVkODkxOSIsIjM2IiwiN2NlMmVkYjVhOTY2IixmYWxzZV0\">constructivist approach<\/a> to creating accessible assignments. Reach out to Andy or the FDC if you\u2019re interested in engaging further with these teaching strategies yourself!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cAn effective (and genuinely fun to read) assignment I have developed for a Psychology class on adolescent development asks students to analyze an adolescent character from a book, movie, or TV series using developmental theories we\u2019re studying. Instead of starting with abstract concepts and hoping students connect the dots, I flip the process: students begin with a character they already know and care about, then use theory as a lens to explain that character\u2019s behavior, identity development, or decision-making.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">This approach lowers the cognitive barrier for complex material. Students aren\u2019t stuck trying to invent examples\u202f<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">and<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202flearn new theory at the same time\u2014they already have rich, concrete evidence to work with. The result is deeper analysis, and more confident use of academic language. I think the same structure could work across disciplines:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">In the <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">humanities<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">, students might analyze a literary or film character through feminist, postcolonial, or ethical frameworks<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">In the <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">fine arts<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">, a character, performer, or artist can become a case study for themes like identity, expression, power, or audience interpretation.\u202f A Shakesperean sonnet about AI? A jazz song inspired by current events?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">In <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">STEM<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">, students could explain the physics behind the special powers of their favorite superhero.\u202f Or, analyze decision-making and risk using scenarios from medical dramas.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Across fields, the goal is the same: use something students already understand as an anchor, so new theories and concepts feel purposeful rather than abstract. When theory helps explain something students care about, it stops being something to memorize and starts becoming something they can use. Familiar content doesn\u2019t dilute rigor\u2014it creates access to it.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Furman instructors are no strangers to innovative and evidence-based pedagogies. In this month\u2019s \u201cTeaching Tips\u201d story, Andy Coe shares his constructivist approach to creating accessible assignments. Reach out to Andy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","update-categories":[],"class_list":["post-4435","furman-update","type-furman-update","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/updates\/4435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/updates"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/furman-update"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/updates\/4435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4493,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/updates\/4435\/revisions\/4493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"furman-update-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/faculty-development-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/update-categories?post=4435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}