Bridging the Break
Most of our students (and maybe our colleagues) can’t wait for spring break. We hope you’ll return on the 23rd refreshed and energized, but before we go, we have a week to help students consolidate their learning and hopefully stave off some of the forgetting that often happens over the break. The coming week probably isn’t a good time to zoom through new material—instead, it would be useful for students to reflect on what they’ve learned so far and practice remembering important concepts.
Researchers studying a phenomenon called the testing effect have established that “retrieval practice” improves memory and learning. Summoning new knowledge from memory strengthens neural connections and enhances long-term retention, meaning it’s far more effective than common study strategies like rereading and reviewing notes. We don’t actually have to give a test in order to harness the testing effect; we just need to prompt students to retrieve—and use—the important concepts and skills they still need to be building. To bolster students’ memories and strengthen their understanding before they head away for ten days, you might try one of these strategies:
- Give an (ungraded) recall quiz. The first weeks of class probably seem like a long time ago, but it’s important that students think back to what they were learning then, so they see the connections to what they’re studying now. This could even happen in the form of a game, such as Jeopardy or Connections.
- Have students reflect on what they’ve learned so far. Students can identify two or three fundamental concepts from the course that they want to use in the future, or think about how they can apply their skills in new contexts. This can also prompt them to consider how and why they value what they’re learning.
- Have students create a visual representation of the course. This is useful not just for prompting students’ memories but for helping them trace connections amongst concepts and skills. It might look like a concept map, a timeline, a word cloud, etc.
- Have students create their own study guides. Asking students to determine which concepts are most important (and why they’re important) is good practice in self-regulated learning.
Now is also a good time to make a plan for helping students get back on track when they return. After ten days away (maybe days filled with experiences that seemed more intense than school work) it can be challenging to regain momentum. We’ll need to begin with a recap, or by reactivating prior learning, so that students can continue building on it. The same retrieval practice options we suggest for before the break will be useful when we return, as well.
The week after spring break is an important opportunity for a reset, too. If you collected midsemester feedback from students, the week after classes resume is a perfect time to implement some of the changes they requested. If your students tend to do in-class work in groups or teams, you can change the groups so they meet new people. If your students usually sit in rows, you could try asking them to arrange the desks in a circle, so they can see each other when they speak. If we want to adjust classroom norms, or reset any drift from previously established norms, the week after the break is a great time to do so. We want students to reinvest in their learning and their classroom community, rekindling some of the excitement they felt at the beginning of the semester.
If you’d like to think more about creating opportunities for students to consolidate their learning, we’re happy to help. You can request a consultation by emailing pro-teaching@fsu.edu. We look forward to working with you!
Intentional AI: Designing for Active Learning and Assessment Resilience
Thursday, March 12 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Strozier Library, Zimmerman Instruction Room 107A
As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes higher education, how can we use these tools to enhance active learning while fostering independent student learning? Join us for an interactive workshop focused on integrating AI into your courses through the lens of learner-centered pedagogy and Universal Design for Learning. We will explore how to intentionally select AI tools that reduce learning barriers and foster classroom engagement.
We will also explore an AI-resilient toolkit for assignment design. We will discuss approaches to structuring assessments that encourage students to do their own thinking and learning when independent practice is vital for their cognitive and social development.
If you would like to join us, please complete the Registration Form. We look forward to working with you!
Summer 2026 Course Design Institute
May 12-15 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Bradley Reading Room, Strozier Library
July 13-16 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Bradley Reading Room, Strozier Library
Click Here to Complete a Summer 2026 CDI Application
CAT’s Course Design Seminar provides faculty with the time, structure, and support they need to craft transformative learning experiences that reach and inspire their students. Course design and planning need not be lonely work; they are best accomplished in a community of peers who are similarly engaged. The seminar is a four-day series of hands-on workshops, during which faculty will hone their goals for student learning, plan effective use of class time, and work on sequencing and scaffolding coursework, as well as gathering valid evidence of learning. They will also work on strategies for cultivating classroom community and enhancing student motivation. Participants will gain:
- Structured support to (re)design a course for maximum learning
- Assistance and feedback on course design, including learning goals; assignment and exam design; effective use of class time; class activities; active-learning strategies; etc.
- Expertise in learner-centered teaching and backward design
- Strategies for motivating students
- Collegial community and peer feedback
Each faculty participant will receive a stipend of $2,000 upon successful completion of the course redesign. Seats are limited, and full-time faculty of all ranks are eligible. Priority will be given to courses that reach large numbers of students and to applications from colleagues who have not yet attended one of our course design seminars. Participants must be able to attend all sessions of the workshop, complete pre-work, and submit final revised plans in August.
As part of your application, please provide a brief letter of support from your chair. Your chair can email the letter to pro-teaching@fsu.edu. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 13, and decisions will be made by Wednesday, March 25. If you have questions, please contact us at pro-teaching@fsu.edu. We look forward to working with you!