Course Foundations
These pages describe my approach to teaching, learning, and the cultivation of human development. Each page has both a video and accompanying text. A playlist of all the videos (videos only; no text) is also provided below.
My Approach
An Evidence-Based Learning Environment
Jan. 6, 2024, 9:46 p.m. • Ross Laird
This class might be different from what you are used to. It might be very unfamiliar, strange even. But here’s the deal: traditional educational approaches make you wors...
On Culture
Finding and Following Your Own Stories
Jan. 9, 2024, 7:13 p.m. • Ross Laird
I encourage you to embrace your own cultural background in this class and to remember that western literature is not the pinnacle of human creativity. The idolization of...
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Jan. 6, 2024, 9:47 p.m. • Ross Laird
How can I ask for help? Send me an email . If you want feedback on your writing, review the feedback page before sending me an email. How do I get started writing...
On Learning Outcomes
Your Pathway is Unique and Unpredictable
Jan. 6, 2024, 9:46 p.m. • Ross Laird
It is fashionable for university courses to specify in advance what students will learn, what the learning outcomes will be. That’s equivalent to trying to predict the...
About Assessment
An Integrative Approach
Jan. 6, 2024, 9:46 p.m. • Ross Laird
Sheesh. Grades. You’ve probably been getting them your whole life. Nothing is more fundamental to mainstream education. Grades are so interwoven with our education that ...
On Ethics
Creative Practice as Meaningful Action
Jan. 9, 2024, 7:13 p.m. • Ross Laird
Ethical action – and the development of ethical action – is one of the most important obligations of a human being. Ethics make the world work. Ethics make relationships...
On Reading
Becoming a Lifelong Learner
Jan. 6, 2024, 9:47 p.m. • Ross Laird
Frankly, the most impactful thing you can to do improve your creative writing is to read more. If you read thousands of books you will likely absorb a great deal about h...
On Feedback
Getting what You Need
Sept. 1, 2021 • Ross Laird
The relationship between feedback and evaluation is complicated and highly counter-intuitive. Everybody wants feedback, right? However, a good deal of educational resear...
Privacy Guidelines
Ensuring a Safe and Comfortable Environment
Sept. 5, 2024, 12:27 a.m. • Ross Laird
Ensuring privacy and safety is fundamental to online environments. And, of course, privacy and safety are essential and evolving themes of the internet itself. The following guidelines describe how...
Contributor Code of Conduct
Values & Practices for a Healthy Community
Sept. 5, 2024, 12:27 a.m. • Ross Laird
In these courses we adhere to a Code of Conduct that has been adopted by many technology organizations and communities (such as Mozilla Linux , and Wagtail ). This Code is adapted from the Con...