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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 worse...


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 w...


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 ho...


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 researc...


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...