Enhanced Course Reviews: Hackademics and Principedia's Latest Update
In the heart of Princeton University, the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning has been fostering a unique platform for academic growth – the Hackademics workshop. This initiative, which brings together faculty, graduate students, and academic staff, aims to enhance teaching methods and course design.
The fruit of these collaborative sessions is Principedia, an online database of detailed course analyses. Principedia serves as a repository for insights, strategies, and reflections on course content, structure, pedagogy, and student engagement, all meticulously compiled from participants in these workshops.
Kavi Jain, Engineering Correspondent, recently shared his experience at the Spring 2016 Hackademics workshop. He chose to analyze ORF309 (Probability and Stochastic Systems), a course that hadn't been analyzed before. His analysis, titled "Principedia: A Wiki for Better Learning!", is now available for future students.
The workshop began with an overview of the hackathon by Nic Voge, the associate director of McGraw’s Learning Program. Participants were encouraged to choose a course that hadn't been analyzed before and contribute an in-depth analysis. The focus was on finding external resources that would be helpful for the class and giving an overall summary of who might want to take the class.
During the workshop, Kavi Jain found it personally rewarding to refresh his brain with important concepts from last semester. He also emphasized the importance of preparing for class assessments and recommended going to office hours for help. Kavi Jain believes his Hackademics contribution will help others succeed in their classroom experiences.
For those who missed the 2016 Hackademics, Kavi Jain encourages you to look out for emails regarding the Fall 2017 hackathon. He also suggests checking out Principedia for course decisions and enrollment. His article is categorized under "Research-based Courses".
Principedia is more than just a database; it's a collaborative platform to promote teaching excellence and innovation within Princeton and potentially beyond. By sharing these analyses, Principedia aims to support faculty and educators in enhancing their courses by providing accessible examples of innovative teaching practices and thoughtful course redesigns.
Dr. Bogucki (Associate Dean, Undergraduate Affairs in the School of Engineering) announced that ORF309 will be offered during both the fall and spring semesters next year. So, whether you're a future student of ORF309 or looking to explore other courses, Principedia is an invaluable resource for your academic journey at Princeton.
