News in brief

Failure is not the only option. Poor grades alone aren’t likely to motivate all students, so instructors should devote special attention and offer extensive feedback to students to help them understand how they can improve, David Gooblar writes. (Pedagogy Unbound)

Taking back teaching. Rather than allowing administrative thinking to overtake their roles as educators, faculty should return their focus to teaching, learning, and scholarship, Matthew Filner and Andrew Carlson suggest. (Vitae)

Learning myths. A new survey reveals that many Americans have misconceptions and unfounded confidence about how learning works. (NPREd)

Beyond the classroom. As a black professor, Vaughn Calhoun says his personal experiences give him deeper insight into the problems many minority students face and help him in his role as both a mentor and an educator. (The Huffington Post)

Media literacy. Courses related to current events should require students to read a reputable news publication and devote a few minutes a week to discussing the content, Susan Siena writes. (Inside Higher Ed)

Learning from cavemen. In Bill Schindler’s archaeology course, students not only learn about their early ancestors’ lifestyles, but perform their daily tasks themselves—from building fires to butchering deer for meals. (The Atlantic)