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Today\u2019s educators have yet to meet a challenge they can\u2019t navigate. And according to our recent research<\/a>, 50% of faculty say they feel comfortable handling their top challenges alone. Yet, one challenge stands out from the rest: the need to produce creative content to entertain students<\/a>.<\/p>\n To help you overcome this hurdle, we asked our Faculty Partners across disciplines, including English, psychology and finance to share some of the creative assignments they\u2019ve come up with to keep class both educational and fun for students. Here are three innovative ideas you should take note of.<\/p>\n Do you ever wonder what your favorite literary character\u2019s social media profile would look like if they had one? Kerry L. Frabizio,<\/a> Associate Professor of English<\/a> at Warren County Community College, told us about a unique group project she introduced to her English Composition students. It lets them develop social media personalities based on characters from some of the most iconic plays in American history.<\/p>\n Project instructions:<\/strong> Each group will create a fictional but realistic social media presence for each assigned character. Be creative, but stay true to the character\u2019s attitude, motivations and story arc.<\/em><\/p>\n Required components<\/strong>: Students must produce the following for each of their assigned characters:<\/p>\n This entertaining assignment reframes course content in a way that\u2019s relatable and engaging for today\u2019s tech-driven students.<\/p>\n You might know the lyrics to your favorite song by heart, but have you considered the deeper meaning or significance behind them? Marc Wilson<\/a>, Ph.D. Professor and Director of Graduate Psychology Programs at Fisher College, has transformed that concept into a media-based assignment for his psychology<\/a> students.<\/p>\n Each week, students watch a music video relevant to one or more of their course topics. They\u2019re asked to respond to the video, discussing how they think the lyrics or video relate to one of the disorders they\u2019re studying that week.<\/p>\n Additionally, students are asked to find and share media that they think reflects that week\u2019s course material. This assignment not only helps students develop critical thinking and analysis skills, but also gives them an opportunity to connect with topics in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a creative assignment in finance, consider this discussion forum activity, courtesy of Ann Snell,<\/a> Instructor, Business Administration at Alamance Community College. This activity gets students thinking critically about the role finance<\/a> plays in their everyday lives, and the world around them. Each week, students receive engaging prompts based on their course content. They\u2019re asked to reflect on questions like:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>Students are allowed to record their answers on their phones or webcams. They can even use props to liven up their presentations.<\/p>\n These types of assignments get students actively engaged with their course content in. By tapping into their sense of creativity and imagination, they can grow into confident learners built for future success.<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Social media profiles of characters<\/h2>\n
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2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Music video discussion<\/h2>\n
3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Discussion forum<\/h2>\n
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