Image
Celebrating the life of

K. Patricia Cross

It is with heavy hearts we honor the recent passing of Dr. K. Patricia Cross. Simply ‘Pat’ to those she loved, she has gifted higher education an incredible legacy that has both inspired and enabled thousands of educators to improve both the theory and craft behind their teaching, impacting an entire generation of students in the process.

Legend & Legacy

Teaching Techniques for

Higher Education

Whether you find yourself teaching online, on-site, or a hybrid of both, our free teaching techniques are focused on helping your students learn and retain new knowledge and skills.

Image
Digital Story

Students use computer-based tools, such as video, audio, graphics, and web publishing, to tell personal or academic stories about life experiences relevant to course themes.

View Technique
Image
3-2-1

In the 3-2-1 technique, students write about 3 things they learned in the lecture, 2 things they found particularly interesting from the lecture, and 1 question they still have about the lecture content.

View Technique
Image
Contemporary Issues Journal

Students look for recent events or developments in the real world that are related to their coursework, then analyze these current affairs to identify the connections to course material in entries that they write in a journal.

View Technique
Image
Jigsaw

In Jigsaw, students work in small groups to develop knowledge about a given topic before teaching what they have learned to another group.

View Technique
Image
Group Grid

In Group Grid, group members are given pieces of information and asked to place them in the blank cells of a grid according to category rubrics, which helps them clarify conceptual categories and develop sorting skills.

View Technique
Image
Analytic Teams

In Analytic Teams, each team member assumes a different role with specific responsibilities to perform while listening to a lecture or watching a video.

View Technique
Image
Team Jeopardy

Team Jeopardy is a game in which student teams take turns selecting a square from a grid that is organized vertically by category and horizontally by difficulty. Each square shows the number of points the team can earn if they answer a question correctly, and more challenging questions have the potential to earn more points. Download example slides here: Google

View Technique
Image
Paper Seminar

Paper Seminar provides a framework for meaningful discussion centered on student work.

View Technique
Image
Three-Minute Message

3-Minute Messages are modeled on the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) academic competition, in which students have three minutes to present a compelling argument and to support it with convincing details and examples.

View Technique
    View All Techniques
    Image

    Engaged Teaching

    A Handbook for College Faculty

    Available now, Engaged Teaching: A Handbook for College Faculty provides college faculty with a dynamic model of what it means to be an engaged teacher and offers practical strategies and techniques for putting the model into practice.

    Order your copy today and save off regular pricing, in celebration of the first anniversary of this new release!

    Learn More

    What We Do

    The demanding realm of higher education can be surprisingly low on practical resources. You want your students to succeed, and the K. Patricia Cross Academy is here to help you help students do just that. As a nonprofit, our content is complimentary, concise, and packed with proven ways to earn measurable results. Launched in 2019, we already have had over 309,258 visitors, and best of all, it's anonymous and always free.

    Watch Video

    I included the [K. Patricia Cross Academy] website in the facilitated online workshop I created for faculty to help them move to online teaching. The gratitude for sharing this site with faculty has been overwhelming! They are finding it so very helpful! We have even linked it to our Faculty Toolkit web page through Faculty Professional Development. 

    Faculty Member

    The K. Patricia Cross Academy website is an essential resource for those developing their course activities and teaching styles regardless of their years of experience.  The site encourages instruction that prepares the next generation of learners and builds a framework of tools supportive of student success.  I see the site as an asset for anyone in the field of education.

    Librarian

    The K Patricia Cross Academy has been a valuable resource for me, especially as a first-time instructor. This semester is my first time teaching a class all by myself, and I have been using 3-2-1 Activity to assess student’s engagement in class and further answer any questions they may have about the content. We only did the activity two times since it is the beginning of the semester, but I already see its usefulness. I am excited to utilize other activities featured on the website in future classes.

    Teaching Assistant

    When I discovered you, it was like I had stumbled on a goldmine. My colleagues are now as addicted to your resources as I am!

    Faculty Member

    Thank you for making this amazing resource freely available. Faculty, as you are aware, are feeling very overwhelmed and these resources on the web site are getting them excited to revamp their courses for the fall. 

    Faculty Member
      Testimonials

      CrossCurrents

      Our blog offers an in-depth look at relevant teaching techniques and learning theory aimed at keeping your students active and engaged in your classrooms.

      View the Library

      Read More
      Image

      Image
      5 Tips for Using Final Projects in Your Class

      Months of lectures, activities, group projects, quizzes, readings, and more typically culminate in an end-of-term evaluation. It may be tempting to slip into the default “review for final exam” mode as a term comes to a close as tests can be worthwhile for student learning and retention (see 8 Benefits of Frequent Quizzing and Testing.) However, final projects can prove

      Read More →
      Image
      8 Time Management Tips for Online Teaching

      In higher education, we work within semesters, quarters, or terms that last a set number of weeks. Within a given term, we teach in chunks of time, with classes lasting 50 minutes, 3 hrs, 8 hrs, or other increments. But when we teach online, no longer does teaching have to occur synchronously at a fixed time and location. The online teaching environment requires reconsidering traditional notions of time

      Read More →
      Hands Typing on Laptop - Making Good Use of Online Discussion Boards
      Making Good Use of Online Discussion Boards

      Many times, instructors feel like they “should” assign discussion board posts. They do so for a variety of reasons, including to simply receive the “regular and substantive interaction” between students and teachers required in virtual classrooms. Lively discussions are a hallmark of face-to-face courses. Likewise, for decades, discussion boards have been a staple of online courses. But doing discussions online and through a text-based medium offers its own set of challenges.

      Read More →
      Image
      Creating an Engaging Teaching Persona Online

      When we teach online, we have to be more intentional about sharing information about ourselves and about which information we will share. We decide, for example, whether to display a picture of ourselves or an avatar and if so, which. We have to make decisions about what personal information to put out there for students. We have to choose whether or not we want them to see and hear us. How can we make deliberate choices when creating our personas?

      Read More →
      Image

      Whether you're teaching in a classroom or online, fostering community and inclusion in your class is key to student engagement and collaborative learning. In this collection of articles, we explore ways to practice inclusive teaching, to encourage meaningful connection and communication, and to help students care about learning during an age of significant distraction.

      For more insights and information on effective teaching, visit our CrossCurrents Library.
      Explore the Library →
      Image

      K. Patricia Cross

      A 20th century thought leader whose influence on higher education is profound and enduring, Dr. K. Patricia Cross has authored eight books, more than 200 publications, and has lectured widely in the United States and abroad.

      Legend & Legacy

      Our Instructors

      Image

      Elizabeth F. Barkley

      • Executive Director of the K. Patricia Cross Academy
      • Co-Founder of Faculty2Faculty: The Alliance for Research-Based Teaching
      • College Professor & Author

      An innovative educator who has dedicated over four decades to serving students and teachers, Elizabeth is both the Executive Director of the K. Patricia Cross Academy, and an instructor.

      Read More
      Image

      Claire H. Major

      • Executive Information Officer of the K. Patricia Cross Academy
      • Co-Founder of Faculty2Faculty: The Alliance for Research-Based Teaching
      • University Professor & Author

      A thought leader devoted to elevating higher education, Claire serves as the Executive Information Officer of the K. Patricia Cross Academy, and as an engaging instructor.

      Read More