Gavin Porter, Lecturer in Immunology (HMS), helps students develop critical skills for research paper analysis. Prior to 2019, his students would individually read papers and submit their analysis through a traditional templated question approach. Due to the repetitive nature of the assessment product and after realizing that all students could benefit from each other’s questions and ideas, Dr. Porter transitioned this assignment to a collaborative one using a social annotation platform created at Harvard called Perusall. The platform embeds the research paper PDF that students read asynchronously and mark with comments or questions throughout. Students see each other’s annotations and can build upon each other in collaborative threads and answer each other’s questions. Comments are situated directly within the margins of the course documents, instead of a disembodied discussion forum. Paper figures can be annotated, and so can video content.
The debate over assessments—their frequency, structure, and value—has become more vibrant in recent years, first with the onset of COVID-19 and now with the advent of Generative AI. As instructors experiment with different approaches, the Math Department has increased its emphasis on assessments, yielding some early successes.
Brendan Kelly, Senior Preceptor and Director of Introductory Mathematics, notes that one of the main objectives in Harvard’s Math preparatory sequence is to provide students with a consistent, cumulative experience so that each course effectively builds off prior ones, or hands off to subsequent ones. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a unique challenge. Kelly and his team observed that course-by-course experimentation with assessments during this period resulted in inconsistencies across courses, and as a result students being inadequately prepared for higher level Math courses - in turn prompting a reevaluation of their approach.
Sharad Goel, Professor of Public Policy (HKS), teaches statistical methods in his application-oriented course, Law, Order and Algorithms, and in the team-taught course, Quantitative Analysis and Empirical Methods. He emphasizes the importance of making course content relatable and relevant to students' lives and interests to enhance their understanding of quantitative analysis. In addition, he believes that this approach is the initial step towards fostering an inclusive learning environment. Last year, Goel joined the Faculty Learning Community on Disability and Learning at HKS, which allowed him to align his research and course content with his teaching method through a wide range of integrated practices. Straightforward examples include always ensuring to use microphones, repeating questions for clarity, describing visual content for students instead of assuming students can see it, and allowing a brief pause after asking questions to give students time to think.
Allison Pingree, Associate Director of Instructional Support and Development for the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Teaching and Learning Lab, partners with faculty to enhance teaching and learning across contexts. With over 25 years of experience as a faculty and educational developer, she works with individual instructors and teaching teams to build effective and inclusive learning communities, consults on course design, and leads professional learning programs on a multitude of topics and themes. Pingree is guided by her commitment to “deep listening, skilled facilitation, and reflective practice” as she coaches faculty and develops new programming to foster pedagogical innovation and best practices. At this stage in the semester, she urges faculty to consider gathering student feedback on their courses and implementing changes to respond to student concerns.
Gavin Porter, Lecturer in Immunology (HMS), helps students develop critical skills for research paper analysis. Prior to 2019, his students would individually read papers and submit their analysis through a traditional templated question approach. Due to the repetitive nature of the assessment product and after realizing that all students could benefit from each other’s questions and ideas, Dr. Porter transitioned this assignment to a collaborative one using a social annotation platform created at Harvard called 
The debate over assessments—their frequency, structure, and value—has become more vibrant in recent years, first with the onset of COVID-19 and now with the advent of Generative AI. As instructors experiment with different approaches, the Math Department has increased its emphasis on assessments, yielding some early successes.
Sharad Goel, Professor of Public Policy (HKS), teaches statistical methods in his application-oriented course, 
Allison Pingree, Associate Director of Instructional Support and Development for the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Teaching and Learning Lab, partners with faculty to enhance teaching and learning across contexts. With over 25 years of experience as a faculty and educational developer, she works with individual instructors and teaching teams to build effective and inclusive learning communities, consults on course design, and leads professional learning programs on a multitude of topics and themes. Pingree is guided by her commitment to “deep listening, skilled facilitation, and reflective practice” as she coaches faculty and develops new programming to foster pedagogical innovation and best practices. At this stage in the semester, she urges faculty to consider gathering student feedback on their courses and implementing changes to respond to student concerns.