Zach Cureton-Hazard

Zach Cureton-Hazard

Zach Cureton-Hazard is a member of the design team at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for Teaching and Learning. Zach has a bachelors degree in chemistry and is a certified secondary science teacher in Alaska. After spend 6 years teaching science in Alaska (two years in Saint Marys and 4 years in Seward), he joined the team at CTL.

Learning in Context: How Place-Based Learning Fosters Deeper Connections

A stylized illustration of diverse-looking students sitting cross-legged in front of a world map.
What if the key to deeper, more meaningful learning lies right in front of us—in the places we live, work, and play? In Learning in Context: How Place-Based Learning Fosters Deeper Connections explores how connecting students to their local environments and communities can transform the learning experience. Drawing on both research and my own teaching experience, this article offers practical strategies for integrating place-based learning into your courses, whether you teach in person or online. From local data collection to virtual tours, place-based learning taps into students’ lived experiences, making course content more relevant, engaging, and impactful. Ready to explore how this approach can be incorporated into your teaching? Dive in to discover the profound effects of learning in context.

Enhancing Connection and Flexibility: Integrating Optional Synchronous Sessions into Asynchronous Online Courses

Young adult students sitting outside and working on a project. One student holds a laptop.
While many courses at UAF are offered and listed as asynchronous, nothing prevents the inclusion of optional synchronous sessions. This teaching tip offers advice on a variety of different kinds of synchronous activities that you might consider as adding to your course as supplemental ways for students to connect with each other, you, and the content.