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.

Beyond the Checklist – Making RSI a Meaningful Practice for Instructors and Students

A diagram showing how students talk with each other and the instructor within an LMS. The LMS is shown inside of a larger community. Discussions flow freely within the LMS to the community and back into the LMS.

Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) is more than a compliance checkbox, it’s a way to design courses where interaction drives learning. This teaching tip reframes RSI as a shared practice across four channels: Instructor → Student, Student → Instructor, Student ↔ Student, and Student ↔ Community. You’ll find a quick self-check for the first two weeks, simple scripts and grading nudges that turn feedback into dialogue, and low-lift structures that help students help each other. A concrete example shows how community touchpoints (interviews, artifact “bring-backs,” and a final portfolio) keep interactions purposeful and academic. The result is a course culture where presence is predictable, responses are expected, and students practice habits of asking better questions, building on evidence, and closing feedback loops, which translates to deeper engagement and higher persistence.

Developing Critical Thinking Through Problem Based Learning

A series of wooden blocks with question marks on them that are stacked up 3 layers tall, with someone placing a single wooden block with a light bulb on the top.

In this Teaching Tip we will explore the transformative potential of Problem-Based Learning (PBL), an approach that flips traditional teaching on its head by starting with real-world, ill-structured problems before mastering the basics. From its origins in medical education to its versatility across disciplines and modalities, PBL empowers students to take ownership of their learning. Beyond the development of critical thinking skills, students will also practice empathy, collaboration, and self-reflection through problem solving activities. Drawing from personal experiences, historical insights, and practical strategies, this article provides a roadmap for incorporating PBL into your courses. Whether you’re curious about small, actionable steps or seeking to reimagine an entire course, this Teaching Tip will help you think about your courses through the context of problem solving and critical thinking.

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 incorporation 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.