FCPE Newsletter

Cooperative learning (or “group work”) is a teaching and learning strategy that most educators have tried or at least considered. If you have incorporated cooperative learning into your courses, you know that when it goes well, it is extraordinary. When it doesn’t, it can be frustrating and counterproductive, wasting valuable class time.

Unproductive group activities stem from many causes. Students might not engage with each other as planned, spend more time clarifying instructions than completing the task, or face logistical hurdles such as high absence rates that disrupt group sizes.

So, why bother? Research demonstrates that cooperative learning encourages deep learning, critical thinking, and paradigm shifts as students navigate differing perspectives. Working with peers sparks curiosity, encourages questioning, and helps students solve complex problems both inside and outside the classroom. In short, cooperative learning creates space for meaningful dialogue that deepens critical and conceptual understanding.

Creating opportunities for such authentic interactions is more important than ever. The rapid expansion of generative AI and educational technology has left many students and faculty feeling disconnected, disengaged, and discouraged (for more regarding the student perspective, see Trapped in Someone Else’s Imagination: Students on AI, Choice, and the Futures We Deserve).

How can we design cooperative learning activities while avoiding common pitfalls that lead to some of the frustrations discussed above? Research highlights the importance of “creating learning environments where students are not only amazed and challenged by the experiences they have, but also are able to interact with their teacher and peers to ask questions, seek clarification, offer explanations, justify their positions, and build on the ideas of others: in short, dialogue with others” (Scott, 2008, as cited in Gillies, 2023, p. 5). With a little pre-planning and some teaching tips, creating these dialogues in your own classrooms is easier than you think.

To learn how to implement effective cooperative learning in your classroom, join our workshop on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, from 1:00pm to 2:00pm.

Visit the FCPE events page to view all upcoming workshops and events, coming up and register ahead of time!

References

• Barreto, D., Oyarzun, B., & Conklin, S. (2022). Integration of cooperative learning strategies in online settings. E-Learning and Digital Media, 19(6), 574-594. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530221104187
• Donovan, D. A., Connell, G. L., & Grunspan, D. Z. (2018). Student learning outcomes and attitudes using three methods of group formation in a nonmajors biology class. CBE Life Sciences Education, 17(4), ar60. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-12-0283
• Gillies, R. M. (2023). Using cooperative learning to enhance students’ learning and engagement during inquiry-based science. Education Sciences, 13(12), 1242. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121242
• Hillyard, C., Gillespie, D., & Littig, P. (2010). University students’ attitudes about learning in small groups after frequent participation. Active Learning in Higher Education, 11(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787409355867
• Millis, B. J. (2010). Cooperative learning in higher education : Across the disciplines, across the academy (1st ed.). Stylus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003443681

Cleaning up course materials, syllabi, or manuscripts can take hours of tedious editing. By using Regular Expressions (Regex) in Google Docs, and Google Sheets, you can instantly reformat text and perform searches for specific types of characters in just a few clicks.

How to Use Regex in Google Docs and Sheets:

1. Open Find & Replace: Press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + H (Mac).
2. Check the box for “Use regular expressions.”
3. Example 1 (Fixing Double/Multiple Spaces): In Find, enter {2,}. In Replace with, enter a single space ” “, then click Replace all.
4. Example 2 (Finding Empty Line Breaks): In Find, enter ^\n then In Replace with, leave it empty and click Replace all to delete all empty paragraph breaks.
5. Example 3 (Finding Words in ALL CAPS): In Find, Check the box for “Match Case.” Enter \b[A-Z]{2,}\b to match any word with spaces before and after and at least 2 characters written entirely in uppercase letters.

For more tips and advanced expressions, check out Google’s full RE2 Documentation, and to learn more about Regex expressions, check out Regexone lessons 1-10. You can also ask Gemini to create a regular expression for you within the Adelphi University Google Workspace.

Questions about this tip? Reach out to Andrew MacDonald at the FCPE.

Writing is easy to sideline amid faculty commitments. Join FCPE’s Writing Accountability Group for a supportive, drop-in space to boost productivity.

We meet Mondays at 10:00am and Thursdays at 10:00am virtually on Zoom—come when you can! Complete the interest form to get started.

You are invited to the first Fall 2026 Adelphi Adjunct Community Group Meeting on Monday, September 28, at 5:00pm on Zoom.

Come connect with fellow adjunct faculty, share your teaching experiences, exchange best practices, and have your questions answered.

Need assistance with Moodle or any of Adelphi’s educational technology platforms? Looking for support to implement a concept from one of our workshops?

Drop by in-person, email us at fcpe@adelphi.edu, or set up a one-to-one Zoom or in-person appointment.

What begins as a personal exploration of family history can often lead to broader questions about history and the archival record. For Christopher A. Barnes, PhD, Assistant Professor and Digital Publishing Librarian, researching his family history led to the discovery of a connection between his own family and the history of slavery. That discovery evolved into sustained scholarly research examining the archival records of slavery.

Dr. Barnes’s work focuses on what can be learned from records that are often fragmented, dispersed, and difficult to access. His research considers how these materials can help recover the names and experiences of enslaved African Americans while also making those records more accessible to researchers and the public.

His 2025 article, “Manumissions in the Brooklyn Old Town Records Collection, 1797–1825,” draws on a dataset he created for Enslaved.org to document enslaved African Americans who were manumitted in Brooklyn, New York. The project reflects Dr. Barnes’s broader interest in bringing archival research and digital scholarship together to make historical materials easier to discover and explore. To learn more about his research and explore the project’s interactive features, visit cowenhoven.org.

In this video, Dr. Barnes discusses the personal and scholarly journey behind his work, including how the discovery of his family’s connection to slavery shaped his research, the challenges involved in uncovering difficult histories, and the importance of identifying and remembering the individuals represented in the archival record.

References

Barnes, C.A. (2025). Manumissions in the Brooklyn Old Town Records collection, 1797-1825. Journal of Slavery and Data Preservation, 6(1), 25-35. https://doi.org/10.14321/jsdp.6.1.0025

Interested in being featured? Contact Leeann Mello at FCPE to learn how you can be part of an upcoming Faculty Fridays issue.