Noel Studio: Faculty Guide

Please remember that the Noel Studio does not write, proofread, or grade projects.

How To Incorporate Noel Studio Consultations Into Your Course

If you would like to formally introduce the Noel Studio into your courses through credit-earning consultations, required consultations, and/or by suggesting consultations broadly or individually, please consider the following best practices for incorporating consultations into your course/assignment design (in addition to including a Noel Studio blurb in your syllabi):

Ensure your prompts and rubrics are accessible in multiple formats; instruct students to bring any such guidelines and/or assignment-related course materials with them to the consultation.
Ask students to schedule consultations for projects they intend to continue to work on after the consultation; some students may also benefit from multiple consultations punctuated by revision, additional research, conferencing with faculty, etc.
Encourage students to schedule their consultation with plenty of time to spare before their assignment is due to ensure adequate time for revision; our full semester consultation schedule is generally available as soon as classes begin.

If you elect to require or offer credit for Noel Studio consultations, consider establishing a wide window for scheduling appointments, staggering consultation deadlines for large classes or multiple sections, and/or guiding students on how to make the best use of their time with us. For example:

Survey students about perceived strengths and weaknesses related to the writing and/or communication expectations of your course or a particular assignment. Then connect each individual student’s required consultation to potential growth areas. This approach helps stagger consultations over the semester, while also ensuring students understand the value and relevance of the consultation. Consider something like the CUF questions: What are you confident about? What are you uncertain of? What fills you with dread?
Model and/or highlight the importance of consultations by talking about your own writing/creating processes and the ways in which you seek constructive feedback from peers and/or colleagues—you can even share a specific experience in which you found such feedback invaluable! This helps destigmatize help-seeking and reinforces the idea that consultations aren’t just for “bad” writers/communicators.
Reinforce the value of revision by having students seek consultation services following a first draft; students can use their consultation to have a consultant help them address your concerns/feedback/suggestions for improvement.

If you would like to talk about incorporating Noel Studio consultations into a specific course or assignment, or would like more information about our consulting pedagogy, please contact the Noel Studio directly at noelstudio@eku.edu.

How To Incorporate Noel Studio Pedagogy Into Your Course

Noel Studio Collaborate Workshops
Noel Studio Collaborate Workshops explore foundational writing and communication topics. Collaborate Workshops occur within the Noel Studio and are facilitated by a trained member of our staff. The Noel Studio prefers to schedule workshops at least two weeks in advance; request approval is dependent on facilitator and space availability. Due to our staffing model and training, the Noel Studio does not offer workshops on Fridays or during the first two weeks of the semester. Learn more and/or schedule a workshop.

Active Learning Toolkits (ALT)
Developed from previous Collaborate Workshops, Active Learning Toolkits (ALT) offer faculty plans and resources for employing Noel Studio pedagogy in their own classrooms regardless of the instructional delivery modality. Each ALT includes materials (video lectures, lesson plans, and/or student resources) and suggestions for engaging students in the application of foundational writing and communication topics in-person or online, synchronously or asynchronously. Learn more and/or request access to toolkits.

Co-designed Assignment Support
Not sure what you need and/or don’t see an existing workshop, module or resource that fits your needs? The Noel Studio can work with you to adapt our workshops, toolkits, and resources to meet assignment, course, and/or discipline needs, or to co-design new ways to support your assignments and students. If you’d like to work with the Noel Studio to design a tailored approach to a specific lesson or topic, contact the Noel Studio directly at noelstudio@eku.edu.

How To Recommend Noel Studio to Students

Consider including information about the Noel Studio on your syllabus (see below) and/or scheduling a Noel Studio Orientation or Presentation in your course (we offer both asynchronous and synchronous options). In your feedback to individual students, you might consider including statements like: “Your [assignment] would have been more convincing if you had [area for improvement]. For your next project, consider a consultation with the Noel Studio to discuss strategies for [addressing area for improvement].” If you have questions about the feedback your student received during a consultation, please contact the Noel Studio directly at noelstudio@eku.edu.

Syllabus Recommendations

Brief Syllabus Recommendation:
EKU’s Noel Studio for Academic Creativity is a free resource offering writing, communication, and research support for undergraduate and graduate students from any major or class. At the Noel Studio, trained consultants can help you with essays, presentations, research posters, visual aids, multimodal products, and more through peer-to-peer meetings called consultations, which are available both in-person (on the EKU Richmond campus) and online (via Zoom). Students can ask for help at any stage of the communication process—from brainstorming to final revision, and every point in between! You can learn more about consultations and schedule your own consultations. Have questions or need help scheduling? Stop by the Noel Studio (located in the Crabbe Main Library), call the Noel Studio at (859) 622-7330, or use the chat box at studio.eku.edu!

Full Syllabus Recommendation:
EKU’s Noel Studio for Academic Creativity is a free resource offering writing, communication, and research support for undergraduate and graduate students from any major or class. Through the Noel Studio, all EKU students have access to consultations—one-on-one, individualized meetings focused on your writing and communication questions. Consultations are available both in-person (on the EKU Richmond campus) and online (via Zoom). Students can ask for help at any stage of the communication process—from brainstorming to final revision, and every point in between! You can schedule consultations at times that are convenient to you and at times of the semester that are most beneficial, usually before major assignments are due. While you can schedule a consultation with the Noel Studio at any point in the communication-development process, even if you don’t have anything substantial yet, your consultation will be most helpful if you take the time to:

Prepare questions/ideas/strategies in advance: Identify specific questions/ideas/strategies that will guide your research and thinking about the project while you’re in the online consultation.
Prepare to participate in the consultation: Noel Studio online consultations are designed as collaborative experiences to encourage student learning. Thus, you will actively discuss your project with the consultant and take part in invention techniques and activities.
Allot time to revise and reflect after you leave the online consultation: Identify the possibilities raised during the online consultation that are helpful to you and leave enough time to reflect on and incorporate feedback and suggestions from the consultation.
Revise and rethink: Noel Studio online consultations are intended to support multiple learning styles. Use the online consultation to rethink critical aspects of your project.

The Noel Studio will help with writing or communication projects in any subject, including traditional essays, research papers, and proposals; out-of-class projects such as scholarship applications, graduate school applications, and business letters; multimedia such as digital narratives, videos, podcasts, and online portfolios; and oral presentations, conference talks, and panel presentations. After each consultation, you will receive verification of your visit and a summary of what was discussed via a “Record of Consultation.” Learn more about consultations; schedule your own consultations by selecting the “Schedule a Consultation or Room” icon in the upper right of our homepage (eku.edu/studio). Have questions or need help scheduling? Stop by the Noel Studio (located in the Crabbe Main Library), call the Noel Studio at (859) 622-7330, or use the chat box at studio.eku.edu!