Drive Student Success With Intentional Policy Design

The fall semester is almost here, and as a thoughtful educator, you're likely looking for ways to maximize every minute students are in your learning space.

Course policies aren't just administrative rules. They are behavioral nudges that shape student habits and academic momentum. By pairing intentional behavioral design with automated platform tools, you can reduce extension requests while encouraging consistent, proactive study habits.

This month, we’re looking at driving platform value through behavioral and smart policy design. For a deeper dive, check out our latest blog post, Simplify Your Semester With Our Latest Features.

Upcoming New Feature: Integrated Respondus LockDown Browser

Safeguarding assessment integrity shouldn't create technical headaches for your teaching team or panic for your students. You can now configure Respondus LockDown Browser directly within your proctored assignment (like a quiz or exam) settings in Labflow and Spark to maintain high academic rigor with minimal setup effort.

Customizable Exam Controls
Toggle LockDown Browser on a per-assessment basis and easily enable built-in Basic or Scientific calculators directly inside the secure exam environment, giving students the exact tools they need without leaving the browser.

Frictionless Student Experience

Clear landing page guidance, direct download links, guided confirmation of correct installation before exams start, and a dedicated "Launch Respondus" button make entry seamless for students, dramatically reducing tech-support emails on exam day. 

Tips For Choosing Your Course Policy Design

1. Use Late Penalties for Non-Negotiable Guardrails: Automated late penalties reinforce time-sensitive work, like pre-lab safety quizzes or pre-lecture readiness, where completing assignments before class is essential.

2. Use Tokens to Reward Self-Regulation: Use the token economy for positive reinforcement by giving students a set budget of automated extensions, building autonomy while eliminating manual extension management.

3. Tailor Your Strategy with Your FSM: Unsure whether positive incentives, hard boundaries, or a hybrid model fits your specific course learning objectives? Reach out to your Faculty Success Manager to help design the optimal policy for your syllabus.

Instructor Spotlight

Navigating Curriculum Transitions with Tokens & Specifications Grading

Dr. Jamie Bunting, California Polytechnic State University

This month, we’re spotlighting Dr. Jamie Bunting, Full-Time Lecturer and Laboratory Coordinator at Cal Poly, for her student-centered approach to course design across three core biology courses.

When Cal Poly transitioned from a quarter to a semester system, Dr. Bunting partnered with Tom Kuborn from Catalyst’s Course Redesign division to completely overhaul her courses to meet updated curricula and academic standards:

• Structured Autonomy Through Tokens: She implemented a Token economy across all three courses, giving students flexibility and ownership over their schedules while keeping them motivated throughout the term.

• Formative Feedback via Specs Grading: To elevate academic writing without penalizing early attempts, Dr. Bunting adopted specifications grading rubrics. This provides students with actionable feedback to improve their writing over time without fear of early grade deductions.

Dr. Bunting's dedication to her students is obvious through her thoughtful course design, utilization of motivation and flexibility tools, and pedagogical innovation. We are lucky to call her a faculty partner!

Join the Conversation

Are you doing something unique with your course policy design or utilizing any Labflow or Spark features in a creative way? Reach out to your Faculty Success Manager to share your story. We’d love to hear from you! 

Warmly,
The Catalyst Team
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