2014-2015 Teaching Issues Writing Consortium
Teaching Tips
Contributions by:
Azusa Pacific University
Grove City College
Sauk Valley Community College
Bellarmine University
Humboldt State University
Seneca College
Bradley University
Kaplan University
Thompson Rivers University
Brigham Young University
Monroe Community College
The University of British Columbia
Clemson University
New York Institute of Technology
University of Denver
The College at Brockport,
State University of New York
North Carolina Wesleyan College
University of the Rockies
Community College of Rhode Island
North Central College
University of West Florida
Eastern Kentucky University
Oakland University
Western Carolina University
Georgia Southern University
Western Kentucky University
Table of Contents
Design Motivating Courses by First Identifying Why Students are (and are not) Motivated ....... 3
Assignment Planning Guide and Questions .................................................................................... 5
Lesson Planning Template .............................................................................................................. 7
Three Key Principles for Designing Effective Blended Courses ...................................................... 8
Why Not the R-Course? ................................................................................................................ 10
Syllabus Checklist .......................................................................................................................... 11
To Text or Not to Text (with a book, not a phone!): That is the question. .................................. 13
Teaching with Technology ............................................................................................................ 15
Bridging the Geographical Divide: Teaching in a Videoconferencing Classroom ......................... 17
“Lecturing to 15 students is much the same as lecturing to 90”.................................................. 20
Building Professor-Student Relationships in an Age of Social Networking .................................. 22
Pecha Kucha Presentation Technique .......................................................................................... 25
Encourage Students to Evaluate the Quality of Information Sources .......................................... 26
The Four D’s of Problem Classroom Behaviors............................................................................. 27
Annotating That Goes the Distance .............................................................................................. 29
Improving Student Achievement with Effective Learning Techniques ........................................ 30
Improving Student Learning with (almost) No Grading................................................................ 32
Use Elements of Cognitive Constructivism to Design Effective Learning Activities ..................... 34
Classroom Response System – Clickers ........................................................................................ 36
Snapshot: End-of-Class Formative Assessment ............................................................................ 38
Use Discrepant Teaching Events to Address Students’ Misconceptions ...................................... 39
Include High-Impact Teaching Practices in Courses ..................................................................... 41
Develop Expertise in Students by Creating Cognitive Apprenticeships for Students .................. 43
Test Review: In Class or Out.......................................................................................................... 45
Characteristics of Effective Feedback ........................................................................................... 46
Using Vocaroo to Give Audio Feedback on Assignments ............................................................. 48
Six Thinking Hats ........................................................................................................................... 49
Using Word Clouds to Discuss Sensitive Topics in Class ............................................................... 51
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Tips for Moderating and Grading Online Discussion Forums ....................................................... 52
Using the PEAR Approach to Develop Stronger Discussion Questions ........................................ 54
Novel Strategies to Encourage Careful Reading and Energized Discussions ................................ 56
Maximizing the Performance of Informal Groups in Class ........................................................... 59
Making the Most of “reporting out” After Group Work............................................................... 61
Team Teaching: A Brief Summary ................................................................................................. 63
The Importance of Mindfulness Strategies................................................................................... 70
Modeling Scholarship.................................................................................................................... 72
Needs Assessment and Formative Assessment in One Quick Questionnaire .............................. 73
Small changes Can Improve Class Community and Student Course Evaluations ......................... 74
Identifying Pearls of Wisdom from End of Term Course Evaluation ............................................ 76
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Design Motivating Courses
by First Identifying Why Students are (and are not) Motivated
When we think about how to motivate students, we might assume our students will be
motivated by the same goals and values that motivated us, but we will often be mistaken.
When we try to motivate students with the wrong incentives, students disengage from classes
and assigned learning activities, avoid doing more than the minimal work needed to get by, fail
to use mentoring and tutoring opportunities we create, do not employ effective study
strategies we suggest, or behave defensively, feigning understanding and avoiding tasks they
believe might challenge their ability to perform. In the long run, all of these behaviors
undermine students’ ability to learn.
Ambrose et al. (2010) discuss three factors that influence student motivation in a course. No
one factor is definitive; the three work interactively to determine student motivation. If we
want to structure our course to motivate students, we must attend to all three factors:
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The value a student places on the learning goals.
Whether the student expects he/she can achieve the learning goals.
Whether the student perceives support in the class, does the student believe course
activities and supportive resources will help him/her achieve the learning goals?
Ambrose et al. (2010) describe strategies instructors can use to leverage each factor and
improve student motivation.
Establish the value of your learning goals
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Connect course content and skills to student interests.
Create problems and tasks that address real-world problems.
Connect content and skills in your course with other courses in the curriculum and
describe the connections repeatedly in your course.
Explain how skills students acquire in your course (e.g., writing clearly) will contribute to
their professional lives.
Help students develop expectations that they can achieve the learning goals
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Determine the appropriate level of challenge for students in your course and design
assignments at this level. Assignments that are too easy sap motivation as much as do
assignments that set unrealistic demands.
Create assignments and assessments that align with learning goals. Describe the relation
between learning goals and assessments in a rubric in which you describe the learning
outcomes for an assignment and articulate your expectations for performance.
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Create a supportive structure and communicate the role of this structure to students
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Create early, short, low-stakes assignments to give students an opportunity to practice
skills and develop confidence in their ability before they tackle a larger, high-stakes
assignment.
Provide constructive feedback and opportunities to use it. Feedback should identify
strengths, weaknesses, and specific suggestions for actions students can take to
improve the quality of their work.
Describe effective strategies for learning course material and explain why these
strategies work.
Stereotypes about “talent” depict academic success as a manifestation of an
unchangeable characteristic and undermine motivation when students encounter an
early set-back. Students cannot alter their “talent” but they can alter their work habits.
Emphasize the value of variables students can control: hard work, good time
management, and practice guided by constructive feedback for success. Give explicit
examples of these strategies in action.
Resources:
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How
learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Submitted by:
Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D., Director
Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL
(850) 857-6355 or 473-7435
uwf.edu/cutla/
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Assignment Planning Guide and Questions
Here are some things to consider and questions to ask yourself when planning an Assignment.
Assignment description: A brief overview (one or two sentences) about the Assignment
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Why are you giving the students this assignment?
Which learning outcome(s) is it designed to measure?
Who is the (perhaps hypothetical) audience for the assignment: academicians, people
working in a particular setting, or the general public?
What assistance can you provide while they are working on the assignment? (Are you
willing to critique drafts, for example?)
How will you score or grade the assignment? The best way to communicate this is to
give students a copy of the rubric that you will use to evaluate completed assignments.
Learning outcome(s): (that the Assignment is designed to measure):
Before continuing to plan the assignment, carefully consider what the students need to do to
show that they have achieved the learning outcomes, and whether the time that it will take for
the students to complete the assignment successful is reasonable considering the workload of
the course (and of the other courses in the current semester).
Assignment title:
What is the title of the Assignment? (Instead of using a title of ‘Research Essay’ or ‘Final
Project,’ the title of the Assignment should convey, in some way, the expectations of the
assignment. Is this an argumentative essay, a research project on Social Media Trends or
Slavery, a sociological analysis or a Business Plan?)
Assignment goals
What do you expect the students to learn by completing the Assignment? Double check: do
these goals relate clearly to one or more of the learning outcomes of the course?
Design decisions
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What should be included in the completed assignment?
How should students format the completed assignment?
How much time do you expect them to spend on this assignment?
How much will it count toward their final subject grade?
What readings, reference materials, and technologies are they expected to use?
Can they collaborate with others? If so, to what extent?
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Skills required to successfully complete the assignment
This is especially important if you are requiring that the student use a technology tool or media
for the assignment. If you are planning an assignment that requires the students to use
technologies that they may not be familiar with, how will you prepare for the extra work that
entails both from the students’ perspectives and yours? How will you guide students through
the process? What supports will you put in place to ensure that the students have the skills so
that they are able to successfully complete the tasks?
Resources for the assignment
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Will you give the students a list of resources that they can use to complete the
assignment?
If research is involved, what level of credibility or professional standards will you
require?
Will you accept materials from the open web or only the online library?
How many sources do they need?
How are you supporting student learning about how to avoid plagiarism?
Grading criteria
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What are your grading criteria?
Have you created a checklist or rubric that indicates the expectations of the grading
levels? Have you decided what an A, B, C, D and F “looks like”?
Is there an exemplar that you can show the students?
Resources:
Suskie, L. (2009). Chapter 10: Creating an Effective Assignment. In Assessing Student Learning: A
common sense guide (2nd ed.) (pp. 155-164). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Texas A&M University Writing Center. (2011). Developing Assignments. Retrieved from
http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/for-faculty/teaching-writing/assignments/developingassignments/
Submitted by:
Valerie Lopes, PhD
Professor/Coordinator, Teaching and Learning
Seneca College, Toronto, Ontario
valerie.lopes@senecacollege.ca
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Lesson Planning Template
We, the Instructional Technology staff, have recently created a lesson planning template that
we will be using while developing 14 lessons for the new Freshman Year Experience course we
are developing. We anticipate that the consistent format and individualized content of each
lesson will help us:
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2.
3.
4.
keep in mind effective instructional design principles while designing our lessons
efficiently share resources and assignments with our students when we teach the class
keep good records of our class/teaching plans for future repeat use
document post-lesson reactions and ideas for improvement next time
We hope you will find this template useful in your teaching plans too! We have saved the file in
Word so that you can edit it to fit your needs!
Submitted by:
Molly Baker, Ph.D.
Director, Instructional Technology
Sauk Valley Community College
Dixon, IL
molly.h.baker@svcc.edu
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Three Key Principles for Designing Effective Blended Courses
“Over the past 10 years, blended learning has matured, evolved, and become
more widely adopted by institutions of all types. This evolution of the
instructional model...have opened new possibilities for curriculum design,
especially the ability to design a course that uniquely blends face-to-face (F2F)
and online interaction, allowing institutions to address learners’ specific needs
and customize the learning environment rather than rely on a one-size-fits-all
approach.” — 2010 EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) Report
While definitions may vary, blended (also known as hybrid or mixed-mode) courses are typically
characterized by a 30%–70% reduction in class time, and instructional activities are shifted
online and can be either asynchronous or synchronous. (This is different from “flipped
classrooms,” which shift lectures/instruction to an online environment without any reduction in
classroom time.)
Instructors interested in redesigning their traditional face-to-face (F2F) classes for blended
delivery may find the process overwhelming. Where do you start? What activities happen
when? Will students learn what they need to learn? Below are three guiding principles for
getting started with designing effective blended courses.
1) Set the Rhythm of the Course: Effectively designed blended courses go beyond the
superficial add-on of non-F2F components into the traditional F2F course structure. There
should be a natural rhythm between in-class and out-of-class components, each
complementary and synced with one another. For example, a Tuesday/Thursday course that
keeps only the Tuesday session in-class should be redesigned so that activities for the Thursday
online session will build on what happened the previous Tuesday and previews what is to come
the following Tuesday.
2) Differentiate Content from Mode: When designing blended courses, it is critical to
differentiate content (i.e., instructional materials such as readings, lectures, assignments, etc.)
from mode (i.e., the method through which content is delivered, such as textbooks, videos,
discussion boards, etc.). Doing so will allow instructors to determine what is the optimal mode
to deliver a specific content. For example, while lecture content can be delivered either in-class
and/or online, a faculty wanting rich interaction might opt for in-class lecture, incorporating
student engagement activities (e.g., clickers, peer-instruction, etc.).
3) Define When Learning Happens: Since blended courses reduce in-class time, it is important
to plan what learning happens when. Typically, any learning that benefits from the immediate
feedback of the faculty and that requires social/emotional connections among learners is better
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done synchronously in-class or through web-conferencing. All other learning (e.g., homework
exercises, reading, discussion forum, etc.) can be delivered asynchronously online.
Designing an effective blended course can take up to six months of planning and preparation,
so give yourself some time and be patient. As with any new approach to teaching, the key is to
gather feedback, make adjustments, and redeploy. An easy way to do this is to ask your
students to provide feedback at key intervals during the course, and use the feedback to make
adjustments for the next round.
Resources:
Diaz, V. and Brown, M. (2010 November 15). “Blended Learning: A Report on the ELI Focus
Session.” EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI). Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/blended-learning-report-eli-focus-session on
May 26, 2014.
Stein, J. and Graham, C. (2014). Essentials for Blended Learning: A Standards-Based Guide. New
York, NY: Routledge.
University of Central Florida (UCF) and American Association of State Colleges and Universities
(AASCU). “BlendKit Course. Blended Learning Toolkit.” Retrieved from
http://blended.online.ucf.edu/blendkit-course/ on May 26, 2014.
Submitted by:
Mike Truong, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Office of Innovative Teaching and Technology
Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
Azusa Pacific University
mtruong@apu.edu
http://www.apu.edu/itt
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Why Not the R-Course?
In Academically Adrift (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011), Arum and Roksa utilize
surveys, the CLA, and transcript data from college students to argue that during their time in
higher ed courses students make little if any gain in such skills as writing and critical thinking.
Previously, in an attempt to combat writing problems, colleges have created W/WritingIntensive courses, and to deal with students’ need for training in service, S/Service Learning
courses came about.
We propose answering Arum and Roksa’s SOS with the R/Research Course. In order to
graduate, students would have to demonstrate the mastery of skills necessary for the research
process, and all students in all disciplines would have to complete at least two R courses, one in
their major and one outside the major. While we realize that several majors already require a
heavy dose of research in a number of their classes, we see a need for select classes that target
the research process as a major feature as well as make students metacognitive of that process.
What would be the minimal components emphasized in an R course?
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An original 20-page research paper (20 pages is the Arom-Roksa minimal standard);
A checklist that students sign and date that demonstrates they have gone through the
research process from original idea, to review of literature, to first draft, to last draft;
A review of literature that contains book-length as well as shorter Internet sources;
A clear thesis embedded in the middle of controversy
Sufficient and relevant evidence that demonstrates critical thinking (i.e., an evaluation
of argument).
Certainly each college and university could create its own rubric that elaborates upon and
deconstructs these general requirements, but in general the R course is an idea whose time has
come.
Submitted by:
Charlie Sweet
Hal Blythe
Rusty Carpenter
Eastern Kentucky University
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Syllabus Checklist
Your syllabus is your contract with your students. It should be given and reviewed during the
first class. It should clearly state all student expectations (learning and behavioral) and
responsibilities for the semester. Changes should not be made once the semester starts (except
in special circumstances).
1. First Page Contact Information
 University
 College or School
 Department
 Course Number
 Title of Course
 Semester/year
 Number of Credits
 Name of Professor
 Contact Number
 Email contact
 Office
 Office Hours
 Day/Time of in-class sessions
 Class location
2. Course Description – directly from catalog
3. Prerequisites – if any (or co-requisites)
4. Learning Outcomes – observable, measurable outcomes that will be directly assessed
 If a General Ed. Course, include L.O. and Cross Cutting Capacities
5. Required Text
6. Course Format
7. Overview of Assignments – titles, % of course, due dates
8. Grading
9. Grading Scale
10. Class Policies/Student Expectations
 Academic conduct
 Add/Drop
 Disability Support Services/Accommodations
 Athletic Excused Absences
 Moodle policies (if blended or online)
 Additional policies that you want your students to adhere to
11. Course Outline – dates, topics, readings, assignments due
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12. Detailed Descriptions of Assignments with Rubrics/Marking schemes (included in
syllabus or separate).
Submitted by:
Judith Ableser PhD- Director
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning-Oakland University
Rochester, MI
ableser@oakland.edu
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To Text or Not to Text (with a book, not a phone!): That is the question.
When I was a college student (a significant number of years ago), every course I took came with
a list of textbooks that was to be purchased prior to the first day of class. I didn’t pay attention
to the content of the book or its cost. I didn’t even look to see if the instructor had marked it
“required” or just “recommended.” It was officially part of the course material and I anticipated
needing all of those resources to be successful. I was an eager and academically-minded (i.e.,
nerdy) 18-year old freshman, who was fully funded by Mom and Dad, and whose only
responsibility was to get good grades.
Now from my vantage point as a full-time professor at the Community College of Rhode Island,
I can see that my college situation represents a fairy tale of circumstances that very few of my
current students will ever enjoy. Their tuition comes from their salary, not Mom and Dad’s, and
is just one of their innumerable expenses. They have jobs to go to, bills to pay and children to
support, sometimes parents too. Many of today’s students have to make tough decisions about
whether or not it is truly beneficial to invest in a textbook, not just their money but also their
time.
In addition to the high price of textbooks, there seems to be a variety of reasons that students
do not use, and therefore frequently decide not to buy, textbooks. First, in many courses,
particularly lecture classes, the instructor covers all of the test material during lecture thereby
making the textbook redundant. Why should a student “waste” time reading material in the
book, when they can listen to it in lecture?
Students don’t seem to understand that the purpose of textbooks is to provide an alternate
presentation or explanation of the material, as well as a synthesis of concepts that may have
been discussed separately in lecture. They can also serve as a reference for finding clarification
of concepts that the student may not have fully grasped the first time through in lecture.
Ultimately, students don’t realize that repetition is a vital tool for learning.
Next, students have limited amounts of time to devote to their classes, so they tend to study
their notes instead of reading the textbook. It’s hard to deny that it’s a more efficient use of
time to review concise notes than to read through chunky paragraphs in long chapters.
Students rarely consider that by neglecting their text, they are missing out on other content like
graphs, tables and pictures. These are extremely valuable sources of information offered in a
convenient and condensed presentation (just the way they like it).
Finally, some students quickly become frustrated trying to tackle the text because their reading
level and comprehension skills are not compatible with the assigned textbook. When the
mechanics of reading are painful to students, most will surely avoid the source of this pain. This
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problem hints at leniency in enforcing English placement test scores and course prerequisites
and is often a larger college issue.
The reasons student don’t buy and/or use their textbooks seem clear. So what can instructors
do to address this problem beyond marking their text “required” in the bookstore? First, spend
a few minutes on the first day of class explaining the reasons you chose the textbook, identify
its strengths and weaknesses (nothing is perfect) and discuss the many ways it can benefit the
student during the semester, including information about the importance of repetition and
alternate explanations, as well as the value of the charts and graphs. This may give the student
an appreciation for the book’s value and help them feel less resentful of its cost. Students seem
to be naturally repelled by textbooks, so a colleague of mine assigns an activity “scavenger
hunt” to help students orient themselves with the book’s content and organization. The hope is
that by establishing familiarity with the textbook at the semester’s start, the student will feel
more comfortable using the book for assignments and as a resource as the semester
progresses.
A more direct approach is to create assignments that are specific to the book’s content. The
internet has made this a challenge. Most information is currently what I like to call “Googlable.”
As a result, many of my reading assignment questions are based on the pictures, diagrams and
tables in the book, so the answers are text-specific. Some questions are as simple as “What
color is the esophagus in Figure 2.1?” This can only be determined by actually looking at the
picture. Although the answer “green” is meaningless, the information they took in when finding
that answer is not. In other disciplines, the interpretation or commentary in the book may be
specific enough to prevent Googling of the assignment’s answers and missing out on all that the
textbook has to offer.
A final approach is to include questions on exams that come only from the textbook and are
never covered in lecture. I used to threaten to do this, but I quickly realized that it caused
unnecessary anxiety among my students. The reality is that my lectures cover everything that I
think is important enough to be on the exam. That doesn’t mean that I don’t expect my
students to read their textbook and use it as a resource and study tool. They have text-based
“reading assignments” for every chapter of the book we cover worth 5% of their final grade. I
can’t resist telling them it is the most important “texting” they’ll do all semester!
Submitted by:
Eylana Goldman Goffe, Ph.D.
Professor
Biology Department
Community College of Rhode Island
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Teaching with Technology
The pace of change in education software and hardware makes figuring out how to best
incorporate technology into a course a daunting task for both technophobes and the
technosavy. It seems that as soon as you are comfortable using a particular tool, a new version
is released or you find out about another tool that is supposedly better. Since there are only so
many hours most instructors have to devote to this task, it is wise to be strategic when making
technology choices.
Technology should help students achieve the learning goals of your course. Even if you are
happy with your course goals or if you have learning objectives determined by your department
or accreditor, you should periodically assess whether they are the best they can be. There are
many course design approaches that begin with goals and objectives, but the Cutting Edge
Course Design Tutorial is online and free. Designed for geoscience faculty by Barbara
Tewkesbury (Hamilton College) and R. Heather McDonald (College of William and Mary), the
tutorial is applicable to all disciplines. Even if you do not need to design or redesign an entire
course, their goal setting exercise is a good place to reflect on what you want your students to
learn.
Once you are comfortable with your course goals, you can begin to think about technology as a
tool to help you manage your course and help students achieve these goals. At this point, you
may be tempted to jump head first into an investigation of the many software and hardware
options available. Before going down that path, consider reading some thoughtful writing about
technology. One particularly good blog on this topic is Casting Out Nines written by Robert
Talbert for the Chronicle of Higher Education. Talbert’s engaging, well-written, and much
discussed posts are not restricted to technology — he often addresses why and when
technology makes the most sense in a college classroom. If you would rather read a book about
how to use technology more effectively, Howard Gardner’s Netsmart: How to Thrive Online
(MIT Press) offers more general advice that can help you be more mindful about how you
incorporate digital media in your life.
The most logical technology tool to look at first is your institutions’ learning management
system (LMS). Whether it is Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai, or some other system, a LMS is the
Swiss army knife of instructional technology — its strength does not lie in one thing, but rather
the fact that it does a lot of things in one integrated place. The other advantage of a LMS is that
it is secure (only faculty and students can access it) and usually integrated with your student
information database (with uploaded student rosters and the ability to record and submit
grades). The disadvantage of a LMS is that it does not help students learn how to use
technology in the “real world” outside of your institution’s servers. You also may find better
(and free) software options outside the LMS environment.
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After you have considered how you might use the LMS, think about other ways you might use
technology. If you are a novice, start small and think about how you might use technology to
improve your lectures or classroom activities. The SUNY Tools of Engagement website (with
self-paced tutorials designed to help instructors learn about technology) might help you make
these decisions. After you have tried out a few tools, you might be ready to integrate
technology into a significant assignment or an entire course. Once you start down this path,
consider whether your course is appropriate for an online or hybrid instructional format. The
Sloan Consortium contains many resources to help you think through how to move all or part of
your course online.
Always keep in mind the idea that educational technology is a tool that should help your
students learn and make your teaching life more efficient. If you find that technology is more of
an obstacle than an opportunity, change your approach or consult with someone who can help
you think differently about how to use it. Most colleges and universities have at least one
instructional designer or technologist on staff who can help you think about how to use
technology more effectively. If your college or university does not have a person like this, talk
with folks from your teaching and learning center or other faculty who actively use technology.
If you are willing to spend a little time reflecting on and practicing how to use technology, you
might become the person your colleagues turn to for help.
Submitted by:
Christopher Price, Director,
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching,
The College at Brockport,
State University of New York,
http://www.brockport.edu/celt/
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Bridging the Geographical Divide: Teaching in a Videoconferencing Classroom
As a new faculty member at NYIT, one of the things I had to adjust to was teaching in a distance
learning classroom. These rooms are connected by videoconferencing equipment, so half the
class is always watching me on TV and I’m in the room with the other half. I split my time
between the two campuses to get face time with all of the students but it’s still difficult to
judge how well students are getting the material during a lecture when I’m looking at half of
them on a tiny screen. In addition, there is a lot of variation in what our students know and how
well they know it. We also have a lot of students who are working full-time jobs while going to
school, so they need as much flexibility as they can get. I use Socrative to give quizzes to make
sure they are getting the material, which is helpful.
I teach an artificial intelligence class and a programming languages concepts class, and these
have been taught in the traditional “read at home, lecture in class” manner. All my students
bring laptops to class, so I try to spend as much class time as possible having them doing rather
than listening. The problem is that all the students have to move at the same pace, which is too
slow for some and too fast for others. That led me to look at blended learning and adaptive
learning platforms.
Here’s a list of features that would make such a platform ideal for my needs:
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Content creation: in addition to pre-designed classes, I can add my own materials
Activity tracking: I want to see what each student does on the platform: which lessons
they view, their performance on quizzes and other embedded assessments
Adaptive learning: students see material of varying difficulty, based on their
performance up to that point. Some of our students need to cover basic material before
moving on to the actual class material but others don’t; some students get a concept
quickly, others need more instruction
Encourages interaction: I want the ability to embed quizzes, simulations, and other
interactive activities into the online material
Enables teamwork: Students should be able to collaborate in real time on group
activities. This feature would be particularly helpful in a DL room, since it would allow
groups of students who are on different campuses to work productively during class
I started by looking at the MOOCs (Udacity, Coursera, EdX) and online textbooks (CourseSmart).
I’ve also looked at quite a few adaptive learning platforms:
SmartSparrow
ALEKS
MyMathLab
Edgenuity
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iKnow!
MyTools2Learn
WileyPLUS with ORION
Desire2Learn
Schoology
Knewton
Realize It
CourseSites by Blackboard
The Teaching Tree
eduCanon
Unfortunately — but not surprisingly — none of these platforms has all the features I’d like.
This semester, I am using SmartSparrow to deliver content both during and outside of class. The
platform has some of the features I’m looking for: SmartSparrow lets me create my own lessons
and embed quizzes, and it tracks each student’s progress. However, there are some limitations
with it: the authoring tool is pretty clunky, the types of questions are limited to multiple-choice
and short answer, there are limited tools for managing a class, and the system has no
integration with Blackboard. As a result, I’m reluctant to recommend SmartSparrow to others
unless you enjoy tinkering with software and don’t need the Blackboard integration and other
course management tools.
Here’s a feature comparison for the platforms I looked at:
Content
Creation
Activity
Tracking
Adaptive
Learning
Encourages
Interaction
Enables
Teamwork
SmartSparrow
yes
yes
yes
yes
no
ALEKS
no
yes
yes
yes
no
MyMathLab
no
yes
yes
yes
no
Edgenuity
no
yes
yes
yes
no
iKnow!
no
yes
yes
yes
no
MyTools2Learn
no
yes
yes
yes
no
WileyPLUS with ORION
no
yes
yes
yes
no
Desire2Learn
?
yes
yes
yes
no
18
Content
Creation
Activity
Tracking
Adaptive
Learning
Encourages
Interaction
Enables
Teamwork
Schoology
yes
yes
no
yes
?
Knewton
no
yes
yes
yes
no
Realize It
no
yes
yes
yes
no
CourseSites by Blackboard
yes
yes
no
yes
?
The Teaching Tree
no
?
no
?
no
eduCanon
yes
yes
no
yes
no
Submitted by:
Francine Glazer, PhD
Assistant Provost and Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
New York Institute of Technology
fglazer@nyit.edu
Richard Simpson, PhD
Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
New York Institute of Technology
rsimps04@nyit.edu
19
“Lecturing to 15 students is much the same as lecturing to 90”
(Dr. A, Professor of Biology, personal communication, 20 March 2014).
The above quote was remarked by Dr. A during a classroom observation of his course applying
Flipped Classroom strategies, which utilize the higher levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
during course meetings. While a class of 15 students is arguably more amenable to the
construction and maintenance of student-instructor relationships than a 90 member course,
the lecture method precludes the advancement of this rapport. One of the most instrumental
components of enabling active learning is the establishment of a relationship between an
instructor and his or her students, an achievement much more easily realized through effective
use of the classroom space.
There are four differently defined spaces in the contemporary classroom: Authoritative,
Supervisory, Surveillance, and Interactional. The Authoritative Space refers to the position
(generally located at the front center of the classroom) from which the instructor conducts
formal teaching and facilitates student activity. This space is also the furthest from students,
which is one of the primary hindrances to student-instructor interaction (Lim, O’Halloran, &
Podlosov, 2010). The Authoritative Space is typically utilized for the dissemination of
information via lecture, an activity that fails to stimulate the higher cognitive levels of analysis,
evaluation, and creation, while also preventing students from establishing a personal
connection with their instructor.
When departing from the Authoritative Space, an instructor may choose to “patrol” the space
between and around the class members, observing, but not interacting with, student activity.
When the instructor “pace[s] alongside the rows of students’ desks as well as up and down the
side of the classroom,” this activity transforms these sites into the Supervisory Space (Lim,
O’Halloran, & Podlosov, 2010, p. 238). While the Supervisory Space physically locates
instructors nearer students, the purely observational function of this space does not facilitate
the construction and maintenance of student-instructor relationships.
Within the Supervisory Space is the Surveillance Space. This space serves roughly the same
function as the Supervisory Space, but involves stationary observation. Similar to Foucault’s
Panopticon, the utilization of this space involves the implicit assertion of authority over the
observed individuals through an “all-seeing” monitor, in this case positioned at the rear of the
classroom (Lim, O’Halloran, & Podlosov, 2010). The function of this space unfortunately
precludes the development of a community of peers, as instructors constantly exercise their
authority over the members of their class rather than actively facilitating interactions within
and among student groups.
20
The most helpful for the purposes of establishing instructor-student rapport is the Interactional
Space. This space can be utilized by the stationary positioning of the instructor “alongside the
students’ desks or between the rows of students’ desks” (Lim, O’Halloran, & Podlosov, 2010, p.
238). Interactional Space is most commonly used during student activities, whether individually
or in groups. This space represents the closest proximity between instructor and students and
“facilitates interaction and reduces interpersonal distance” (Lim, O’Halloran, & Podlosov, 2010,
p. 238). This interaction may include personal consultation regarding classroom topics,
clarification of previously disseminated material, or even personal interaction, developing
student-instructor rapport.
In order to effectively engage students in their learning processes, instructors must take care to
utilize their classroom space to enhance student-instructor rapport. An awareness of one’s
activity in the classroom can contribute to an enhanced learning environment and can mean
the difference between reserved, withdrawn students, and students who actively apply
material and participate in a community of peers. When determining the most beneficial use of
one’s classroom space, instructors must consider the impact of their use of physical space on
the interpersonal distance between students and instructor.
Resources:
Berrett, D. (2012). How 'flipping' the classroom can improve the traditional lecture. Education
Digest, 78(1), 36-41.
Lim, F. V., O’Halloran, K. L., & Podlasov, A. A. (2012). Spatial pedagogy: mapping meanings in
the use of classroom space. Cambridge Journal of Education, 42(2), 235-251.
doi:10.1080/0305764X.2012.676629
Submitted by:
Rachel Winter
Eastern Kentucky University
rachel_winter@mymail.eku.edu
21
Building Professor-Student Relationships in an Age of Social Networking
The influence of teacher-student relationships on the quality of teaching and learning is welldocumented (Klem & Connell, 2004; National Survey of Student Engagement [NSSE], 2012;
Rigsbee, 2010). Especially at the college level, rapport between professors and students is likely
to increase student learning because students feel valued, more comfortable expressing their
feelings, and more willing to be intellectually challenged (Cornell University Center for Teaching
Excellence, 2012).
But college students are changing. Research shows that Millennials, those born between 1981
and 1999, prefer a variety of active learning activities, seek relevance so they can apply what
they are learning, want to know the rationale behind course requirements, and desire a “laid
back” learning environment in which they can informally interact with the professor and each
other (Bart, 2011). Most significantly, “Millennials…are more willing to pursue learning
outcomes when instructors connect with them on a personal level” (para. 5).
Use of technology, especially social networking, has been shown to influence professor-student
relationships. Today’s college students use social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
Google+, etc.) most often to connect with friends and family (89%) and to a lesser degree for
educational purposes such as planning study sessions (28%), completing assignments and
projects (33%), and communicating with faculty or advisors (15%) (NSSE, 2012). It appears that
many of today’s professors are responding in kind: “More than half of the students who
interacted with faculty or advisors through social media had two-way communications with
them” (p. 18).
While some believe that virtual interactions between students and their professors nurtures
the professor-student relationship, one recent study reports that 40% of college students and
30% of faculty believe it is inappropriate for professors to interact with students on social
networking sites (Malesky & Peters, 2012). Wilkinson and Milbourne (in press) explain that
college students’ prolific social networking habits lead to perceived intimacy in which they
experience false feelings of closeness with others and expect everyone — including their
professors — to be accessible and responsive 24/7. Such misguided feelings and expectations
can eradicate professional boundaries and “demote” professors from their status as authority
figures to the perceived status of peer or even service worker (Gangnon & Milbourne, 2014).
So how can college professors establish an effective balance between authority and a
relationship with their students? Stewart (2009) suggests that professors first maintain
academic standards “even if it means [students] must sometimes move outside their comfort
zones and we must move outside ours” (p. 117). Following are a few suggestions for
establishing authority and professional boundaries while still maintaining professor-student
relationships characterized by warmth and friendliness:
22
1. Model professionalism in your face-to-face interactions with students. If your students
perceive you as an authority figure, they will treat you with respect. Dress professionally,
expect your students to address you formally (e.g., Dr. Smith, Mrs. Jones), and use
professional language. With that said, you don’t have to be stuffy. A sense of humor and
“being yourself” can go a long way with college students!
2. Be prepared and well-organized. Your students will feel reassured knowing they can trust
you to lead them through the semester without vague information or last minute
changes. To prevent misunderstandings, alleviate student stress, and avoid conflict, post
everything students will need to be successful in your course (e.g., course policies, weekly
schedule, PowerPoints, handouts, assignment directions, etc.) in a timely manner, if not
by the first day of class.
3. Provide a rationale and maintain some degree of flexibility. We all appreciate
understanding why things are the way they are. Clearly explain the reasoning behind your
course policies, objectives guiding class assignments and activities, etc. On those
occasions when students question, resist, or respond unenthusiastically, either review
your rationale or consider making revisions. Even minor revisions based on student
responses are likely to build professor-student rapport.
4. Establish clear expectations for outside of class communication. As the old saying goes,
prevention is the best medicine. Let your students know how you prefer to be contacted
(e.g., phone, e-mail, etc.), specify when you will hold office hours and respond to e-mail,
and clearly state “off limits” modes of contact (e.g., no texting). If a student contacts you
via text message when you’ve asked your class not to, maintain your boundary by not
responding.
5. Model professionalism through your virtual interactions with students. Your written
word is an extension of your actual self. In addition to using professional written
language, share information appropriately (i.e., nothing too personal) and never use
virtual communication to chastise or discipline. Begin each message with a greeting and
end with a closing to maintain some level of formality. Always check for grammar and
spelling and always proofread your entire message for tone before hitting the send
button!
6. Get to know your students, but maintain professional distance. Once you know your
students’ names — and pronounce their names correctly — you can begin getting to
know them as people. But don’t get to know them too personally. Converse with them
about their families, their jobs, their thinking and experiences related to your
course/discipline, and their future plans, but leave the rest of their lives to them. There is
no need to know about their love relationships, drinking habits, or personal problems.
They do not need to know these details about your life either. Avoid friending your
23
students on Facebook until they’ve graduated, and never, ever read Rate My
Professor.com!
Resources:
Bart, M. (2011, November 16). The five r’s of engaging millennial students. Faculty Focus:
Higher Ed Strategies from Magna Publications. Retrieved from
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/the-five-rs-of-engagingmillennial-students/
Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence (2012). Connecting with your students.
Retrieved from http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/building-inclusiveclassrooms/connecting-with-your-students.html#impact
Gangnon, B., & Milbourne, C. (2014). Dear barista: Professors as members of the service class.
Paper presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Klem, A. M., & Connell, J. P. (2004). Relationships matter: Linking teacher support to student
engagement and achievement. Journal of School Health, 74(7), 262-273.
Malesky, L. A., & Peters, C. (2012). Defining appropriate professional behavior for faculty and
university students on social networking websites. Higher Education, 63, 135-151.
National Survey of Student Engagement. (2012). Promoting Student Learning and Institutional
Improvement: Lessons from NSSE at 13. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED537442.pdf
Rigsbee, C. (2010, June). The relationship balance. Educational Leadership, 67. Retrieved from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer10/vol67/num09/TheRelationship-Balance.aspx
Stewart, K. (2009). Lessons from teaching millennials. College Teaching, 57(2), 111-117.
Wilkinson, J. S., & Milbourne, C. C. (in press). Effects of social networking: Accessibility,
immediacy, perceived intimacy. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Submitted by:
Jana Hunzicker, Ed.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Teacher Education
William T. Kemper Fellow for Teaching Excellence
Executive Director, Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning
Bradley University, Peoria, IL
jhunzicker@fsmail.bradley.edu
24
Pecha Kucha Presentation Technique
From TechnologyLearning
Humboldt State University, College of eLearning – May 2014
Pecha Kucha (PK) is a great strategy to use for micro-lecturing. This technique is a concise,
visual presentation that can be used in a variety of settings, including the classroom (online or
face-to-face!). I have used this technique in many settings and have encouraged it for studentgenerated content for the simple fact that it forces the presenter to be very concise and
deliberate with the limited time they have to present.
Pecha Kucha includes a total of twenty slides, twenty seconds each, for a total of six minutes
and forty seconds. Take a look at this Pecha Kucha presentation, sharing what it is all about in
the PK format.
Submitted by:
Kimberly Vincent-Layton, MBA
Instructional Technologist, College of eLearning
Lecturer, Department of Communication
Humboldt State University
707.826.6112
HSU Coordinator for CSU QOLT Program
Co-Coordinator Institute for Student Success
STEM-PAC
Kim.Vincent-Layton@humboldt.edu
25
Encourage Students to Evaluate the Quality of Information Sources
Students are notorious procrastinators. Assigning an annotated bibliography early in the term
helps students structure their time. For example, if we expect students to cite primary sources
in a literature review paper, students who delay locating sources might scramble to locate the
required number of sources and cite sources of marginal relevance.
The annotated bibliography can encourage students to evaluate the quality of sources located
in a data base if we require students to locate a larger number of scholarly sources than we
require the students to cite in the final paper. The annotated bibliography assignment might
require each student to identify 2-3 sources they located in a data base search that they
thought would be useful but decided were not relevant or not useful. Ask students to explain in
their annotations why a rejected source looked promising at first but was ultimately rejected.
When students identify and examine more materials than they are required to include in the
final submission, they can break away from the habit of including every remotely relevant
source they locate to meet minimum citation requirements for an assignment. Students can
then begin to evaluate the merit of materials as cited sources. Students need practice making
these decisions to build their information literacy skills in the analysis and evaluation of
evidence.
Submitted by:
Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D., Director
Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL
(850) 857-6355 or 473-7435
uwf.edu/cutla/
26
The Four D’s of Problem Classroom Behaviors
Danger
Disruption
Disrespect
Decorum
Decorum
Disrespect
Disruption
personal tolerance level – may
not be a concern to some
faculty – some may see as
disrespectful
towards learning and learning
environment, towards peers, or
towards faculty-in-class or online
– may overlap with disruption
interferes with learning – may
include some disrespectful
behavior and/or could escalate
to dangerous behaviors
putting individuals or self
at risk – may be in-class,
online, or on campus
Inappropriate clothing
Coming to class unprepared
Non-productive talking in class
Aggressive comments
Texting during class
Not attending class
Interrupting others
Threatening Comments
Playing games on devices
Making unreasonable or repeated
excuses for not having work done or
missing classes
Arriving late /leaving early
Angry comments
Reading newspaper or other
non-related materials
Demanding grade change
Movement or noise that disrupts
class
Emotional Outbursts
Doodling/drawing
Cheating or plagiarism
Cell phone ringing/talking on cell
phone
Escalating or Explosive
Behaviors
Wearing a hat
Non-compliant behaviors
Dominating class discussion
Violent Behaviors
Putting on make-up, brushing
hair, doing nails
Asking for unreasonable extensions
Embarrassing or non-appropriate
argumentative questioning
Signs of potential self-harming or
suicidal behaviors
Eating or drinking
Rude behavior
Asking the same question
repeatedly or going off on tangent
Physical destruction of property
Surfing web or emails not related
to class
Sleeping in class
Disorders or conditions that may
create disruptions
Active Shooter
Chewing gum
Discriminatory/racist comments or
behaviors
Attention-seeking behaviors
Inappropriate language- swearing,
culturally insensitive
Coming to class under the
influence of alcohol or drugs
Action
Action
Action
Danger
Immediate Action
Have behavioral statements in
syllabus and review them in
class
Have behavioral statements in
syllabus and review them in class
Have behavioral statements in
syllabus and review them in class
Call campus police,
Security and/or Dean of
Students Office
Provide texting/email breaks
during class. Consider
integrating the text/
computer/email in your class
At first indication of specific
behavior, remind entire class of
appropriate behavior and what next
steps will be
At first indication of specific
behavior, remind entire class of
appropriate behavior and what
next steps will be
Activate University
Safety Procedures
Consider your own tolerance
level. Pick your “battles”. Is this
something that I really need to
concern myself with?
Contact specific student and set up
time to meet to address issue – if
student does not follow-up, contact
Dean of Students or appropriate
university service
Contact specific student and set
up time to meet to address issue
– if student does not follow-up,
contact appropriate university
service
Follow University policies regarding
plagiarism, cheating, grade change
appeals, etc. including reporting to
Dean of Students
May need to refer to student
support services – Disability
Support Services,
Counseling as issues may involve
emotional/behavioral problems
27
Submitted by:
Judith Ableser PhD- Director
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning-Oakland University
Rochester, MI
ableser@oakland.edu
28
Annotating That Goes the Distance
Many of my students begin class with years of experience underlining and highlighting. After
the first assigned reading, they proudly show me pages that have little untouched space
remaining and that boast multiple colors of highlighted lines. When I ask questions about the
main ideas or details in the text they marked, they have to reread all of it.
To help them learn to mark a page in a way that is meaningful and that prevents the need to
reread every word, I begin by offering short text that is reader-friendly: it begins with a stated
main idea and signal words or features of font like italics that mark the major supporting
details. Most college textbooks are reader-friendly, so I am showing a technique that will be
applicable across disciplines and that relates directly to how they can write more clearly as well.
After we read the text once without a pen or highlighter in hand, I ask them what the author is
promising, at the beginning of the paragraph, to tell them. Then we pick up our pens and
pencils. When they verbally identify the topic, I ask them to mark it with the letter “T” above it
or circle the topic word and write “T” or “topic” in the margin. Then I ask them what the author
promises to use to make her point. When we find the proof, we mark it with numbers and/or
short notes in the margins. Following that, I ask them to explain what the marks they have
made indicate to a neighbor. They put this aside, and at the end of that class and at the
beginning of the next one, I ask questions their marks will help them to answer, such as “What’s
the topic and point of this text? What proof does the author give the reader to support that
point?” Many are amazed that they remember that information without looking at the page,
and those that look at the page are surprised by how quickly they locate what they want. It’s
much easier to sell annotating as an active reading tool after experiences like this!
Submitted by:
Julie Damerell
Associate Professor, Transitional Studies
Monroe Community College
Rochester, New York
jdamerell@monroecc.edu
29
Improving Student Achievement with Effective Learning Techniques
“But I studied for hours! I don’t understand why I got such a low test grade!”
I am sure that most faculty have heard these words spoken at least once during their teaching
careers. What some students do not yet realize is that the quality of study strategies matters
almost as much as the amount of time they spend using them. What advice can be given to
these motivated students who struggle to study effectively?
In a recent monograph, Dunlosky and colleagues1 reviewed research from educational and
cognitive psychology surrounding ten popular learning strategies. Their findings suggest that
some very popular study strategies are actually detrimental to learning and understanding (and
were rated ‘low utility’), some are somewhat helpful or are only helpful under certain
circumstances (and were rated ‘moderate utility’), and some are helpful in virtually any learning
setting (and were rated ‘high utility’).
High utility strategies include Practice Testing and Distributed Practice. Practice Testing, also
known as retrieval practice, supports both recall and comprehension of course material for
students of all ages, all abilities, and in many subject areas. Practice testing can be aided with
practice questions from faculty, or could be as simple as using flashcards to check memory of
key terms. The key component to practice testing is that students must retrieve the answer
from their long term memories. There are no benefits to looking up the answer in the book, or
flipping the flashcard over immediately. Distributed Practice is about spacing out study sessions
over time instead of “cramming” the night before a test. Encourage your students to use these
two strategies. If possible, make them required parts of your courses so that everyone can
benefit from them.
Moderate utility strategies include Elaborative Interrogation, Self-Explanation, and Interleaved
Practice. Elaborative Interrogation involves the student generating an explanation for why a
fact or concept is true. Self-Explanation is similar. Students explain how new information is
related to known information, or explain steps taken during problem solving. Both of these
strategies help students connect new and already-known information, which aids in memory
encoding. Both work best if the student, not the instructor, generates the explanation.
Interleaved Practice is a schedule of practice that mixes different kinds of problems within a
single study session. This strategy shows the best results in math classes. Switching between
1
Dunlowsky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T., (2013).
Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from
cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 458. DOI: 10.1177/1529100612453266
30
different kinds of computations may result in lower performance during class, but in the long
run, learning to identify which types of problems need which type of computations is quite
helpful. Help students understand how and when to use these strategies when they come to
you for help.
Low utility strategies include Summarization, Highlighting/Underlining, Keyword Mnemonic,
Rereading, and Imagery for Text. Rereading and Highlighting/Underlining are two of the most
frequently reported student study strategies, but unfortunately, are two of the least effective.
Some research on highlighting/underlining shows that it may even harm the student’s ability to
make inferences about that topic. The Keyword Mnemonic not only requires excessive
instructor support, it also is not helpful in many subject areas, and may lead to accelerated
forgetting. Imagery for Text and Summarization do not actually harm learning like other
strategies in this category, but they are not as helpful as the high or moderate utility strategies
in improving learning. When discussing learning strategies with students, encourage them to
use those that have proven to be more efficient and effective.
Submitted by:
Rachel A Rogers, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Psychology Department
Community College of Rhode Island
31
Improving Student Learning with (almost) No Grading
Have you ever had the experience where you read a journal article and had trouble
summarizing the main points? Or, perhaps you and your department went to a lecture by a
visiting scholar but you couldn’t remember what was said during that lecture. There is often a
gap between hearing or reading and making sense of the information that was seen or heard.
Students struggle with these same tasks. However, research indicates that students who are
interested in their task and those who have high self-efficacy tend to process information
better than those who do not have high self-efficacy and interest levels (Dweck & Leggett,
1988). In addition, students that use metacognitive learning strategies (like how to take good
notes during a lecture and how to read for understanding), have higher learning outcomes than
students that do not use those strategies (Nett, et al. 2012). In short, strategies allowing
students to know what they know (as well as what they don’t know) and those that help
students become appropriately self-confident are linked to improved student learning. Here are
three strategies that may assist our students in becoming better learners while not burying us
in grading:

Wrappers for Metacognition – A wrapper is an activity that “wraps” a homework
assignment or other learning task in or out of the classroom and cultivates students’
metacognition. Wrappers require students to stop and take a moment to self-monitor.
According to Marsha Lovett at Carnegie Melon University, the process is as follows:
1. Instructor creates self-assessment questions that focus on skills students should be
monitoring;
2. Students answer questions just before completing their homework;
3. Complete homework as usual; and
4. After completing their homework, students answer similar self-assessment
questions and draw their own conclusions.
For more, go to Lovett, M. (2008).Teaching Metacognition. Presentation to the
Educause Learning Initiative Annual Meeting, January, 29, 2008.

Test reflection – How often have you turned back an exam, and students look at the
grade, what they got wrong, and called it a day? A self-reflection after an exam helps
students understand why they performed as they did. If students perform poorly, what
could they do differently for the next exam? If students are forced to stop and think
about the exam, they have greater potential to change their practice in the future.
Typically, exam reflections may include expected grade, actual grade, hours spent
studying, % of time preparing for the test reading the textbook, doing practice
problems, memorizing terms, reviewing notes, etc., % of points lost from careless
mistakes, not knowing facts, not understanding concepts, not being able to apply
concepts, etc., and, perhaps most importantly, a description of what students would do
32
differently in preparing for their next exam based on their responses to reflection
prompts.
For more, go to Reflection #1 , Metacognition Activities, from On the Cutting Edge.

Considering the Brain as a Muscle – Research indicates that students who are interested
in their task and those who have high self-efficacy tend to process information better
(including increased use of active learning strategies) than those who do not (e.g.,
Dweck & Legget, 1988). Ask students, “What are your main strengths as learners? How
will these strengths help you in this class?” In addition, consider espousing the belief
that the brain is (metaphorically) a muscle. By “working out,” one can increase the
strength of this muscle. What do students struggle with? How can they improve? Be
careful to correct fixed notions of intelligence and attribute student successes to effort
rather than inherent ability.
For more on this concept, read: Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive
approach to motivation and personality, Psychological Review, 95, 256–273.
Resources:
Ertmer, P.A. & Newby, T.J., (1996). The expert learner: Strategic, self-regulated, and reflective.
Instructional Science, 24, 1–24.
Lovett, M.C. (2008). Teaching metacognition. Paper presented at the annual EDUCAUSE
meeting, Orlando, FL.
Nett, U. E., Goetz, T., Hall, N. C., & Frenzel, A. C. (2012). Metacognition and test performance:
An experience sampling analysis of students' learning behavior. Education Research
International, 1-16.
Submitted by:
Freya Kinner, Instructional Developer
Coulter Faculty Commons
Western Carolina University
www.wcu.edu/academics/faculty/coulter-faculty-commons/index.asp
33
Use Elements of Cognitive Constructivism to Design Effective Learning Activities
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (2011) and others (Bransford et al.,
2000) identify constructivism as a critical learning theory for the design of effective teaching
methods. However, this term is often misunderstood and confused with concepts such as
“social constructionism” ( Hartle, Baviskar, & Smith, 2012).
Cognitive constructivism has four major characteristics. Learning activities become more
effective when we include these elements in the design of the activity.
1. Activate prior knowledge – learning activities should elicit prior knowledge and engage
students cognitively and emotionally with the topic. New learning is retained better
when it is connected with existing knowledge structures; both new knowledge and
existing knowledge can but be active in memory at the same time. Integration will not
happen if the prior knowledge is not active and students experience the new knowledge
in isolation. Instructors should be able to observe and interpret student’s prior
knowledge, including assumptions and misconceptions they might bring to the task.
Select a meaningful activity that engages and motivates student interest; activities that
only check whether students read the text or did their homework are not suitably
engaging.
2. Create surprise – create learning activities that reveal disconnects between prior
knowledge and the demands of the current task. Sometimes prior knowledge is
incomplete and students are unable to solve a problem without additional knowledge.
Sometimes prior knowledge is incorrect (misconceptions and false assumptions) and
obstructs problem solving. Learning is most effective when circumstances violate our
expectations and predictions (a surprising outcome, new information contradicts prior
knowledge or beliefs). When we confront discrepancies created by inadequate
information or misconceptions, we experience emotional discomfort (dissonance) that
can motivate learning. However, instructors must handle this component with care. Too
little discomfort will not motivate students to learn; too much discomfort will direct
attention away from the learning activity and toward other behaviors that will reduce or
eliminate the discomfort.
3. Apply and evaluate the new knowledge – students should apply the new learning to a
variety of related problems and receive detailed formative feedback. These activities
create opportunities to make any corrections needed. Repetition with a variety of
problems provides practice and reinforcement for the learning. When possible,
construct learning and practice tasks that provide self-correcting feedback as an integral
part of the task. Tasks completed as a group frequently create opportunities for
students to give effective feedback to their peers while completing the task.
34
4. Include a closing reflective assignment – require students to reflect on their learning
experience. Students frequently complete learning activities without recognizing what
they gained from these activities beyond completing a required assignment. When
students can articulate what they have learned and how a learning activity contributed
to their learning, they become more motivated to engage in similar learning activities.
At the close of a learning activity, ask students to explain what they learned, what they
are now able to do, describe how they did it, and describe why the activity was
important for their learning.
Resources:
Hartle, R. T., Baviskar, S., & Smith, R. (2012). A field guide to constructivism in the college
science classroom: Four essential criteria and a guide to their usage. Bioscene, 38, 31-34.
Submitted by:
Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D., Director
Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL
(850) 857-6355 or 473-7435
http://uwf.edu/cutla/
35
Classroom Response System – Clickers
A classroom response system gives all students in a classroom the ability to simultaneously
respond to questions posed by the instructor during a class. Instructors prepare interactive
polling questions in advance of a class session using PowerPoint. During class, the slides are
projected and each student has his or her own response device (clicker). Each student responds
to the questions with his/her best answer. The classroom response system software collects the
responses and produces a bar chart displaying how many students chose each of the answer
choices. The instructor can choose whether or not to display the chart to the class. The
instructor may then make instructional choices based on the responses given.
Classroom response systems can be used in a variety of ways to motivate students to engage
meaningfully with course material during class. Some common ways are knowledge checks,
discussion, and peer instruction.
Knowledge check questions ask students to recall facts from readings or lectures. They can be
part of a short multi-question quiz at the start of class, or sprinkled throughout a lecture to
reinforce attention skills. They can serve as a motivation for students to read the text or review
notes before coming to class.
Discussion questions pose question prompts with no definitive correct answers to prompt inclass discussion. They may be used to challenge assumptions, bring out differing opinions, or
explore different sides of an issue or argument.
Peer instruction questions focus on major concepts that require application of knowledge.
Students respond to the question, but then the correct answer is not revealed to them. Instead,
they are asked to turn to their neighbor and explain which answer they believe is correct and
why. After each student has a chance to explain to, and hear the explanation from, his or her
neighbor, the question is posed again. Students respond again — some having changed their
answers based on the explanation another student gave. The instructor then reveals the correct
answer, and gives a brief explanation.
Classroom response systems can provide useful information on student learning, perspectives,
and experiences that instructors can use to make more informed teaching decisions during
class. By basing in-class teaching choices on the formative assessment provided by classroom
response systems, instructors can make more efficient use of class time and be more
responsive to student learning needs.
36
For more information, see:
Bruff, D. (2009). Classroom Response System (“Clickers”).
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/resources/teaching_resources/technology/crs_biblio.htm#e
ducation
Mazur, E. (2014). Peer Instruction.
http://mazur.harvard.edu/research/detailspage.php?rowid=8
National Education Association. (2007). Thriving in Academe Best Practices: Engaging Classes
with Clickers. http://www2.nea.org/he/advo07/advo1007/bestprac.html
Submitted by:
Barbra Kerns
Bradley University
Center for Teaching Excellence & Learning
brk@bradley.edu
37
Snapshot: End-of-Class Formative Assessment
As the term unfolds, staying informed of how your students are doing in your courses presents
some interesting opportunities. Without adding any new assignments, quizzes, exams or extra
grading, you can stay informed by using a simple formative assessment strategy called
Snapshot. You need some simple tools: three different colored folders (you may also want a
separate set for each of the classes you are teaching during the term) and post-it notes. You
also need to provide about five minutes at the end of class to obtain anonymous information
from your students.
Place the folders closest to where students exit the room.
Pass out the post-its and ask student to anonymously respond to one of the following prompts:
1. Write what you learned and post it in the green folder.
2. Write what questions or ideas you considered as needing to be explored and post it in
the yellow folder.
3. What stopped your learning during class? Write that on a post-it and place it in the red
folder.
Stopped
me!
Questions
or ideas to
consider.
Learned
it!
After class, take time to read through the students’ submissions. You will get a snapshot of
what was gained, what is muddy, and what was confounding to your students. This information
will allow you to shape your next class session or decide to address issues and clarify ideas via
e-mail, social media, class webpage, blog, or your LMS.
Adapted from The Stoplight Method: An End-of-Lesson Assessment (2014), where this method
is used in a high school English class.
Submitted by:
Rebecca Clemente
Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
North Central College
Naperville, IL
38
Use Discrepant Teaching Events to Address Students’ Misconceptions
When learning new material, students often draw on prior knowledge and everyday experiences,
which may not be accurate representations of disciplinary knowledge. These inaccurate ideas can
mislead students and impede learning. Moreover, decades of research have demonstrated that
students do not easily give up their deeply held beliefs (Guzzetti, 2000; Lipson, 1984; Strike &
Posner, 1992), leaving instructors wondering what to do about students’ naïve conceptions.
Discrepant events — demonstrations that produce unexpected outcomes — are used in science
to capture students’ attention and to confront their beliefs about a “phenomenon by producing
an outcome which is contrary to what their previous experiences would lead them to believe is
true” (Misiti, 2000, p. 34). Science instructors have long known that the use of this teaching
strategy is effective at uncovering students’ preconceptions and activating their thinking. A
discrepant event can be as simple as floating two identical cans of soda, one regular and one
diet, and observing that one floats while the other sinks. Discrepant events work because they
create puzzling situations which result in cognitive disequilibrium. This creates the need for
students to assimilate (use existing knowledge to deal with new experiences) and
accommodate (alter or replace existing concepts) their prior ideas in order to adapt to the
unexpected and puzzling results.
You have probably heard of the criminal justice instructor who arranged to have a student from
another class come to the podium and “hit” him. The “offender” then runs out of the classroom
and the instructor, now recovered, asks students to write down what happened. He then uses the
students’ information to create a composite description of the offender and the crime for police.
Of course, as the students begin to share their descriptions, it becomes apparent that eyewitness accounts are not as accurate as students had assumed them to be, which was the point
of the lesson. Like the floating soda cans, this is an example of a discrepant teaching event.
An example from math involves the naïve belief that numbers don’t “lie,” with many students
believing that the mathematical analysis of a set of numbers provides infallible right answers
which can be used to make fair and impartial decisions. To address this misconception, an
instructor professed confusion regarding grades on the first assignment, explaining that the
grade distribution was not typical of past semesters. She asked students to help her decide the
“best way to curve grades” and put the range of scores on the board, handing out raw scores to
each student. Students then worked in groups to decide whether mean, median, or mode
should be used to determine letter grades. They were unaware that the fictitious scores were
distributed in such a way that some groups could get better grades using the mean, while other
groups could improve their grades using the median or mode. Once students applied the three
types of analysis to personal scores, the class used the results to make a “fair and impartial
decision,” with groups lobbying for the method that gave them the best grade. When the
39
discussion became heated, the instructor explained that they had just experienced the way in
which different methods of analysis can result in different outcomes. This discrepant teaching
event helped students see the inadequacies of their previous thinking and to understand how
numbers can be made to “lie.” (Longfield, 2009).
As you can see, discrepant teaching events can be used in any discipline. To be effective, they
must be vivid enough to help students become aware of the dysfunctionality of their current
thinking. When outcomes are different from what is expected, tacit beliefs become visible and
students are motivated to reconcile previous beliefs with what actually happened, resulting in a
deeper understanding of the concepts being studied. Once the “need to know” is created,
instructors must help students find intelligible, plausible, and believable explanations of the
unexpected outcome.
The next time you’re in your classroom, observe your students carefully. Listen to their ideas
about critical concepts in your discipline and identify their misconceptions. Then design a
discrepant teaching event that is student-centered and features hands-on/minds-on activities
to confront their naïve conceptions.
Resources:
Guzzetti, B.J. (2000). Learning counter-intuitive science concepts: What have we learned from
over a decade of research? Reading & Writing Quarterly, 16: 89–98.
Lipson, M.Y. (1984) Some unexpected issues in prior knowledge and comprehension. Reading
Teacher, 37(8), 760-764.
Longfield, J. (2009). Discrepant teaching events: Using an inquiry stance to address students’
misconceptions. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 21(2)
266-271. http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE732.pdf
Misiti, F.L., Jr. (2000). The pressure’s on. Science Scope, September 2000, p. 34-38.
Strike, A.K. & Posner, G.J. (1992) A revisionist theory of conceptual change. In R.A. Duschl & R.J.
Hamilton (Eds.), Philosophy of Science, Cognitive Science, and Educational Theory and
Science (pp. 147-176). New York: State University of New York Press.
Submitted by:
Judith Longfield, Ph.D.
Georgia Southern University
www.georgiasouthern.edu
40
Include High-Impact Teaching Practices in Courses
The AAC&U identifies five “high-impact practices” (HIPs) that promote substantial benefits for
student learning and student persistence, increased student engagement, and improved
retention and graduation rates. High impact practices share common characteristics that make
them effective strategies for teaching and learning:





Students must invest time and effort in a purposeful task.
Students interact with faculty and peers about substantive matters.
Students receive frequent feedback about their work and guidance about how they can
make improvements.
Students connect disciplinary content with real-world experience when they apply
knowledge and skills from the discipline to a real-world problem.
Students discover connections between the curriculum, their learning, and personal
experience though a reflective writing component.
Although research on HIPs (undergraduate research, learning communities, capstone courses,
study abroad, internships and service learning) documents the association between HIPs and
many desirable learning outcomes, few students participate in these activities. NSSE data
indicate that only about 25% of seniors participated in one HIP during their time in college.
High-impact practices demand time and resources to implement. However, we can sometimes
achieve the benefits of HIPs when we include small-scale high-impact pedagogies in individual
courses. High-impact pedagogies include features that make HIPs effective. These activities
reap the benefits of larger-scale high-impact activities and can be included in the courses we
require students to take to meet degree requirements. While engaged in these small-scale
activities, students can learn about the large-scale activities, discover how their learning
improves when they participate in these activities, and discover how they can access the
resources needed to engage in a large-scale activity during their undergraduate career.
Examples of small-scale high-impact pedagogies for individual classes include:




Require students to make a short presentation during class.
Revise a writing assignment to require students to prepare two or more drafts and use
feedback on early drafts to improve their final submission. Design a peer review
assignment for early drafts to minimize your grading burden.
Create a community-based assignment that illustrates how course content connects to a
practical problem.
Connect students to relevant academic support resources: Require students to use the
writing center, create study groups, or consult with peer tutors.
41


Create mini-HIPs for the class: Case studies, a small research project directed at a new
and relevant problem or question (not a canned laboratory exercise), a service learning
project, or a short-distance excursion in which students observe and experience
practical use of course content in the field.
Assign a low-stakes assignment during the first three weeks of the term to provide
feedback to students. Identify relevant academic support resources and refer students
to these services when needed.
Resources:
AAC&U (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and
why they matter. Washington, DC: AAC&U.
Kinzie, J. (2013).High impact practices and engaged student learning: Teaching practices that
matter. Workshop presented at the University of West Florida.
Submitted by:
Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D., Director
Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL
(850) 857-6355 or 473-7435
uwf.edu/cutla/
42
Develop Expertise in Students
by Creating Cognitive Apprenticeships for Students
Learning in a discipline involves more than acquisition of content knowledge. Development of
expertise requires students to develop skills in reasoning and strategies for solving disciplinary
problems or applying disciplinary models to real-world applications. Fields with tradition of
teaching through apprenticeships include trades and crafts dominated by skills and tasks that
students can easily observe (e.g., building a cabinet, tailoring a piece of clothing). Academic
disciplines present challenges because disciplinary strategies for reasoning and problem solving
are cognitive strategies and are not readily observable. Nevertheless, students must acquire
these skills to develop advanced skills in the discipline.
Collins, Brown, and Holum (1991) propose that instructors must find strategies to make their
expert thinking and problem-solving skills explicit to create effective cognitive apprenticeships
in academic disciplines. They propose the following components for an effective cognitive
apprenticeship:




Domain knowledge: the subject matter content usually addressed in textbooks and
lectures
Heuristic strategies: techniques used to accomplish common tasks in the discipline
Control strategies: approaches experts use to guide their problem-solving processes
Learning strategies: knowledge about how to learn new concepts, procedures and
strategies
We have many strategies for transmitting domain knowledge (lectures, textbooks, etc.), but the
remaining three components must be addressed in other ways. Colling, Brown, and Holum
(1991) suggest the following strategies:





Model a task so that students can observe all of the component steps — completing a
heuristic strategy, thinking aloud to demonstrate how you guide your problem solving
Coach students and provide feedback on their actions while they perform a task or solve
a problem
Scaffold tasks by breaking a complex task into simpler components that build on one
another
Encourage students to verbalize their thought processes while solving problems so you
can observe and offer feedback to correct sub-optimal strategies
Ask students to reflect on their performance and compare their strategies and
outcomes to others
43

Explore new problems; solving the same problems over and over encourages a plugand-chug mentality that does not generalize well to the new problems students
encounter
Pay attention to the sequence of learning activities to build skill.



Begin with a conceptual model for the larger task. This model creates a road map that
enables students to identify how component skills contribute to larger goals.
Initial tasks should be relatively simple; later tasks should add complexity as students
become more skilled. Create a series of assignments or projects that provide repeated
practice with initial skills; later tasks include additional skills without becoming
overwhelmingly complex, the final project should require the full set of skills.
Introduce variations in how students apply skills to new tasks and assignments that add
complexity. Students must then make decisions about when and how to apply a strategy
they’ve practiced and increases the likelihood that students will apply strategies to new
situations appropriately.
Resources:
Collins, A., Brown, J. S., & Holum, A. (1991). Cognitive apprenticeship: Making thinking visible.
American Educator, 15 (3), 6-11, 38-46.
Submitted by:
Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D., Director
Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL
(850) 857-6355 or 473-7435
uwf.edu/cutla/
44
Test Review: In Class or Out
Today’s ideas are active ways to handle in-class test reviews in ways that engage students and
minimize their dependence on you. Both ideas can be adapted to out-of-class homework or
online activities, as well.
If your content requires that students master and discriminate between a set of terms and
concepts, how about using a free tool (Eclipse Crosswords) to develop a practice activity for
small groups? This approach also works well when you want to know what prior knowledge
your students have from a prerequisite course or prior unit.
You can quickly download Eclipse Crossword. In a nutshell, you enter the word list and the
“clues” for each word. The software creates a number of different crossword puzzle options to
choose from. You save the option you like in a format compatible with Word so it can be
printed; each option includes the blank crossword puzzle, the clues, and the key. You can also
output the files to a Web page, if you prefer; quite easy!
A second active learning test review idea, especially if your tests include essay questions, is to:
1. Have each student bring to class two essay questions on the content to be covered by
the test.
2. Students pair up when they get to class and read their combined four questions.
3. They choose the two best ones and pass them on to another group (and receive two
from another group).
4. Each student chooses one of the questions to answer in the amount of time you, the
instructor, plan to give them to write the essay on the real exam.
5. Then, the pairs share their answers with each other, discussing ways to improve their
answers and looking up answers if need be. Additional points are added in the partner’s
hand writing and all are turned into the instructor.
6. From the submitted ones, the instructor chooses the exemplary question(s) to include
on the exam.
7. Depending on your philosophy of using assessments as a learning opportunity, you
could give the students a copy of all of the questions that you will draw from for the
exam.
Can you share other test review ideas that you have found successful?
Submitted by:
Molly Baker, Ph.D.
Director, Instructional Technology
Sauk Valley Community College
Dixon, IL
molly.h.baker@svcc.edu
45
Characteristics of Effective Feedback
“To be effective, feedback needs to be clear, purposeful, meaningful, and compatible with
students’ prior knowledge and to provide logical connections” (Hattie & Timperley, 2007, p. 104).
Task specific – feedback requires learning context and therefore needs to be task specific.
There is no advantage to tangential conversations when providing feedback.
Self-regulation – feedback should encourage the learner’s self-regulation by enhancing selfefficacy and self-esteem. This concept corresponds with teaching learners how to learn.
Low task complexity – feedback should address tasks of low complexity. Goals should be
broken down into manageable tasks, as this increases the effectiveness of feedback.
Timing – the timing of feedback is not as straight forward as some may think. Quick turnaround
on the correctness of simple tasks benefits students. While students may prefer instantaneous
feedback, the literature supports that task process feedback benefits from a delay where
students have time to think about difficult tasks before receiving the feedback.
Praise – the most prevalent and least effective, praise disrupts the positive effects of feedback.
It should be used cautiously, as students tend to enjoy private praise though it fails the need for
task specificity.
Technology enhanced – used appropriately, technology has the ability to provide timely
feedback, improve collaboration, increase social presence, increase dialogue, improve
reflection, support learning principles, and increase student satisfaction. Consider using the
technologies available at your school to optimize technology in providing students feedback.
Resources:
Hattie, J. & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1),
pp. 81-112. doi: 10.3102/003465430298487 Retrieved from
http://rer.sagepub.com/content/77/1/81.full.pdf+html
http://wikieducator.org/images/9/92/KAMII_Hemerda.pdf
Submitted by:
Jodie Hemerda
Jodie.Hemerda@rockies.edu
University of the Rockies
46
Julie Frese, Ph.D.
Director of Assessment and Academic Quality
University of the Rockies
Julie.Frese@faculty.rockies.edu
47
Using Vocaroo to Give Audio Feedback on Assignments
Have you ever found students in your class not reading the comments you place on their
papers? Have you ever had students misinterpret the good intentions behind constructive
feedback? Do you wish to find a way to show students how to improve on an assignment and
really “hear” what you are saying? Then let me share this resource with you: Vocaroo.
Vocaroo is a great online audio recorder free to use. All you need is to access the link, use the
microphone in your computer, record your statement, and share the link. It is easy, it is fun, and
it is effective!
I have found the best thing to do is to keep it short and sweet. I point out something the
student did well on the assignment and then point to something they can improve on. They
hear the tone of my voice as being instructive and encouraging. They no longer immediately
feel defensive about their assignment and actually listen to the feedback I am providing. I have
found that most students will actually click on the link, listen to the guidance, and make the
adjustments in their next assignments. This increases their interest in the class, increases their
engagement in the assignment, and increases their success in the course.
You can paste the link on any digital document or forward in an email or a text. It can work for a
traditional classroom setting or an online environment. It is also great for online discussion
boards or announcements.
Give it a try — I bet you will like the results you see!
Here is a sample voice recording.
Submitted by:
Penny Lorenzo,
Interim Associate Dean, School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Legal Studies,
Kaplan University
plorenzo@kaplan.edu
48
Six Thinking Hats
Creative thinking and critical thinking are both important aspects of problem solving. The “Six
Hats” exercise described below provides a framework for students to practice both.
Six Thinking Hats is a technique developed by Edward De Bono. This parallel thinking technique
provides a structure for students to explore six distinct perspectives of a complex issue or
scenario. The group exercise can easily be adapted to many disciplines.
Using “high school drop-out rates” as a sample topic, the “Six Hats” and perspectives are
represented as:






White Hat: focuses on data, facts, information known or needed. (e.g., What is the
current high school drop-out rate in our state? How does the rate in our community
compare to the national data? What specific programs are currently in place?)
Black Hat: focuses on difficulties, potential problems, why something may not work.
(e.g., What issues contribute to the drop-out rate? What are obstacles to improvement?
What mistakes do we need to avoid?)
Red Hat: focuses on feelings, hunches, gut instinct, and intuition. (e.g., Do you have any
emotions around this issue? Put yourself in the shoes of a high school student
considering dropping out and imagine your fears and concerns.)
Yellow Hat: focuses on values and benefits: why something may work. (e.g., What are
we doing right?)
Green Hat: focuses on creativity: possibilities, alternatives, solutions, new ideas. (e.g.,
What’s a new approach? If we reduced the drop-out rate by 25%, how could that impact
our community?)
Blue Hat: focuses on process control, timing, next steps, action plans. (e.g., What’s the
next logical step? Who needs to be included?)
A quick Google and YouTube search for “Six Thinking Hats” will supply dozens of charts, images,
videos, and exercises using this technique. You can also find an excellent slide show by Edward
de Bono on the Six Thinking Hats technique.
49
CC0 1.0
Resources:
DeBono, Edward (1999) Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management,
Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company.
Submitted by:
Debi Griffin, Assistant Director
Faculty Development Center
Bellarmine University
dgriffin@bellarmine.edu
50
Using Word Clouds to Discuss Sensitive Topics in Class
I have found an interesting way to approach potentially touchy topics in my psychology classes
is with word clouds. Word clouds are visual representations that reflect the frequency with
which words occur in a passage or document — the larger the word appears in the word cloud,
the more frequently it occurred in the text. There are a number of free websites where word
clouds can be created. One of my favorites is Wordle.
I use word clouds in class by first starting out with a controversial question. For example, I ask
students to think about gender stereotypes and in particular the stereotypes for men. As they
are thinking, I pass out index cards. Students are then given one minute to write down as many
male gender stereotypes as they can. Students are also told that their responses are
anonymous and that they should not write their names on their cards.
After the minute is up, I collect the cards and then ask the class to hypothesize about what the
most common stereotypes were. I then shuffle the cards and redistribute them. I ask each
student to read aloud the stereotypes listed on his/her card. I also tell students not to be
embarrassed because they are not reading their own cards; they are just reporting the
responses of an anonymous classmate. As students read the cards, I type what is said verbatim
into a word cloud website. We then take a look together at the word cloud that is created and
discuss what it might mean.
Although I have used this activity primarily to discuss stereotyping, it could also be used to
discuss other sensitive issues and get a conversation started in class.
Submitted by:
Fred Sanborn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Director, Teaching & Learning Center
North Carolina Wesleyan College
51
Tips for Moderating and Grading Online Discussion Forums
From Tips for Moderating and Grading Online Discussion Forums
Humboldt State University, College of eLearning – May 2014
Discussion forums are truly the heart of an online course; they are the method in which most
communication occurs. This is where you find most of the community-building and interaction
happening, similar to what you might find in a physical classroom using active learning
strategies.
But how can the instructor/facilitator manage all the discussions happening?
Tips for moderating online discussion forums:



Set expectations – in the syllabus, and in your first week/module overview, be sure to
set expectations of both student and instructor. For example, state how often you
expect students to post/reply, when, and what the value is. Also, give what students can
expect from you. If you do not, you will find them emailing you and/or posting multiple
times at 1:00 in the morning with the same question over and over, expecting that you
will be answering. Typically, expectations are around 24-48-hour response-time.
Be specific – say exactly what you want to students to do in the forum. For example,
one post answering the "question" and two replies to classmates' posts.
Encourage students to respond to classmates – ask students to reply/respond to
classmates' questions if they know the answer. This has several benefits, including,
incorporating more than one possible "answer" to a problem, building community as
52


students feel a "part" of the class, and helping to manage discussion activity in the
forums.
Create student moderators – assign teams of students to each forum and enable ratings
so they can rate posts based on a rubric to guide them. Rotate these roles each week.
Create a discussion rubric – students need a guideline as to what to post; this goes
without saying. Also include proper netiquette as well as references to not acceptable
responses such as "I agree" or "good job."
Tips for grading online discussion forums:





Create a weekly discussion participation grade – having one 'location' to enter
students' participation for the week/module can go a long way in the tedious act of
trying to grade each and every forum. Let students know that this "assignment" doesn't
require them to do anything; it is just a placeholder that shows their discussion
participation that week/module.
Require a summary post – each week/module/assignment, require a team leader to
post a summary of the entire discussion with a list of contributors.
Use the forum ratings – this provides immediate feedback for students and can be a
method for instructors to quickly go down the posts in a forum and add a rating to each.
Look at student user – to view forum post activity student user in Moodle, you can click
on Participants > Student Name > Administration Block > Student Name > Forum Posts >
Posts to see a thread of all their posts in given forum.
Use the discussion rubric – not only does the rubric help guide the students in the
expectations of them, but it also helps the instructor to grade. It becomes very clear
what points a student earned when looking at the rubric.
Submitted by:
Kimberly Vincent-Layton, MBA
Instructional Technologist, College of eLearning
Lecturer, Department of Communication
Humboldt State University
707.826.6112
HSU Coordinator for CSU QOLT Program
Co-Coordinator Institute for Student Success
STEM-PAC
Kim.Vincent-Layton@humboldt.edu
53
Using the PEAR Approach to Develop Stronger Discussion Questions
Many faculty have either sent students home with discussion questions to prepare for a future
class period or posted discussion questions online only to receive answers that miss the mark or
don’t elicit quite the response that was desired. Thanks to Jim Berger at WKU, I have learned a
better way to write discussion questions that not only uses a “pilot tested” process for
development but that also leads to stronger, more reflective questions that help my students to
connect with course content.
When developing questions for students, most of us tend to simply write the questions that we
think will gain us the answer we want and hope that students will dig deeper. The problem is
that many students won’t do anything more than a question asks them to do: asking them to
“list” gets us bullet points, or asking them to “describe” may only gain a sentence when we
wanted a paragraph. The PEAR approach to develop better discussion questions encourages
critical thinking skills and more in-depth answers. What is the PEAR approach?
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Personal – having a personal connection
Experiential – related to their experience (feelings)
Active – they must do something
Reflective – and think about how it impacted them
The PEAR approach responds to Kolb’s experiential learning style theory and helps students to
better process and retain information via a four stage learning cycle (McLeod, 2013). PEAR
questions ask students to analyze the concepts in the readings and make connections between
theory or practice and their personal lives and can have students experiment with the ideas in
the readings, share what they would have done differently as a result of their reflections in light
of their new knowledge, or argue the opposite of a classmate’s position.
Throughout this course, we have practiced varying skills that lead to the creation of a successful
research project. First, list three types of writing we have covered this term, and then argue how
each one will or will not be beneficial to you in your future career and everyday life.
Good PEAR questions utilize action verbs that can be mapped to a skill level on Bloom’s
taxonomy (see Resources for a good listing of such verbs), too, and are developed using a
careful and deliberate process:
1. Identify what needs to be learned.
2. Develop a question that assesses that knowledge using the PEAR approach.
3. Administer the question to small group of students or colleagues. This step is often
skipped, but this “peer review” or “piloting” often yields good feedback that can be used
to more precisely shape the question. If your department has graduate students or
54
student workers, they can be your best hope for this “test run,” as they are more likely
to answer as your students will, unlike your colleagues.
4. Analyze the results and make modifications. Note here that if #3 does not gain you the
answers or types of answers you wanted to your question from most of your test
subjects, this is a sign that you’re not asking what you think you might be asking. You
may even want to repeat 3 and 4 a couple of times before moving to 5.
5. Give question to students. Don’t be shy about asking students how they would have
refined the question once they’ve answered it. This gives you a chance to hear how they
think and gives them a chance to feel greater investment in the course (which leads to
better course evaluations!).
6. Analyze the results to determine if material was learned.
7. Make modifications for next time.
8. Repeat as needed to refine the question.
In a face-to-face course, you can send your students home with PEAR questions to write out
their answers and bring to class. These can be used as jump starters for a traditional discussion
or as part of a “silent discussion” where students are paired or put in small groups to exchange
papers and respond to one another’s (and subsequent) answers before coming back together
as a class for a fuller discussion. In an online course, PEAR questions should yield richer, more
meaningful discussions on the discussion boards, in blogs, or however you choose to use them.
Resources:
249 Bloom’s taxonomy verbs for critical thinking. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.teachthought.com/learning/249-blooms-taxonomy-verbs-for-critical-thinking
McLeod, S. (2013). Kolb – learning styles. Retrieved from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html
Submitted by:
Wren Mills, Ph.D.
Distance Learning and English,
Western Kentucky University
www.wku.edu/dl
55
Novel Strategies to Encourage Careful Reading and Energized Discussions
You’re Having Them Read What?!?
Recently, I decided to take a “great minds, great books” approach to the reading list in my
Foundations of Research Writing course (FCWR 151). I’m having freshmen students read such
long-dead yet eternally important folks as Homer, Sophocles, Aristotle, Plato, Confucius, Sun
Tzu, Horace, Ovid, Chaucer, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron,
Shelley, Keats, Hawthorne, Poe, Gilman, and Thurber. Most colleagues I shared this plan with
raised their eyebrows and said such things as, “That is very interesting, but our students will
never read that!” Well, anyone who knows me knows that if I’m told it can’t be done, I’ll do all I
can to prove the naysayers wrong.
It’s critical that we stimulate our students’ desire to read extensively and their ability to think
deeply about what they read. This is a teaching and learning issue that affects all disciplines, not
just literature and humanities. Educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) face similar challenges in encouraging students to read difficult material
and to think carefully and deeply about it. I’ve found that highlighting the relevance of the
content can capture the students’ imaginations, engage them in the learning process, and
hopefully lead them toward that deeper understanding we hope they will achieve.
Incentivizing Learning through Highlighting Relevance
One way I highlight the relevance of ancient literature and philosophy is to illustrate various
ways in which these texts influence contemporary popular culture. For example, I show scenes
from the film Troy to preface our study of The Odyssey, and I play the 25-minute epic song “The
Odyssey” from the progressive metal band Symphony X while discussing Homer’s epic poem. I
show scenes from the film 300 before discussing themes of warfare, strong women, good
political leadership, and civil disobedience in Antigone. I play the “Desert of the Real” scene
from The Matrix to illustrate and explain Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave,” and I show battle
scenes from the Chinese film Red Cliff when discussing Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. Similarly, I
show and discuss scenes from the film A Knight’s Tale before exploring key themes from
Chaucer, I play portions of Symphony X’s album Paradise Lost when discussing Milton’s epic,
and I show and discuss various Pre-Raphaelite paintings when examining Romantic poetry. The
point is to engage the students with text, film, music, and art and to show the intellectual
interrelationships that span across time, space, and culture.
The same can be done for other courses in various disciplines. The Science and Technology
sections of major newspapers are filled with headlines related to practical applications of
engineering, biology, cosmology, physics, and applied mathematics. Contemporary film and
television, especially science fiction, offer excellent opportunities to illustrate and discuss
56
applied technology. Summarizing and discussing these stories and films from various STEM
perspectives is an excellent way of showing students the relevance of their coursework to the
culture around them.
Incentivizing Reading and Discussion through Game-Show Quizzes
In addition to demonstrating the cultural and intellectual relevance of the concepts found
within the challenging readings, educators also must struggle to get students to sit down and
read the material, to grapple with the concepts, themes, and ideas found within the texts, and
to discuss the content in class. Again, most contemporary students do not sit down to read
something for the sake of learning or for the basic love of the experience. They need
motivation. I’ve tried the standard pop quiz method, but that mainly penalizes those who didn’t
read, and it does precious little to encourage discussion in class.
Instead, I use a game-show quiz model that incentivizes reading and encourages discussion. For
each reading, I come up with several content-oriented questions (at least 5–10 more questions
than the total number of students in class). After presenting background information on the
text, I lead class discussion much like a game show. Working through the text, I ask the quiz
questions, and the first student to raise his/her hand gets to attempt an answer. If correct, the
student earns points for that day. If incorrect, another student can try to earn points for that
question. Once a student earns points for that class period, he/she does not need to answer
any more questions that day, giving other students opportunity to earn points. After the
question is answered correctly, I lead a brief discussion of key themes and ideas related to that
quiz question. For example, when discussing Antigone, we talked about Natural Law theory,
civil disobedience, what makes for a good ruler, disobeying parents while still honoring them,
and the nature of true love.
The results? Thus far, the students are reading, they are discussing, and they are engaged each
class. Even after students have earned points, most are still eager to answer other questions
and participate in discussions. I have not ever had a freshmen class more engaged in reading
and discussing such difficult texts. It’s working, and I couldn’t be happier or prouder of our
students. If it can work for a freshman English course, it can work for history, sociology, bioethics, physics, microbiology, and chemical engineering. It just requires a revisioning of our
pedagogies of reading and our practice of in-class discussions.
Submitted by:
Francine Glazer, PhD
Assistant Provost and Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
57
New York Institute of Technology
fglazer@nyit.edu
David Hogsette, PhD
Director, Writing Program
Grove City College
http://www.davidhogsette.com
58
Maximizing the Performance of Informal Groups in Class
We faculty tend to love using informal (ad hoc) groups. Students derive most of the learning
benefits of group work, and we find them relatively easy to administer — easy compared to
long-term formal groups that collaborate on one or more substantial assignments outside of
class.
These groups are ideal for clicker-question exchanges and lecture-break activities, and we can
set them up of any size on the fly (“Work with the two fellow students sitting next to you.”).
They are too short-term to provoke student concerns about someone freeloading, sandbagging, dominating, controlling, ego-tripping, bullying, whining, or engaging in some other
collaboro-pathic behavior, so we don’t have to play marriage counselor. In addition, students
don’t have to peer-evaluate, and we don’t have to read these evaluations or incorporate them
into the final grades.
However, just because we don’t have students coming to our office with complaints does not
mean these informal groups are functioning well. Circulate among them and listen closely.
Some groups wander off task or never get on task. Others lean on one or two of its members to
generate ideas, solve the problems, explain correct answers, and so on. After all, students tend
to sit in the same place every class period even if they don’t have to, and some of them either
create problems for others or suffer from these problems.
Here are some strategies to prevent these problems.
Groups Not on Task
Of course, you should circulate around the classroom to let students know you’re monitoring
their progress. But you can also do the following:
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Make sure every task that you assign to groups is challenging — specifically, that it
requires thinking that goes beyond what the students have read or heard you say. The
task may assess students’ conceptual understanding, ability to apply the material,
analytic skills, or evaluative judgment. In any case, it should require synergy for students
to perform.
Give students a tight time limit in advance, and enforce it. Students will see that they
have to focus to get the task done.
If suitable for the task, require that groups submit a written or drawn product that all
group members must sign. (You can use these submissions to take attendance or to a
give students a point or two for completion.)
If the task doesn’t call for a product, just cold-call on a few groups “randomly” to report
out and explain their answers.
59
Uneven Member Effort
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Routinely cold-call on individual members within the groups “randomly” to report out.
Millis (2014) describes how to designate individual members using playing cards.
Change the composition of informal groups two or more times during the term. You can
ask students to rearrange themselves with new neighbors, or you can rearrange them
yourself using a seating chart (good for taking attendance quickly and learning student
names).
Resources:
Millis, B. J. (2014, January). Using groups both wisely and well. Available at
http://www.niagara.edu/assets/listpage/UsingGroupsBothWiselyandWellSession.pdf
Submitted by:
Linda B. Nilson, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation
Clemson University
nilson@clemson.edu
60
Making the Most of “reporting out” After Group Work
Have you seen the following scenario take place? Students are engaged in some form of group
work in class; think/pair/share, working through an assignment, or simply brainstorming ideas
in small groups. The students may start out slowly, but soon they are actively engaged,
everyone is sharing their ideas and the class is filled with energy.
Then, it’s time for “reporting out” the learning. Very quickly the energy is sucked from the
room. Students don’t pay attention because they are busy thinking of what they will say, there
is a lot of repetition, and some students simply tune out.
After observing this in several classes, including my own, I’ve come to realize that, as
instructors, we often do not give much thought to the debriefing aspect of such activities. Yet
this is where important aspects of the activity occur: students compare findings, learn
additional insights, and recognize patterns in the concepts at hand. If we keep in mind the
importance of reflection in actually learning from our experiences (Dewey, 1938), we recognize
that the debriefing time of an active-learning group activity is where the class as a whole has a
chance to reflect on their collective ideas and make meaning from the experience.
Here are a few suggestions about how to make debriefing time less about individual reports,
and more about deepening the learning and making meaning from the activity.
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Think through those 2-3 things you would really like students to get out of the activity
and thus what is best suited for reporting out. The analytical or insightful aspects of an
activity are better suited for sharing as a class than the repetitive or procedural aspects.
Don’t let the groups report out in a predictable order. As long as you’ve created a safe
classroom environment, you can randomly choose groups to speak, and return back to
previous groups, to keep them engaged in the discussion.
If the activity has multiple parts, discuss one aspect at a time. For example, “first let’s
see what all the groups thought about the first question, then we’ll move on to the next
one.”
Rather than asking each group to report in full, after the first group or two has a turn,
ask the next groups to share only new ideas. Or have them compare and contrast their
responses with previous groups.
To really get the reflection going, don’t have them report out at all. Perhaps as a group
they fill out a concept map or matrix to turn in to you, and then the follow up discussion
revolves around larger issues or application of the concepts. What insights did they gain
from trying to create the concept map as a group? What disagreement occurred within
their group? How would they apply their takeaways to a new scenario?
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
To deepen the learning even further, consider debriefing the process itself. Did they
gain new insights by discussing this topic with others? Do they see the issue or concept
differently now?
By viewing the reporting out aspect of a group activity as a distinct, yet vitally important,
reflective component, we recognize it requires some thought and planning to fully maximize its
benefits.
Resources:
John Dewey, Experience in Education (New York: Touchstone, 1938).
Submitted by:
Bridget Arend, PhD
Director of University Teaching
Office of Teaching and Learning
University of Denver
http://otl.du.edu
62
Team Teaching: A Brief Summary
Introduction
Research results on whether team teaching improves student satisfaction and performance are
mixed. Nevertheless, evidence suggests a number of tangible and intangible benefits to
students, faculty, and institutions that engage in team teaching (Wadkins, Miller, and Wozniak,
2006). Based on a literature review of team teaching literature, this report provides an
overview of team teaching, summarizes some of its benefits, identifies some challenges,
provides suggestions for best practices, and makes recommendations for supporting and
engaging in team teaching.
Definition of Team Teaching
Davis (1995) provides this succinct definition of team teaching: “All arrangements that include
two or more faculty in some level of collaboration in the planning and delivery of a course” (p. 8).
Types of Team Teaching
Team teaching includes a number of different approaches. Some of the more common are
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Interactive team teaching – two faculty members present in front of the class
simultaneously.
Rotational format team teaching – faculty alternate teaching the class. This rotational
format has a number of variations depending on the subject matter and the number of
faculty involved.
Participant-observer team teaching – all participating faculty are present for all the
classes, but only one is “teaching” at a time. Roles that the other teachers could play as
participating observer(s) are model learner, observer, panel member, or resource (Klein,
1990).
Team coordination – faculty arrange and integrate a curriculum so as to maximize
learning and connections using paired or linked courses, an integrated cluster of
independent courses, or freshman interest groups (McDaniels and Colarulli, 1997).
Though not necessarily team teaching per se, this curriculum-level approach to
interdisciplinarity can help to achieve some of the expected gains of team teaching.
Those Best Suited to Engage in Team Teaching
William Newell suggests that “one needs to consider whether potential [team teaching]
participants are open to diverse ways of thinking; wary of absolutism; able to admit that they
do not know; good at listening; unconventional; flexible; willing to take risks; self-reflective; and
comfortable with ambiguity” (Davis, 1995, p. 47).
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Benefits Team Teaching Provides for Faculty
Literature on teaching and learning suggests a number of benefits faculty gain from
participating in team teaching (Austin, 2002; Belenky et al., 1986; Cochran-Smith and Lytle,
1992; Cochran-Smith and Lytle, 1993; Focus on Faculty Newsletter, 2002; Freire, 1971;
Letterman and Dugan, 2004; McDaniel, 1987; McLaughlin and Talbert, 1993; National Teaching
and Learning Forum Newsletter, 2006; Shulman, 1986; Smith, 1994; Speaking of Teaching
Newsletter 2007). Specifically, faculty can
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Learn about teaching
Improve their own teaching skills
Have opportunities to socialize graduate students into the world of teaching
Step out of their comfort zone
Have opportunities for creative assignments
Become informed and encouraged in interdisciplinary research
See teaching through the learners’ eyes
Avoid the lonely, repetitive, fragmented experience of solo teaching
Gain new insights into their disciplines
Develop clearer perspective on the differences between disciplines
Build collegial relationships
Foster respect
Build bridges of understanding across disciplines
Benefits Team Teaching Provides for Students
Students also appear to benefit from team-taught courses (Benjamin, 2000; Harris and Watson,
1997; Johnson, Johnson, Smith, 2000; Smith, 1994). The literature suggests that team teaching
can
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Deepen students’ analytic abilities
Help to build bridges of understanding across disciplines for both faculty and students
Build greater curricular coherence for students
Create a greater sense of academic community
Provide explicit structures for academic and social engagement (this is particularly
necessary at commuter campuses)
Improve student-teacher relationships
Make classes more interesting and challenging because of the novelty
64

Improve student learning outcomes, retention rates, interpersonal skills,
communication skills, analysis and judgment, and diversity
Challenges that Team Teaching Poses to Faculty
Scholarly discussion on the drawback of team teaching is limited faculty (Klein, 1990; Letterman
and Dugan, 2004). The literature does suggest that team teaching can be detrimental to faculty
performance when
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Lack of sufficient time for collaborative work exists
Lack of training in group dynamics exists
Problems with overlapping roles exist
Territorial and status conflicts exist
One discipline dominates the process
Insufficient funding and inadequate logistics are provided
Individual autonomy is lost
Challenges that Team Teaching Poses to Students
Students report that team teaching is ineffective when
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Instructors are not flexible in addressing students’ learning styles
Confusion about learning expectations exists
Disparity in evaluation exists
The team teaching problems cited above can be overcome if faculty implement best practices
in planning and execution, and if institutions implement best practices in fostering and
supporting team teaching (Focus on Faculty Newsletter, 2002; Harris and Watson, 1997; Helms,
Alvis, and Willis, 2005; Letterman and Dugan, 2004; National Teaching and Learning Forum
Newsletter, 2006; Speaking of Teaching Newsletter 2006, 2007).
Suggested Best Practices for Faculty
Team teaching works well when faculty
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Plan together
Identify sources of information on team teaching
Talk to others with experience
65
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Become acquainted with each others’ styles
Communicate (i.e., clearly define expectations)
Plan alternating, interjecting strategies
Attend each others’ classes
Support each other
Model debate
Participate even if not teaching on a certain occasion
Apply common grading standards
Attend all staff meetings
Let the students speak
Be willing to be surprised
Have an open discussion about power issues. Who is in charge? How will conflict be
resolved?
Apply team teaching to case-based courses: the team teaching can model how various
perspectives bear on a solution
Ensure sufficient time and resources for success: team teaching often requires more
resources — e.g., time and planning — than solo teaching
Suggested Best Practices for Institutions
(Laufgraben and Tompkins, 2004; Quinlan, 1998; Smith, 1994)
Institutions can support team-teaching faculty when they
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Create structures to support team teaching
Are aware of costs and time limitations
Clearly articulate expectations for the teaching team
Recognize and reward planning efforts (e.g., planning lunches for teachers, stipends for
summer planning time, and professional development funds for travel to conferences)
Are flexible when scheduling team planning events. (A one-time workshop, for example,
works only if all members of a team can be present.) Institutional leaders can set aside
several dates and times for planning sessions and require teaching teams to participate
as a group
Provide examples of successful teamwork in learning communities
Avoid (whenever possible) changes in teaching assignments once a team has formed
and started its work
Suggest that teaching teams set meeting schedules well in advance, particularly days
and times to meet once the semester begins
66

Create or suggest space where teaching teams can meet. (Space that is away from
individual offices or departments may allow for more focused, less interrupted team
planning time.)
Ways to promote faculty collaboration include
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Faculty pairings
Discussion around common concerns
Multi-sectioned course seminars
Departmental review
The Fiscal Impact of Team Teaching
Team teaching can be more expensive than solo teaching because it may involve faculty taking
more time to teach fewer total credit hours. One viable approach to garner the positive aspects
of team teaching while reducing fiscal impact is to use the “dispersed model” of team teaching.
For example, a course entitled “Romanticism in the Arts” could be taught by one faculty
member from each of the disciplines of history, art, and literature (the course could be crosslisted in each of these disciplines, as well). Each faculty member teaches his or her section of
one-third of the students twice a week. Then on the third day of the week, everyone comes
together for a class that explores the interlinking of the disciplines on this theme (McDaniels
and Colarulli, 1997).
Conclusion
In summary, successful team teaching requires the active institutional and faculty commitment
of time, resources, and careful planning. By so doing, team teaching can enhance the teaching
and learning experiences of students and faculty and fulfill the purposes of university education
by helping participants integrate disparate disciplines and perspectives.
Resources:
__________, 2006. National Teaching and Learning Forum Newsletter, 15(4).
Austin, A. E., 2002. “Preparing the Next Generation of Faculty: Graduate School as Socialization
to the Academic Career.” Journal of Higher Education 73, 94-122.
67
Belenky, M. F., B. M. Clinchy, N. R. Goldberger, and J. M. Tarule, 1986. Women’s Ways of
Knowing. New York: Basic Books.
Benjamin, J., 2000. “The Scholarship of Teaching in Teams: What Does It Look Like in Practice?”
Higher Education Research and Development 19, 191-204.
Cochran-Smith, M., and S. L. Lytle, 1992. “Communities for Teacher Research: Fringe or
Forefront?” American Journal of Education 100(3), 298-324.
Cochran-Smith, M., and S. L. Lytle, 1993. Inside/Outside Teacher Research and Knowledge. New
York: Teachers College Press.
Davis, J. R., 1995. Interdisciplinary Courses and Team Teaching: New Arrangements for Learning.
Phoenix: ACE/Oryx. Also retrieved on 11/17/08 at
http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/ictt_xrpt.htm.
Brigham Young University Faculty Center, 2002. Focus on Faculty Newsletter, 10(1).
Freire, P., 1971. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Seaview.
Harris, S. A., and K. J. Watson, 1997. “Small Group Techniques: Selecting and Developing
Activities Based on Stages of Group Development.” To Improve the Academy 16, 399-412.
Helms, M. M., J. M. Alvis, and M. Willis, 2005. “Planning and Implementing Shared Teaching: An
MBA Team-Teaching Case Study.” Journal of Education for Business 81(1), 29-34.
Johnson, D. W., R. T. Johnson, and K. A. Smith, 2000. “Constructive Controversy.” Change 32,
29-37.
Klein, J. T., 1990. Interdisciplinarity: History, Theory, and Practice. Detroit: Wayne State
University Press.
Laufgraben, J. L., and D. Tompkins, 2004. “Pedagogy that Builds Community.” In Sustaining and
Improving Learning Communities, eds. J. L. Laufgraben and N. S. Shapiro. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Letterman, M. R., and K. B. Dugan, 2004. “Team Teaching a Cross-Disciplinary Honors Course:
Preparation and Development.” College Teaching 52(2), 76-79.
McDaniel, E. A., 1987. “Faculty Collaboration for Better Teaching: Adult Learning Principles
Applied to Teaching Improvement.” In To Improve the Academy: Resources for Student,
Faculty and Institutional Development, ed. J. Kurfiss. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.
68
McDaniels, E. A., and G. C Colarulli, 1997. “Collaborative Teaching in the Face of Productivity
Concerns: The Dispersed Team Model.” Innovative Higher Education 22(1), 19-36.
McLaughlin, M. W., and J. E. Talbert. 1993. Contexts that Matter for Teaching and Learning:
Strategic Opportunities for Meeting the Nation’s Education Goals. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford
Center for Research on the Context of Secondary School Teaching.
Quinlan, K. M., 1998. “Promoting Faculty Learning About Collaborative Teaching.” College
Teaching 46(2), 43-48.
Stanford University Center for Teaching and Learning, 2006. Speaking of Teaching Newsletter,
16(1).
Stanford University Center for Teaching and Learning, 2007. Speaking of Teaching Newsletter,
16(2).
Shulman, L. S., 1986. “Those Who Understand: Knowledge Growth in Teaching.” Educational
Researcher 15(2), 4-14.
Smith, B. L., 1994. “Team-Teaching Methods.” In Handbook of College Teaching: Theory and
Applications, eds. Prichard, K. W. and R. Mclaran Sawyer. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Wadkins, T., R. L. Miller, and W. Wozniak, 2006. “Team Teaching: Student Satisfaction and
Performance.” Teaching of Psychology 22(2), 118-20.
Recommended Readings:
Creamer, Elizabeth G. and Lisa R. Lattuca, eds., 2005. Advancing Faculty Learning Through
Interdisciplinary Collaboration. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Haynes, Carolyn, ed., 2002. Innovations in Interdisciplinary Teaching. Westport, CT: American
Council on Education/The Oryx Press.
Submitted by:
Taylor Halverson, Ph.D.
Teaching and Learning Consultant,
Brigham Young University
69
The Importance of Mindfulness Strategies
We know the challenges to students’ learning from the headlines: “Record Level of Stress Found
in College Freshmen,” “Student Addiction to Technology Similar to Drug Cravings,” and “The
Myth of Multi-tasking.”* College students benefit from the practice of mindfulness; it enhances
their ability to pay attention and to listen nonjudgmentally, it helps to alleviate stress, it helps
students become self-regulated learners, and it can improve academic performance. Jon KabatZinn, Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School defines
‘mindfulness’ as “paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and
non-judgmentally.”
How can instructors facilitate the practice of mindfulness with their students so that their
students can better focus in class, thoughtfully attend to their work and each other, and reduce
stress? Here are some suggestions:
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Begin class with a brief “Where Are You Now?” activity. Ask students to take 2 to 3
deep, cleansing breaths while tuning into the present moment. Ask: Are you thinking
about the day ahead? Are you focusing on something that’s happened recently? Are you
still foggy from a late night? Notice where you are and how it feels. Now ask them to
create a clean slate as if erasing a white board, and then picture their minds as a white
board ready for the workings of class. Finish with a cleansing breath.
Ask students to journal for one minute as they enter class, responding to a prompt on
the board or screen: Why am I here right now? What can I do to get the most out of this
moment?
When taking attendance, ask students to respond orally with “Present and ______,”
filling in the blank. (For example, “Present and anxious,” or “Present and expectant.”)
Have students reflect on their answer and those of their peers for one minute.
After 10 to 15 minutes of lecture or an exercise or activity, ask students to respond to a
prompt about where their level of attention and focus is. This can be a picture of a
thermometer (hot to cold), or a drawing of a continuum (engaged to asleep), or any
creative measure. Ask students to mentally move themselves to “hot,” or “fully
engaged.”
If the energy level in class is low, use movement to re-awaken students. Have them
move to different sides or corners of the room based on their answer to a question or
belief about an issue. Have them engage 2-3 different people in one-word answers to a
question that relates to the class content.
When using PowerPoint or Prezi presentations, insert a slide that has a unique picture
or phrase that will re-focus students’ attention. Ask several students to share their
reactions.
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
When taking notes, encourage students to write a word, acronym, or phrase (or draw a
symbol) at the top of each page as a reminder of attention and intention: “Focus” or a
drawing of an eye; “Think” or a light bulb.
Resources:
Brown, S. (2008). A Buddhist in the Classroom. NY: State University of New York Press.
Hart, T. (2004). Opening the Contemplative Mind in the Classroom. Journal of Transformative
Education, 2(1), 28-46.
Hough, A. (2011). Student Addiction to Technology Similar to Drug Cravings. The Telegraph,
April 8, 2011 available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8436831/Studentaddiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds.html
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2012). Mindfulness for Beginners – reclaiming the present moment and your life.
Boulder, CO: Sounds True.
Langer, E.J. (1997). The Power of Mindful Learning. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books.
Lewin, T. (2011). Record Level of Stress Found in College Freshmen. The New York Times,
January 26, 2011 available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/education/27colleges.html?_r=0
Rosen, C. (2008). The Myth of Multitasking. The New Atlantis, Spring 2008 available at
http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-myth-of-multitasking
Saltzman, A. (2009). Mindfulness: A Guide for Teachers. Public Broadcasting Service available
at: http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/teachers-guide/
Submitted by:
Anne B. Bucalos, Ed.D
Director of Faculty Development
Bellarmine University
abucalos@bellarmine.edu
Debi Griffin
Assistant Director of Faculty Development
Bellarmine University
dgriffin@bellarmine.edu
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Modeling Scholarship
When Charlie was in grad school, a famous professor burst into class the first day, announced
he was so busy with his research he had no time to teach, and informed the class they would
have to teach themselves Old English. My-oh-my, how times have changed. The three of us
have just organized a Scholarship Week for our university that has included presentations about
faculty-student mentoring and even posters demonstrating that worthy collaboration.
At a bare minimum, we would like to recommend that faculty serve as scholarship role models
for their students. In relevant classes, we teach the research process by showing our students
whatever we are working on that semester, be it a presentation, an article, or a book. For
instance, in our lit classes, we provide an example throughout the whole research continuum:
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The Germ: many times the genesis of a piece of scholarship comes from something that
arises in class — a student question, a mini-lecture piece that demands more
exploration, a key research conundrum (e.g., why did Hemingway’s Margot Macomber
shoot her husband?).
The Research: most scholarly pieces start large and narrow down. Our primary rule is
that if the idea seems too small to write about, it’s perfect (e.g., the role of the lion’s
mind in “Macomber”).
The Thesis: narrow down your slant to a specific declarative statement (e.g., Margot
Macomber was manipulated into shooting her husband by Wilson, their hunting guide).
Lit/Scholarship Review: find every article relating to the narrow thesis, especially those
that disagree; if a research gap exists because no one has touched the topic, state that
fact.
First Draft: get something down on paper.
Revised Draft: as they say in Hollywood, nothing is written — everything is rewritten.
Submission for Publication: take your laptop into class and have your students watch as
you submit.
Even if you disregard the positive influence on students of seeing the scholarly process broken
down into workable, effective steps, one obvious side benefit of the modeling approach is that
you create more scholarship, and, as a teacher-scholar, that gives you a “two-fer” for your
troubles.
Submitted by:
Charlie Sweet
Hal Blythe
Rusty Carpenter
Eastern Kentucky University
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Needs Assessment and Formative Assessment in One Quick Questionnaire
Three weeks into a writing course, I have students respond, in Moodle, to these questions:
1. On a scale of one to five, match how you are feeling about being in the course.
Average rank
I am
stressed
out!
I am
struggling.
I don't feel
very
confident.
It's not too
bad. The
new skills
take some
effort, but I
think I can
do it.
I am doing
well. I have
to practice
more
though.
I feel great.
Nothing is
too hard
and I can
apply what
I learned in
this and
other
classes
2. What is the most important thing you have learned so far about:
 yourself as a writer
 writing academically
 how your first language communication style may affect your English academic
communication style?
Please answer with as many details as possible. Use the text box below. It will expand to fit your
words.
This quick check in serves two purposes:
First, it gives me an idea of who might need to be encouraged to make an appointment for
support, and second, it provides what content and concepts students understand as well as the
skill of writing itself, so that I can plan interventions.
Submitted by:
Emma Bourassa
Thompson Rivers University
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Small changes Can Improve Class Community and Student Course Evaluations
A well-organized, carefully planned course is critical for effective teaching, but attention to
small details contributes to rapport with students and a classroom experience that supports
effective learning. Corbett and LaFrance (2013) offer suggestions that improve the learning for
students and the teaching experience for instructors.
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Arrive early and linger after the class meeting time – make adjustments to lighting, set
up your technology for the session, chat with students before and after class to learn
about events outside of class that might influence their in-class learning and continue
topic-related conversations while you walk back to your office.
Create a positive attitude during class meetings – leave your own life stresses at the
door when you teach. We can’t always be our best selves every day. Life stresses and
department politics can intrude on our thoughts. But try to protect class time from
these worries. Similarly, do not allow sullenness in students to ruin your enthusiasm.
Your enthusiasm and attitude can be contagious, although the effect will not be
immediate.
Respond promptly to student email messages – you need not respond immediately.
Tell your students when they can expect a response (on the first day of class, in your
syllabus) and honor this promise.
Surrender control of the class occasionally – choose your battles for control. Some
activities and rules for class management are not negotiable. But if you can allow
students to determine how some things work, you create a sense of community and
shared responsibility for classroom learning. Identify class policies that you feel
comfortable allowing students to determine what is acceptable. Explain why other
activities or course policies cannot be altered.
Remember to tell students when they are doing well – students need feedback to
correct errors but they also need feedback to let them know when they are on track.
Remember to recognize progress and successes.
When we adopt one or more of these small changes, teaching becomes a more pleasant and
rewarding activity and our students become more engaged and motivated with the class.
Resources:
Corbett, S. J., & LaFrance, M. (September 9, 2013). It’s the little things that count in teaching.
Chronicle of Higher Education. [Retrieved 9-10-2013: http://www.Chronicle.com/article/Itsthe-Little-Things-That/141489/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en]
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Submitted by:
Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D., Director
Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL
(850) 857-6355 or 473-7435
uwf.edu/cutla/
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Identifying Pearls of Wisdom from End of Term Course Evaluation
*Timing: used near the end of the term, around the time when course evaluation is released.*
Yes, response rate from end of the term course evaluation could be low and anonymous
comments could be dreadful. However, many students do put in some careful thoughts when
filling out the course evaluation while staying up late studying for exams. Here are some steps
we can take to sort out the pearls of wisdom that we can use to improve our teaching:
1. Spend a few minutes and think about:
a. What went well, for both the students and you, as intended? How?
b. What went negatively, for both the students and you? How?
c. What would you like to change next time around? Why?
2. Ask for individual feedback: many institutes put the feedback together as a summary
and much of the rich context is lost. Ask for anonymous individual feedback if possible
to get the full context behind each comment.
3. Dreadful feedback: read, ponder and put aside.
4. Pearls of Wisdom:
a. Look for strengths and areas of improvements
b. Categorize them
c. Match them against the list you developed in Step #1
5. Develop an action plan:
a. List the strengths you are going to maintain
b. List one or two things you will adjust/change/modify
6. Work with a couple colleagues: it is best to do all of the above with a couple colleagues.
Resources:
Using Course Evaluations to Improve Teaching and Learning:
https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teachingtips/planning-courses/course-design/using-course-evaluations-improve-teaching-learning
Making Student Evaluations an Effective Source of Information: Research-based Advice
http://teacheval.ubc.ca/resources/for-faculty-members/
Submitted by:
Judy C. K. Chan, Ph. D.
Educational Developer | Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
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Faculty/CTLT Liaison | Faculty of Land and Food Systems
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver
217 – 1961 East Mall | Musqueam Territory, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1
Phone 604 822 5811 | Fax 604 822 9826
Teaching Portfolio: blogs.ubc.ca/judychan
Twitter: @judycchan
Judy.chan@ubc.ca
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