A Workshop on College Teaching
and the Teaching of Psychology
Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr.
Texas A&M University
May 14-17, 2012
http://people.tamu.edu/~lbenjamin
“Those who can, do.
Those who can’t, teach.”
George Bernard Shaw
“Those who can’t teach,
teach gym.”
Woody Allen
A Whirlwind Tour:
17 Topics
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14-Teaching resources
14-Goals
14-The syllabus
14-First day of class
15-Lecture method
15-Active learning
15-Discussion methods
16-Evaluation methods
16-Grading
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16-Class management
16-Advising, mentoring
17-Writing
17-Computer technologies
17-Media
17-Large classes
17-Team teaching
17-Evaluation of teaching
My Goals for This Workshop
• Make you familiar with the multitude of resources on
teaching psychology
• Acquaint you with some of the dos and don’ts of
various teaching and evaluation methods
• Provide you with some tips on classroom
management issues
• Add to your repertoire of active learning exercises
• Expand your confidence as teacher and your
commitment to your students
• Save you time in teaching preparation, grading, and
dealing with classroom problems
This Workshop Should Help You If
• You teach courses as a graduate student
• You pursue a career as an academic
• You are required to make case presentations (as in
clinical psychology)
• You are required to sell your management, research,
or organizational ideas to industry
• You have a job interview where you have to sell
yourself
• You have to communicate your ideas in any setting
College and University Settings
• Research 1 universities
(60-30-10)
• State universities
• Private universities
• Liberal arts colleges
• Two-year colleges
• Professional schools
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Teaching loads
Teaching expectations
Who teaches
Class size
Student expectations
Student abilities
Teaching is Important
• Most of us are in academia because of a
teacher
• We work in a privileged environment
• We have obligations to our students
• Making a difference in the academic world
• Teaching skills are not genetically based
• There is a teaching literature
• We should want to get better at what we do
Four-Day Outline
May 14:
Literature of Teaching, Goals,
Syllabus, First Class Day
May 15:
Lecture, Active Learning, Discussion
May 16:
Evaluation, Grading, Classroom
Management, Advising/Mentoring
May 17:
Writing, Computers, LGI, Team
Teaching, Course Evaluation
May 14 – Monday
9:00-10:15
A Teaching Literature
Goals – Part I
10:35-11:50
Goals – Part II
The Syllabus
First Class Day
I. Teaching Resources
• Generic college teaching books
• Specialty books, e.g., construction of exams,
grading, lecturing, teaching large classes
• Teaching of psychology books
• Psychology activity books – general and specific
• Teaching of psychology journals
• Teaching of psychology conferences
• Society for Teaching of Psychology website
• TAMU Center for Teaching Excellence (GTA)
II. Course Goals:
This Is Always Where You Start
Goals: Overview
• Learn the academic culture
• Goals should determine everything you do in
your course
• Selecting, implementing, and assessing your
goals
• An exercise in choosing course goals
• Two examples of implementing goals
Learn the Culture
• Every college/university has a culture
• There is also a departmental culture
• Are there multiple sections of the course you
will teach?
• Is your course a prerequisite or postrequisite
for another course?
• Student expectations for your class
Course Goals Should Determine
Virtually Everything That You Do in
Your Course
• Determines textbook selection, or whether you even
use a book (topical, chronological, theoretical or
philosophical orientation, breadth/depth, etc.)
• Other reading assignments
• Writing components
• Evaluation methods
• Classroom instructional methods
Course Goals
• Selecting them
• Selling them
• Implementing them
• Measuring them
Course Goals: An Exercise
College Professors’ Responses
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Content
3
2
1
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15
Scientific Processes
Psychology and Society
Educational Preparation
Scientific Values
Critical Thinking
Introductory Psychology
Students’ Responses
12
Self Knowledge and Understanding
10
Study Skills
9
Social and Interpersonal Skills
Goal: Integration of Introductory
Psychology Chapters
Create a mini-course within the
introductory psychology course
A few examples
Sleep and Dreaming
Biopsych – Neurotransmitters in sleep
Perception – Awareness of stimuli by sleep stage
Learning – Debunking sleep learning
Memory – Dream recall
Personality – Long vs. short sleepers
Abnormal – Night terrors, sleep walking,
depression
Developmental – Ontogeny of sleep & dreaming
Social – Cultural effects on sleep
Industrial/Organizational Psych
Biopsych – Circadian rhythms and shift work
Perception – Attention and vigilance in workplace
Learning – Training
Cognition – Teaching creative thinking
Motivation – Job satisfaction, burnout
Development – Older workers, retirement
Personality – Management and leadership styles
Social – Organizational climate
Goal: Help Marginal or New
Students
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Improve attendance
Help students keep up with the reading
Help students regularly review their notes
Help students learn what is important to know
Help students study throughout the course
The Kingsfield Procedure
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Class should not be larger than 50 students
Index card for each student
5 to 10 questions each day
Point system
Cheating! (to make it fairer)
Kingsfield Outcomes
• Professor learns names
• Attendance is excellent; students are not tardy
• Students do their reading on time and regularly
review their notes
• Students learn what the instructor considers
important
• Students learn some critical thinking skills
• Grades are higher
• Student opportunities for questions vary
• Students rate the procedure quite positively
III. The Syllabus: It’s a Contract
This agreement is entered into this 14th day of May, 2012 by
and between Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr., hereinafter referred to as
the Professor, and _______________, hereinafter referred to
as the Student. Whereas the Professor has covenanted and
agreed with Texas A&M University, Department of
Psychology, to utilize his experience, training, education, and
best efforts towards instructing the Student in the subject of
Introductory Psychology, and whereas the Student is desirous
of gaining as much knowledge, training, insight, and
understanding as possible; NOW THEREFORE, for and in
consideration of mutual promises contained herein, the parties
promise, covenant, agree, warrant, and make the following
representations….
(from Stanley Freeman, U of South Carolina )
The Syllabus: Overview
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The syllabus as contract
What should be in a syllabus?
Syllabus contents
Distributing your syllabus to students
What Should Be In a Syllabus?
How Lengthy Should It Be?
Syllabus Contents
• Course number and title, instructor name, semester
and year, office location and hours, office phone
number, email and website addresses
• Textbook(s) – required or recommended
• Course goals
• Assignments and evaluation policies; make-ups
• Course outline
• Attendance policy (def. of excused absences)
• Class rules (on time, cell phones, respect for others)
• Statement on cheating, including plagiarism
• Required university statements
From TAMU Rules (2012)
Rule 10.1 – The course instructor shall provide in writing the
following information to the class during the first class
meeting:
• A statement of the nature, scope and content of the subject
matter to be covered in the course.
• All course prerequisites as listed in the catalog.
• All required course text and material.
• The grading rule, including weights as applicable for tests,
laboratory assignments, field student work, projects, papers,
homework, class attendance and participation and other graded
activities in the calculation of the course grade.
Getting the Syllabus to Students
• In class
• In a course packet
• Have them download it from your website
• Emailing to them in advance of the course (it
must be uploaded in Howdy re State law)
IV. First Class Day
• First impressions matter
• Go over the syllabus – goals, rules,
assignments, evaluation methods
• Hook them on your material – get them excited
for what is to come
• Spend at least some time in that first meeting
on content
• Introduce yourself – professionally and
personally
The Autobiography
Due 2nd class period, 1-3 pages
• Name, email, home (cell) phone number
• Where born and grew up
• About your family
• Interests in high school, both in school and extracurricular
• Why you came to Texas A&M
• Your major and why you chose it
• Why are you taking this course and what do you hope to get from
it?
• Hobbies, jobs
• Plans after graduation from TAMU
Use of the Autobiographies
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If it’s a small class – 2nd day introductions
Learn about my students
Use the material to personalize some classes
Personal emails back to the students
Re-read them before students come to see me
Assign paper topics based on that information
Other First Day Activities
Wear a hood with one eyehole. Periodically
make gurgling noises.
Gradually speak softer and softer and then
suddenly point to a student and scream “YOU!
WHAT DID I JUST SAY?”
Announce “You will need this” and then write
the suicide prevention hotline number on the
board.
If someone asks a question, walk silently over
to their seat, hand them the chalk, and ask
“Would you like to give the lecture Mr.
Smartypants?”
Start the lecture by dancing and lip-syncing to
James Brown’s “Sex Machine”
Have a student sprinkle flower petals ahead of
you as you pace back and forth.
Stop in mid lecture, frown for a moment, and
then ask the class whether your butt looks fat.
Jog into class, rip the textbook in half, and
scream, Are you pumped? ARE YOU
PUMPED? I CAN’T HEEEEEAR YOU!”
by Alan Meiss (Indiana University)
May 15 – Tuesday
9:00 – 10:15
The Lecture
Active Learning I
10:35-11:50
Active Learning II
Discussion Methods
V. The Lecture Method
Four Questions
• Why lecture?
• Should you lecture?
• What should be your lecture style?
• What are the components of a good lecture?
Why Lecture?
Lectures can provide integrative and evaluative
accounts…(reducing an unselected vastness to a
manageable form) that may not be available in
any printed or electronic version. Lectures can be
models of critical thinking and problem solving
that can teach students higher cognitive skills.
Further, lectures have motivational functions. By
challenging students’ beliefs, lectures can
motivate students to pursue further learning.
(Benjamin, 2002; McKeachie, 1999)
Should You Lecture?
• Audience expectations
• What is it you want to do?
• The nature of the information to be
communicated
• Class size
• Is lecturing a strength for you?
• What can lectures do? Model, inspire,
provoke, summarize, synthesize, evaluate,
communicate cutting-edge work
The Lecture and the Textbook
• Textbooks are usually encyclopedic
• TAMU students are typically bright and can
read on their own
• So why go over in excruciating detail the
material they are supposed to have read on
their own?
• The lecture is about your freedom to choose
• It is often a chance for depth
What Should Be Your Lecture
Style?
• Your personality (UCLA Chemistry Dept.)
• Formal or informal (more interactive)
• Problem oriented
“The most effective performing is not a contrived act,
but a genuine, authentic presentation of the person
involved. If the role to be played is the person you are,
you don’t need to fear being false or not being up to the
part.”
Maryellen Weimer (1998)
Components of a Good Lecture
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Enthusiastic (maybe even passionate) about the material
Clear objectives for the lecture
Advanced organizers
In-lecture summaries
End-of-lecture summary
Clear organization
Good examples
Less is more (depth, rather than breadth)
Active learning
Allow for digressions from students
Lecture Outline: Psychological Theories of Love
1.
Overview of three theories
2.
Attachment theory
a.
Supporting research
b.
Summary
3.
Lee’s Six Types of Love
a.
Supporting research
b.
Summary
4.
Sternberg’s triangular theory
a.
Supporting research
b.
Summary
5.
Overall summary
VI: Active Learning -- Defined
Active learning describes an array of learning
situations in and out of the classroom in which
students enjoy hands-on and minds-on
experiences. Students learn through active
participation in simulations, demonstrations,
discussions, debates, games, problem solving,
experiments, and writing exercises.
Active Learning – An Overview
• What can it do?
• What should good active learning exercises
do?
• Where can you find active learning exercises?
• Some examples
Active Learning…
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is underused
is an excellent supplement to lectures
increases student involvement
increases cognitive demands
produces elaboration of meaning (deeper processing –
better retention)
is excellent for experiential topics
can help problematic lecture or book topics
adds enjoyment to the class
can take a little class time or a lot
Active Learning Exercises Should
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be practiced
educate, motivate, perplex your students
involve all students
teach one or a few key points
be assessed to see if students are learning what
is intended
Where Can You Find Active
Learning Exercises?
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Your own experiences
Teaching of Psychology journal
Activity books (see my website)
Teaching conferences and symposia
On the Web (particularly STP website)
Active Learning
Some Examples
Learning to
Read
Active Learning Examples in…
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History
Statistics
Biopsychology
Sleep and Dreaming
Sensation and
Perception
• Learning
• Memory
• Motivation
• Developmental
Psychology
• Gender
• Diversity
• Psychological Testing
• Personality
• Social Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• I/O Psychology
VII. Discussion Methods
When measures of knowledge are used, the
lecture is as efficient as other teaching methods.
However, when the dependent variables are
“measures of retention of information after the
end of a course, measures of transfer of
knowledge to new situations, or measures of
problem solving, thinking, or attitude change, or
motivation for further learning, the results show
differences favoring discussion methods over
lecture.”
McKeachie (1999)
Discussion Methods -- Overview
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What is the optimum class size for discussion?
What discussion does
Problems in using discussion
Other issues in using discussion
Examples
What is the optimum class size
for discussion?
What Discussion Does
• Helps students articulate what they have learned
• Gives instructor a good idea of student
understanding
• Gives students opportunities to apply what they
have learned
• Helps students learn to evaluate the logic of and
evidence for their own and others’ positions
McKeachie (1999)
Problems in Using Discussion
• Getting a discussion started
• Identifying a clear objective(s) for the
discussion
• Dealing with a discussion monopolizer
• Getting reluctant students to participate
• Students revealing too much
• Students attacking the ideas, beliefs, attitudes,
of other students
Discussions – Other Issues
• Class size
– Making smaller groups (buzz groups, jigsaw
groups)
• Time required
• Willingness to give up class control
• Providing a focus
– Problem solving
– Structured questionnaire (example)
What is Aggression?
See Handout
May 16 -- Wednesday
9:00 – 10:15
Evaluation Methods
10:35 – 11:50
Grading
Class Management
Advising, Mentoring
VIII. Evaluation Methods Overview
• Types of assignments and tests
• Functions of tests
• Types of tests
– Construction dos and don’ts
Types of Assignments and Tests
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abstract
advertisement
annotated bibliography
biography
briefing paper
brochure, poster
budget, with rationale
case analysis
chart, graph, visual aid
cognitive map
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court brief
debate
definition
diagram, table
dialogue
diary
essay
executive summary
fill-in-the-blank
flowchart
Classroom Debates
Assign students to teams (N=4) and to pro or
con sides
• Breast-fed babies are physically and
psychologically healthier than bottle-fed
babies.
• The earlier a child starts school the better.
• There should be a national child-rearing
licensing law that requires parents to take
parenting classes.
A Debate Format (75-min class)
Moderator and two panels
• Opening Statements
– Pro Side (3 mins.)
– Con Side (3 mins.)
• Closed Panel Discussion (35 mins.)
• Open Discussion – Class asks questions (20
mins.)
• Final Arguments
– Con Side (5 mins.)
– Pro Side (5 mins.)
Assignments & Tests (continued)
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group discussion
instructional manual
introduction
inventory
laboratory or field notes
letter to the editor
matching test
mathematical problem
memo
multimedia presentation
narrative
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news story, newspaper
oral report
outline
personal letter
poem, play
project plan
question
regulations, laws, rules
research proposal
review of book, article
review of literature
Newspaper Assignment in
Undergraduate History of
Psychology
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Years are randomly assigned
4-pages of content
Psychology in context
Graded on content
Poster session (I bring treats)
And More …
• rough draft
• statement of
assumptions
• summary
• taxonomy
• technical or scientific
report
• term paper
• thesis sentence
• word problem
from Walvoord & Anderson (1998)
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grant proposal
oral exam
lab practical
true-false exam
two-minute paper
journal
reaction paper
personality test
psychology “Jeopardy”
class participation
extra credit
Personality Test in PSYC 107:
Two Classes
Honesty
Friendliness
Loyalty
Self-esteem
Tolerance
Aggressiveness
Independence
Optimism
Confidence
Friendliness
Creativity
Caring
Responsibility
Aggressiveness
Sense of Humor
Ambition
Student Generated Items
• I would not betray a friend under any
circumstances.
• I enjoy associating with people who are
different than me.
• When I am working on a project, I would
prefer to work by myself.
• My friendliness is greatly dependent upon
what happens to me.
• My future will be a happy one.
Functions of Tests
• Evaluate students and assess their learning
• Help instructor assess how well he/she is
presenting the material
• Communicate to students what they have and
have not mastered
• Motivate students to read and study assigned
material
• Assess whether goals are met, and how well
(from Davis, 1993; McKeachie, 1999; Benjamin)
Types of Tests
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True-false
Fill-in-the-blank
Matching
Multiple choice
Essays
True-False Tests
• Items seem easy to write (but aren’t)
• Typically too much ambiguity
• Guessing is a problem. What correction
formula do you use?
• Psychometricians say AVOID THIS KIND OF
TEST ITEM
• If you use them, have students write out their
reasons
• And don’t get cute!
Fill-in-the-Blank Tests
• I call these “Guess what the professor is
thinking” tests
• Difficult to write items that are not ambiguous
• Avoid them – there are far better kinds of tests
Matching Tests
• Allows many questions to be asked in a limited
amount of time
• Don’t make them too long. 10-12 items is about
right
• Have the set of alternatives (column 2) longer
than the items in column 1
• Problem with this test is that students may make
correct associations from memorization but not
know meaning, e.g. Darwin-natural selection
Sample Matching Test
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Ludy Benjamin
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Dick Cheney
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Lamont Cranston
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Aretha Franklin
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Fred Rogers
1. A clown
2. Champion marksman
3. Governor of Texas
4. Liked us the way we are
5. Old guy
6. Queen of Soul
7. The Shadow
8. Ben Franklin’s mother
Multiple-Choice Tests
• The cornerstone of most standardized tests –
FOR A REASON
• Educational Testing Service (ETS)
– 5 alternatives
– they never use all of the above or none of the
above
– they have impressive statistics on any item that
makes its way into one of their tests
– they order their items from least to most difficult
Good Multiple-Choice Items
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Essence of the question should be in the stem
Avoid negative statements
Alternatives should be roughly the same length
Avoid words in the alternatives that might be
keyed from the stem
• Distractors should all be plausible
• Distractors should include common knowledge
and thinking errors
Good Multiple-Choice Items
• Are time-consuming to write
• You should get better over time in eliminating
the confusion and ambiguity in your items,
especially if you reuse items
• Are in scarce supply in publishers’ test
manuals – BE VERY CAREFUL
M-C Items – Other Issues
• How many? Some people use the rule of thumb
of one per minute.
• Correction formula?
• M-C tests allow you to sample the content domain
quite broadly
• If you reuse items, do item-total correlations to
evaluate your items (is an item that was answered
correctly by 10% of the students a good item?)
• Consider letting students write on their exams for
items they find ambiguous
Answer Changing
One of your students asks you,
“Should I ever change my answers
on a test?”
How would you respond?
Benjamin, L. T., Jr., Cavell, T. A., & Shallenberger, W. R.
(1984). Staying with initial answers on objective tests: Is it a
myth? Teaching of Psychology, 11, 133-141.
Essay Questions
• Measures retention by recall as opposed to
recognition
• Less objective scoring when compared to most
other test types
• Ways to mask student identity
• Use a rubric for scoring (greater consistency,
faster grading)
• Score same question for all exams before scoring
second essay
• Do not give choices on essays (comparability
issues)
Sample Essay Question
Dr. Ramirez believes that first-year college students who are
assigned a senior mentor for the year will perform better
academically and feel more positively about their college
experience than those students who go through the first year
without a mentor. Design an experiment to test this claim.
Operationally define the key terms. Describe the controls that you
would use and a method that you would use to evaluate the
outcome of your study. In your answer you should include a
description of each of the following: subject selection and sample
size, independent variable(s), dependent variable(s), experimental
group, control group, potential confounding variables (at least
two), method of reducing experimenter bias, and method for
analyzing the data. Be sure to label independent and dependent
variables and control and experimental groups. (20 points)
Scoring Rubric
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2
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2
2
2
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2
2
Subject selection (randomization, sample characteristics, at least 20 per group)
Independent variable label: senior mentor program
Independent variable definition
Dependent variable 1 label: academic performance
Dependent variable 1 definition
Dependent variable 2 label: attitudes about school
Dependent variable 2 definition
Experimental group(s)
Control group(s)
Confounding variables: name at least 2
Reducing experimenter bias: blind control, computer scoring, etc.
Evaluation of results: statistically significant differences, use of inferential
statistics
Essay Questions Can Measure…
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Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Make-Up Exams
• Obey the university rules
• Do not penalize students who have university
recognized absences
• What about students who do not have
legitimate excuses for missing an assignment?
IX. Grading - Overview
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Where to begin
Functions of grades
Grading issues
The mechanics of grading
Where to Begin
• Know the official rules at your
university/college
• Know the (informal) unofficial rules in your
department
• Grading practices should be tied to the goals
for your course
• Communicate your grading criteria clearly,
ideally in your syllabus (see TAMU rules)
Grades According to TAMU Rules
Rule 10.3 – The five passing grades at the undergraduate level
are, A, B, C, D and S, representing varying degrees of
achievement; these letters carry grade points and significance
as follows:
Assigned by the instructor:
• A: Excellent, 4 grade points per semester hour
• B: Good, 3 grade points per semester hour
• C: Satisfactory, 2 grade points per semester hour
• D: Passing, 1 grade point per semester hour
• F: Failing, no grade points, hours included in GPR
Functions of Grades
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As communication devices (currency)
As indicators of student performance
As indicator of student’s potential in your field
As rewards (punishers?)
Grades are important to students, admission
committees, professors, employers, etc.
Issues in Grading
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Grade inflation
Mastery grading
Contract grading
Grading on the curve
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading
Extra credit
First-year grade exclusion of up to 3 courses
with D or F (TAMU)
The Mechanics of Grading
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Objectivity
Scores versus grades
Scaling exams
Cut-off scores (revealing cut-off scores)
Incomplete grades
Checking your final calculations, rechecking
Posting grades
Changing grades
Deadlines and penalties
Grades in PSYC 107 (Fall 1990)
A
12.8
5.7
17.5
7.5
4.5
12.3
5.1
5.1
B
46.4
38.9
40.6
29.2
30.9
23.8
29.0
20.8
C
34.7
43.6
32.5
42.0
44.1
35.4
40.6
49.1
D
4.1
9.5
14.6
17.5
17.3
24.1
20.3
21.0
F
2.0
2.4
4.7
3.8
3.2
4.5
5.1
4.2
GPA
2.638
2.360
2.316
2.193
2.164
2.153
2.088
2.014
Grading Situation #1
Your syllabus indicates that an A is earned for
students who score 450 points or better out of
a possible 500. A student comes to visit you
after the final exam who has earned 444
points. The student argues that the percentile
score is 88.8 and that is so close to a 90 that it
should be an A. What would you do?
Grading Situation #2
A senior is taking a summer course from you
who is planning to graduate in August and her
parents have bought their plane tickets for
graduation. But the student is making a D in
your class and has no hope numerically of
scoring high enough on the final exam to make
a C which she needs to graduate. She pleads
with you for a C. What would you do?
Grading Situation #3
A student recently made a grade of “F” on
your exam. The student was quite sick the
morning of the exam but decided to take the
exam anyway. Now he thinks that strategy
was a bad idea. He comes to you and explains
the situation and asks for a grade adjustment or
a make-up exam. What would you do?
Grading Situation #4
A student in her first semester at Texas A&M
earns a grade of C in your PSYC 107 course.
She comes to see you after the grades are filed
with the registrar asking you to change her
grade to a D so that she can use it as one of the
courses she is going to drop under the firstyear grade exclusion rule. What would you
do?
Hypothetical Score Distribution
400 possible points
372 344 317 297
364 338 316 295
363 337 310 286
360 335 310 285
360 335 309 280
359 329 306 276
357 325 304 275
350 325 298 275
260
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X. Class Management - Overview
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Some sample cases
Rules and procedures
Prevention is the best strategy
Common problems
Case #1
A distraught student tells Professor Johnson
that her boyfriend since 8th grade broke up
with her two days ago. She has been crying
steadily and cannot concentrate on her studies.
She begs to postpone taking tomorrow’s exam
and for an extension on the written assignment.
Professor Johnson grants both, adding, “Don’t
tell anyone that I’m letting you do this.”
(Perlman, et al, 1999)
Case #2
Joshua comes to class each days and sits at the
back of the room. He brings a copy of The
Battalion with him each day that he reads
during most of the class.
Case #3
Carrie also comes to class each day. On most
days she falls asleep at the beginning of the
class and sleeps throughout the class. Note
that she is not a snorer.
Case #4
Professor Gonzales arrives at his classroom on
exam day a few minutes before the exam is
scheduled. He notices that fewer than half of
his students are there and that someone has
written on the board, “Dr. Gonzales’ exam
today has been cancelled.”
(example from Donald McBurney)
Case #5
Carla likes to wear her earbuds to class on
days she is taking an exam. She says the
music reduces her test anxiety.
Case #6
In your syllabus description of the required
paper for your class you have indicated that
points will be deducted for the use of sexist
language. A student informs you that she has no
intention of avoiding the use of such language
and that she considers your practice nothing
more than political correctness. She says that if
you penalize her for such language that she will
take her case to the University Academic
Review Board.
Rules and Procedures
• Know the university rules
• Decide what classroom rules are important to
you (reading a newspaper, studying for another
class, cell phones)
• Communicate those rules on Day 1 orally, and
include them in your syllabus
• Enforce them
• Be clear, fair, and consistent (and keep student
embarrassment in public to a minimum)
Prevention is best but…
No matter how hard you try, you will not
anticipate all the problems that will come up in
your class.
Experience will help.
Common Problems: SI
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Students talking in class (when they shouldn’t)
Students sleeping
Students challenging your authority
Eating or drinking noisily (smelly foods)
Cell phones, texting, playing on computers
Arriving late, packing up early
Cutting class
Acting bored
Cheating on exams, plagiarism
Cheating Is a Biggie
• Students seem ever creative in their cheating strategies
(foot signals, writing on body parts)
• Accusation of cheating can have far-reaching
consequences for the student and for you
• Know the university rules
• It is sometimes difficult to prove (extra proctor)
• If problems arise, alert your Dept. Head and seek her/his
support
• Work hard to prevent it!
• If it happens, pursue the charges
Other Course Management Issues
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Distributing exams in large classes
Proctoring exams in large classes
Meeting with students from large classes
Posting exam scores (know the rules)
Students’ review of their exams
Taking attendance
Student questions in large classes
Student appeals for exceptions
Evaluating excuses
Excuses (from Doug Bernstein)
• I can’t take the test Friday because my mother is having a
vasectomy.
• I can’t be at the exam because my cat is having kittens and I’m
her coach.
• I’m late for the test because I hit a toilet in the middle of the road.
• I’m too happy to give my presentation tomorrow. (The instructor
noted that this problem was easily fixed.)
• I can’t take the exam on Monday because my mom is getting
married on Sunday and I’ll be too drunk to drive back to school.
• I can’t finish my paper because I just found out that my girlfriend
is a nymphomaniac.
• Two students sitting next to each other in an exam were asked
why they had identical answer sheets even though they had
different forms of the exam. Their answer: “We studied together.”
XI. Advising, Mentoring
• Academic advising
• Career advising
• Personal advising (counseling?)
– Know what is available at your university
(handouts)
• Research mentoring
• Teaching mentoring
• Clinical supervision
May 17 – Thursday
9:00 – 10:15
Writing
Computers in teaching
Media
10:35 – 11:50
Large Classes
Team Teaching
Course Evaluation
XII. Writing - Overview
• Learning to write
– The need to write well
– The problem at large universities
– The solutions?
• Writing to learn
– Low stakes writing
– High stakes writing
– Two-minute papers
The Need to Write Well
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Most jobs require some writing
Good writing is correlated with good thinking
Good writing is correlated with good speaking
Good writing is about clear communication
The Problem of Large Classes
• In large classes, students typically don’t write
– No papers, no essay exams, no essay questions on
exams
– The public complains – Jack and Jill can’t write
• Solutions
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The English Department can’t do it all
Writing across the curriculum movement
“W” courses
Calibrated Peer Review (CPR) is both WTL and
LTW
Writing to Learn
• Mostly short papers
• Some are peer examined but not graded
• Good way for instructor to get feedback about student
understanding
• Instructor can grade them or simply score them as “turned
in” – “not turned in”
• Low stakes writing is often not graded, assignments are
short (e.g., journals)
• High stakes writing is graded, figures prominently in
grade calculation, more involved and longer writing
assignments
Writing to Learn, Learning to Write
See Bibliography on My Website
XIII. Computer Technologies -Overview
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Classroom Presentations
Student Note-taking in Class
Communication with Students
Course Data Management
First Question to Ask
How Do I Plan to Use the Technology,
and Do I need It?
Classroom Presentations
• PowerPoint
– Are there better systems for creation of
presentations? –Adobe Acrobat, Macromedia
Flash, SkunkLabs Liquid Media
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Use of the Internet (research, a million demos)
Graphics programs (SmartDraw)
Electronic databases
Streaming audio and video
Communication with Students
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E-mail (distribution list)
Bulletin board, listserv, E-learning
Web conferencing
Website
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Lecture notes (PowerPoint slides)
FAQ bulletin board
Links to websites students might need
Documents related to the course, previous exams?
Advising notes (e.g., TAMU Counseling Center)
Course syllabi
Course Data Management
Systems: Gradebook, WebCT, Blackboard
• Grades
• Attendance
• Research participant hours
XIV. Media
The computer has eliminated most other forms of
media in the classroom.
• Media outside the classroom: the television
assignment (data collection, writing assignments,
observational skills, common experience
activities)
• Video – brief is better
• Audio – provide a transcript
XV. Large Classes
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There’s even an acronym – LGI
Depersonalization of students
Greater course management problems
Instructor gets to know mostly the students who
do poorly on the exams
Research shows that students enjoy these classes
more when they are tested at higher cognitive
levels
Most student questions in class are procedural
Large Classes (continued)
• Students and professors prefer smaller classes
(no achievement differences between small
and large but…)
• On measures of long-term retention, critical
thinking, student motivation, and application
of learning, smaller is better
• Create small discussion groups staffed by
graduate or undergraduate students
• Use active learning exercises to involve
students and break up the lecture
Large Classes (continued)
• Some instructors prefer large classes –
theatrical types, e.g., James Maas, Henry
Pronko
• Some students prefer large classes – can be
anonymous, likely won’t have to write
Large Class: A Model
PSYC 107 – 240 Students
Meets Mon and Wed 9:10 to 10:00
Instructor and Two Graduate Teaching Assts.
Each graduate student has four 50-minute sections of
30 students each (good apprentice program)
Instructor meets weekly with the GTAs to plan the
small group classes
Guiding principle is to take advantage of the small
class size – NOTHING should be done there that
could be done in the large class
XVI. Team Teaching -- Overview
Team teaching
Co-teaching
Collaborative teaching
What team teaching usually means
What our team teaching is like – problems and
solutions
What Team Teaching
Usually Means
• Faculty members from different disciplines
• More rarely - faculty members in the same
discipline from different areas
• Typical model
– Shared planning
– Shared instruction (both are always present)
– Shared assessment
Team Teaching in Psychology at
Texas A&M
• Two graduate students, often first-time teachers,
usually in PSYC 107
• Idea is that it amounts to assigning half a course
to each graduate student instructor
• Sometimes the two instructors offer different
expertise (e.g., clinical, cognitive), sometimes not
• Too often the instructors get only a few weeks
notice of their teaching assignment
Successful Team Teaching of the
TAMU Variety
• Instructors should bring different areas of expertise to
the class
• Instructors should have good chemistry between them
• Instructors should both be present in every class, even
though one may have full instructional responsibility
• Instructors should have similar teaching and
assessment styles
• Instructors should alternate, but not usually on an
every-other-day basis
Potential Problems
• Students will like one instructor more than the
other (sometimes there is competition for
student approval)
• Testing styles can be too different
• Students are confused about expectations
because of two teachers
• Instructor absence sends wrong message about
importance of the class
Preventing Problems
Offer rather full disclosure the first day
• We are new at this and will be working hard to do
a good job as teachers
• We know you may have some problems with our
different styles but that can be a plus, because it
reflects our personalities and our interests
• We will collaborate on preparation of all exams
so that each exam should be similar in style and
level of difficulty
• We will be here together each day, even
though one of us will be the primary instructor
on any given day. We do that because we are
committed to this course, not just half of it.
• After the first 4 weeks we will ask for
anonymous evaluations of how the course is
going so that we can make whatever course
corrections are necessary.
Planning the Team-Taught Course
• Agree on your goals for the course, how you
will implement them, and how you will assess
them
• Agree on class management issues
• Divide topics according to strengths
• Set the schedule so that you change primary
instructors every 3 to 4 class meetings
New Teachers, in a Team or Not
• Show your draft syllabus to an experienced
teacher, ideally someone who has taught the
course to which you are assigned
• When preparing your first exam, show some or
all of it to that same individual for her/his opinion
• If you have a problem you can’t seem to fix or
don’t know how, seek help immediately – don’t
let it go on
• Be willing to learn from others. There is no
shame in seeking help.
XVII. Evaluation of Teaching
It’s always about getting better!
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Feedback from students
Feedback from student performance
Feedback from faculty peers (peer teams)
Feedback from teaching specialists (CTE)
Teaching Workshop 2012
Teaching of Psych books
bibliography
Goals article (2005)
Goals questionnaire
Lecture chapter (2002)
Active learning lecture
Active learning chapter
(1993)
Aggression article (1985)
Aggression questionnaire
Personality exercise (1983)
Answer changing article
(1984)
Writing exercises in
psychology bibliography
Teaching large classes
bibliography
PowerPoints for this
workshop