blog posts

• Constructing Fair and Appropriate Final Exams

  Dec 5, 2013 8:00 am

  Constructing Fair and Appropriate Final Exams. A common student complaint is that final exams do not always test the kinds of knowledge asked for in homework or quizzes or presented in lectures. The worst final exams can seem unfocused, determined to test everything, or random things. The best final exams are learning moments and are aligned with learning goals presented in your syllabus.  Here are some ways from the Berkeley teaching center to review the final exam you created.

• The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure

  Dec 5, 2013 8:00 am

  The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure. The end of the semester can be stressful for instructors as well as students. If you have a few minutes in this last session, take the opportunity for all to reflect about where the students started and how much they have learned. Here are some tips from the University of Minnesota. Click here to read the strategies.

• Helping Students Discover the Value of a Good Set of Notes

  Oct 24, 2013 8:00 am

  Helping Students Discover the Value of a Good Set of Notes. Students benefit from taking and having a good set of notes, even though many of them don’t see the value, don’t take good notes, and like it best when they can copy word-for-word what the teacher says or has on the PowerPoint slides. This article by Weimer offers a range of activities teachers can use to help students discover what a good set of notes enables them to do.

• Research-Based Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity

  Oct 24, 2013 8:00 am

  Research-Based Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity. Our campus, like many others, has a definition of academic integrity and outlines what academic integrity infractions are. But is this enough to prevent cheating? Michele DiPietro writes that it is important to understand the motivation for student cheating and implement strategies that promote academic integrity. Click here for the article.

• Understanding Student Writing – Where is the Main Idea?

  Oct 10, 2013 8:00 am

  Understanding Student Writing – Where is the Main Idea? Imagine that you’re grading a stack of student papers and, somewhere mid-stack, find yourself stopped, stuck, as you try to figure out a student’s idea. You’re pretty sure the student has one, maybe even a good one, but the writing is muddled and you don’t know how to begin. Recognizing the “expert (instructor)-novice (student) distinction” can provide some insights on how to help your students. Click here to learn more.

• Too Many Papers to Grade? Two Solutions

  Oct 10, 2013 8:00 am

  Too Many Papers to Grade? Two Solutions. Many of us have writing assignments as part of the course grade. Writing well takes practice and many drafts, which we strongly encourage or even require.  We know that more drafts from our students means more grading for us. An article from Faculty Focus offers two solutions to reduce the amount of grading while encouraging our students to put their best efforts in their drafts.

• Promoting Deep Learning through Clickers

  Sep 25, 2013 8:00 am

  Promoting Deep Learning through Clickers. Maximize discussions and promote deep learning in your classes by carefully crafting your clicker questions. These questions can identify common student misconceptions, challenge students to select the one best answer, and provide an opportunity for peer assessment. Click here to learn about these different types of clicker questions.  

• Getting Timely Feedback

  Sep 25, 2013 8:00 am

  Getting Timely Feedback. Getting feedback from your students in the weeks between late September and mid-October provides valuable information on how your course is going. One strategy to get pertinent information about you and your students is through the Informal Early Feedback (IEF). Visit our website for directions and sample forms.  

• Tips on Leading an Effective Discussion

  Sep 11, 2013 8:00 am

  Tips on Leading an Effective Discussion.When students participate by asking and answering questions, it can improve their learning and promote critical thinking skills. Here are several strategies to increase the quantity and quality of their participation.

• Effective Discussion Boards

  Sep 11, 2013 8:00 am

  Effective Discussion Boards. Meaningful online discussions that promote learning and build community usually do not happen spontaneously. They require planning, good use of questioning techniques, and incentives for student participation. Click here for types of questions to ask.