blog posts

• Student Resistance to Learner-Centered Teaching

  Oct 31, 2011 8:00 am9 views

  Student Resistance to Learner-Centered Teaching. Have you worked hard to incorporate a variety of strategies to engage your students?  Do you feel that your students actually prefer that you just lecture? Richard Felder provides a number of considerations to explain student resistance and ways to overcome it.  Click here for the article.

• Courses That Are Hard, but Not Too Hard: Finding the Sweet Spot

  Nov 9, 2016 8:00 am9 views

  Courses That Are Hard, but Not Too Hard: Finding the Sweet Spot. Courses need to be challenging, but when they become too hard, students stop trying and little learning results. So how do we find that sweet spot between hard and not too hard? More importantly, how do we create that sweet spot in our own courses through the decisions we make about content, assignments, and exams?  One solution is to give students opportunities to work on content in class and then listen closely to their conversations. Are they working hard, experiencing some frustration, but finally figuring it out? How much effort are they expending? Additional strategies, including exam wrappers, are discussed.

• Not just the same old drill: Student-authored test questions improve critical thinking

  Nov 14, 2017 10:15 am9 views

  Faculty frequently name critical thinking as one of the most important goals for student learning. However, a key challenge to cultivating critical thinking can be the development of complex assessments. This can be especially difficult in large classes, when many tests and quizzes are in a multiple-choice format. In a recent study published in the Journal of Dental Education, a team of U-Michigan faculty investigated a new approach to mitigate these challenges. This student-centered approach to testing asks students to work in teams to design their own multiple-choice questions. One result is that students reported that it helped them on exams and enhanced their critical thinking skills.

• Last Day of Class

  Nov 17, 2021 5:15 pm9 views

  (from Berkeley University Center for Teaching & Learning). Last Day of Class. Make the last day count. Too often, the last day of a class can be taken up with housekeeping-information on the final, last minute details, and course evaluations. But as Richard Lyons, author of several books on college teaching says, "the final class is a key student retention milepost." Some suggestions are: “Thank the class” (where one professor says,  "I take some time to thank the students for their part in the course and to tell them what they did to make my job easier (e.g. worked hard, asked questions, were cheerful, etc.) and “Students' concluding remarks” (after providing your own remarks, ask for theirs). Here is a potpourri of ideas from Berkeley faculty.

• Managing the End of the Semester: How to Avoid Hitting the Panic Button

  Nov 30, 2018 2:00 pm9 views

  Managing the End of the Semester: How to Avoid Hitting the Panic Button. Do you ever feel like your back is up against the wall at the end of the semester? You haven’t got all the material you intended to cover covered. Your course syllabus spells out X amount but you’re not quite there yet. It’s a race against time. There are only a few class periods left. You start jamming like there’s no tomorrow. Your main objective: cover the remaining content. Rather than trying to cover that last bit of content, refocus those last few days on providing review sessions. Get with your students and go over that which you have covered, where you’ve taken them, and how far they’ve come.

• The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure

  Dec 5, 2013 8:00 am9 views

  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.

• Don't Be Alone during Office Hours

  Jan 3, 2018 3:30 pm8 views

  As part of a series on creating conditions for student success, there was a student panel addressing a group of faculty about their experiences thus far at Berkeley. The students talked about their favorite classes, what made them so valuable, and what their professors had done to engage them so effectively in learning. When one faculty member brought up the topic of office hours, the students became relatively silent. When asked how many on the panel had gone to office hours, none raised their hand. It was surprising in some ways to hear about so many transformative experiences that all centered around student-faculty interaction, yet an opportunity like office hours was not being capitalized upon. Why not? Heading into a new semester is a good time to give some consideration to how you can increase the use and effectiveness of your office hours - for your students, and for you. 

• Students and instructors have different expectations about classroom etiquette

  Jan 3, 2018 3:30 pm8 views

  While some behaviors would be considered rude and offensive in any context, others are a matter of individual interpretation. For example, some instructors are bothered if students wear hats, eat in class, slouch, etc. while others are not. Moreover, what is considered appropriate (or rude) classroom behavior can vary strikingly from one culture to another. For example, members of one culture might be comfortable addressing professors by first name, while members of another find this disrespectful. Finally, standards of courtesy vary from discipline to discipline and department to department. To complicate matters further, even in the context of a single class the boundary between appropriate and inappropriate behavior can be subtle and difficult to navigate. Here are some strategies in navigating diverse expectations.

• Make the Most of the First Day of Class

  Jan 13, 2022 10:30 am8 views

  (from Carnegie Mellon University – Eberly Center). Make the Most of the First Day of Class (Loosely based on Lyons et al. 2003). The first day of class always creates some nervousness, even for seasoned instructors. It helps to have a mental checklist of objectives to accomplish so that you and your students come away with the impression that the course is off to a good start.

  The first class meeting should serve at least two basic purposes: 1) To clarify all reasonable questions students might have relative to the course objectives, as well as your expectations for their performance in class. As students leave the first meeting, they should believe in your competence to teach the course, be able to predict the nature of your instruction, and know what you will require of them and 2) To give you an understanding of who is taking your course and what their expectations are.  These two basic purposes expand into a set of eight concrete objectives.  

• Creating Rapport from the Beginning

  Jan 17, 2013 8:00 am8 views

  Creating Rapport from the Beginning: The first several days of the semester are critical in setting the tone for the class and creating a positive rapport between you and your students.  In addition, creating rapport will help in establishing trust and community-building. Here are several helpful strategies to get you started.

• Critical Connections for Successful Teaching and Learning

  Jan 17, 2013 8:00 am8 views

  Critical Connections for Successful Teaching and Learning. Kreizinger suggests keeping in mind three critical connections when preparing and delivering your lessons.  They are connections between 1) teacher and content, 2) teacher and students (and students and students), and 3) students and content.  Click here to learn more about these critical connections and how to implement them.

• Basic Differences Between First-Generation and Non-First-Generation Students

  Feb 5, 2014 8:00 am8 views

  Basic Differences Between First-Generation and Non-First-Generation Students. Our student population is becoming more diverse. One of the differences that we see is a growing population of first-generation college students.  These students in their first year must grapple with a variety of tough questions about themselves, their reasons for attending college, and the challenges of their new environment. Here is an article that describes some of their experiences. 

• 10 Assessment Design Tips for Increasing Online Student Retention, Satisfaction and Learning

  Feb 7, 2016 8:00 am8 views

  10 Assessment Design Tips for Increasing Online Student Retention, Satisfaction and Learning - How much time do we put into the design of the assessment plans in our online courses? Is most of that time focused upon summative graded assignments that factor into the course grade? Or, do they also include opportunity for practice and informal feedback? I confess that I have an increasingly difficult time with online courses that limit assessment plans to a few papers, projects, quizzes, and tests. In an age of educational innovation and online learning, perhaps it is time to further explore enhancements to traditional notions of grading. Click here to read the suggested strategies. 

• Student Motivation to Learn

  Mar 6, 2013 8:00 am8 views

  Student Motivation to Learn. Have you ever said, “My students just aren’t motivated”?   Here is a model that defines extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and provides research-based strategies to motivate students to learn. Click here to learn more. 

• Best Practices for Video Creation

  Mar 15, 2021 10:30 pm8 views

  (From UIUC Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning) Best Practices for Video Creation. Without a set shop, makeup department, or (even) camera operator, many key aesthetics that viewers have grown accustomed to may get overlooked when recording on your own. Following the best practices listed below will improve your students' lecture viewing experience. These tips also double as a checklist of non-technical elements that you can control to ensure minimum distraction away from your intended message/teaching. Additional information are Media Planning Guide (PDF), Illinois Media Space, and video editing tips. 

• Laptops in the Classroom

  Mar 21, 2012 8:00 am8 views

  Laptops in the Classroom.  As you look around your class, you see an increasing number of laptops. They can serve as an effective tool to improve student engagement and learning or they can be a distraction; which is why you should be prepared with a policy for their use. This article from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan presents research and best practices to help you develop such a policy.

   

   

   

• Four Student Misconceptions about Learning

  Mar 31, 2014 8:00 am8 views

   Four Student Misconceptions about Learning. "Efficient and effective learning starts with a proper mindset," Stephen Chew  writes in "Helping Students to Get the Most Out of Studying." Chew continues, pointing out what most of us know firsthand, students harbor some fairly serious misconceptions that undermine their efforts to learn such as “learning is fast” and “I’m really good at multi-tasking.”  Click here to read the article.  

• Conquering ‘Forty Percent of the Grade’: Interactive Strategies for Helping Students Prepare for Comprehensive Final Exams.

  Apr 24, 2018 3:15 pm8 views

  “But it’s 40% of the grade!” First-year Political Science students commonly raise this concern about the comprehensive final exam often given at the end of introductory survey courses. Many are simply unsure about how to study for cumulative exams. Further, commonly recommended approaches (such as reading carefully and taking notes) tend to preference visual learners. Students who learn best by talking through their ideas and actively participating are often at a disadvantage and struggle with identifying strategies that work for them. Preparation often becomes an anxiety-provoking, last-minute cram session filled with more stress and caffeine than actual learning. Here are four strategies to help students of all learning styles identify key concepts, relate them to one another, and develop critical essay arguments during the course of the final exam.

• Last Day of Class. Make the last day count

  Apr 25, 2019 11:30 am8 views

  Last Day of Class. Make the last day count. Too often, the last day of a class can be taken up with housekeeping-information on the final, last minute details, and course evaluations. But as Richard Lyons, author of several books on college teaching says, "the final class is a key student retention milepost." Some suggestions are: “Thank the class” (where one professor says,  "I take some time to thank the students for their part in the course and to tell them what they did to make my job easier (e.g. worked hard, asked questions, were cheerful, etc.) and “Students' concluding remarks” (after providing your own remarks, ask for theirs).

• Should Effort Count? Students Certainly Think So

  May 7, 2015 8:00 am8 views

  Should Effort Count? Students Certainly Think So. In a recent study, a group of 120 undergraduates were asked what percentage of a grade should be based on performance and what percentage on effort. The students said that 61% of the grade should be based on performance and 39% on effort. Historically, grades have been thought of as measures of performance. Is effort a viable dimension of a course grade? Should you get credit for trying if you don’t succeed or just barely succeed? This article raises a number of thought-provoking questions.

• What Faculty Can Do to Support Student Notetaking Skills

  Jun 12, 2014 8:00 am8 views

  What Faculty Can Do to Support Student Notetaking Skills. It is problematic when students take incomplete and/or inadequate notes, especially when the content is on essential, often complex material.  There are a number of strategies that the instructor can do during the lecture to enhance students’ notetaking.  Here are some of them from the U. of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching.  

• Learning Students' Names

  Sep 5, 2012 8:00 am8 views

  Learning Students' Names. Research indicates that knowing students' names makes for a better semester for you and your students.  Here are several strategies on how to remember their names and learn more about them.  Click here to read them.
  

• Promoting Deep Learning through Clickers

  Sep 25, 2013 8:00 am8 views

  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.  

• A Simple Invitation - Please See Me.

  Oct 11, 2016 8:00 am8 views

  A Simple Invitation - Please See Me.  It all began with a simple message that I wrote on the tests or assignments of students who were struggling: “Please see me so we can discuss your performance on the test (or assignment). Let’s see what we can do to improve your grade.” Although initially I was not collecting data on the effectiveness of my “invitation,” I soon realized that most of students—about 80 percent—responded to it. Notably, those who met with me began to do better on future tests; their assignments improved as well.
  

• Learning through Student Teams

  Oct 17, 2012 8:00 am8 views

  Learning through Student Teams. One of the benefits of team assignments is the opportunity for students to teach other (peer learning). If carefully planned and monitored, team work results in improved skills in problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills. Click here to learn how to implement team work in your courses. You may also attend the CTE team workshop on October 31^st.

• Getting the Most from Student Peer Review

  Oct 20, 2011 8:00 am8 views

  Getting the Most from Student Peer Review. Peer review has the potential to give your students feedback from multiple points of view.To ensure that this feedback is high quality, consider using this form from the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard. Click here for the form.

• Exam Wrapper

  Nov 9, 2016 8:00 am8 views

  Exam Wrapper. Here’s a strategy that helps students look at more than the grade when an exam is returned. An exam wrapper (I like the name) is a handout attached to the exam that students complete as part of the exam debrief process. The wrapper directs students “to review and analyze their performance (and the instructor’s feedback) with an eye toward adapting their future learning.” (Ambrose et al, 2010, p. 251). Here is a more detailed description of the exam wrapper strategy.
  

• The Last Day of Class - Make It Count

  Nov 29, 2015 8:00 am8 views

  The Last Day of Class. Make the last day count. Too often, the last day of a class can be taken up with housekeeping-information on the final, last minute details, and course evaluations. But as Richard Lyons, author of several books on college teaching says, "the final class is a key student retention milepost." Here are some activities from Berkeley’s teaching center.

• Assigning Final Course Grades

  Dec 6, 2012 8:00 am8 views

  Assigning Final Course Grades.  Assigning final course grades is one of the most important responsibilities of an instructor. This grade should accurately represent the level of a student’s achievement.  Click here to learn CTE’s suggestions for sound policies and practices when determining course grades.

   

• Make the Most of the First Day of Class

  Jan 12, 2017 8:00 am7 views

  Make the Most of the First Day of Class.  The first day of class always creates some nervousness, even for seasoned instructors. It helps to have a mental checklist of objectives to accomplish so that you and your students come away with the impression that the course is off to a good start. The first class meeting should serve at least two basic purposes: a) to clarify all reasonable questions students might have relative to the course objectives, as well as your expectations for their performance in class. As students leave the first meeting, they should believe in your competence to teach the course, be able to predict the nature of your instruction, and know what you will require of them and b) to give you an understanding of who is taking your course and what their expectations are. These two basic purposes expand into a set of eight concrete objectives that will maximize opportunities in your first day.

• Tricks and Tips for Teaching with Masks

  Jan 24, 2022 4:15 pm7 views

  (from University of Michigan LSA Technology Services). Tricks and Tips for Teaching with Masks. Above and beyond masking policies for indoor spaces on campus, University of Michigan Face Covering Policy  (University of Illinois Face Covering Policy) requires all people to wear masks in any classroom or classlab. This also includes spaces where classes are being held, such as conference rooms and lab spaces. 

  Teaching with a mask on does present a number of challenges, especially if the instructor has back-to-back courses or multiple sessions on a single day.  Here are 24 Teaching Tips for Teaching with Masks; e.g., how to use a microphone, breathing techniques, and maximizing body language.

• Active Learning Strategies that Provide Great Feedback

  Feb 8, 2013 8:00 am7 views

  Active Learning Strategies that Provide Great Feedback. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS) are generally simple, non-graded, anonymous, in-class activities designed to give you and your students useful feedback on the teaching-learning process as it is happening.  There are many CATS to select depending on what you want to assess and how much time you have. Consider implementing these activities throughout the semester. Click here to learn more about CATS.

• Advice for how to make grading more equitable (opinion).

  Feb 19, 2020 9:00 am7 views

  Advice for how to make grading more equitable (opinion). Ask any faculty member about how they grade their students, and they will probably explain the precise weights they give quizzes, tests, papers, labs and other factors -- as well as how they average student results over the term to determine a final grade. Even though the scholarship, technology and pedagogy of postsecondary courses have significantly evolved in the last century, the ways students are graded has remained unchanged. This should come as no surprise, considering that most college and university faculty members receive no training in how to grade, either in graduate school or professional development on the job, and so most typically grade as they were graded. Plus, because faculty members rarely receive support to examine and learn about grading, each professor’s grading policies are filtered through their own individual beliefs about how students learn, how to motivate them and how best to describe student achievement. As a result, grades often vary within a department and even within a course taught by different instructors. Here are improved grading practices.

• Collaboration or Plagiarism? Explaining Collaborative-Based Assignments Clearly

  Feb 20, 2014 8:00 am7 views

  Collaboration or Plagiarism? Explaining Collaborative-Based Assignments Clearly. Although there are many positive aspects of group work, there are negatives as well. One particular problem occurs when students are confused about faculty expectations involving the work product of teams. How much of the group project, if any, is individual-based vs. a group collaboration?  Here are some strategies to set expectations and clear guidelines.

   

• Five Ways to Improve Exam Review Sessions

  Mar 9, 2016 8:00 am7 views

  Five Ways to Improve Exam Review Sessions. Here are two frequently asked questions about exam review sessions: (1) Is it worth devoting class time to review, and (2) How do you get students, rather than the teacher, doing the reviewing? Instead of answering those questions directly, a more helpful response might be a set of activities that can make exam review sessions more effective.

• Educating Students about Plagiarism

  Apr 12, 2012 8:00 am7 views

   

  Educating Students about Plagiarism.  Plagiarism is uncredited use of someone else's text or ideas. Some students unwittingly commit plagiarism because they are unaware of the rules regarding citing sources. Here is a self-test of common situations to help students identify examples of plagiarism.This site is a collaborative project originally funded by the Center for Educational Technology, Middlebury College, and developed by Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin Colleges. Also, here is a link to our campus Student Code regarding plagiarism.

   

   

• Ending the Semester

  Apr 18, 2022 11:15 am7 views

  (from Georgetown University CNDLS) Ending the Semester. A semester is a marathon effort, and, by the time you reach the end of it, it’s quite possible that everyone—you and the students both—will be exhausted, and perhaps very ready to leave the course behind. But one last thoughtful push can ensure that the course’s conclusion is meaningful in its own right. Naturally, the final stretch of the course is an important time to reflect on the class experience and the material that’s been covered. Not only is it an opportunity to review material that students might need to revisit as they approach final exams and final papers—or to answer any questions that, for the students, remain unresolved—it’s also an opportunity to underscore the significance of the experience the students have just had, to invite the students to appreciate how far they’ve come in a few months. Here are some ways to maximize the end of the semester through reflection, integration, gathering feedback, and looking forward.

• Helping Student Study for Final Exams

  Apr 25, 2013 8:00 am7 views

  Helping Students Study for Final Exams. Students often return to inefficient and ineffective study habits as they feel the time crush to prepare for their final exams. GAMES, a mnemonic device developed by Marilla Svinicki, is a useful approach for students to use as they prepare for final exams. The five strategies are based on theories of learning.  Click here to learn more about these strategies to share with your students. 

• Assigning Final Course Grades

  May 2, 2022 5:30 pm7 views

  (from UIUC Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning – CITL) Assigning Final Course Grades. The end-of-course grades assigned by instructors are intended to convey the level of achievement of each student in the class. These grades are used by students, other faculty, university administrators, and prospective employers to make a multitude of different decisions. Unless instructors use generally-accepted policies and practices in assigning grades, these grades are apt to convey misinformation and lead the decision-maker astray. When grading policies are practices are carefully formulated and reviewed periodically, they can serve well the many purposes for which they are used. 

• Assigning Course Grades

  May 7, 2015 8:00 am7 views

  Assigning Course Grades. We come to that time of the semester when we must do the difficult task of assigning the final course grades. What do we do with “borderline” grades? Should effort be considered? What about bonus points? Here are some strategies to consider when determining the final grade.

• End of Semester Evaluations

  May 14, 2019 2:00 pm7 views

  End of Semester Evaluations. Most universities use final course evaluations to solicit feedback from students. The results of these evaluations can be used to inform the next offering of the course, as well as—ideally in conjunction with many other forms of evidence of teaching effectiveness—the career trajectory of the instructor.  How do you interpret summative feedback and use it to improve your teaching? Here are four main challenges that teachers may face when interpreting end-of-course feedback from students

• Interpret Feedback and Interpreting Your Student Reports.

  Jun 6, 2022 11:30 am7 views

  (from Stanford University: Evaluation & Research, Student Affairs). Interpret Feedback and Interpreting Your Student Reports. (Note: This article may be of value as you have just received your end-of-semester ICES Online results).  As you read through your reports, bear in mind that Stanford’s student course feedback forms are designed to direct students’ attention towards their own learning. The responses should reflect how much and how well students learned in your course. The teaching feedback form, however, directs attention to individual section instructors.

  Look for patterns: are the distributions consistent and in the ranges you expect? Are there unusual clusters, such as a “spike,” or a very high and very low grouping? A single mean score can be a few decimal points higher or lower simply due to the random sample of students in a particular course from term to term. An increase or decrease of a few decimal points should not necessarily be interpreted as a significant change. For more information, read our discussion paper on the reliability of evaluation statistics (PDF). Finally, it is common to concentrate on outliers or unique responses, but it is more useful to look for patterns and trends than speculate about an isolated score. Let’s begin with general questions. 

• How to Teach What You Don't Actually Know

  Jun 7, 2011 8:00 am7 views

  How to Teach What You Don't Actually Know.  Are you preparing to teach a course that's outside your area of expertise? Therese Huston, plenary speaker at last year's Annual Faculty Retreat, can help you face next semester with confidence.  Read the Chronicle article here.

• Creating a Syllabus: The Basics

  Aug 7, 2013 8:00 am7 views

  Creating a Syllabus: The Basics. The syllabus is a document that shares with the students what they will be doing and learning, what the goals are, how they are assessed, and an insight into your teaching philosophy. Syllabi differ across individuals, courses, and disciplines; however, there are certain components that all syllabi should contain. Click here for a tutorial on creating a syllabus from the U. of Minnesota teaching center.

• Don’t Waste the First Day

  Aug 12, 2015 8:00 am7 views

  Don’t waste the first day. Do you go over the syllabus page by page on the first day? Take advantage of the first day by hooking students into course content before distributing the syllabus. Do a background probe activity, get to know them and walk from one student to another, make your teaching style transparent. This article describes additional strategies to maximize that first day as a valuable learning experience.  

• Advice for the First Day of Class: Today We Will ...

  Aug 17, 2022 10:45 am7 views

  (From Faculty Focus).  Advice for the First Day of Class: Today We Will. The first day of class is critical. What happens on the first day, even in the first moments, sets the tone for the entire course. The impression you make will last the entire semester, and today’s students are not shy about sharing their opinions. Most students will make up their minds about the course and the instructor during that first class period. That is why you must use the first day, the first moments of class, to inspire confidence in your abilities and create a classroom atmosphere where the rules are clear; expectations are high; and yet students feel welcome, comfortable, and engaged. 

• Learning Students' Names

  Aug 23, 2011 8:00 am7 views

  Learning Students' Names. Research indicates that knowing students' names makes for a better semester for you and your students.  Here are some ideas from the Office of Graduate Studies at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln to start your semester off right.  Click here for ideas.

• 101 Things to Do in the First Three Weeks of Class

  Aug 28, 2014 8:00 am7 views

  101 Things to Do in the First Three Weeks of Class. Want a successful start to the semester? How about setting expectations, learning students’ prior knowledge, motivating and engaging your students? Here are several strategies to implement right away. 

• Is Praise Enhancing or Undermining Student Motivation?

  Aug 29, 2016 8:00 am7 views

  Is Praise Enhancing or Undermining Student Motivation? Research has found that praise can actually undermine performance and self-esteem in many contexts. One study found that praise for intelligence leads to the belief by the recipient that their intelligence is fixed, and thus not something that they can influence through action or effort (Dweck, 2007).  A more effective feedback is to switch from praise for intelligence or achievement to praise for effort and process, rather than product. People have control over their level of effort, and if they see that the effort will be recognized, they tend to give more of it. This article describes how to provide more effective feedback that will help students to improve.
  

• Getting Students to Read: Important Considerations

  Sep 11, 2014 8:00 am7 views

  Getting Students to Read: Important Considerations. “Whenever faculty get together to talk about student writing or critical thinking, they inevitably turn also to problems of student reading.” (Bean, 1996, p. 133).  Think carefully about why and how you assign required readings. You can reduce your own and your students’ frustrations by thinking about these important ways to incorporate readings into your course. Click here to read the IDEA article.