blog posts

• Thresholds Are Troublesome

  May 21, 2015 8:00 am2 views

  Thresholds Are Troublesome. Few new ideas in the ongoing inquiry into effective teaching and learning have generated as much productive discussion as the idea of "threshold concepts" and its older sister, "troublesome knowledge."  Another name might be bottlenecks. Threshold concepts are “portals” or gateways to transformative educational development (Meyer & Land, 2003; Trafford, 2008), and “going through” this portal leads to significant and important outcomes for the student. To promote deeper learning, faculty should identify key threshold concepts in their disciplines and assist their students in mastering those concepts.

• Final Exams as Learning Moments

  Dec 3, 2014 8:00 am2 views

  Final Exams as Teaching Moments. A common complaint from students is that final exams do not always test the kinds of knowledge that is asked for in homework or quizzes or presented in lectures. Whether this perception is accurate or not, it’s an excellent starting point for talking about the final exam. The worst final exams can seem unfocused, determined to test everything, or random things. The best final exams are learning moments. Click here for suggestions from Berkeley’s teaching center.

• Rapport Matters in the Classroom

  Jan 22, 2014 8:00 am3 views

  Rapport Matters in the Classroom. Many studies have found respect and consideration for students to be imperative in effective teaching. Students were more likely to understand the content of a lecture if the lecturer interacted with them in a way that encouraged involvement, commitment, and interest (Ramsden, 2003). This IDEA paper describes several strategies for you to implement and the underlying research for using these strategies. Click here to read this article.

• Reading Textbooks: The College Plague

  Feb 4, 2020 5:15 pm3 views

  Reading Textbooks: The College Plague. First, let’s acknowledge this universal epidemic. College students despise reading textbooks and e-books that cover content with academic information. Fortunately, I discovered a cure for the reading plague that only requires five teaspoons of ingestion: 1) survey 2) question 3) read 4) retrieve and 5) review. In my class, I have found the SQ3R Method to be a step-by-step approach to learning and studying from textbooks. Although it took my students time and practice to master this method, it has been valuable in regards to preparing students for more content-driven class discussions, increased retention and understanding of information, strategic study skills, and test preparation.

• Now is the time to do an Informal Early Feedback (IEF)

  Feb 22, 2016 8:00 am3 views

  Now is the time to do an Informal Early Feedback (IEF). Student evaluations of teaching are an important part of the feedback that instructors receive. This feedback can be especially helpful when it is collected during the semester. Our students can tell us if we are clear, accessible, respectful or timely. They may also be able to tell us if the activities we give them are well aligned with the ways we evaluate their learning. Responding to students’ comments by discussing them in class, and making changes as appropriate, can lead to increased motivation, better learning, and possibly improved end-of-semester student ratings. Here are the directions and example IEFs. If you would like assistance in developing your own IEF or interpreting the results, email did@illinois.edu
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)

  Feb 22, 2016 8:00 am3 views

  Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs). Want to get timely information about how well and what your students are learning? 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. An additional benefit of using CATs is that they also serve as active learning strategies. The standard references on CATs is Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers, 2nd edition, by Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross (Jossey-Bass, 1993). This article from Vanderbilt Center for Teaching provides several examples and how to implement CATs in your classes.

• Awake, Accountable, and Engaged

  Mar 23, 2011 8:00 am3 views

  Awake, Accountable, and Engaged. As the semester winds down, your students may begin to lose focus.  This posting from Tomorrow's Professor offers two easy techniques to keep them engaged in lectures. Click here to learn more.

• The Last Class: A Critical Course Component

  Apr 28, 2016 8:00 am3 views

  The Last Class: A Critical Course Component. There has been significant and well-deserved attention paid to the first class. This class is critical in setting the tone and expectations of the course. Unfortunately, the same amount of attention has not been paid to the last day of class. To us, this class is as important as the first. It is the class where the professor has an opportunity to celebrate the learning of the students. Unfortunately, this day is usually saved for final exam review, finishing up projects or dealing with logistical details like date, time, and location of the final or where to pick up graded term papers. The course ends with a whimper instead of a bang. Think about different ways in which to make this last day as important as the first day of class as a way for celebration and reflection.

• Learning Students' Names.

  Aug 14, 2010 8:00 am3 views

  Learning Students' Names. We all know the importance of learning our students' names as it promotes positive teacher-student relationships and demonstrates your desire to know each student as an individual. For those of us with large classes, this can be a difficult task.  Tomorrow's Professor Msg. #752 provides several strategies to help us.

• Before You Skip My Class

  Sep 22, 2011 8:00 am3 views

  Before You Skip My Class.  Your syllabus should already contain an attendance policy.  Even if it doesn't, you'll need to deal with students who skip your class.  J. Ben Deaton from the Georgia Institute of Technology discusses the four types of students you may encounter, and makes his own suggestions about how to approach them. Click here to read. 

• A Model of Learning Objectives

  Oct 6, 2011 8:00 am3 views

  A Model of Learning Objectives. If you're not already familiar with Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, you may find it to be a useful guide for asking effective questions, developing learning objectives, and writing test items. Click here to learn more about Bloom's Taxonomy. Note: There will be a CTE workshop on Effective Multiple-Choice Test Design on Oct. 25th.

• Journals that Publish the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

  Oct 20, 2011 8:00 am3 views

  Journals that Publish the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning. Sometimes the best advice is the most specific advice.  Use this list from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Kennesaw State University to help you find journals that publish articles in your field on the scholarship of teaching and learning. Here is the list of journals.

• Office Hours Off Campus

  Oct 21, 2019 11:00 am3 views

  Office Hours Off Campus. Dr. Campbell teaches large biology lecture courses at the University of Pittsburgh and few students came to his office to discuss problems they were having with his course. However, when he was sitting on the steps in front of the library reading the newspaper, students stopped to ask questions about that day’s lecture. He decided he would regularly read his newspaper there and when the weather turned colder, he moved to a coffee shop frequented by students. Before long, he was regularly meeting students off campus and never in his office. Here are some of the things that happened: impromptu study groups, mentoring, better teaching.

• Course Objectives, Student Assessment, and Course Evaluation

  Jan 12, 2012 8:00 am4 views

  Course Objectives, Student Assessment, and Course Evaluation.  Your course objectives should guide you in your syllabus construction and course planning.This article, from the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University, will help you connect the course goals in your syllabus more closely to assessment of student learning and course evaluations. Click here to learn more.

   

• Teaching through Undergraduate Research

  Jan 29, 2013 8:00 am4 views

  Teaching through Undergraduate Research. An important goal when teaching undergraduates is to show them what it is like to be a professional in your field of study. So consider implementing undergraduate research (UGR) opportunities into your course. In addition, teaching and learning can be significantly enhanced when we engage our students in collaborative research and scholarship. Click here for an introduction to UGR. And here are some ways in which to incorporate research opportunities in your course.

   

• In the next few weeks, administer an Informal Early Feedback (IEF)

  Feb 9, 2017 8:00 am4 views

  In the next few weeks, administer an Informal Early Feedback (IEF). Student evaluations of teaching are an important part of the feedback that instructors receive. This feedback can be especially helpful when it is collected during the semester. Our students can tell us if we are clear, accessible, respectful or timely. They may also be able to tell us if the activities we give them are well aligned with the ways we evaluate their learning. Responding to students’ comments by discussing them in class, and making changes as appropriate, can lead to increased motivation, better learning, and possibly improved end-of-semester student ratings. Check this site for directions and sample IEF forms.
  

• The Importance of Early Feedback

  Mar 3, 2011 8:00 am4 views

  The Importance of Early Feedback.  Student feedback needn't be collected only through ICES.  If you haven't collected feedback about how your class is doing, then read this article to understand how feedback is a valuable part of any semester, and the particular importance of early feedback. Click here to learn more about early feedback and directions and sample forms.

• Troublesome Behaviors in the Classroom

  Mar 19, 2013 8:00 am4 views

  Troublesome Behaviors in the Classroom.  It happens.  A student does something that you perceive interferes with the teaching and learning in your course. It can be such things as talking in class, arriving late, or missing deadlines. This article by Mary Deane Sorcinelli provides several strategies to address these issues. 

• Back to Basics: PowerPoint Skills

  Apr 15, 2011 8:00 am4 views

  Back to Basics: PowerPoint Skills. Creating presentations with PowerPoint is easy; creating effective instruction with PowerPoint is not.  This page from the University of Vermont collects both familiar and unique advice for avoiding "death by PowerPoint."

• Discussing Grades with Students

  Apr 15, 2011 8:00 am4 views

  Discussing Grades with Students. As the end of the semester approaches, students are likely to become more concerned about their grades.  Knowing how to respond to student complaints about grades can turn a potential argument into a productive discussion.  This page from Washington University in St. Louis offers some advice to follow.

• The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure

  May 2, 2011 8:00 am4 views

  The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure. The end of the semester can be stressful for instructors as well as students.  Use these tips from the University of Minnesota to ensure that you end your course gracefully. Click here to read the strategies.

• The Final Class Sessions: Providing Closure

  May 2, 2014 8:00 am4 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.

• What Do You Do on the Last Day of Class?

  May 2, 2014 8:00 am4 views

  What Do You Do on the Last Day of Class?  Much of the literature on the last day of class notes three primary uses of this last class session: final examination preparation, completing course evaluations, and reflecting on the course. Given the importance of this last day it is worth just a bit of effort to think through the best use of your final minutes of the course.  Here are some thoughts from UNC-Chapel Hill. 

• Time to Conduct an Informal Early Feedback (IEF)

  Sep 14, 2015 8:00 am4 views

  Time to Conduct an Informal Early Feedback (IEF). Using the informal early feedback (IEF) tool can help you learn about what is working and what is not working in your class at a time when you can make important mid-course corrections. You can get valuable valuable information not only about your teaching, but also on what and how your students learn. Late-September to mid-October is a great time to collect this feedback.  Additional information and samples are on our website. Also, register for our workshops about IEF being offered now.
  

• Save the Last Word for Me: Encouraging Students to Engage with Complex Reading and Each Other

  Sep 14, 2016 8:00 am4 views

  Save the Last Word for Me: Encouraging Students to Engage with Complex Reading and Each Other.  Online discussions are often implemented in college classes to allow students to express their understanding and perceptions about the assigned readings. This can be challenging when the reading is particularly complex, as students are typically reluctant to share their interpretations because they are not confident in their understanding. This can inhibit meaningful interactions with peers within an online discussion.  Through a review of research, we found that more structured discussions tend to exhibit higher levels of shared cognition (deNoyelles, Zydney, & Chen, 2014).

• The Importance of Early Feedback

  Sep 22, 2011 8:00 am4 views

  The Importance of Early Feedback. Student feedback needn't be collected only through ICES.  If you haven't collected feedback about how your class is doing, then read this article to understand how feedback is a valuable part of any semester, and the particular importance of early feedback.  Read the article here. Don't forget CTE's workshop about Informal Early Feedback (IEF) on Sept. 27, 2011.

• Time to Do This! Informal Early Feedback (IEF): A Valuable Opportunity for Just-in-Time Feedback.

  Sep 27, 2016 8:00 am4 views

  Time to Do This!  Informal Early Feedback (IEF): A Valuable Opportunity for Just-in-Time Feedback.  Student evaluations of teaching are an important part of the feedback that instructors receive. This feedback can be especially helpful when it is collected during the semester. Our students can tell us if we are clear, accessible, respectful or timely. They may also be able to tell us if the activities we give them are well aligned with the ways we evaluate their learning. Responding to students’ comments by discussing them in class, and making changes as appropriate, can lead to increased motivation, better learning, and possibly improved end-of-semester student ratings. Here is a description of the process and sample forms for you to adapt. You can contact CITL for assistance to create the form and/or analyze the results. 

• Tests as Opportunities for More Learning

  Oct 3, 2012 8:00 am4 views

  Tests as Opportunities for More Learning. Tests are generally thought as ways to assess what and how much students have learned. If carefully crafted, they can also serve as opportunities for additional learning to happen. See this article on creating different types of effective tests.

• Don't Spam Your Students and Other Practical Communication Tips

  Nov 1, 2021 9:15 am4 views

  (from Faculty Focus) Don't Spam Your Students and Other Practical Communication Tips.  Like us, students get a lot of messages in their inbox, which leads to students’ eyes glazing over, and then our messages get lost in the mix. How can we avoid that? Set up a consistent communication protocol that is shared with students the first week and then stick to it.

  Here’s an example: Once a week, send students a message that includes what is upcoming along with other important information or announcements. Send that update on the same day each week so that students know that on Friday (or whichever day you choose) they will get a class update. We are going for quality rather than quantity. Yes, this takes a little planning ahead, but the resulting clarity of communication will pay off. Here are ways to maximize communication through other means, such as announcements section, course webpage, and student-friendly assignment schedule.

• Strategies for a Successful Start of the Semester

  Jan 12, 2012 8:00 am5 views

  Strategies for a Successful First Start of the Semester. Prepare yourself and your students for a successful semester. Here are 101 strategies for introducing course content, setting expectations, and gathering important background information about your students.  Click here for the list.

   

• Research-Based Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity

  Jan 18, 2011 8:00 am5 views

  Research-Based Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity. You can lessen the number of academic integrity violations you'll face by presenting your students with a clear policy at the beginning of the semester.  This essay, part of the POD Network Teaching Excellence Essay Series, describes what such a policy should contain, how it should fit into your course, and how to present it to your students. Click here to learn how.

• You Got Students Talking about Their Experiences, Now What?

  Jan 28, 2015 8:00 am5 views

  You Got Students Talking about Their Experiences, Now What? "Get students talking about their experiences!" - a recommendation shared at a Teaching Professor Technology Conference. Students learn new material by connecting it to what they already know. If a teacher gets a sense of that knowledge base (which often grows out of and rests on experience) it's a lot easier to make good connections between what students know and what they need to learn. You may be surprised by what they believe and think they know.

• The Importance of Early Feedback about Teaching

  Feb 8, 2012 8:00 am5 views

  The Importance of Early Feedback about Your Teaching.  Now is the time of the semester to collect informal early feedback (IEF) about your teaching and your students' learning. To learn more about this important strategy and see sample forms, click here.  Also, CTE will be offering an IEF workshop on Feb. 21st. Register here.

• Reading Circles Get Students to Do the Reading

  Feb 12, 2015 8:00 am5 views

  Reading Circles Get Students to Do the Reading. Eric Hobson reports that on any given day and for any given assignment, 20 to 30 percent of the students have done the reading. When students don’t do the reading, they hear about the text, but they do not actually experience it or do anything that develops their reading skills. When students are placed in reading circles, with a rubric and assigned roles, they improve their reading skills, their self-confidence, and ability to express their ideas.

• Teaching Philosophy Statements

  Mar 20, 2013 8:00 am5 views

  Teaching Philosophy Statements. Teaching philosophy statements are frequently requested for job applications, grants, and promotion and tenure packets. When written well, this statement can promote deep reflection about your teaching. This article by Maryellen Weimer describes how to avoid the most common mistakes. To begin writing or improving your statement, consider attending this teaching statement workshop on April 1, 2013.

• Global Learning Through Short-Term Study Abroad

  Apr 13, 2016 8:00 am5 views

  Global Learning Through Short-Term Study Abroad. Faculty members and program directors agree that when working with a short time frame for study abroad, preparation is tantamount to success, both for the students and for the faculty member leading the group. Nearly all short-term programs are faculty-led, rather than exchanges with foreign institutions, and this setup provides many built-in benefits. Faculty, administrators, and program directors tend to agree that students get the most out of short-term programs that are highly structured, require ongoing reflection, and include in-depth experience working or studying with host country participants. Here are five best practices for short-term study abroad projects.

• The wrap-up: Ideas for the last day of class.

  Apr 28, 2016 8:00 am5 views

  The wrap-up: Ideas for the last day of class.  “When I was younger I recall having many good intentions about using the last day of class to reflect on and integrate what had happened during the semester.  Students would think about and share their Meaningful Learning Experiences, there would be significant bonding, perhaps a few tears shed, and we would all leave on a high note – in my imagination. In reality, I often use that day to catch up, students are exhausted and cranky, and they’re glad when I let them go early.” Adequate closure creates a sense of satisfaction for all involved and can reinforce the meaningful connections we’ve made with our students – connections that sometimes get lost or strained with end-of-semester stress. Read here for valuable suggestions such as letters to the future.

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

  Aug 18, 2021 10:30 am5 views

  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.

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

  Aug 28, 2013 8:00 am5 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. 

• Enhancing the Effectiveness of TA Office Hours

  Sep 14, 2015 8:00 am5 views

  Enhancing the Effectiveness of TA Office Hours. With any strategy, it is important that TAs send messages of genuine willingness to assist students. Undergraduate students do distinguish between "availability" and "approachability." They have told us that a person's "availability" during tutoring/office hours does not necessarily mean that they see him or her as "approachable." They are far more likely to "approach" someone whom they perceive as willing to assist - empathetic, patient, and interested in their learning.See this article from Tomorrow's Professor to learn more.
  

• Have you done your Informal Early Feedback (IEF)?

  Sep 25, 2014 8:00 am5 views

  Have you done your Informal Early Feedback (IEF)? Using informal early feedback (IEF) can help you learn about what is working and what is not working in your class at a time when you can make mid-course corrections. Late-September to mid-October is a great time to collect this feedback from your students.  Additional information and samples are on our website.

• Providing Constructive Feedback to Students

  Oct 3, 2012 8:00 am5 views

  Providing Constructive Feedback to Students. Students typically focus on the grades they receive and not carefully read the written feedback. What are the types of comments that will help your students learn from your feedback?  Click here for suggestions on types of effective comments and questions you can provide. 

  
  

• Five Questions That Will Improve Your Teaching

  Oct 6, 2011 8:00 am5 views

  Five Questions That Will Improve Your Teaching.  Becoming a reflective teacher begins with asking yourself questions about your teaching and ways in which to improve your students' learning. Here's a sample list of questions from Larry Ferlazzo to get you started.

   

• Teaching and Technology

  Oct 31, 2011 8:00 am5 views

  Teaching and Technology. This article, by Steven J. Corbett at Inside Higher Ed, describes one instructor's experience with using technology to teach writing.  In the process, he offers several helpful suggestions and links that can help you decide what role technology should play in your course. Click here for the article.

   

• Thinking Creatively and Critically

  Nov 9, 2015 8:00 am5 views

  Thinking Creatively and Critically. Two popular targets on the list of Things These Students Can't Do are creative thinking (coming up with innovative ideas) and critical thinking (making judgments or choices and backing them up with evidence and logic). When our colleagues complain to us that their students can't do them, after we make appropriate sympathetic noises we ask, "Where were they supposed to learn to do it?" The answers may vary, but one we rarely hear is "In my class."  Here are some strategies from Rebecca Brent and Richard Felder.

• Creating Cartoons to Spark Engagement and Learning

  Nov 12, 2018 3:15 pm5 views

  Creating Cartoons to Spark Engagement and Learning. As instructors, we are constantly looking for new ways to capture our students’ attention and increase their participation in our classes, especially in the online modalities. We spend countless hours crafting weekly announcements for classes and then inevitably receive multiple emails from our students asking the very same questions that we so carefully and completely answered in those very same announcements! The question remains, how do we get them to read our posts?

  It was precisely that problem I was trying to solve when I came across several articles touting the benefits of comics in higher education classrooms. I wondered if I could create a content-related cartoon that would not only capture students’ attention and maybe make them laugh, but also interest them enough that they would read the entire announcement or post. After a positive response, I decided to provide my online and face-to-face students the opportunity to try their hand at cartoon creation. This activity provide more ways for students to develop higher levels of assimilation and creation (Bloom’s Taxonomy, 2001).

• Final Exams

  Nov 17, 2021 5:15 pm5 views

  (from Harvard University, Bok Center).  Final Exams. Final exams remain one of the most common genre of capstone assignments, set at the end of courses in order to give students (and instructors) the opportunity to synthesize and reflect on the full arc of the semester. To some degree, the popularity of exams among instructors and students may owe something to their sheer familiarity. Often, because instructors assume that students are familiar with the form, they also assume that students need relatively little preparation in order to do well on them, thus freeing up class time for more content coverage. This is not always the case, however, and in order for exams to fulfill their potential for assessing certain levels of understanding, instructors must be clear about the purpose of what they will ask students to do, write good questions, and scaffold students into the exam. 

  Before you settle on a particular genre of assessment, we recommend that you visit these pages on capstone assignments, writing effective assignment prompts, and sequencing and scaffolding.

   

• Assigning Course Grades

  Nov 29, 2015 8:00 am5 views

  Assigning Course Grades. Various grading practices are used by college and university faculty. Some examples are absolute standard, relative grading, percent grading, and grading on the curve. The Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning provides an examination of the more widely used methods and discussion of the advantages, disadvantages and fallacies associated with each.

• End-of-the-Semester Reflection from the Teachers Point of View

  Nov 30, 2018 2:00 pm5 views

  End-of-the-Semester Reflection from the Teachers Point of View. Make self-reflection a part of the end of the term teaching process. Self-reflection helps you retain the insights you’ve gained along the way as you have been teaching the current course, and it will inspire you to seek out new approaches; you’ll feel more comfortable, confident, and engaged next semester. Some areas to consider are general reflections and what to do with the information you gathered.
  

• Building Rapport from the Beginning

  Jan 14, 2015 8:00 am6 views

  Building Rapport from the Beginning.  Good rapport between instructor and students is arguably the most important factor in good classroom dynamics. You should begin the process of building rapport and collegiality on the first day of class, and continue cultivating this environment throughout the semester. Don’t miss this opportunity on your first day.