Posts Tagged ‘student learning’
May 15 - Learner-Centered Teaching: Good Places to Begin
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching Professor Blog
It’s probably the question I’m most asked in workshops on learner-centered teaching. “What are some good places to start? My students aren’t used to learner-centered approaches.” Sometimes the questioner is honest enough to add, “and I haven’t used many previously.” Before the specifics, here’s some general recommendations: start slowly (for example, don’t add 14 learner-centered strategies to a mostly lecture course); try simple, reasonably straightforward activities first; and define success before implementing the activity. As for those “good places” to begin infusing your teaching with learner-centered strategies, here are some approaches to try.
March 26 - Why Doesn’t Teacher Feedback Improve Student Performance?
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching and Learning
Sometimes feedback leads to better performance, but not all the time and not as often as teachers would like, given the time and effort they devote to providing students feedback. It’s easy to blame students who seem interested only in the grade—do they even read the feedback? Most report that they do, but even those who pay attention to it don’t seem able to act on it—they make the same errors in subsequent assignments. Why is that?
March 5 - Test Review Sessions: A Better Design
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Effective Teaching Strategies
Terence Favero begins where many teachers are with respect to review sessions. Students request them. Teachers don’t like to give up class time to essentially go over material they’ve already covered. It’s difficult to find a time that works for everyone—students don’t want to come in early, and professors don’t want to review at bedtime. Then there’s the issue of who shows up for the review session. Usually, it’s not the students who most need to be there. And finally, there’s how review sessions are generally structured. Students ask questions, which the professor answers, while the students take notes. Favero notes, “Rarely does this approach lead to deep learning or prepare students for an exam.” (p. 247)
February 12 - Using the E-Portfolio to Validate Student Learning
By: Ken Scott, EdD in Instructional Design, Teaching with Technology
Too often our students consider their work in the classroom as required assignments—not work that has anything to do with what they will be doing in the real world. Oh, maybe they are picking up some skills they might use in their future employment, but that’s about it. As teachers, how do we get students to understand that the work they do in our classes—such as team projects, community service, technical papers, and even research—is relevant to what they will be doing after they graduate? How do we encourage them to keep their materials and use them to validate their work as students? I think I have an answer. Teaching an e-portfolio capstone course for several years has given me a perspective that I believe should be the framework for validating student learning outcomes across all institutions of higher education.
February 7 - How Can I Improve Lessons with a 4-step Plan?
By: Mary Bart in 20 Minute Mentor, Teaching & Learning
Instead of asking yourself, “What am I going to teach today?” ask yourself, “What are my students going to learn today?” Mary Clement, Ed.D., has mastered the lesson planning process and developed a four-step plan that simplifies how you plan and creates even stronger, more engaging lessons.
February 1 - Humor in the Classroom: 40 Years of Research
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Effective Teaching Strategies
You have to admire scholars willing to look at 40 years of research on any topic, and this particular review is useful to faculty interested in understanding the role of humor in education. It starts with definitions, functions, and theories of humor. It identifies a wide range of different types of humor. It reviews empirical findings, including the all-important question of whether using humor helps students learn. And finally, this 30-page review concludes with concrete advice and suggestions for future research. It’s one of those articles that belong in even modest instructional libraries—imagine having to track down the better-than-100 references in the bibliography.
January 22 - Online Homework Systems Can Boost Student Achievement
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Instructional Design
Online homework has great appeal for instructors, especially those teaching large courses. By using online assignments, instructors don’t have to collect, grade, and promptly return large quantities of homework assignments. Online programs provide instructors with feedback on student performance that can be used to modify the presentation of material in class. Online homework is also beneficial to students. They get feedback promptly, even more promptly than that provided by very conscientious instructors. Online homework can also be designed so that it allows students to work on areas that frequently cause trouble and/or on areas where the individual student is having difficulty.
January 9 - Gamification: Applying Game Principles to Your Teaching
By: Mary Bart in Online Seminars
The principles that underpin successful games (display progress, maximize competition, calibrate difficulty carefully, provide diversions and employ narrative elements) can be used to transform student learning. You can use these principles in all types of classes to create an educational experience that puts students on a path to mastery.
December 19 - How Can I Make My Exams More about Learning, Less about Grades?
By: Mary Bart in 20 Minute Mentor, Assessment & Learning Goals
Rather than advancing the educational experience for learners or helping instructors evaluate students’ mastery of the material, exams can lead to an awkward dance between students and faculty. This program will show you how to shift the focus of exams from grades to learning.
December 19 - Is Your Syllabus Sending the Wrong Message?
By: Mary Bart in 20 Minute Mentor, Teaching & Learning
They say you have only one chance to make a first impression. If that’s true, what does your syllabus say about you and your class?
Is the focus on what students will be learning or on a long list of policies and penalties? Find out how you can use your syllabus to create interest and inspire learning in your courses.
