Teaching and Learning

Help Your Students Become More Mindful Editors

“How many of you would keep listening to a CD—even of your favorite band—if the CD regularly skipped?” That’s the question I ask my students. Although the question keeps evolving (and now that students have abandoned CDs for iPods, I may have to come up with another analogy), my point doesn’t change. Even in pleasurable pursuits, we tolerate distractions or interference only to a degree, after which we abandon the activity.

Noralyn Masselink February 12, 2010

Researchers Recommend Providing Students with Partial Notes

Course management software programs make it especially easy for instructors to provide students with a set of complete lecture notes. It seems that more instructors are doing this, as witnessed in the regularity with which students ask that the instructor’s notes be posted. But is giving students a complete set of notes a good idea?

Maryellen Weimer, PhD February 4, 2010

Helping Students Understand Intended Learning Outcomes

Faculty who communicate intended learning outcomes help students to be more aware of their learning. The realities of “meta-learning” are that students gain practice in becoming more reflective on their experiences as learners—they start to see the why and how of education as it translates into knowledge and skills. Just as important is how they begin to view the educational experience in its entirety.

Jo Allen PhD. January 21, 2010

Encouraging Student Participation in Large Classes

If you’re interested in approaches that encourage students to participate in class and develop their public-speaking skills, as well as techniques that help you learn student names, then my “daily experts” strategy may be of use to you.

Angie Thompson, PhD January 6, 2010

Different Sources of Power that Affect the Teacher-Student Relationship

Communication educators have taken a well-known typology of power and applied it to teachers. According to this theory-based schematic, individuals exert influence over other individuals based on five different sources of power.

Maryellen Weimer, PhD December 22, 2009

Why It Can Be Hard to Get to Know Your Students

Getting to know your students is important, but as Dean A. McManus (referenced below) points out, it’s not always easy and may, in fact, be one of the few things that get worse with experience. Here’s why:

Maryellen Weimer, PhD December 18, 2009

Critical Pedagogy Brings New Teaching and Learning Challenges

It’s not always easy to differentiate between critical pedagogy, active learning, and the learner- or learning-centered approaches. Each is predicated on the notion of student

Maryellen Weimer, PhD December 8, 2009

Primed for Learning: Maximizing Teachable Moments When Students are Ready and Willing to Learn

Teachable moments, those special times when students are most ready and willing to learn, are traditionally considered unplanned opportunities. But should teachable moments be treated like unexpected gifts or can they actually be set in motion with a little advanced anticipation and planning by the instructor?

Mary Bart December 7, 2009

Why Are You Taking This Course?

Do you challenge students to think about why they’re taking a course? Most faculty are discouraged by the very common “because it’s required” response. Equally discouraging is what students hope to get out of a course. Sometimes they seem perplexed by the question! The answer is so obvious—they want an A.

Maryellen Weimer, PhD November 19, 2009

Why It’s So Hard to Get Students to Read the Textbook, and What Happens When They Do

“Do we really need to buy the textbook? It’s so expensive!”

“Can’t you just summarize it for us?”

“Would you just tell us what parts will be on the exam?”

“It was so long and so boring. I couldn’t get through it!”

Tracey E. Ryan November 13, 2009

Teaching and Learning

Stay Updated with Faculty Focus!

TOPICS

Stay Updated with
Faculty Focus!