Teaching Excellence Workshop

Teaching Excellence Workshop

Geoffrey Gamble, President

David Dooley, Provost

Joseph Fedock, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Gregory Young, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

Shannon Taylor , Chair, Faculty Council

Jeff Adams, AVP

Lynn Owens, HHD

Another talk about course reform...

Our Goals for the Workshop Highlight the characteristics of

good teaching. Describe various instructional and

assessment strategies to improve student learning.

Help you prepare for next week! Introduction to P&T and G&C.

Academic Advising Workshop forFaculty & Staff who advise students

Tuesday, October 9 HERE Lunch served @ 12:15 Program: 12:30-1:30

What advising at MSU looks like Questions advisors should ask CORE 2.0 Tips for effective advising Advising resources across campus How the Academic Advising Center and and departmental advising work together

Sponsored by the Academic Advising Center (University Studies) and the Teaching/Learning Committee

For more info contact: Diane Donnelly. Assoc. DirectorUniversity Studies994-6053 or donnelly@montana.edu

Please attend one of the following sessions:Thursday, August 23rdThursday, September 13thBoth sessions run from 8am to 12 noon and will be held in President’s Conference Room (Basement of Montana Hall).The Agenda will include presentations about your employee

retirement plan (TIAA/CREF), Employee Wellness, your insurance plan (CHOICES), how to complete your CHOICES form, and the Optional Reimbursement Accounts.

Please bring your new employee packet!Refreshments will be served.Please confirm attendance by calling 994-6610.

Introductions Name Where are you from? What department are you in? What is your research area? Describe the courses you will be

teaching this year. What are your burning questions?

It is now 9:45

Observing Teaching Questions to think about while

watching: the strengths and weaknesses of the

instruction the amount of learning you think is

occurring

Questions to think about: Do you want to be remembered? How do you want to be

remembered? Remember your best teacher:

What made them best for you? Were they best for everyone?

Remember your worst teacher: What made them the worst for you? Were they the worst for everyone?

What Constitutes Good Teaching* Sensitivity and Concern with Class Level

and Progress Preparation--Organization of the course Knowledge of the Subject Enthusiasm (for subject and teaching) Clarity and Understandability Availability and Helpfulness Impartiality of Evaluation; Quality of

Examinations

(*summary of 31 studies from student and faculty perspectives)

Coffee Break

We’ll start promptly at 10:45 !!

Active Learning in Your Classroom

To lecture or not to lecture, that is the

question.

What is active learning?

Characterized by: students involved rather than

listening less emphasis on transmission more

on skills

What it isn’t

What is active learning?

Characterized by: students involved rather than

listening less emphasis on transmission more

on skills emphasis on higher order thinking

skills

Taxonomy of Bloom

knowledge

comprehension

application

analysis

synthesis

Evaluation

Teaching goal

What is active learning?

Characterized by: students involved rather than listening less emphasis on transmission more on

skills emphasis on higher order thinking skills Students engaged in activities (e.g.,

writing, reading, discussing) more emphasis on students’ exploration

of their own attitudes and values

Why we lecture It’s the traditional model of higher

education. It’s what was done to us. IT WORKED FOR (MOST OF) US! “Give a faculty almost any kind of

class in any subject, large or small, upper or lower division, and they will lecture.”

-Blackburn, 1980

Is lecturing evil?

A lecture can: motivate model scholarly behavior present current material organize material to benefit a

particular audience effectively deliver large amounts of

information

Six Ways to Discourage Learning in the Lecture Insufficient "Wait-Time" The Rapid-Reward The Programmed Answer Non-Specific Feedback Questions

("Does anyone have any questions?) Fixation at a Low-level of Questioning The Condescending Response

adapted from AAS Education: http://www.aas.org/~education/sixways.html

Why don’t they

get it ?

Bad news about lectures ... Most students do not pay meaningful

attention for 50 minutes without breaks. Lectures can encourage students to try

to “process information later.” Lectures have been shown to result in

very low levels of student retention. Remember: Our students are not , for

the most part, younger versions of us.

Taxonomy of AL

Lecture

Time for Questions

Problems/In-class writing

Think-pair-share

Discussion

CSGL

Teaching goal

Our Mantra:

It’s not what the teacher does that matters; it’s what the students do!

How do you know how it’s going? End of semester student evaluation forms Self-created teaching surveys

1-5 scale or written answer letter to chair

Video tape yourself Peer observation Self-created learning surveys

“one minute” or “muddiest point” papers NOTE: If you ask students’ opinions, you

must respond to it publicly.

Kirk Branch

Lunch is being served !!!Please sit with colleagues from your college.

We will begin promptly at 1:00 pm!!

Technology and Teaching & Learning

C E N T R E

Designing an effective syllabus Where does your course fit?

general education course first course in a sequence required course for majors advanced course with prerequisites

Who are your students? What are your specific course goals? How will you know if you meet your

goals?

Syllabus Checklist course name and number your name, office location, phone number,

and e-mail scheduled office hours policies regarding your availability outside

of office hours prerequisite courses or skills required purchases such as textbooks,

rulers, and protractors

See www.montana.edu/teachlearn

Syllabus Checklist policy on using or having access to calculators,

personal digital assistants (PDAs), Internet, and so on (required vs. optional)

detailed description of how grades are determined

descriptions and goals of assignments and tests dates, times, and locations for all tests or other

out-of-class requirements. policy on missed classes or tests

Syllabus Checklist instructor’s philosophy on roles and

responsibilities detailed list of course goals and objectives course calendar including exams, drop dates,

and holidays an explanation of how this course fits into

students’ overall education and the specific university goals

firm statement on academic honesty (conduct code)