Web Center for Teaching Excellence It is our hope to include web sites, original articles, and general information that can assist faculty in the improve their teaching. Please submit information to: Robert Kehle rkehel@pittstate.edu

Teaching at Stanford

http://ctl.stanford.edu/handbook.pdf
This is a publication of the Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning. It is a great tool with many ideas and it is a must read for all faculty. It includes sections on:

Course Design
Consider Your Audience
Administrative Details
Equipment Checklist
Teaching Support
Tutoring Resources
Preparing for the First Class
Seven Ways to Handle Nervousness
First-Day Guidelines

Course Design - Teaching strategies
Lecturing; Checklist for Effective Lecturing; Discussion Leading; Checklist for Effective Discussion Leading; Laboratory Teaching; Other Teaching Approaches; Office Hour; Electronic Tools for Communication; Technology in Teaching

Evaluating students
Strategies for Fair and Conflict-Free Grading; Testing; Exam Checklist; Papers, Projects, and Presentations; Academic Honesty and Dishonesty; Writing Letters of Recommendation; Setting clear guidelines in advance is essential for achieving conflict-free grading.

Interactions with students
The Diversity of Our Students; Supporting Vulnerable Stunts Students with Disabilities 5; Ways to Help Students with Disabilities Achieve Their Academic Goals; Teaching Challenge; Classroom Challenges; Counseling Students; Teaching Evaluation; Assessing Student Learning; Teaching Improvement; Putting It All Together: The Teaching Portfolio; The Oral Communication Program; Checklist of CTL Services for Faculty; The Teaching AssistantŐs Role; Discussion Sessions; Reviews; Labs; TAing and Your Professional Future

Active Learning for the College Classroom

http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/Active/index.htm

This paper discusses ways to engage the student using various active and cooperative learning methods. Topics include:
1. The "One Minute Paper"
2. Muddiest (or Clearest) Point
3. Affective Response
4. Daily Journal
5. Reading Quiz
6. Clarification Pauses
7. Response to a demonstration or other teacher centered activity
Questions and Answers
The "Socratic Method"
8. Wait Time
9. Student Summary of Another Student's Answer
10. The Fish Bowl
11. Quiz/Test Questions
Immediate Feedback
12. Finger Signals
13. Flash Cards
14. Quotations
Critical Thinking Motivators
15. The Pre-Theoretic Intuitions Quiz
16. Puzzles/Paradoxes
Share/Pair
17. Discussion
18. Note Comparison/Sharing
19. Evaluation of Another Student's Work
20. Cooperative Groups in Class
21. Active Review Sessions
22. Work at the Blackboard
23. Concept Mapping
24. Visual Lists
25. Jigsaw Group Projects
26. Role Playing
27. Panel Discussions
28. Debates
29. Games

One Line Tips

General

  • Care about your students and show it.
  • Speak effectively.
  • Engage the students in the topic and learning.
  • Maintain a balance between criticism and encouragement
  • If you don't like your subject, do something else!
  • Share your ideas and listen to the ideas of others.
  • Constantly reexamine your teaching techniques and methodology
  • Remember that you are not omniscient.
  • Never view a disagreement as a personal attack.
  • Technology is great, but what happens when the computer goes down? Plan on it.
  • Questions can help spark interest. Wait for the answer. Keep waiting and then wait some more if needed as someone will finally speak up.
  • Have the students, perhaps in groups, to give presentations on topics. This can be particularly effective with power point.
  • Ask the students in the group to grade each other.

    • The Lecture Class

  • Speak effectively. Lecturing is a performance art like in theater or music
  • Modulate your voice.
  • Do not always stand in one spot anchored to the podium. Move around the class. It keeps the student more alert and engaged.
  • The greater variety of delivery approaches the greater the student interest.
  • Being a "little off the wall" can be a positive.