Encouraging Student Participation in Discussion

Encouraging Student Participation in Discussion

from Tools for Teaching, Barbara Gross Davis

Encourage students to learn each other's names and interests. Students are more likely to participate in class if they feel they are among friends rather than strangers; so at the beginning of the term, ask students to introduce themselves and describe their primary interests or background in the subject (Tiberius, 1990). These introductions may also give you some clues about framing discussion questions that address students' interests.

Get to know as many of your students as class size permits. In classes of thirty or less, learn all your students' names. If you require students to come to your office once during the first few weeks of class, you can also learn about their interests. Class participation often improves after students have had an opportunity to talk informally with their instructor.

Arrange seating to promote discussion. If your room has movable chairs, ask students to sit in a semicircle so that they can see one another. At a long seminar table, seat yourself along the side rather than at the head. If appropriate, ask students to print their names on name cards and display them on their desk or the table. Research reported by Beard and Hartley (1984) shows that people tend to talk to the person sitting opposite them, that people sitting next to each other tend not to talk to one another, that the most centrally placed member of a group tends to emerge as leader, and that leaders tend to sit in the least crowded parts of a room.

Allow the class time to warm up before you launch into the discussion. Consider arriving two to three minutes early to talk informally with students. Or open class with a few minutes of conversation about relevant current events, campus activities, or administrative matters. (Sources: Billson, 1986; Welty, 1989)

Limit your own comments. Some teachers talk too much and turn a discussion into a lecture or a series of instructor-student dialogues. Brown and Atkins (1988) report a series of studies by various researchers that found that most discussion classes are dominated by instructors. In one study (p. 53) faculty talked 86 percent of the time. Avoid the temptation to respond to every student's contribution. Instead, allow students to develop their ideas and respond to one another.

Creating a Positive Classroom Environment

Creating a Positive Classroom Environment (Part II)

[From Tools for Teaching by Barbara Gross Davis; Jossey-Bass Publishers: San Francisco, 1993.)

Introduce yourself to your class. In addition to telling students how you wish to be addressed, say something about your background: how you first became interested in the subject, how it has been important to you, and why you are teaching this course. Convey your enthusiasm for the field and the subject. For many students, the instructor's enthusiasm about the course material is a key motivator for learning. (Sources: "The First Day of Class," 1989; Wolcowitz, 1984)

Ask students to fill out an introduction card. Have students indicate their name, campus address, telephone number, electronic mail address, year in school, and major field. You might also ask them to list related courses they have taken, prerequisites they have completed, other courses they are taking this semester, their reasons for enrolling in your course, what they hope to learn in the course, tentative career plans, and something about their outside interests, hobbies, or current employment. Make sure that students who later enroll in the course complete an introduction card.

Begin to learn student's names. By learning your student's names, you can create a comfortable classroom environment that will encourage student interaction. Knowing your students' names also tells them that you are I interested in them as individuals. As you call roll, ask for the correct pronunciation and how the student prefers to be addressed. If your course enrolls fewer than forty students, call the roll for several class meetings to help you learn names. During the term, call students by name when you return homework or quizzes, and use names frequently in class. Ask students who are not called upon by name to identify themselves. Here are a variety of other strategies for learning students' names:

Photographs: Consider grouping students for Polaroid pictures during the second week of class. In a single shot you may be able to photograph four or five people. The act of posing for a picture breaks the ice and creates an informal, relaxed environment. Circulate the photographs and have students write their name underneath their picture. If you do not have access to a camera, ask students to submit a small photograph of themselves (such as those taken in penny arcade photo booths or from their driver's license or student photo ID). Photocopies of photographs are fine. Place these photos on students' information sheets or introduction cards. Photographs are helpful in recalling a student before an appointment, or later on, when you are asked to write a recommendation for a student, you can refer back to the picture to jog your memory.

Name cards: For a seminar class, use the United Nations model of place cards in front of each student. In a studio or lab course, post students' names above their workstations.

Seating chart: Ask students to sit in the same seats for the first few weeks, and prepare a seating chart. Or block out on a piece of paper general locations within the room and write the names of students inside the appropriate blocks, instead of labeling exact seats. Try to memorize four or five names at each class session.

Name game: In small classes, ask the first person to give her name. The second person gives the name of the first person and his own name, and the third person gives the names of the first two people followed by her own name. The chain continues until it returns to the first person, with the instructor preferably near the end. (Source: Scholl-Buckwald, 1985)

Introductions: For large lecture classes, at the beginning of each class period, ask six or eight students to introduce themselves.

Give students an opportunity to meet each other. Ask students to divide themselves into groups of three to five and introduce themselves. Or have students group themselves by residence halls or living groups so that they can identify nearby classmates to study with (Heine and others, 1981). Or go around the room and ask all students to respond to one question, such as "What's the one thing you really want to learn from this course?" or "What aspect of the course seems most appealing to you?" Such questions are more interesting than those about students' majors or year in college.

Ask students to interview each other outside of class. If your course has a writing component, you might ask students to write a brief description of their partner. The class could agree on the interview questions beforehand, or each student could devise his or her own items. (Source: Scholl-Buckwald, 1985)

If your class is small, conduct a "people search." Students receive a sheet of paper with five to ten statements and a space for a signature near each statement. The statements should be relevant to students in your class and can be a mix of personal and academic attributes: "Someone who works and goes to school," "Someone who has taken (a related course)," "Someone who has already purchased the textbooks," "Someone who is left-handed," "Someone who knows the order of the planets" (or other content-related question). Students are given ten minutes to obtain as many signatures as possible. You can spend a few minutes debriefing to generate a class profile. Or you can compile the information for distribution at the next class meeting so students have a written record about their classmates. (Sources: Erickson and Strommer, 1991; Weisz, 1990)

Break students into small groups. An English professor divides the class into groups of six and gives each member of the group one line of a six-line poem. Students are asked to reassemble the poem and discuss what the poem means. A sociology professor asks groups of students to come up with a list of the ten most important events (or people) in history. After ten or fifteen minutes, the groups' responses are placed on the board for discussion and interpretation. (Source: Erickson and Strommer, 1991)

Encourage students to exchange phone numbers. If all students agree, ask them to write their name, telephone number, and electronic mail address on a plain sheet of paper and make copies of this roster for them. Encourage students to call their classmates about missed classes, homework assignments, and study groups. Or have students complete 3" x 5" cards and exchange cards with two or three classmates. (Source: "The First Day of Class," 1989)

Issues to Clarify With Your GTFs Upfront

Checklist: Issues to Clarify With Your GTFs Upfront
(from the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence, Carnegie Mellon)

?? ?What are the main course goals??

Are some of these goals more important than others for the work your TAs will do with students?

What will your TAs' responsibilities be?

A more complete list of possible responsibilities is available on request from the Center for Teaching.

• attending lectures
• attending weekly TA meetings
• drafting or revising grading keys
• providing written feedback (individual comments, detailed solution sets)
• reporting on common student errors or difficulties
• preparing quizzes, handouts, assignments, exam questions
• holding regular office hours
• conducting review sessions before exams
• giving guest lectures (as needed or as a learning experience)
• maintaining grade records
• giving a percentage of the final grade based on activities in section meetings
• recording attendance
• proctoring exams
• maintaining on-line resources for students?

What do you expect the students to know or be able to do from prior courses?

If you expect wide variation in students' backgrounds, is there anything specific your TAs should do in response (e.g. offer tutoring, conduct review sessions, find extra "challenge" problems)?

How much will your TAs interact with students?

Will students be expected to attend section meetings, participate actively in recitation/discussion, seek help with assignments out of class, or attend help sessions? If section meetings are optional, how can students be encouraged to attend?

How often will TAs meet with you to discuss the course?

If there are multiple TAs, will you meet to discuss how to coordinate activities?

How many hours, on average, should your TAs expect to devote to this course?

How much will that fluctuate over the semester? Do you have any suggestions about how your TAs can be most efficient?

What are the criteria for grading in this course and how can TAs be sure their grading is calibrated properly to your standards?

For example, how is partial credit awarded? To what extent is collaboration allowed or encouraged? How will the final grades be determined?

About what policies, if any, do your TAs have authority to make decisions and for what issues do you want them to refer questions to you?

• requests for regrading
• granting an extension accepting late assignments
• giving a make-up quiz responding to suspected cheating or plagiarism helping a student find additional assistance for personal or academic problems

How much flexibility do TAs have in how they fulfill their responsibilities?

What aspects of their teaching are important to maintain consistency across sections or to fulfill specific course objectives?

In what ways will TA work be evaluated?

Will they receive feedback from you and/or students about their performance?

• faculty review of graded exams or papers
• classroom visits and feedback
• videotaping and review
• early or midterm course evaluations
• end-of-course student evaluations via Faculty Course Evaluations (FCEs)
• end-of-course student evaluations specific to TA responsibilities

The First Day of Class

The First Day of Class (Part I)

[From the hard copy book Tools for Teaching by Barbara Gross Davis; Jossey-Bass Publishers: San Francisco, 1993.)

The first day of class sets the tone for the rest of the term. It is natural for both students and instructors to feel anticipation, excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty. To pique students' interest and anticipation, convey your enthusiasm for the material and stimulate students' curiosity about topics that will be covered during the term. To reduce students' anxiety and uncertainty, try to create a relaxed, open classroom environment conducive to inquiry and participation, and let students know what you will expect from them and what they can expect from you and the course. The following suggestions, intended to help you get your class off to a good start, address the three important tasks of the first day: handling administrative matters, creating an open friendly classroom environment, and setting course expectations and standards.

Visit the classroom before the first meeting. Locate and figure out how to work the lights, the blinds, and the ventilation. Check any audiovisual equipment (microphone, slide or overhead projector) you will be using. Find out how to obtain help if a bulb burns out or a piece of equipment malfunctions. Get comfortable speaking in the room and see how well your voice carries. Make sure your handwriting on the chalkboard is legible from the back row. (Source: Johnson, 1988)

Build a sense of community in the classroom. In general, students learn more and work harder in classes that spark their intellectual curiosity and allow for active involvement and participation. For the first day, plan an activity that provides opportunities for students to speak to one another or solve problems. Students also tend to work harder and respond more positively if they believe the 'instructor views them as individuals rather than as anonymous faces in the crowd (Wolcowitz, 1984). From the start, then, make an effort to get to know your students and express your interest in working with them during the semester.

Address students' concerns. Students enter a new class with several questions: Is this the right course for me? Does the teacher seem competent and fair? How much work will be required? How will I be evaluated? Use the first day to help your students understand how the class will serve their needs, and demonstrate your commitment to help them learn.

Set the tone for the rest of the semester. Greet students when they enter the classroom. Start and finish class on time. Encourage questions, and give students the opportunity to talk. Stay after class to answer questions, or invite students to walk with you back to your office.

Make the time worthwhile. Once administrative tasks are completed, plunge into substantive material. This signals to students that you are serious about making their time worthwhile and that you expect progress to be made at each session.

Expect some awkwardness. All teachers, especially beginning instructors, feel a twinge of apprehension before the first class. Do your best to assume a confident attitude. Keep in mind that to your students your nervousness is likely to be perceived as energy and enthusiasm. Arriving early on the first day of class and talking informally to students may help you relax. (Source: Marincovich and Rusk, 1987)

Taking Care of Administrative Tasks

Write the course name and number on the board. This message will alert any students who are in the wrong classroom to leave before you begin. (Source: Hilsen, 1988)

Take attendance. Call the roll or ask students to sign in. Have a contingency plan if more students than you can accommodate want to enroll. Check with your department to see whether policies exist for preferential enrollment. Some faculty give preference to graduating seniors. Others make certain that students have the prerequisites and then select enrollment by lottery. If your course is an elective, plan on admitting a few more students than you can comfortably accommodate; a small number will end up dropping your course.

Mention department course policies. Explain procedures for wait lists, adding and dropping courses, and so on. Know where to refer students who have problems in these areas.

Explain the procedures for the course's sections. If your course has sections, make sure that all students know which section they are enrolled in, who their graduate student instructor is, and when and where the section meets. Describe the relationship between the course and its sections and how sections will be run. Have the graduate student instructors introduce themselves.

Review any prerequisites for the course. Let students know what skills or knowledge they are expected to have and whether alternate experience or course work will be accepted. Is help available for those who do not have all the prerequisite skills? If computer work is part of the course, will training be provided?

Define your expectations for student participation. Besides turning in all written assignments and taking exams, what do you expect of students during class? See "Leading a Discussion."

Tell students about campus policies on academic honesty. State your expectations, and let students know what you regard as cheating and impermissible collaboration. See "Preventing Academic Dishonesty"

Hand out and discuss the course syllabus. One faculty member has students read the syllabus and then form groups to identify questions about the course or the instructor (Serey, 1989). Hearing these questions on the first day lets a professor know immediately what concerns are uppermost in students' minds.

Invite students to attend your office hours. Be sure students know where your office is and encourage them to stop by with questions and course-related problems. Make a special point of asking students who feel they may need academic accommodations for a physical or learning disability to see you so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Review safety precautions. If your course requires lab work or fieldwork, review safe practices for using equipment and supplies and discuss emergency procedures. Show students how to use equipment safely and appropriately. (Source: Johnson, 1988)

Review emergency procedures. Let students know what to do in case of fire, tornado, earthquake, evacuation, or other emergency.

Bring copies of the required texts to the first class meeting. Know which stores besides the campus bookstore stock the texts. Are used copies available? Is the textbook on reserve in the library?

Tape the session, if appropriate. For students who miss the first day of class, make available a videotape or audiotape that they can review on their own. This way you do not have to keep repeating the material as new students join your class. If taping is impractical, ask students who enroll after the first day to obtain notes from someone who attended that session.

Minimizing Students' Complaints About Grading

Tools for Teaching, Barbara Gross Davies, Jossey-bass Publishers: San Francisco, 1993

Minimizing Students' Complaints About Grading

Clearly state grading procedures in your course syllabus, and go over this information in class. Students want to know how their grades will be determined, the weights of various tests and assignments, and the model of grading you will be using to calculate their grades: will the class be graded on a curve or by absolute standards? If you intend to make allowances for extra credit, late assignments, or revision of papers, clearly state your policies.

Set policies on late work. Will you refuse to accept any late work? Deduct points according to how late the work is submitted? Handle late work on a case-by-case basis? Offer a grace period? See "Preparing or Revising a Course."

Avoid modifying your grading policies during the term. Midcourse changes may erode students' confidence in your fairness, consistency, objectivity, and organizational skills. If you must make a change, give your students a complete explanation. (Source: Frisbie, Diamond, and Ory, 1979)

Provide enough opportunities for students to show you what they know. By giving students many opportunities to show you what they know, you will have a more accurate picture of their abilities and will avoid penalizing a student who has an off day at the time of a test. So in addition to a final exam, give one or two midterms and one or two short papers. For lower-division courses, Erickson and Strommer (1991) recommend giving shorter tests or written assignments and scheduling some form of evaluation every two or three weeks.

Consider allowing students to choose among alternative assignments. One instructor presents a list of activities with assigned points for each that take into account the assignments' educational and motivational value, difficulty, and probable amount of effort required. Students are told how many points are needed for an A, a B, or a C, and they choose a combination of assignments that meets the grade they desire for that portion of the course. Here are some possible activities:
• Writing a case study
• Engaging in and reporting on a fieldwork experience
• Leading a discussion panel
• Serving on a discussion panel
• Keeping a journal or log of course-related ideas
• Writing up thoughtful evaluations of several lectures
• Creating instructional materials for the course (study guides, exam questions, or audiovisual materials) on a particular concept or theme
• Undertaking an original research project or research paper
• Reviewing the current research literature on a course-related topic
• Keeping a reading log that includes brief abstracts of the readings and comments, applications, and critiques
• Completing problem-solving assignments (such as designing an experiment to test a hypothesis or creating a test to measure something)

(Source: Davis, Wood, and Wilson, 1983)

Stress to students that grades reflect work on a specific task and are not judgments about people. Remind students that a teacher grades only a piece of paper. You might also let students know, if appropriate, that research shows that grades bear little or no relationship to measures of adult accomplishment (Eble, 1988, p. 156).

Give encouragement to students who are performing poorly. If students are having difficulty, do what you can to help them improve on the next assignment or exam. If they do perform well, take this into account when averaging the early low score with the later higher one. (Source: Lowman, 1984)

Deal directly with students who are angry or upset about their grade. Ask an upset student to take a day or more to cool off. It is also helpful to ask the student to prepare in writing the complaint or justification for a grade change. When you meet with the student in your office, have all the relevant materials at hand: the test questions, answer key or criteria, and examples of good answers. Listen to the student's concerns or read the memo with an open mind and respond in a calm manner. Don't allow yourself to become antagonized, and don't antagonize the student. Describe the key elements of a good answer, and point out how the student's response was incomplete or incorrect. Help the student understand your reasons for assigning the grade that you did. Take time to think about the student's request or to reread the exam if you need to, but resist pressures to change a grade because of a student's personal needs (to get into graduate school or maintain status on the dean's list). If appropriate, for final course grades, offer to write a letter to the student's adviser or to others, describing the student's work in detail and indicating any extenuating circumstances that may have hurt the grade. (Sources: Allen and Rueter, 1990; McKeachie, 1986)

Keep accurate records of students' grades. Your department may keep copies of final grade reports, but it is important for you to keep a record of all grades assigned throughout the semester, in case a student wishes to contest a grade, finish an incomplete, or ask for a letter of recommendation.

Making Effective Use of Grading Tactics
Return the first graded assignment or test before the add/drop deadline. Early assignments help students decide whether they are prepared to take the class (Shea, 1990). Some faculty members give students the option of throwing out this first test (Johnson, 1988). Students may receive a low score because they did not know what the instructor required or because they underestimated the level of preparation needed to succeed.

Record results numerically rather than as letter grades, whenever possible. Tests, problem sets, homework, and so on are best recorded by their point value to assure greater accuracy when calculating final grades. (Source: Jacobs and Chase, 1992)

Give students a chance to improve their grades by rewriting their papers. Many faculty encourage rewriting but do not count the grades on rewritten papers as equivalent to those of papers that have not been rewritten. See "Helping Students Write Better in All Courses."

If many students do poorly on an exam, schedule another one on the same material a week or so later. Devote one or more classes to reviewing the troublesome material. Provide in-class exercises, homework problems or questions, practice quizzes, study group opportunities, and extra office hours before you administer the new exam. Though reviewing and retesting may seem burdensome and time-consuming, there is usually little point in proceeding to new topics when many of your students are still struggling. (Source: Erickson and Strommer, 1991)

Evaluating Your Grading Policies
Compare your grade distributions with those for similar courses in your department. Differences between your grade distributions and those of your colleagues do not necessarily mean that your methods are faulty. But glaring discrepancies should prompt you to reexamine your practices. (Source: Frisbie, Diamond, and Ory, 1979)

Ask students about your grading policies on end-of-course questionnaires. Here are some sample questions (adapted from Frisbie, Diamond, and Ory, 1979, p. 22):

To what extent:
• Were the grading procedures for the course fair?
• Were the grading procedures for the course clearly explained?
• Did you receive adequate feedback on your performance?
• Were requests for regrading or review handled fairly?
• Did the instructor evaluate your work in a meaningful and conscientious manner?

References
Allen, R. R., and Rueter, T. Teaching Assistant Strategies. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 1990.

Crooks, T. J. "The Impact of Classroom Evaluation Practices on Students."Review of Educational Research, 1988, 58(4), 438-48 1.

Davis, B. G., Wood, L., and Wilson, R. The ABCs of Teaching Excellence.Berkeley: Office of Educational Development, University of California, 1983.

Eble, K. E. The Craft of Teaching. (2nd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,1988.

Erickson, B. L., and Strommer, D. W. Teaching College Freshmen. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1991.

Frisbie, D. A., Diamond, N. A., and Ory, J. C. Assigning Course Grades. Urbana: Office of Instructional Resources, University of Illinois, 1979.

Fuhrmann, B. S., and Grasha, A. F. A Practical Handbook for College Teachers. Boston: Little, Brown, 1983.

Jacobs, L. C., and Chase, C. I.. Developing and Using Tests Effectively: A Guide for Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992.

Johnson, G. R. Taking Teaching Seriously. College Station: Center for Teaching Excellence, Texas A & M University, 1988.

Lowman, J. Mastering the Techniques of Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey

Bass, 1984.

McKeachie, W. J. Teaching Tips. (8th ed.) Lexington, Mass.: Heath, 1986.

Scriven, M. "Evaluation of Students." Unpublished manuscript, 1974.

Shea, M. A. Compendium of Good Ideas on Teaching and Learning. Boulder: Faculty Teaching Excellence Program, University of Colorado, 1990.

A Perfect 10 - Scoring Big with Your Students

A PERFECT 10 -YOU CAN SCORE BIG WITH YOUR STUDENTS BY USIING THESE TEACHING TIPS.
By Phillip Wankat and Frank Oreovicz

Do you find yourself teaching to a room full of zombies? The class seems enthusiastic at first, but their attention inevitably wanes. And the apathy is contagious. Even you lose interest. Here are 10 proven steps that can bring you and your class back to life.

1. Prepare a list of educational objectives. They will help students know what to study and what they'll be able to do after completing the class. Studies show that students learn more when provided with this information. Use the well-known Bloom's Taxonomy to develop objectives.

2. Teach inductively. Undergraduates generally learn new material best when it's introduced with simple, specific examples. Once these are mastered, more difficult ones can be presented and a general procedure developed.

3. Avoid MEGO ("my eyes glaze over") by dividing lectures into segments separated by activity breaks. The maximum attention span of most students seems to be about 15 minutes.

4. Practice active learning during the activity breaks. Ask small groups of students to undertake activities such as brainstorming, developing questions for the instructor, or solving a problem. This activity will energize students for the next lecture segment.

5. Be enthusiastic. The reason most of us became professors is because we love the material we teach. Share that enthusiasm and explain why the material is important. Enthusiastic professors have enthusiastic students.

6. Learn students' names. Knowing the names of students is absolutely necessary for developing a rapport with them. By doing so, you'll reduce discipline problems and cheating.

7. Come early and stay late. Coming early allows you time to set up the classroom and sends the message that you want to be there. Staying late is the best way to answer questions.

8. Increase student work time. Students who study more learn more. Encourage study groups for homework and projects. Have one question on the test that is closely related to homework so that its benefits are obvious.

9. Reduce or eliminate time pressure on tests. The purpose of a test is to distinguish between students who know the material and those who don't. Students need time to show what they know. Reduce the length of tests or provide more time.

10. After the first test, ask students how you can help them learn. Give them five minutes to fill out 3" x 5" cards. You will get a number of useful responses. But for this to work, you must follow up on some of them. In large classes we're usually asked to tell students to shut up. By reading such requests out loud, it makes it OK to ask students to be quiet.

Phillip Wankat is head of interdisciplinary engineering and the Clifton L. Lovell Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University. Frank Oreovicz is an education communications specialist at Purdue's chemical engineering school. They can be reached by e-mail at purdue@asee.org.
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101 Things to do the first three weeks of class

101 Things to do the first three weeks of class - By Joyce T. Povlacs
Teaching and Learning Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Introduction
Beginnings are important. Whether the class is a large introductory course for freshmen or an advanced course in the major field, it makes good sense to start the semester off well. Students will decide very early - some say the first day of class - whether they will like the course, its contents, the teacher, and their fellow students.

The following list of "101 Things You Can Do..." is offered in the spirit of starting off right. It is a catalog of suggestions for college teachers who are looking for a fresh way of creating the best possible environment for learning. Not just the first day, but the first three weeks of a course are especially important, studies say, in retaining capable students. Even if the syllabus is printed and lecture notes are ready to go in August, most college teachers can usually make adjustments in teaching methods as the course unfolds and the characteristics of their students become known.

These suggestions have been gathered from UNL professors and from college teachers elsewhere. The rationale for these methods is based on the following needs: 1) to help students make the transition from high school and summer or holiday activities to learning in college; 2) to direct students' attention to the immediate situation for learning - the hour in the classroom: 3) to spark intellectual curiosity - to challenge students; 4) to support beginners and neophytes in the process of learning in the discipline; S) to encourage the students' active involvement in learning; and 6) to build a sense of community in the classroom.

Helping Students Make Transitions

1. Hit the ground running on the first day of class with substantial content.

2. Take attendance: roll call, clipboard, sign in, seating chart.

3. Introduce teaching assistants by slide, short presentation, or self-introduction.

4. Hand out an informative, artistic, and user-friendly syllabus.

5. Give an assignment on the first day to be collected at the next meeting.

6. Start laboratory experiments and other exercises the first time lab meets.

7. Call attention (written and oral) to what makes good lab practice: completing work to be done, procedures, equipment, clean up, maintenance, safety, conservation of supplies, full use of lab time.

8. Administer a learning style inventory to help students find out about themselves.

9. Direct students to the Learning Skills Center for help on basic skills.

10. Tell students how much time they will need to study for this course.

11. Hand out supplemental study aids: library use, study tips, supplemental readings and exercises.

12. Explain how to study for kind of tests you give.

13. Put in writing a limited number of ground rules regarding absence, late work, testing procedures, grading, and general decorum, and maintain these.

14. Announce office hours frequently and hold them without fail.

15. Show students how to handle learning in large classes and impersonal situations.

16. Give sample test questions.

17. Give sample test question answers.

18. Explain the difference between legitimate collaboration and academic dishonesty; be clear when collaboration is wanted and when it is forbidden.

19. Seek out a different student each day and get to know something about him or her.

20. Ask students to write about what important things are currently going on in their lives.

21. Find out about students' jobs; if they are working, how many hours a week, and what kinds of jobs they hold.

Directing Students' Attention

22. Greet students at the door when they enter the classroom.

23. Start the class on time.

24. Make a grand stage entrance to hush a large class and gain attention.

25. Give a pre-test on the day's topic.

26. Start the lecture with a puzzle, question, paradox, picture, or cartoon on slide or transparency to focus on the day's topic.

27. Elicit student questions and concerns at the beginning of the class and list these on the chalkboard to be answered during the hour.

28. Have students write down what they think the important issues or key points of the day's lecture will be.

29. Ask the person who is reading the student newspaper what is in the news today.

Challenging Students

30. Have students write out their expectations for the course and their own goals for learning.

31. Use variety in methods of presentation every class meeting.

32. Stage a figurative "coffee break" about twenty minutes into the hour; tell an anecdote, invite students to put down pens and pencils, refer to a current event, shift media.

33. Incorporate community resources: plays, concerts, the State Fair. government agencies. businesses, the outdoors.

34. Show a film in a novel way: stop it for discussion, show a few frames only, anticipate ending, hand out a viewing or critique sheet, play and replay parts.

35. Share your philosophy of teaching with your students.

36. Form a student panel to present alternative views of the same concept.

37. Stage a change-your-mind debate. with students moving to different parts of the classroom to signal change in opinion during the discussion.

38. Conduct a "living" demographic survey by having students move to different parts of the classroom: size of high school. rural vs. urban. consumer preferences...

39. Tell about your current research interests and how you got there from your own beginnings in the discipline.

40. Conduct a role-play to make a point or to lay out issues.

41. Let your students assume the role of a professional in the discipline: philosopher, literary critic, biologist. agronomist. political scientist. engineer.

42. Conduct idea-generating or brainstorming sessions to expand horizons.

43. Give students two passages of material containing alternative views to compare and contrast.

44. Distribute a list of the unsolved problems. dilemmas. or great questions in your discipline and invite students to claim one as their own to investigate.

45. Ask students what books they've read recently.

46. Ask what is going on in the state legislature on this subject which may affect their future.

47. Let your students see the enthusiasm you have for your subject and your love of learning.

48. Take students with you to hear guest speakers or special programs on campus.

49. Plan "scholar-gypsy" lesson or unit which shows students the excitement of discovery in your discipline.

Providing Support

50. Collect students' current telephone numbers and addresses and let them know that you may need to reach them.

51. Check out absentees. Call or write a personal note.

52. Diagnose the students' prerequisites learning by questionnaire or pre-test ant give them the feedback as soon as possible.

53. Hand out study questions or study guides.

54. Be redundant. Students should hear, read. or see key material at least three times.

55. Allow students to demonstrate progress in learning: summary quiz over the day's work. a written reaction to the day's material.

56. Use non-graded feedback to let students know how they are doing: post answers to ungraded quizzes and problem sets, exercises in class, oral feedback.

57. Reward behavior you want: praise, stars, honor roll, personal note.

58. Use a light touch: smile, tell a good joke, break test anxiety with a sympathetic comment.

59. Organize. Give visible structure by posting the day's "menu" on chalk- board or overhead.

60. Use multiple media: overhead, slides, film, videotape, audio tape, models, sample material.

61. Use multiple examples, in multiple media. to illustrate key points and . important concepts.

62. Make appointments with all students (individually or in small groups).

63. Hand out wallet-sized telephone cards with all important telephone numbers listed: office department, resource centers, teaching assistant, lab.

64. Print all important course dates on a card that can be handed out and taped to a mirror.

65. Eavesdrop on students before or after class and join their conversation about course topics.

66. Maintain an open lab gradebook. with grades kept current. during lab time so that students can check their progress.

67. Check to see if any students are having problems with any academic or campus matters and direct those who are to appropriate offices or resources.

68. Tell students what they need to do to receive an "A" in your course.

69. Stop the work to find out what your students are thinking feeling and doing in their everyday lives.

Encouraging Active Learning

70. Have students write something.

71. Have students keep three-week-three-times-a-week journals in which they comment. ask questions. and answer questions about course topics.

72. Invite students to critique each other's essays or short answer on tests for readability or content.

73. Invite students to ask questions and wait for the response.

74. Probe student responses to questions ant wait for the response.

75. Put students into pairs or "learning cells" to quiz each other over material for the day.

76. Give students an opportunity to voice opinions about the subject matter.

77. Have students apply subject matter to solve real problems.

78. Give students red, yellow, and green cards (mate of posterboard) and periodically call for a vote on an issue by asking for a simultaneous show of cards.

79. Roam the aisles of a large classroom and carry on running conversations with students as they work on course problems (a portable microphone helps).

80. Ask a question directed to one student and wait for an answer.

81. Place a suggestion box in the rear of the room and encourage students to make written comments every time the class meets.

82. Do oral show of-hands multiple choice tests for summary review and instant feedback.

83. Use task groups to accomplish specific objectives.

84. Grade quizzes and exercises in class as a learning tool.

85. Give students plenty of opportunity for practice before a major test.

86. Give a test early in the semester and return it graded in the next class meeting.

87. Have students write questions on index cards to be collected and answered the next class period.

88. Make collaborate assignments for several students to work on together.

89. Assign written paraphrases and summaries of difficult reading.

90. Give students a take-home problem relating to the days lecture.

91. Encourage students to bring current news items to class which relate to the subject matter and post these on a bulletin board nearby.

Building Community

92. Learn names. Everyone makes an effort to learn at least a few names.

93. Set up a buddy system so students can contact each other about assignments and coursework.

94. Find out about your students via questions on an index card.

95. Take pictures of students (snapshots in small groups, mug shots) and post in classroom, office, or lab.

96. Arrange helping trios of students to assist each other in learning and growing.

97. Form small groups for getting acquainted; mix and form new groups several times.

98. Assign a team project early in the semester and provide time to assemble the team.

99. Help students form study groups to operate outside the classroom.

100. Solicit suggestions from students for outside resources and guest speakers on course topics.

Feedback on Teaching

101. Gather student feedback in the first three weeks of the semester to improve teaching and learning.

Good practices in teaching large lecture courses

The following list of good practices describes ways of improving the instruction of freshmen and sophomores in traditional lecture and discussion courses.

•Meet with your GTFs before the term begins to discuss course procedures, their responsibilities, grading and the most effective ways for them to spend time in sections; continue to meet weekly to discuss how the course/discussion sections/labs are going and ways of improving it. Be brave. Ask for feedback for yourself and encourage your GTFs to seek the same.
•Get to know your students by learning their names and something about their backgrounds and interests.
•Discover and build on what students already know by giving diagnostic tests or brief questionnaires.
•Give the students a good detailed syllabus and refer to it frequently. Post it online.
•Focus on a few main concepts, themes, or points rather than going into all the complexities of a topic.
•Plan the beginnings and endings of your lectures so that you "open with gusto" and "finish strong."
•Begin each lecture by letting the students know what you are going to talk about and why. Be clear about what they will know and be able to do as a result of that day's class.
•Use the blackboard, overheads or presentation software to outline lecture topics or to list questions students should be asking themselves during lecture and refer to it when making transitions. Make lecture outlines and study materials and guide available online.
•Be sure that all the material you present is legible and can be seen from the back of the room.
•Give students an early assignment or diagnostic test and develop review and support materials for those who may need them. Announce group office hours that will address particularly difficult aspects of the course.
•Organize your lectures carefully and deliver material by engaging students with questions, problems or short case studies to solve, or terms to paraphrase. Check their understanding in a concrete way during each class session. This can be done with classroom assessment techniques (see http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/assess.htm).
•Give students frequent short assignments and quizzes so that you and they will know whether they are understanding the material. Model the format and level of difficulty with what they can expect to see on midterms and finals. This provides students with a clear idea of your expectations for how they should be approaching their studies.
•Don't make assumptions. Write out and define not only technical terms but other words or expressions with which the students may not be familiar.
•Refrain from comments like, "Now, I know you all know this" (many of them don't). Or "Don't worry, this is very easy to understand." A struggling student will feel even worse when they still don't understand and very likely not seek your help.
•Empathize with the students confronting this material for the first time; slow down and acknowledge the difficulty and importance of certain concepts or operations.
•Leave time at the end of class for student questions. Rather than saying, "Any questions?", refer to the topics covered in the material for that day and then ask what questions may have come up for them. •Encourage the students to form small study groups; help them get to know one another by giving short team assignments.
•Send a personal email to any student receiving a grade of C-minus or below so that you can give early assistance to students having difficulty.
•Drop in on discussion sections/labs to see how things are going and to get to know the students. Try to do this at least once during the term if your class is particularly large. Let your GTF know you are coming.
•Ask TAs to give you periodic written reports on any problems students may be having, e.g., "List the one or two things that caused students the most difficulty in sections last week."
•Keep handouts on your course website on such topics as "how to study," "how to read a difficult text," "how to prepare for an exam." Contact Academic Learning Services (346-3226) for copies of handouts that focus on skill building.
•Relate your subject matter to current events or research which may be of interest to students and give them assignments for which there may be "real world" audiences whenever possible.
•Give students advance study questions to help them prepare for tests and hold review sessions before examinations.
•Have the students write possible exam questions as part of the review.
•Give students the opportunity to do well in your course by giving them several assessment points throughout the term. Weight the earlier assessments less rigorously and let students adapt to your testing style and expectations. Give comprehensive feedback to help students understand what it takes to do well in the course. This can be given as general group feedback in additional to individual comments you might wish to make.
•Return papers and exams promptly and review them at the next class meeting.
•Keep a journal or log of what explanations, techniques, or assignments worked well and share these with colleagues teaching the same or similar courses.
•Get midterm feedback from students. Ask them to write on two or three questions, such as "What is the most significant thing you have learned in this course so far?" "What, if anything, is still unclear?" or "What suggestions do you have for improving the course?" You can also do this through a Blackboard course website. See http://tep.uoregon.edu/services/midtermfeedback/blackboard/blackboard.html Acknowledge student feedback at the next class meeting and indicate which changes you can and which you cannot make and why.
•Sit in on courses taught by those of your colleagues you know to be especially effective teachers to see what other ideas or techniques you can pick up.
Adapted from the Berkeley Compendium, 1983 by the Regents of the University of California

PRACTICAL POINTERS ON PREPARING AND GIVING LECTURES

These tips are designed to optimize the learning potential of lectures, in particular with reference to teaching and learning processes, and to remind you of the way in which large-group sessions can pay real dividends to students. Later sets of tips in this chapter will look more specifically at using visual aids, handout materials, and computer-managed presentation packages.

1. Make the most of opportunities when you have the whole group together. There are useful benefits of whole-group shared experiences, especially for setting the scene in a new subject, and talking students through known problem areas. Use these sessions to develop whole-group cohesion, as well as to give briefings, provide introductions, introduce keynote speakers, and hold practical demonstrations.

2. Make sure that lectures are not just 'transmit-receive' occasions. Little is learnt by students just writing down what the lecturer says, or copying down information from screens or boards. There are more efficient ways of providing students with the information they need for their learning, including the use of handout materials, textbooks and other learning resource materials.

3. Be punctual, even if some of your students are late. Chat to the nearest students while people are settling in. Ask them, 'How's the course going for you so far?' for example. Ask them, 'What's your favourite topic so far?' or, 'What are the trickiest bits so far?'

4. When you are ready to start, capture students' attention. It is often easier to do this by dimming the lights and showing your first overhead, than by trying to quieten down the pre-lecture chatter by talking loudly. Do your best to ignore latecomers. Respect the courtesy of punctuality of those already present, and talk to them.

5. Make good use of your specific intended learning outcomes for each lecture. Find out how many students think they can already achieve some of these - and adjust your approach accordingly. Explaining the outcomes at the start of the session, or including them in handout materials given out to students, can help them to know exactly what they should be getting out of the lecture, serving as an agenda against which they can track their individual progress during the minutes which follow.

6. Help students place the lecture in context. Refer back to previous material (ideally which a short summary of the previous lectures at the beginning) and give them forewarning of how this will relate to material they will cover later.

7. Use handout material to spare students from copying down lots of information. It is better to spend time discussing and elaborating on information that students can already read for themselves.

8. Face the class when using an overhead projector, or computer-aided presentations on-screen in the lecture room. Practise in a lecture room using your transparencies or slides as an agenda, and talking to each point listed on them. By placing a pen on a transparency you can draw attention to the particular point on which you are elaborating, maintaining vital eye contact with your students.

9. Work out some questions which the session will address. Showing these questions as an overhead at the beginning of the session is a way of helping students to see the nature and scope of the specific learning outcomes they should be able to address progressively as the session proceeds.

10. Give your students some practice at note-making (rather than just note-taking). Students learn very little from just copying out bits of what they see or hear, and may need quite a lot of help towards summarizing, prioritizing, and making their notes their own individual learning tools.

11. Get students learning by doing. Just about all students get bored listening for a full hour, so break the session up with small tasks such as problems for students to work out themselves, applying what you have told them, reading extracts from their handout material, or discussing a question or issue with the students nearest to them. Even in a crowded, tiered lecture theatre, students can be given things to do independently for a few minutes at a time, followed by a suitable debriefing, so that they can compare views and find out whether they were on the right track.

12. Variety is the spice of lectures. Make sure that you building into large-group lectures a variety of activities for students, which might include writing, listening, looking, making notes, copying diagrams, undertaking small discussion tasks, asking questions, answering questions, giving feedback to you, solving problems, doing calculations, putting things in order of importance and so on.

13. Ask the students how you are doing. From time to time ask, 'How many of you can hear me clearly enough?', 'Am I going too fast?', 'Is this making sense to you?' Listen to the answers and try to respond accordingly.

14. Use lectures to start students learning from each other. Getting students to work in small groups in a lecture environment can allow them to discuss and debate the relative merits of different options in multiple-choice tasks, or put things in order of importance, or brain-storm possible solutions to problems. After they have engaged which each other on such tasks, the lecturer can draw conclusions from some of the groups, and give expert-witness feedback when needed.

15. Use lectures to help students make sense of things they have already learnt. It is valuable to make full use of the times when all students are together to give them things to do, to allow them to check out whether they can still do the things they covered in previous sessions.

16. Use lectures to help shape students' attitudes. The elements of tone of voice of voice, facial expression, body language and so on can be used by lecturers to bring greater clarity and direction to the attitude-forming shared experiences which help students set their own scene for a topic or theme in a subject.

17. Genuinely solicit students' questions. Do not ask, 'Any questions?' as you are picking up your papers at the end of a class. Treat students' questions with courtesy even if they seem very basic to you. Repeat the question so all students can hear, and then answer in a way that does not make the questioner feel stupid.

18. Do not waffle when stuck. Do not try to bluff your way out of it when you do not know the answers to some of the questions students may ask. Tell the questioners that you will find out the answers to their questions before your next lecture with them - they will respect you more for this than for trying to invent an answer.

19. Use some lecture time to draw feedback from students. Large group sessions can be used to provide a useful barometer of how their learning is going. Students can be asked to write on slips of paper (or post-its) questions that they would like you to address at a future session.

20. Use whole-class time to explain carefully the briefings for assessment tasks. It is essential that all students have a full, shared knowledge of exactly what is expected of them in such tasks, so that no one is disadvantaged by any differentials in their understanding of the performance criteria or assessment schemes associated with the tasks.

21. Show students how the assessors mind works. This can be done by devising class sessions around the analysis of how past examples of students' work were assessed, as well as by going through in detail the way in which assessment criteria were applied to work that the class members themselves have done.

22. Record yourself on video every now and then. Review the video to help you see your own strengths and weaknesses, and look for ways to improve your performance. Your keenest critic is likely to be yourself, so do not try to resolve every little habit or mannerism at once; just tackle the ones that you think are most important, little by little. It maybe also be useful for a group of colleagues together to look at each other's videos, and offer each other constructive comments. This is excellent practice for inspection or other quality assessment procedures.

23. Use all opportunities to observe other people's lectures. You can do this not only in your own department, but also at external conferences and seminars. Watching other people helps you to learn both from what others do well, that you might wish to emulate, and from awful sessions where you resolve never to do anything similar in your own classes.

24. Put energy and effort into making your lectures interesting and stimulating. A well-paced lecture which has visual impact and in which ideas are clearly communicated can be a motivating shared experience for students. Become comfortable using overhead projectors and audio-visual equipment in imaginative ways.

25. Watch the body language of your audience. You will soon learn to recognize the symptoms of 'eyes glazing over' when students are becoming passive recipients rather than active participants. That may signal the time for one of your prepared anecdotes, or better, for a task for students to tackle.

26. Do not tolerate poor behaviour. You do not have to put up with students talking, eating or fooling around in your lectures. Ask them firmly but courteously to desist, and as a last resort, ask them to leave. If they do not do so, you should leave yourself for a short period to give them a cooling-down period.

27. Do not feel you have got to keep going for the full hour. Sometimes you will have said all you need to say, and still have ten or fifteen minutes in hand. Do not feel you have to waffle on. It may come as a surprise to you, but your students may be quite pleased to finish early occasionally.

28. Do not feel that you have to get through all of your material. Even very experienced lecturers, when preparing a new lecture, often overestimate what they can cover in an hour. It is better to cover part of your material well, than to try to rush through all of it. You can adjust future sessions to balance out the content.

29. Use large-group sessions to identify and answer students' questions. This can be much more effective, and fairer, than just attempting to answer their questions individually and privately. When one student asks a question in a large-group session, there are often many other students who only then realize that they too need to hear the answer.

30. Help the shy or retiring students to have equal opportunity to contribute. Asking students in large groups to write questions, or ideas, on post-its helps to ensure that the contributions you receive are not just from those students who are not afraid to ask in public. It can be comforting for students to preserve their anonymity in asking questions, as they are often afraid that their questions may be regarded as silly or trivial.

31. Come to a timely conclusion. A large-group session must not just fizzle out, but should come to a definite and robust ending. It is also important not to overrun. It is better to come to a good stopping place a few minutes early, than to end up rushing through something important right at the end of the session.