More Quick Hits: Successful Strategies by Award-Winning Teachers

by S. Holly Stocking (Editor), Eileen Teper Bender (Editor), Claude H. Cookman (Editor), Vince Peterson (Editor)

Overview

This sequel to the popular Quick Hits puts the focus on learning. More Quick Hits offers simple but successful strategies that award-winning teachers have found help promote student understanding and retention. The book also tells how to create the best environment in which to teach the courses you love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253028129
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	09/22/1998
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	502 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

S. Holly Stocking is Associate Professor of Journalism at Indiana University Bloomington. She has written numerous articles on teaching and a book about journalism that has been adopted in undergraduate and graduate classrooms. She also regularly gives workshops to teachers on teaching and learning.

Eileen T. Bender, professor of English at Indiana University South Bend and one of the founders of FACET—-The Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching—-at Indiana University, and has served as its director since its inception in 1989. She is also Special Assistant to the Chancellor at Indiana University South Bend, and Professor of English at IUSB. She has served on the board of editors of Soundings and edited The IUSB Review and is the author of Joyce Carol Oates, Author in Residence and one of the editors of Quick Hits: Successful Strategies by Award Winning Teachers.

Claude H. Cookman, Assistant Professor of Journalism at Indiana University/Bloomington, is the author of A Voice is Born: The Founding and Early Years of the National Press Photographers Association under the Leadership of Joseph Costa and several articles.

Vince Peterson, Professor of Education and Program Director of Counseling and Human Services at Indiana University, South Bend, is the author of Orientation to Counseling, and numerous articles.

Bob Votaw, Associate Professor of Geology and Director of the Academic Resource Center at Indiana University Northwest, is a national leader in the discussion about effectively teaching science to diverse student populations.

Karen L. Everdon is the current coordinator of the FACET program at Indiana University .She received a B.A. in English and a MLS from Indiana University. Her interests encompass uses of technology in higher education, faculty development at the post-secondary level, and learning styles.

Read an Excerpt

More Quick Hits

Successful Strategies by Award-Winning Teachers

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By S. Holly Stocking, Eileen T. Bender, Claude H. Cookman, J. Vincent Peterson, Robert B. Votaw

Indiana University Press

Copyright © 1998 Indiana University Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-253-02812-9

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CHAPTER 1

Designing courses and environments for learning

Courses have architectures. There's the architecture of the classroom, the architecture of the syllabus, and the architecture of lectures and activities. How do we become architects of courses and environments that inspire and promote learning? If you're Sharon Hamilton, you create an agenda. If you're Glenn Gass, you construct a course on a foundation of love: You teach a subject that has been a life-long passion. Others of us have mixed levels of students in the same classroom or created mini-courses that help older students study abroad despite their work and family obligations. Classroom architecture is something we don't often talk about as teachers, but ought to. In this section, a few of our contributors have.

Too much fun to be work?

I am fortunate enough to teach a subject — The History of Rock Music — that has been a lifelong passion, and the quickest hit I could offer from my own experience is to advise every teacher to find a way to teach what he or she truly loves. This may be easier said than done, but one should never assume that it can't happen or be afraid of an unexpected change of direction. I certainly could not have imagined that my years of training as a classical composer would lead me to the job that I have now, or that Indiana University's School of Music — a noble bastion of the Great Tradition — would ever approve the idea of offering courses on rock 'n' roll. Even after the courses were approved and a part of the curriculum, it took me several years to realize that I had created a "Dream Job," rather than a temporary bridge between graduate school and a "real" job teaching serious music.

I have finally realized that it is okay to have fun teaching and to blur the distinctions between work and play, or "research" and pleasure, and I am now certain that I would be a hopelessly ineffectual teacher if I could not look at every class as an opportunity to share something that is important to me on a personal level. This direct emotional involvement leads naturally to an enthusiasm in the classroom that really does seem contagious and essential for engaging student interest. (I can hardly ask my students to get excited if I can't.) For that reason, I am always happiest when a student comments favorably on my enthusiasm for teaching, as I have come to view "enthusiasm" and "effectiveness" as nearly synonymous.

Glenn Gass, Music, IU Bloomington

Collaborative syllabus

The scope of the natural sciences is expanding rapidly, so rapidly that it is impossible to cover all the principles and content that we would like to include in a single semester. How do we choose which topics to include and which to leave out? We certainly cannot expect our students to learn more content than they did five or 10 years ago. We could sort the content by our own interests and research background. However, available research suggests that we can raise our students' interest and participation if we give them an opportunity to take part in the course design. I have had success with this mode of developing the syllabi for both an introductory earth science class and an advanced course in paleontology.

On the first day of class, I give the students a list of topics that we could cover in the course and ask them to rank no more than 15 of the topics. After class, I compile and weight their preferences according to the number of students who want to discuss or investigate each topic. At the next class meeting, I present the results to the class as a histogram and then give them my proposed set of topics based on their rankings and an appropriate sequence to handle the content. I ask for suggestions for improvement to the syllabus, and if there are none, we collectively agree that the sequence and the content of the syllabus will be the course outline.

I find that students' interests and discussions are improved with this method of setting my courses' syllabi. Their willingness to read more outside of class is greatly increased, and, in a dynamic subject like earth science, there is always something of interest.

In my paleontology class, I go a step further and put students with the same interests into teams to study the fossil record of organisms that they personally find intriguing. The students are expected to report to the class at end of the semester about their findings. This gives them an added incentive to use our fossil collection, do research in the library, and make an oral presentation to their peers. I have found these strategies to be very successful in my classes, with increased student interest and participation in their own learning processes.

Robert B. Votaw, Geosciences, IU Northwest

Facilitating discussion through review

At the start of each class period in my Introduction to Sociology course, we review the previous session's key materials. I tell students to take out their notes and a pen or highlighter. Then I ask students to answer questions verbally about key points from the previous class. This sets a tone for the class period, which emphasizes the importance of discussion in learning. Since students will, it is hoped, have the necessary information to answer questions in front of them, participation is relatively low risk. This allows students to build the confidence necessary for participation later in the session when they don't have clear answers in front of them. It also allows students to check their note-taking skills. If they have the information we discuss in their notes, they can simply highlight the key points. If not, I encourage them to pay closer attention during class and attempt to focus on the central issues of the class session. Students often remark in their course evaluations that this was one of the aspects of the course they most appreciated.

Jay Howard, Sociology, IUPU Columbus

Chemistry party animals

Many students view chemistry as an arcane science practiced by nerds in white lab coats. This perception often persists even after learning the fundamental concepts of chemistry. The problem, as I see it, is that students have little opportunity in class to connect the concepts and chemical equations to everyday life.

To solve this problem, I have designed an activity in which I relate pH and buffer theory to everyday problems one encounters at parties. I tell the students that they have been invited to a geek party where free food is plentiful. The contents of their stomachs are represented by a beaker containing red cabbage juice. As a pH indicator, red cabbage juice has much more visual impact than litmus paper. (Whoever heard of litmus paper outside a chemistry lab?) As the hypothetical evening progresses, acidic foods are added to the simulated stomach. The changing color of the cabbage juice clearly indicates that acid indigestion looms. Most party-going students know the antidote is an antacid such as Alka-Seltzer. As I add a couple of these to the simulated stomach, the pH becomes less acidic. I remind the class of various television commercials that lend credence to the feeling of relief. I then point out that Alka-Seltzer is a buffer and therefore resists changes in pH. Feeling better, the student in our hypothetical scenario parties some more and ingests more acidic foods. As the cabbage juice in our simulated stomach attests, the antacid continues to resist changes in pH. The party can last well into the wee hours of the morning.

Although I take some liberties (for example, the pH of the stomach is actually much lower than in our simulation), the point is clear. It is then an easy leap to explain how carbonate and phosphate buffers resist changes in pH in the blood and tissues, why lakes lined with buffering limestone resist effects of acid rain, and why ancient marble statues have deteriorated dramatically since the Industrial Revolution.

Chemists are nerds? Well, maybe. But few students still consider chemistry the recondite field they originally envisioned.

Gretchen Anderson, Chemistry, IU South Bend

Passport for non-traditional students

Our campus is a community university, and most of our students work at least part time, many of them supporting families while going to school. It is therefore very difficult to get them to study abroad for a year, or even a semester, as many do on residential campuses. The expense and time involved are too great for almost all of them. In an effort to provide an opportunity more in line with their possibilities, another faculty member and I developed a Nineteenth Century English History and Culture class to be taught in England during the summer. We designed it so that a segment was taught on our campus for about four weeks (including enough class time to equal about two-thirds of the time spent in an ordinary class). In my case, this was a course on nineteenth century British history. Students had the same number of books to read and the same number of written assignments that my ordinary classes have, and we covered essentially the same material in a somewhat briefer and more selective fashion.

We then flew to England, where we spent three weeks visiting many of the places we had studied. Since much of London was built in the nineteenth century, we spent most of our time there. Other cities we visited included Oxford, High Wycombe, Brighton, and Merthyr Tydfil. We visited homes of major historical figures, Parliament (where we had a personal tour and commentary by an MP), various historical landmarks and locations, and many museums and galleries. In addition to political and economic history, we studied the society, art, and literature of the period. We included attendance at plays, operas, and concerts in our activities. Since there are so many of these in London, we could usually find examples that were appropriate. For their final examination, the students related what they had seen and studied in England and Wales to their more bookish studies at home.

Students had an extra week between their studies in the UK and their finals. Most of them engaged in further travel, some in the UK and some on the continent. Sometimes I conducted these classes on my own; when I was joined by another professor, the students took two classes. In one case, for example, they took my course in addition to a course in British politics. Another pair of professors combined history with literature in the same historical period.

To keep expenses as low as possible, I made group arrangements for travel and lodging. This enabled us to charge far less than any other such program with which I am familiar. We have stayed in dormitories (many are vacant during the summer), apartments (I found some for as little as $20 per person per night — very nice ones, too!), and bed and breakfast houses. Public transportation passes enabled us to travel freely through central London at a very reasonable rate. On a typical day, we spent about six to seven hours visiting sites, including travel time. Students had the rest of the day for study or other activities. Sundays they had off, with optional trips to historic churches.

These classes were a great deal of work. I have never been willing to schedule them less than five years apart. But they have been very rewarding, both for me and for the students.

Paul H. Scherer, History, III South Bend

Mixing student levels can improve discussion

In our department, we often teach courses on the same topic, taught at different levels and meeting simultaneously. Usually, these combine a freshman/sophomore with a junior/senior class and sometimes a graduate level as well. The levels differ in reading assignments, written work, and examinations, but they have the same lectures and/or discussions. These classes have usually been quite successful, particularly when the approach is primarily or exclusively discussion.

When I first taught this type of class, I was concerned that the introductory-level students might be intimidated by being placed in a class with more advanced students. This did not turn out to be a problem, perhaps because I assigned different books for the students at different levels. This gave each group a monopoly on certain information, which they could then contribute to the discussions. As each group was bringing in different information, the discussions were enriched. Class participation and enthusiasm were also improved by the selection of books reflecting differing interpretations. For example, in my Cold War courses, some books are by revisionists, some by traditionalists, and some by those who take a neutral position. I often throw in a provocative work, such as Origins of the Second World War by A. J. P. Taylor, balanced with careful, more traditional accounts.

Students receive a list of questions for the next week in order to enable them to prepare in advance for the multilevel discussions. I have found that a blend of straight factual questions and interpretative or "iffy" questions works well. An example of the latter is the following: "Was Churchill's deal with Stalin about the partition of the Balkans into spheres of influence wise? Should Roosevelt have assisted Churchill and thereby obtained a better deal?" This approach allows for systematic, but nevertheless interesting, coverage of the topics. Students have ample opportunity to raise their own questions as well.

I select examination questions from previously assigned discussion questions so that there are no surprises. Most students do quite well, both in discussion and in examinations.

In my experience, the narrower the topic (within reason), the better these techniques work. I would not use them, for example, in a Western Civilization course. However, I have used them successfully in an honors course in Twentieth Century World History and find them to be ideal for my diplomatic history classes.

Paul H. Scherer, History, IU South Bend

Agenda for the classroom

Microsoft Word has just helped me become a better teacher. Or, to be more accurate, the Microsoft Agenda Wizard, a recent workshop on "Achieving Excellence through Collaborative Problem-Solving: Effective Facilitation A Critical Tool," and dozens upon dozens of meetings have led me to a seemingly obvious insight: Running an effective classroom has a lot of similarities to running an effective meeting.

When you plan a meeting, you think of what needs to be accomplished, what the participants need in order to accomplish the tasks, and what steps need to be taken in order to accomplish the tasks. Secondarily, you consider how long each of these steps will take and plan your agenda accordingly. Your experience tells you that a well-planned agenda often results in a well-executed meeting. The Microsoft Agenda Wizard even leaves space to designate who is responsible for any follow-up action items. Everyone is focused; everyone knows what needs to be accomplished; and everyone knows what is expected of him or her within what time frame.

Juxtaposing the format of the Microsoft Agenda Wizard with lessons learned from "Achieving Excellence through Collaborative Problem-Solving" (a workshop on effective facilitation by Angotti Weber and Associates), I have developed an effective agenda for the classroom. It can be given in hard copy to students before the class begins, written on the board as the class progresses, or a combination of those techniques:

Objectives for the class: This focuses the class on what you and they are supposed to accomplish.

Outline of major topics for discussion: Often we assume that students automatically connect discussion with objectives for the class. These connections may be made more explicit in this format.

Approximate time for each topic: Often the heat of discussion leads us away from our objectives and leaves insufficient time. (Of course, these digressions are the sparks that often inflame the learning spirit.) Estimating time, with built-in safeguards for spontaneous excitement, helps keep both students and professors on track.

Opportunities to check understanding: In the passion of transmitting our wisdom and insights to students, we may assume understanding where there is some confusion. If you plan for checks of understanding for two or three of the most difficult concepts soon after talking about them, you may minimize potential confusion and clarify understanding. Two easy ways to do this are the following:

1. The one-minute essay. Students write or apply the concept and then share with another student; differences are discussed and questions raised where necessary.

2. The one-minute chat session. Students in pairs summarize the concept in their own words or apply it to a new situation or problem.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from More Quick Hits by S. Holly Stocking, Eileen T. Bender, Claude H. Cookman, J. Vincent Peterson, Robert B. Votaw. Copyright © 1998 Indiana University Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching. Excerpted by permission of Indiana University Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword by Myles Brand, 9,
Introduction, 10,
1. Designing courses and environments for learning, 12,
2. Creating learning communities, 24,
3. Fostering critical and creative thinking, 40,
4. Helping students direct their own learning, 58,
5. Service and learning, 70,
6. Technology and learning, 78,
7. Using assessment and evaluation for learning, 92,
8. Learning to teach and teaching to learn, 116,
9. Quick list: Recommended books on teaching, 132,
Index of contributors, 139,
Index of subjects, 141,