Are you a graduate student getting ready to apply for academic jobs in the fall? While you’re prepping your research statements and writing samples, don’t forget there are many teaching-related materials that you will likely need. A growing number of universities ask for a candidate’s statement of teaching philosophy, diversity statement, teaching portfolio, and course… Read more »
Tag: teaching
A Better Way To Grade
Specifications Grading (“Specs” Grading) is a form of contract grading based on the amount of work students choose to complete in a course. Allowing students to make this decision up front can increase motivation and self-direction in a course, and it can also focus and reduce grading for the instructor. Specs Grading motivates students like… Read more »
What is SoTL?
SoTL stands for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and is the systematic study of teaching and learning. It overlaps the space between teaching and research in the traditional 3 bucket view of faculty time (teaching, research, and service). Some teaching activities are informal and private, such as designing a course or developing a lesson,… Read more »
Realistic Student Expectations
Research suggests college students rarely complete learning tasks such as applying, evaluating, or synthesizing knowledge and instead complete tasks that require remembering and understanding information. Our expectations for students tend to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we communicate high, but attainable expectations for our students, they will make significant learning gains. When designing a course,… Read more »
Feedback, not just Grading
Good feedback creates dialogue between the instructor and student. In order to foster this dialogue, it’s important to give students feedback both early and frequently throughout the semester. Timely feedback allows students to act on the information to improve their learning while still in your course. This requires providing students with frequent opportunities to demonstrate… Read more »
Teaching through Disruptions
As history tells us and media are suggesting currently, we might expect increase campus demonstrations and work/class stoppages for the presidential inauguration and possibly beyond. Remember that the Student Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct acknowledges the right to “engage in peaceful and orderly protests, demonstrations, and picketing that do not disrupt functions of the… Read more »