Notes on Teaching and Learning

At this point in the semester, both you and your students probably have some ideas about what is working well and what could be improved in your classroom.  If you have not done so already, take some time this week to check in with your students. As I was speaking with a couple of my […]

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College instructors often list critical thinking as one of their central learning goals, but it is much easier said than done.  From the start, we need to recognize that our students may not know what we mean when we say, “think critically.”  In Teaching for Critical Thinking, Stephen Brookfield defines it as “A process of […]

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With finals approaching, you may be planning to distribute review problem sets or study guides to your students.  But in addition to providing resources to review course content, it is equally important to ensure that your students have the necessary study strategies to prepare and practice for high-stakes exams.  The following guest post, provided by […]

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Surveys have shown that students benefit from the enthusiasm and expertise of faculty who bring their research into the classroom.  The incorporation of research into the classroom can also promote an inquisitive approach to learning and provide a model for critical thinking. But as we know, it can be difficult to bring research into the […]

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My first boyfriend’s car was his family’s old SUV named Bessie.  Having moved the kids across the country for college, carried the family on many happy vacations, and suffered the daily commute, it had exceeded the promised 200,000 mile lifespan.   Like any teenage male with a secondhand car, Bessie’s owner dreamed of installing a new […]

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Okay, you’re about a month into the semester now and feeling good about things.  You’ve learned your students’ names, gotten them comfortable with your teaching style, and probably graded and returned a first assignment or exam.  But how do you know everything really is so peachy?   Why should I gather early semester feedback?  Motivate […]

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Are you going to have TAs for one of your classes this semester?  Or will you be a TA?  Before the harried first week of class, sit down to talk through these few key questions to set mutual expectations for faculty and TAs:   1. What is your teaching philosophy? What are the learning goals […]

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We all know how to use PowerPoint badly. Cramped or illegible slides, distracting transitions, stock clip art, students rushing to transcribe from slides, presenters reading word-for-word off the screen… But how can instructors use presentation software to engage students and help them take ownership of the material?   Should I even use PowerPoint? While students find […]

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What are concept or mind maps? Concept or mind maps can help learners think through a question or topic by visualizing the relationships between concepts, arguments, evidence, and themes.  Links between nodes show the connections between these ideas.  In general, the term concept map describes hierarchical diagram building downward, connecting multiple ideas in a more […]

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Research has shown that 99% of college students take notes during lectures, but university instructors rarely address note-taking as a skill.  Instructors often assume students have learned to take notes during high school and their competence will improve with time.  Given that university students typically capture only 30-40% of important lecture points in their notes, […]

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