Notes on Teaching and Learning

The following entry from the 2012-2013 Teaching Issues Writing Consortium: Teaching Tips was contributed by Valerie Lopes, PhD, Professor, Centre for Academic Excellence, Seneca College, Canada.

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Critical Thinking:

A well-cultivated critical thinker:

1. raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
2. gathers and assesses relevant information, and effectively interprets it;
3. comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
4. thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and
5. communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
6. Critical thinking is, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities (Paul & Elder, 2002, p. 15).

Facione (2004) described cognitive skills and affective dispositions associated with critical thinking. These include:

Critical Thinking and the Learning Environment:

a. Formulate discussions and questions to improve adult learners’ critical thinking skills (Paul & Elder, 2006).:

• Clarity: Could you elaborate further? Could you give me an example?
• Accuracy: How could we find out if that is true? How could we verify or test that?
• Precision: Could you give me more details? Could you be more exact?
• Relevance: How does that relate to the problem? How does that help us with the issue?
• Depth: What factors make this a difficult problem? What are some of the complexities of this question?
• Breadth: Do we need to look at this from another perspective? Do we need to consider another point of view?
• Logic: Does all this make sense together? Does what you say follow from the evidence?
• Significance: Is this the central idea to focus on? Which of these facts are most important?
• Fairness: Do I have any vested interest in this issue? Am I sympathetically representing the viewpoints of others?

b. Plan authentic tasks which address important issues or problems.

c. Replicate real life situations within the discipline.

d. Restructure learning to promote higher level thinking (See “Blooms taxonomy”).

e. Promote active learning by planning inductive teaching- learning methods such as:

• Guided Inquiry;
• Problem-based;
• Project-based; and
• Case-base learning.

Resources: Svinicki & McKeachie, 2011; Huba & Freed, 2000; Paul & Elder, 2006; Prince & Felder, 2006.

Submitted by

Valerie Lopes, PhD

Seneca College, Canada

Professor, Centre for Academic Excellence

Considering mentoring an undergraduate researcher this semester?

“…undergraduate research opportunities [in STEM fields] help clarify students’ interest in research and encourage students who hadn’t anticipated graduate studies to alter direction toward a Ph.D.” – Russel et al. (2007)

Many faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students find themselves mentoring an undergraduate researcher at some point in their career.  These research experiences have been shown to have a significant impact on the undergraduate researcher.  Specifically in the STEM fields, undergraduate research experience has been linked to increased understanding of how to conduct a research project, increased confidence in their skills as a researcher, and increased awareness of what graduate school is like (Russell et al. 2007).

Interested in learning about effective methods for mentoring undergraduate researchers in STEM disciplines?  The Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning is hosting a panel discussion titled “Mentoring Undergraduate Research in STEM Disciplines” on Wednesday January 23, 2013.  For more information (and registration) please visit http://kaneb.nd.edu/events/ All disciplines are welcome.

Russell, S.H., Hancock, M.P., and J. McCullough (2007). Benefits of Undergraduate Research Experiences. Science Vol.316 No.5824 pp.548-549.

The following entry from the 2012-2013 Teaching Issues Writing Consortium: Teaching Tips was contributed by Molly H. Baker, Ph.D., Director of Instructional Technology, Sauk Valley Community College.

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Let’s consider a major factor that affects students’ attention and engagement, especially in an evening or other extended length class. Of course, overall nutrition affects the brain also, things like enough iron, vitamins, calcium, and fiber. But here we are going to discuss how what and when your students eat the day of class can make a major difference in their ability to stay awake, focused and able to learn for several hours at the end of the day. Most students don’t know this!

Brains need proteins, carbohydrates and fats to produce energy that can be draw upon while learning. However, not any type of protein, carb or fat will do. Some of these actually make a person drowsy or prevent the right kind of proteins, carbs and fats from doing their job!   Consider these facts and then read more about it at http://www.askdrsears.com/HTML/4/T040400.ASP

1. Students who arrive hungry, in general, are likely to be irritable, restless, apathetic, sad, unmotivated, and less able to recall earlier learning or apply new learning to problem-solving tasks. Hunger contributes to mental fatigue, as discussed in Day Three. This goes for skipping breakfast before an extended morning class, as well.
2. Eating habits such as eating a large meal before class or eating a high-carbohydrate/low protein meal may solve the hunger problem, but makes your students drowsy and lethargic. Chocolate, pastries, bean burritos, sunflower seeds, bananas, dairy products, spaghetti with heavy sauce, and fattier meats tend to relax the brain and are ideal in the evening if you are trying to wind down!
3. Omega-3 fatty acids are important to general brain health. Foods such as eggs, flax or canola oil, salmon or tuna, soybeans, walnuts or pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, and almonds are excellent sources of these healthy fats.
4. Best foods for pre-class eating before an evening class include:
   1. A lower-calorie, light meal, such as a salad with tuna, vegetables, and dressing made with canola oil, stir-fried vegetables on brown rice, or even yogurt and fresh fruit.
   2. A more filling, but nutritious meal such as a PB&J sandwich on whole grain bread and an apple and glass of milk.
   3. Complex carbohydrates such as fruits like apples or oranges (not fruit juice), whole grain cereals (e.g., oatmeal) or whole-grains (not wheat, but whole wheat, brown rice), and as little refined sugar as possible (e.g, colas, candy, pastries).
   4. Proteins containing tyrosine amino acids, such as seafood, turkey, tofu, lentils, peanuts (or peanut butter), tuna, salmon. These proteins wake up the brain, rather than relax and wind it down.
   5. When eating both energy-producing proteins and carbs, eat the protein BEFORE the complex carbohydrates.
   6. Avoid nicotine, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated fats in prepared foods, alcohol, junk sugars and white bread before class.

Submitted by

Molly H. Baker, Ph.D.

Director, Instructional Technology

Sauk Valley Community College

Believe it or not the Fall 2012 semester is already half over and now is the time to administer early semester evaluations.  Whether you’re a faculty member, instructor of record, or teaching assistant, conducting early semester evaluations can help you in a myriad of ways!  For example conducting, analyzing and discussing early semester evaluations may:

1. Increase student motivation by demonstrating concern for student learning,
2. Improve teaching abilities through ongoing formative assessment, and
3. Improve student achievement by addressing student concerns.

These three outcomes may take years to achieve through constant evaluation, analysis and personal assessment but are well worth it.  

For our younger faculty, postdoctoral and graduate students there is another crucial reason to conduct early semester reviews: 

EVIDENCE!

Evidence of teaching and student learning is critical to the academic process (whether it be performance reviews or job applications).  Early semester evaluations demonstrate your commitment to increasing student motivation and achievement and improving your teaching skills during the semester (as compared to end of the semester evaluations).  It can be beneficial to keep all evaluations together in a Teaching Portfolio.  By analyzing your evaluations from multiple years, you can demonstrate improvement in teaching skill and student performance on a longer time scale highlighting your dedication to the craft.  When all is said and done there is no downside to conducting an early semester review – evidence of improvement, dedication and great teaching can go a long way.

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Interested in learning more about early semester evaluations?

 The Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning has examples of evaluations and many other teaching and learning topics on their website under the resources tab (http://kaneb.nd.edu/rsrcs/).  

 Interested in learning more about teaching portfolios and teaching / learning evidence? 

There are still a few spots open to this semester’s “Teaching Portfolio Design” series.  See the website for more details and registration.

The following entry from the 2012-2013 Teaching Issues Writing Consortium: Teaching Tips was contributed by Patrick Lee Lucas, Ph.D. from the Faculty Teaching & Learning Commons at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”

–Mark Twain

Community engagement, gaining ascendancy in recent years for some disciplines, brings great promise for students and teachers as a memorable and meaningful approach to education.  A burgeoning literature characterizes many aspects of this pedagogy, but a number of clear principles help ensure a quality community-based learning experience for all participants.

validity of the “text”

By thinking of the community as a text, specifically selected for maximum impact in the classroom – as well as beyond it, selection of a community site or partner parallels the agonizing selection of a textbook.  With no “perfect” text out there, teachers must choose a location or organization for students that will help them test out the theories they learn in the classroom, balancing the shortcomings and the positive attributes of the source.  Instructors should consider the difficulty of the community agency as text, how easily it can be read and understood by students, and how poised for highlighting, underlining, and notetaking the agency and its staff, volunteers, and clients might be.

reciprocity

From the perspective of the faculty, one way to guarantee a successful collaboration with students and community partners is to consider the reciprocity of such an undertaking for all parties concerned.  Community engaged activity thus represents not just a one way street, with students and faculty dropping into the community, with little care or concern about the true needs, the success of some approaches over others, and the ability to hear and understand what happens when the vital energy of students finds its way into the city.  There can be nothing more deeply satisfying than for a student to know the tasks they have undertaken really do matter and do make a difference for others.  Having that good feeling in the end requires much listening, an openness to others, and a deep connection to the community by the faculty member.

in it for the long term

By living in a place, one begins to know it more deeply and thus comprehend the needs of its constituents, organizations, and community as a whole.  Community-based work calls for faculty to leave their offices, classrooms, and studios, and be in the city – on its streets, patronizing its retail establishments and services, letting its culture seep in to the faculty life.  By listening closely and examining where the community does not quite come together or where there might be friction or where there exists a need to be met – these cracks and fissures provide golden opportunities for faculty, students, and institutions to truly be of benefit to the places in which they sit.  A long-term attitude of a faculty member thinking with the community ideally makes possible a recognition of an authentic approach that will result in transformative, positive change.

the syllabus and learning goals

Because any community-engaged project requires thoughtful articulation of responsibilities and connection to the educational purposes of activities, the syllabus provides the place for the critically important documentation of expectations for faculty, student, and partner.  Taking the time to work with the community site or agency to help them see the learning goals of the course and the way that the community project ties in with the rest of the material from class makes a huge difference in understanding with the staff, volunteer, or agency with whom or where the student and faculty may work.  In having these conversations before the semester commences and in talking them through, faculty help avoid challenges and circumstances for students, the faculty member themselves, and the community partner throughout the semester and beyond.

resource

Hatcher, Julie A. and Bob Bringle, eds. (2011) Understanding Service Learning and Community Engagement: Crossing Boundaries through Research.  International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement.

Submitted by

Patrick Lee Lucas

Associate Professor

Faculty Teaching & Learning Commons

University of North Carolina at Greensboro