Teaching Tips

1. Teaching Tips May 13th, 2004

2. References • Many books are available that discuss ALL aspects of teaching and lecturing. • Many are written by experts with years of experience. • There is NO reason for you to “Learn from your mistakes” or “REINVENT the wheel”

3. The Chicago Handbook for Teachers: A Practical Guide to the College Classroom by Brinkley, A., Dessants, B., Flamm, M., Fleming, C., Forcey, C. & Rothschild, E. Teaching Tips For College and University Instructors: A practical Guide by David Royse How to Run Seminars and Workshops: Presentation Skills for Consultants, Trainers, and Teachers by Robert L. Jolles Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses by Lee D. Fink Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers by Thomas A. Angelo, K. Patricia Cross

4. THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF TEACHING KNOWLEDGE OF SUBJECT MATTER TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTIONS PRESENTATION COURSE MANAGEMENT (Structure/Syllabus, Grading & Exams)

5. What We Are Going to Talk About Today GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR: • Course Management • Course Content • Writing a Syllabus • Writing Exam Questions • Planning & Presenting Lectures • Teacher-Student Interactions- (Classroom Strategies) • The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistant • Please feel free to ask questions or make comments

6. Depends upon audience knowledge General Guidelines: • Undergraduate: • Facts and principles that are a foundation for future learning • Relevance • Graduate • Experimental design and interpretation • Relevance • How to gain knowledge independently Use Textbooks as Guides • Course Management • Course Content What do you want your students to learn?

7. Course Management • Course Organization • Calendar Course material should be taught in a logical progression. Example: Teach protein synthesis AFTER you have presented ribosomes, tRNA and mRNA Use Textbooks as Guides

8. Example: If teaching a general course— Don’t spend 2 weeks on DNA synthesis and leave out protein synthesis Do NOT cheat your students. Use Textbooks as Guides • Course Management • Course Organization • Calendar Course material should be BALANCED

9. Course Management • Syllabus Preparation Components of a Syllabus: Course Schedule Course Objectives Instructors’ names

10. Course Management • Syllabus Preparation • Components of a Syllabus: • Course Title and Number • Location of the classroom and the days and times that the course meets. • Instructors’ names, office number, office hours, phone number, and e-mail addresses. • Course Description (This is usually the same as the course catalogue. Any prerequisites should be listed. • Course Objectives –In broad terms, what the students are expected to learn or gain from the course. • Schedule of lecture topics, reading assignments & exam dates. This is often a good place to list unit or section objectives.

11. Course Management • Syllabus Preparation • Components of a Syllabus continued: • Texts or equipment needed and materials on reserve. • Explanation and guidelines of assignments and due dates. • Policy on attendance, tardiness, and class participation. • Explanation of how the overall grade will be computed and the grading scale. • Miscellaneous information including policy on make-up exams, class rules, course drop dates, etc.

12. Course Management • The Syllabus Style of a Syllabus: • Bold Headers and spacing to divide the various sections. • Tables to list schedules, lecture topics and dates • A Table of Contents if the syllabus is lengthy

13. Course Management • The Syllabus Presenting the Syllabus • Always give a copy of the syllabus to students on the first day of class. • Go over the syllabus with the students the first day of class. Clarify ambiguities. • Post the syllabus on the course website.

14. Course Management • Examinations Writing questions • The best time to prepare test questions is soon after giving a lecture. • Exam questions must match the class size and the type of student

15. Course Management • Examinations Multiple choice questions • DNA polymerase catalyzes the synthesis of • DNA. • RNA. • protein. • polysaccharides. • lipids. What is the best type of multiple choice question? The best type of multiple choice question is one that the student must complete.

16. DNA polymerase catalyzes the synthesis of • DNA. • lipids. • polysaccharides. • protein. • RNA. Alphabetizing the answers ensures there is no bias toward using certain letters. • Course Management • Examinations Multiple choice questions

17. Multiple choice questions What is wrong with this question? Avoid using negatives and confusing syntax in the question. • Each of the following enzymes regulates a metabolic pathway except: • acetyl-CoA carboxylase. • a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. • glucokinase. • hexokinase. • phosphofructokinase.

18. Multiple choice questions A better way to phrase the same question • _____________ is the major regulatory enzyme in the glycolytic pathway. • acetyl-CoA carboxylase • a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase • glucokinase • hexokinase • phosphofructokinase

19. Multiple choice questions OR Which enzyme regulates fatty acid synthesis? • acetyl-CoA carboxylase • a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase • glucokinase • hexokinase • phosphofructokinase

20. OR • Which answer is FALSE? A metabolic pathway is regulated by • acetyl-CoA carboxylase. • a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. • glucokinase. • hexokinase. • phosphofructokinase. Multiple choice questions

21. Course Management • Examinations Essay questions • Design essay questions to test more than just facts. • Essay questions generally test understanding, analytical ability &/or application. • Essay questions with no one correct answer are fine: • Which student presentation had the most original format? Describe the design and delivery. Contrast the talk’s strengths with weaknesses with those of other presentations.

22. Course Content? Relevance? • Course Organization- Calendar? COMMENTS??? Examinations Multiple Choice Questions ???? Syllabus Preparation?

23. What We Are Going to Talk About Today GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR: • Course Management: • Course Content • Writing a Syllabus • Writing Exam Questions • Planning & Presenting Lectures • Classroom Strategies (Teacher-Student Interactions) • The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistant

24. Planning & Presenting Lectures • Organize your thoughts before you work on your lecture. • Create an outline of what you want your students to know. • Write learning objectives for each lecture: • Good: “Be able to recognize and draw the structure of each of the nucleotides.” • Poor: “Know the nucleotides.” LEARNING OBJECTIVES HELP STUDENTS KNOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND GIVE FOCUS TO THE LECTURE.

25. Planning & Presenting Lectures • The same principles for giving a good seminar apply to giving a good lecture. What are 5 rules? • Pace your delivery to the class • Whenever possible, involve the class

26. Do not read to the class except in rare instances where appropriate • Talk to the audience, not the screen • Project your voice

27. Planning & Presenting Lectures • From the outset of the lecture, let the students know: • What you are going to teach them (outline) • What they are expected to know • Only lecture topics OR • Lecture topics & the textbook • That you encourage questions and interruptions

28. Planning & Presenting Lectures • Try to change topics or change the pace every 15 minutes • Changing the pace- tools • show an animation • ask the students a question • make a joke • tell a brief story • show the students something they do NOT have to learn

29. Planning & Presenting Lectures • When leaving a topic and moving to the next topic: • Briefly review the take home message • Tell the students what materials they should learn • Ask if there are questions • Place the new topic in context with the previous topic (this may include, “What we will discuss next has nothing to do with what we just discussed.”)

30. Planning & Presenting Lectures • Prepare to teach Two types of learners • Visual • Need to see slides, black board, overhead transparencies • Learn from reading the text and handouts • Aural • Need to hear you speak the lecture • Will ask more questions than the visual learner • May not even own the textbook

31. Planning & Presenting Lectures • Generate supplemental handouts when appropriate • Examples of useful handouts: • Lecture outline • Learning objectives • Sample test questions • A review of your lectures • For graduate students: copies of journal articles • Do not replicate information in the textbook. Instead write: • Refer to figure 5.4 page 293

32. Planning & Presenting Lectures Take Home Message? Organization? Pace? Handouts? COMMENTS???

33. Course Management: • Course Content • Writing a Syllabus • Writing Exam Questions • Planning & Presenting Lectures What We Are Going to Talk About Today GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR: • Classroom Strategies (Teacher-Student Interactions) • The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistant

34. Classroom Strategies: Teacher-Student Interactions QUESTION: In your deepest, fondest dreams, what kind of impact would you most like to have on your students? When the course is over and it is now one or two or even 10 years later, what would you like to distinguish the students who have had your course? What is the distinctive educational impact you would like for your teaching and your courses to have on your students? REMEMBER THAT TEACHING IS ABOUT STUDENT LEARNING….. NOT ABOUT YOU

35. The first day of class is the most important day of the entire semester • Set the tone for the entire semester

36. Let the students know what you DO like (questions, comments, discussion) & what you do NOT like (sleeping in class, coming in late, talking, etc.) • What you say and how you act on that day is sometimes irretrievable • Often students may get a very distorted picture of a teacher. Letting them get to know you opens the possibility for future conversations. • Give a short autobiography

37. Classroom Strategies: Teacher-Student Interactions • ENCOURAGE Questions from the students • If one student has a question, others in the class probably have the same question. • One can judge the class’ comprehension of the material from the questions received. • Questions sometimes point out weaknesses in one’s delivery. • Use questions to extend the lecture’s content. • Questions and answers take time… plan accordingly

38. TAKE TIME TO GET TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS • TALK TO THE STUDENTS • ASK STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR INTERESTS • PHOTOGRAPH STUDENTS AND LEARN THEIR NAMES • TRY TO MAKE THE LECTURE MORE OF AN ACTIVE EXPERIENCE FOR THE STUDENTS • MAKE EFFORTS TO BE APPROACHABLE

39. Classroom Strategies: Teacher-Student Interactions • Keeping order in a large or a small class • Start every class in the same, professional way. This signals students to stop talking and tune in. • Ask disruptive students to leave. • Be clear about the rules of the class and why you have made them • Remember that it is easiest to start with rigid rules and become more flexible • Avoid confrontations… ask aggressive students to speak with you after class.

40. Course Evaluation • Always evaluate your course! • Ensure anonymity by using standardized, non-identifying questionnaires. • Encourage comments. • Do not collect questionnaires yourself. Have them mailed to a collection center (preferred) or have them placed in an envelope at the end of the final examination. • Use the data to constructively modify your course! • Do not take negative comments personally.

41. QUESTIONS??? COMMENTS??? REMBEMBER THAT TEACHING IS ABOUT STUDENT LEARNING….. Student Questions? Class Rules? Getting to know the students? The 1st day of class?

42. Course Management: • Course Content • Writing a Syllabus • Writing Exam Questions • Planning & Presenting Lectures What We Are Going to Talk About Today GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR: • Classroom Strategies (Teacher-Student Interactions) • The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistant

43. Maintain a professional relationship with the course coordinator & co-workers PRIORITIES Learn as much as you can from your TA experience Do as well as you can for your students RESEARCH

44. The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistant • Graduate student teacher’s roles may be difficult because they are both students AND teachers. • As a TA, your role is set by the course coordinator. • Be organized and perform tasks efficiently. • The course coordinator may or may not give you the kind of guidance you expect &/or need. • Be PROACTIVE- IF YOU NEED SOMETHING, ASK FOR IT.

45. The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistant • There is usually a very large imbalance of power in your relationship with the instructor(s) in charge of the course. • It is important, therefore, to manage your relationship professionally and carefully. • Ask for help when you need it. • Behave professionally. • If you need to speak with the supervising professor, visit during course office hours. This time has been set aside for the course.

46. The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistant • Clarify your duties and responsibilities with the course coordinator. • Clarify your duties and responsibilities with the supervising professor. • What is expected of the course TAs? • Are you expected to attend every lecture, even if you have listened to the lectures in the same course many times before? • Are you expected to grade the papers? • Hold extra review sessions? • Proctor all exams? • Prepare your own lectures? If so, when and how many?

47. Duties and responsibilities? ? ? ? • Behave professionally ? ? ? Organized? Be proactive?

48. What We Have Talked About Today • Course Organization, Content, Exams & Lectures • Basic Course Components • Constructing a Syllabus • Constructing Exam Questions • Planning Lectures • Learning Goals • Lecture Outline • Presentation

49. Classroom Strategies • What kind of teacher do you want to be? • Introduction: The first day of class is important • Get to Know Your Students? Tools • Keeping Order • Teaching as a Graduate Student • The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistant • Organization, Organization, Organization– Your time & Your lecture(s) • Relationships with course coordinators are important • Professionalism