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Teaching Grad Students

This article discusses the challenges and strategies involved in designing a graduate elective course for teaching peer graduate students, including the authority issue, updating material, enrollment target, designing structure, and assessment.

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Teaching Grad Students

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  1. Teaching Grad Students Ankur Desai UW-Madison

  2. What’s the issue? • Teaching peers, closer in (mental) age, may know most students well = authority issue • Teaching at the edge of your expertise, have to always update material = imposter issue • May be difficult to hit enrollment target in electives • Usually much more freedom in designing structure, material, assessment = more work • Fewer options for textbooks • Generally good students, but may prioritize research, conference travel, etc… • May hide gaps in knowledge • Assessment is different • Greater proportion of international students

  3. Types of grad classes • Lectures, “core” or survey classes • Methods courses, maybe with lab • Advanced elective course, lecture based • Research seminars, maybe student-led, usually 1-2 week • Paper based • Guest speaker based • Student presentation based • Professional seminars • Field or participatory courses • Mixed grad-undergrad • Advising is a form of teaching • Graduate committee service is a form of teaching • Informal courses, how-to videos, one off symposia • Intensive summer schools • Others?

  4. Bloom’s Taxonomy http://www.curriculet.com/blog/38-question-starters-based-blooms-taxonomy/

  5. What works? • Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do • Know subject extremely well, interest in broad trends in discipline, techniques to grasp key principles • Treat developing course as serious intellectual pursuit • High expectations of students, tie to higher order objectives • Natural critical learning environment, learners feel a sense of control of environment • High level of trust in students, openness about your own intellectual journey, enthusiasm and curiosity • Systematic self-assessment, tie student assessment to learning objectives

  6. What works? • Establish authority early • Project based courses that connect to research • Journal paper reviews – joint learning • Student-led discussions • Data based assignments, learning of “concrete” tools (e.g., a programming language) • Frequent assessment, but less “busywork” • Survey the students, design course around needs of students, modify syllabus to audience, mid-term evaluation • Be aware of language barriers • Seminars – use these to advance your own work and demonstrate how you produce work

  7. Assignment • Imagine a search committee asks you: if you were to design a course in your field, what would it be? • Design a mini-syllabus for a graduate elective in your sub-discipline • Title and one sentence description • Type of course, frequency of meeting • Audience – who should take course • Learning outcomes • Types of assessment • A rough agenda

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