2301 Marie Mount Hall tltc@umd tltc.umd

1. (TLTC) (formerly the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Learning Technologies division of DIT) 2301 Marie Mount Hall tltc@umd.edu www.tltc.umd.edu Stephen Roth, PhD Director of Outreach and Instructional Innovation

2. Think about an exceptional learning experience… one where you remember learning something new, or learning a considerable amount, and have retained that knowledge over time.

3. We Know a Lot About Learning Most faculty are unaware of the large body of useful knowledge on university teaching and student learning. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9853

4. Learning Models Traditional - Students • Listen in class • Students take notes • Read/highlight textbook • Take quizzes and tests • Go to recitation • Memorize • Cram for test Learner-Centered – Students • Self teach • Collaborate with peers • Work in teams/groups • Solve authentic problems • Engage in reflection • Take risks • Teach others • Learn publicly • Use feedback to improve Those who do the work learn

5. Teaching Efficiently,Teaching Effectively How to be an excellent teacher without giving up your scholarship!

6. Different Majors Avg. = ~ 14 per week; < 1 hr. per class hr.

7. How many hours a week will you spend preparing for class? • 15-20 hrs. • 10-15 hrs. • 5-10 hrs. • 3-5 hrs. • < 2 hrs.

8. 10 Ideas That Can Reduce Teacher Work Time • Group work • Reduce/refine PowerPoint usage • Don’t Cram Content • Rethink assessments • Use rubrics • Extra credit • Everything in Writing • Discussion boards/blogs • Videos/Tell Stories • Active Learning

9. Use Group Work • In class • For assignments • For projects

10. Activity What are the key factors/advantages in using group work (My left side) • ……. • ……. What are the challenges in using group work. (My right side) • ……. • …….

11. Effective Group Work • Facilitates peer learning • Allows for a wider range of student deliverables • Reduces grading time/effort • Can be used in both large and small classes • Assigning student to groups • Peer evaluations • Assigned roles • Needs to be scaffolded • Include both group and individual grades Advantages Challenges

12. Teamwork.umn.edu

13. How many of you use PowerPoint for lecture? • Always • Sometimes • Rarely • Not at all

14. PowerPoint Lectures

15. Don’t Cram Content Focus on “Process of Knowing”

16. Don’t Cram Content Evidence shows that faculty tend to cover WAY more content than is realistic, and that students do not retain much of what is learned in content-heavy courses. Focus instead on the “process of knowing” in your discipline (the content can follow more easily when the process is understood) and on having students know some content more deeply such that it is retained. Focus on the KEY objectives for the course – what do you want the students to retain into the future? Yes, your content is amazingly exciting – to you! Focus instead on what is critical for these students going forward.

18. What is “assessment”?What it is useful for?

19. Rethink Assessment Assessment for Learning Assessment for Grading • Formative • Low stakes • May involve minimal feedback • Purpose is to facilitate learning • Can be all or nothing scoring • Summative • High stakes • Traditional • Measures student knowledge • Linked to learning outcomes Consider reducing your high stakes high grading effort assessments, replace with assessment for learning

20. How many of you use Rubrics? • Always • Sometimes • Rarely • Not at all

21. Use Rubrics! • Saves time • Increases consistency • Provides mechanism for clear feedback • Provides mechanism for clear expectation

22. Use Rubrics!

23. 10 Ideas That Can Reduce Teacher Work Time • Group work • Reduce/refine PowerPoint usage • Don’t Cram Content • Rethink assessments • Use rubrics • Extra credit • Everything in Writing • Discussion boards/blogs • Videos/Tell Stories • Active Learning

24. How Often Will Your Students Ask You for Extra Credit? • Always • Sometimes • Rarely • Not at all

25. Extra-Credit for Extra Learning • MUST BE AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS; INCLUDE IT IN THE SYLLABUS AS A CLASS POLICY! • Example: • 3 extra credit opportunities (optional), each worth 10 points (800 points in course). • Write a 2-page paper on a selected book addressing a writing prompt. • Graded after the final points are totaled for the course. Grade only those where the points could result in a final course letter grade change. (90+ submissions, graded 12 papers, took less than 30 minutes grading time, six students has a letter grade change)

26. Everything in Writing • Have a CLEAR syllabus • Spend the first day of class covering the syllabus; have students take a quiz (low-stakes) on key points/dates/policies/etc.

27. Blogs and Discussion Boards Blog Discussion Board

28. Group/Class Study Q&A Piazza.com Google Doc

29. Videos can be powerful agents for enduring learning. Humans LOVE to listen to stories – use videos to help tell yours. http://www.ted.com/talks/david_gallo_shows_underwater_astonishments http://www.ted.com/talks/ramsey_musallam_3_rules_to_spark_learning

30. Active Learning Learner-centered Teaching: “If the students aren’t necessary for the teacher to teach – it is teaching-centered. Period. If the students are necessary for the activities to work, then the teaching is learner-centered.” ~Todd Zakrajcek

31. Three Cornerstones • Expectation • Transparency • Student Engagement • Appropriate Content

32. Ask Three Questions • Is this the right and appropriate content to achieve the learning goal(s) for my students? • Will this activity engage my students to learn? • Do my students understand what is expected; e.g. am I clear and transparent?

33. Tips for New Instructors • Everything in moderation! • Beware of new preparations – protect your time. • Seek help – why reinvent the wheel? • Build a community of teachers and learn from each other. • Start preparing early. • Backward course design – start with what you want the students to learn, then build the course around those key (realistic!) goals. • Mid-course evaluations – they help with course revision tremendously.

34. Teaching Portfolio Workshop Teaching and Learning Transformation Center Overview! 2301 Marie Mount Hall TLTC@umd.edu www.tltc.umd.edu

35. Portfolio Components • Personal statement on teaching activities and teaching philosophy • Describe your growth as a teacher and indicate the progression toward excellence – how have you improved? • Respond to negatives in your record (e.g., student evals) • Examples of materials from courses. • Syllabi, exams, slides, activities, videos, other materials. • Student course evaluations and peer/faculty evaluations • Go beyond student course evals, even if they are strong!

36. Peer Evaluation Departments should engage in systematic peer review of teaching based on classroom visits by colleagues. • Peer evaluation should include • evaluation of course syllabi, examinations, and other instructional material by members of the Department or external evaluators, • discussions of curriculum development, introduction of innovative uses of technology, and special contributions to the teaching mission of the department or to special programs. • Discuss peer evaluation with your Chair ASAP.

37. Key Points for Personal Statement • Your concept of learning: "What do I mean by learning?” • Your concept of teaching: your values, beliefs, and aspirations as a teacher. • Your goals for students: What skills should students obtain as the result of your teaching? • What methods will you consider to reach these goals and objectives?

38. More Key Points • Your interaction with students: What are your attitudes toward advising and mentoring students? • Specific examples: How are the values and beliefs noted above realized in classroom activities? • How do you assess student learning?What are your beliefs about grading? • Professional growth: How will you continue growing as a teacher?

39. Contact Information Stephen Roth, Ph.D. Teaching and Learning Transformation Center University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA Email: tltc@umd.edu http://www.tltc.umd.edu UMD Teaching Resource Guide Free & Downloadable, on our website