Best of Teaching Issues 2004

Best of Teaching Issues 2004 - 2005

Table of Contents

Mastering Teaching

Master Teacher Behaviors
Gifted Students in College: Implications for Instruction
Strategic Use of Lectures
Classroom Management

Promoting Learning

Deepening Knowledge in the College Classroom
Hands-on Learning Doesn't Necessarily Work!
Helping Students Answer Their Own Questions
Creating Communities of Inquiry through Connected Teaching and Learning
Student-Centered Instruction

Online Teaching & Learning

WebQuest
Taking Too Much for Granted: Evaluating Web Sites
E-Literacy: Course Redesign Strategy for Web-Enhancement of a Workshop/Lab
Checkline for Online Courses

Assessment

New Approach to Grading for Responsibility
Student Assessment Resources
Grading Calendars

Master Teacher Behaviors

by Joy Navan, Teaching Scholar in Residence, Murray State University

Those who want to leave an impression for one year should plant corn;
those who want to leave an impression for ten years should plant a tree; but
those who want to leave an impression for 100 years should educate a human being.
- Chinese Proverb

What are the behaviors of master teachers? How can we become more effective educators who significantly improve their ability to impact student learning? William Buskist, professor of Psychology at the University of Auburn, has spent 15 years studying highly effective college educators. He shares the findings of his research in terms of master teacher behaviors. Below is a summary of his findings. In additions, I have indicated websites which will enrich our understanding and application of the characteristics.

1. Master teachers focus on thinking processes and problem-solving skills rather than merely facts and figures.
This characteristic is translated into classroom practice by structuring individual and group problem solving as the means by which students process content. Thus, master teachers have less lecture and more problem-based learning.

There are several methods and strategies that we can use in the classroom that will enable our students to develop and use critical thinking and problem-solving strategies. Here are two resources that readers may find helpful.

An excellent article on developing critical thinking skills: http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed385606.html

A link to a webliography of resources: http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/critical.htm

2. Master teachers keep the content of their courses current.
By continually updating the content of courses and providing examples from recent research and findings in the field, teachers vitalize the importance of the content for their students. Master teachers share their own involvement in the discipline, thus giving students tangible applications of the content.

Action Research in collaboration with former students in the field would be an excellent way to demonstrate content applications. This site is a useful tool for setting up an online action research project. Although intended for educators, readers will find it valuable as an overview of how action research can be effective for other disciplines as well. http://action research.altec.org/

3. Master teachers are enthusiastic about their subject matter, teaching, and students.
By developing a positive rapport with students, educators communicate their interest in the students themselves, which increases the likelihood that students will attend and participate in classes.

The link below is to an article on rapport-building by Buskist and Saville.
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/0301/tips.html

4. Master teachers make learning fun, but not necessarily entertaining.
Master teachers make connections to students’ lives. They include relevant examples, stories, and humor in their class presentations. In short, they make an effort to provide a variety of practical frameworks that will assist their students in understanding content.

The following are links to two excellent articles regarding storytelling in teaching: http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol33/no1/P2.htm and
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/cut/options/juin_04/ENG/article1_0.htm

5. Master teachers are high in self-monitoring.
As reflective practitioners, master teachers monitor the effectiveness of their presentation style, their content, class assignments and assessment in their courses. They seek feedback from their students throughout the semester and make changes as needed. They reflect and adjust these and other components of their practice as needed in order to continue to positively impact student learning.

Two excellent articles regarding ‘reflective teaching” integrating content, teaching theory and practice are linked below.
http://www.emu.edu/education/model.html
http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed449120.html

6. Master teachers show a genuine concern for their students' academic welfare.
Behaviors of master teachers in this area include keeping an eye on students’ work and intervening as needed by discussing student needs in one-on-one conferences, encouraging them, and directing them to sources that provide extra help or tutoring. They take time to explain concepts where students are confused and are flexible with their time in such a way that they can allow for more detail and explanation of difficult course issues.

This is a link to a valuable article regarding advising at-risk student advising.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_1_36/ai_85007770

7. Master teachers view teaching as an experimental endeavor that naturally entails risk.
Buskist frames two questions that master teachers constantly ask themselves: “Is there a more effective way of covering the subject matter?” “Are there other ways to make my presentation more interesting and relevant to my students?” (Buskist, 2004). The Writing Consortium disseminates the teaching tips articles like this one that share ways to present your content effectively and to create more interest in your students.

8. Master teachers use tests for both evaluative and instructional purposes.
Using tests to develop and to apply critical thinking skills give students the opportunity to see what they know and to identify areas of need. A blend of tests that “comprise a mixture of field and application questions as well as problems that reflect current theoretical and empirical problems in the discipline” inform professors as to needed reinforcement of content and instructional strategies.

The following article offers a variety of ways to assess critical thinking.
http://www.trace.uwaterloo.ca/PandACThinking.html

This link provides a rubric for assessing critical thinking.
http://cbdd.wsu.edu/edev/Kenet_ToT/Unit5/Rubric4CriticalThinking.htm

To develop a customized rubric, one may want to use this tool:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php

9. Master teachers establish high academic standards.
Master teachers communicate high goals and rigorously assess those goals, while at the same time having the scaffolding and support in place to assist their students in achieving the course objectives. One way we do this is by linking our course objectives to the standards of our discipline. For instance, the Council on Social Work Education has the following as one of its standards of accreditation: “2.1.5 Provides orientation, field instruction training, and continuing dialog with agencies and field instructors” Effective instructors would reference this standard when listing the objectives for field experiences in the course. Master teachers would not only reference the link between professional standards and course objectives, but would verbally acknowledge and explain how students who learn and are challenged in a standards-based environment will reach high levels of achievement in the discipline.

This website is a primer on designing standards-based instruction.
http://www.englishcompanion.com/pdfDocs/teaching2standards.pdf.

10. Master teachers possess a deep sense of humanity and a seemingly boundless capacity for caring about others.
In the words of Buskist, “They perceive themselves as partners with their students in the learning process; they experience deep pride in their students' accomplishments and disappointment in their students' failures. They realize full well that they cannot connect to, or reach all their students, but this awareness does not prevent them from trying.”

Reference:
Buskist, W., “Ways of the Master Teacher.” APS Observer, Vol 17(9), pp. 23-26 (September, 2004).

Gifted Students in College: Implications for Instruction

by Lee Kem, Ph.D. and Joy L. Navan, Ph.D.
College of Education, Murray State University

"As a faculty member for many years, I saw first hand how difficult it is for students to reflect on and assess their own experiences as learners, to get past the idea of learning as something that happens to them (or not), to see their education as something they can create and control. But when teachers continue to create opportunities for such self-assessment, students get better at identifying and seeking out what they need to advance their knowledge and abilities. In short, we can help students get smarter about what it takes to get smarter."
- Pat Hutchings, Vice President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

In the spring of 2004, researchers convened a series of focus group meetings with first-year honors students who had been identified as gifted in their elementary and secondary schools. The goals of the study were to determine the following:

What are the self-perceptions of gifted college students?
What are their perceptions of their experience as gifted students in elementary and secondary school?
What are their perceptions of their collegiate experience?

As a result of the study, we learned how post secondary institutions can respond more effectively to the different needs of our more able students.

In order to allow for the students to discuss their experiences and concerns openly, we used questions from the “College Skills Success Game.” The game, developed by Lee Kem, uses questions designed to generate conversation and sharing of college experiences. We specifically used questions that were grounded in the literature and addressed giftedness. Students took turns drawing question cards at random and read them aloud, and then discussed them in an open forum format. We noticed that the students used these questions and the discussions for both self-reflection and social construction of knowledge. Many of them had never been given the opportunity to discuss their giftedness and what that meant and so were engaged in the individual process of self-knowing as well as trying to share their thoughts and impressions and construct shared meaning with the group as a whole.

The major themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis had noteworthy implications for the post-secondary learning environments that we create and our instruction. Below is a summary of their self-perceptions.

Students did not necessarily view themselves as gifted; rather they consider themselves as academically bright. In this vein, they see themselves as able to study and retain information easily, and to think critically.
In part because of this self-perception, they prefer to be viewed by others as multifaceted individuals, not “just gifted.” They are well-rounded and have many and varied interests. One of them reported, “We are jacks of all trades, but masters of none.” Exceptions to this are their belief in their high abilities in their area of specialization and that they report they are excited about learning and challenge – a phenomenon they don’t see in such intensity in some of their college peers. One of the most valued experiences in the college setting for them was “being with others who enjoyed learning.”
The students expressed a strong belief that they have a responsibility to make a difference for others, and felt that they have more of an opportunity to do so in college where there are opportunities to advocate for social needs in different organizations.
Failure for these gifted students is merely a “challenge to succeed.”

There are several implications of the study for college learning environments and instruction. Some of those are highlighted below.

Students want to be viewed as what they term regular, not singled out in a regular class as smart. Also, they want instructors to assign groups carefully so that the stronger students don’t have to assume the role of teacher for others in the group.
The students in this study see a need for differentiation in assignments. When looking at the spectrum from rote homework assignments through authentic problem-solving, these are the students whose educational needs are met more effectively by the latter.
The relationship with the instructor is extremely important to these students, who prefer to be treated as members of a community of learners as opposed to students who receive lectures with little opportunity for open-ended discussion.
The students also value the opportunity to work with other students who have similar intellectual abilities and motivation. Honors classes provide this. They stress the importance of having an honors program that allows them to create a sense of community and belonging. However, they voice a need for instructors in other courses to provide for those possibilities as well.

Kem, L. & Navan, J.L. (2004, November). Then and Now: Gifted Students in High School and College. Paper presented at the Annual conference of the National Association for Gifted Children, Salt Lake City, UT.

Stretegic Use of Lectures

by Dr. C. B. Stiegler
Director, Faculty Development
Northern Kentucky University

Lectures remain the most common method used when teaching adults. Given the limited attention spans of most of today's students, relying on lengthy lectures with little student engagement is deadly. If you choose to lecture, remember to:

(1) limit the length to no more than a 15-minute stretch then insert an alternate activity,
(2) use a variety of visual and auditory stimuli, and
(3) engage students as frequently as possible in the 15-minute segment.

One of the best ways of lecturing in 15-minute segments is to use what Middendorf and Kalish [1] call change-ups. A change-up is an activity to reset students' attention. Here are some examples[2]:

(1) Whip-Around Pass: pose a question to the entire class and then call on a specific student to respond. The whip-around comes from calling on other students quickly for rapid responses, not lingering for long-winded responses; students who do not have an answer say "pass," and you go to the next student. In a large class, you might do one side with a whip-around and the other side with another. One teacher actually brings a whip to class and "snaps" it as he calls on students!

(2) Graffiti Board: tape a large piece of butcher paper to the wall before class with a question regarding the day's content on it. At the appropriate time in the class, ask students to go up to the graffiti board and write an answer to a given question or a response to a statement you have made, or compose a witty saying that reflects their understanding of the content presented thus far.

(3) Quick Questions: hand out index cards at the start of class. When you sense a need for a change-up, ask students to read through their notes quickly and write one question that they have regarding the lecture on the card. Collect the cards, read some aloud, and answer the questions. OR, have the students exchange cards, read them, answer the question, and return it to the originator.

(4) Note Review: at an appropriate point in a lecture, have students get with a partner and compare notes. They are to find differences. e.g., omissions, opinions, perceptions, or style. This helps students make sure their notes are complete, helps them review content, and resets their attention clocks.

In addition to holding their attention, investing time in a change-up can help you determine to what extent students are learning the concepts you are trying to teach.

[1] J. Middendorf and A. Kalish, The Change-Up in Lectures, National Teaching and Learning Forum, 1996, pg. 1.
[2] R. E. Lyons, M. McIntosh, and M. L. Kysilka, Teaching College in an Age of Accountability, (Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2003), pgs. 125-126.

Classroom Management

by Nancy Givens
Instructional Coordinator
Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching
Western Kentucky University

Troublesome behaviors may include everything from challenges to your authority, to demands for special treatment, excessive chattering, making offensive remarks, or cellular phones and beepers going off in class. How does one establish authority and discipline in the classroom while still being able to help students and without scaring students or interfering with open discourse? Several key principles were brought out in the ensuing discussion:

1) Set clear “ground rules” for class participation and discussion – what is encouraged and what is unacceptable behavior in the classroom. Some faculty will involve students in setting these guidelines for class participation, so that the students are fully informed and the rules are mutually agreed upon.

2) Intervene early in disruptive classroom behaviors to prevent negatively impacting the educational experience of all students in the class. If one student is disrespectful of the teacher or constantly challenges class material, and the teacher doesn’t quickly correct the situation, the confidence of all students in the teacher and class will be eroded, and learning impeded.

3) Correct inappropriate classroom behaviors in a step-wise fashion, and always outside of class. The intent is not to “punish” the student publicly or disproportionately, but to correct the situation appropriately and in private.

4) Include a statement in your course syllabus that relates to classroom behavioral expectations, such as “Students are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom environment that is conducive to learning.” You may want to list specific behaviors that you encourage and discourage, and consequences that will result for inappropriate behaviors in the classroom.

5) Do not wait to involve others in corrective action if the behavior continues after you have spoken with a student about the need to stop. You may bring in the department head or Dean of Students, according to your policy. Make sure this sequence of action has been communicated to students in advance, both verbally and in writing, either in your course syllabus or, if a university policy, in the Student Code of Conduct handbook or similar.

An excellent summary guide to classroom discipline, developed by Texas Tech University and recently cited in the POD Digest, can be found at http://www.studentaffairs.ttu.edu/vpsa/publications/civility.asp

Deepening Knowledge in the College Classroom

by Timothy E. Miller Ed. D.
Morehead State University

"And if education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man's future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual's total development lags behind?"
- Maria Montessori

It is not enough to just lecture in the college classroom. The instructor has the responsibility to help students gain deep understanding of the important concepts and ideas related to content knowledge of a course. One way to do this is to develop a conceptual framework for the knowledge you want your students to have when they finish with your class.

Giving students a conceptual framework on which to hang the major ideas and the factual information of the course is essential for deep understanding. Deep understanding goes beyond the recall of vocabulary. Deep understanding connotes the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the worth of pertinent information.

The conceptual framework might be a structure, theme, conceptual typology, controversial issue, or theory. It should be made salient to students through repeated references. As one professor of physiology states, "To the uninitiated, the field looks like a morass of facts; by developing a conceptual framework, one minimizes the amount of memorization students will have to do."

Often the conceptual framework can be represented symbolically or graphically. For example, a physiologist can begin each lecture by showing the same outline of the human brain on the video projector. The details of the brain, in terms of structures and processes, change according to the specific topics to be covered in that day's class. A sociology professor may use a basic typology as the conceptual framework for his/her course; this typology can be sketched and illustrated for each class in the form of a matrix into which new information is written. This professor will stress the need to tie the basic facts together, to make the conceptual linkages for students. A history professor might use the concept "Attitudes toward Natural Resources" rather than using a chronology as the organizing structure. A professor of Spanish literature might identify two or three major concepts (e.g., irony or tragedy) and apply them repeatedly in lecture, discussion and assignments to reinforce student understanding.

It is important that students understand the concepts and ideas behind the content knowledge they need to master. By using a conceptual framework in each class the students will be able to see the relationships that are present in various aspects of the complex material they are to master.

Hands-on Learning Doesn't Necessarily Work!

by Loris Sherman
Associate Professor
Somerset Community College
KCTCS

We’ve heard it all before: Sage on the stage approaches to teaching are passé and ineffective. Hands on activities are really the way to go. Right?

Let’s test that theory, as did educational researchers as part of the Private Universe Project in Science, an undertaking of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Science Education Department, Science Media Group. They asked graduates of Harvard and MIT a simple question involving images in mirrors. “If you want to see a larger portion of your image in the mirror (do those shoes really match this outfit?), how would you do it?” Like other adults in this country, the graduates had an average of 50,000 prior hands-on experiences with mirrors on which to base their answers.
Did you answer, “Simply back up?” If so, you’re wrong. Try it. But you’re in the good company of recent graduates of this country’s finest institutes of science and engineering who gave this same answer.

Science often defies intuition, and as we “teach” science concepts, we make some assumptions, either consciously or unconsciously:
1. The concepts are self-evident and seemingly obvious.
2. Students are empty vessels we can easily fill with our knowledge.
3. If we teach it, the students will learn it.
4. Seeing is believing.

Here are some of the conclusions of the Private Universe Project in Science:
1. Science ideas are not as simple to students as they are to us and no matter how clearly, slowly or carefully the concepts are presented, if they don’t make sense to the students, the ideas will not be absorbed. But the ideas may be regurgitated by the student on the test.

2. Students have been trying to figure out the world around them since the day they were born and come to us with their own explanations and ideas worked out from a hodgepodge of sources, including first hand experiences.

3. Students pay attention to what supports their ideas and ignore the information that doesn’t. When this happens, explanations fail and students construe the ideas in ways different from what the teacher intended.

4. Believing is seeing, not vice versa. These researchers have found repeatedly that students will “see” what supports their explanation of phenomena, even in the face of contrary evidence. For instance, a middle school science student was asked if she could see in complete darkness. Her answer was that after a short period of adjustment to the dark, she would be able to see. She was then placed in complete darkness, but held to her original belief, even after six minutes of being unable to see. She explained the discrepancy between what she experienced and what she believed by saying that eventually her vision would have adjusted to the blackness.

So how do we close the huge gap between what is taught and what is learned? Researchers from the Private Universe Project in Science believe we must begin the teaching process by knowing and considering the impact of the students’ own ideas on our attempts to teach them. Bringing forth students' prior knowledge about the topic to be taught is the optimum starting point for a lesson. Then use the anchoring conceptions they hold to build the current lesson. But it is also important to identify among students' prior knowledge those firmly held misconceptions that prevent learning and need to be specifically questioned in the context of the lesson. The teacher should also recognize that the responsibility for knowing is the student’s. Only then will the student obtain ownership of the knowledge.

I encourage you to visit http://www.learner.org/resources/series26.html where you can view the video produced in conjunction with the Private Universe Project in Science. Another resource presenting the same philosophy can be found at http://www.biologylessons.sdsu.edu/ta/about/about2.html . And for biology faculty interested in a more effective approach to hands-on activities, visit http://www.biologylessons.sdsu.edu/ .

Helping Students Answer Their Own Questions

by Dr. Nancy McClure
Fairmont State University

"Human history more and more becomes a race between education and catastrophe."
- Unknown

"Life is not a multiple choice test, it's an open-book essay exam".
- Al Blinder (Princeton)

To help students answer their own questions, you need to first teach students to ask the right kinds of questions for the right purposes. Show students that questions can be structured around the types of information sought. For example, Bloom's Taxonomy of the cognitive domain provides a categorization of thought processes from least to most complex; a good framework for posing questions at increasingly higher levels of understanding. Providing students with question stems will help them with this process.

Another categorization of questions describes questions as input (requiring recall of facts or derivations from sensory data); processing (requiring the drawing of relationships among data); or output (requiring students to hypothesize, speculate, create, generalize, evaluate). Once students understand that they need to identify what it is they want to know, they can then select the appropriate questions to ask.
Because generating their own questions will be new to most students, they will need encouragement. You can help students feel comfortable asking questions if you create an environment in which inquiry is not only accepted but fostered. By modeling the questioning process and scaffolding student discourse you can mold students' actions, interactions, and thought processes. One way to begin would be to have students write questions prior to studying a new topic, performing a new task, or taking part in a new activity. Ask them to use the question stems to write a question at each level of thought. Use the students' questions to guide investigations, activities, or discussions. During these, have students think about particular questions and seek answers through their interactions with the teacher and other students. Afterwards, have students reflect upon the questions they asked to determine if the questions helped them learn. At this time, too, have students write new questions based on their prior questions and the teaching/learning activities.

A third way to help students answer their own questions is to use teaching techniques that promote active learning. These are often inquiry-based methods and include, but are not limited to, the case-study approach, debates, role-playing activities, simulations, and problem-solving activities. Through participa-tion in these and other active-learning activities, students learn to assume responsibility for their learning by identifying issues, asking questions, seeking information, and developing answers or creative solutions.

As the preceding hints indicate, finding ways to help students answer their own questions means becoming the type of teacher who structures the teaching/learning process to facilitate students' assuming a more active role in their learning. Students who learn to ask the right questions will get answers that satisfy them.

McClure, N. (2004). "Found Ways to Help Students Answer their Own Questions." POD Network, POD-IDEA Center Notes. Available: http://idea.ksu.edu/podidea/index.html

Creating Communities of Inquiry through Connected Teaching and Learning

by Joy L. Navan, Ph.D.
Murray State University
Teaching Scholar in Residence

“All my learning and activities, the way I think, the things that I create,
the things that I do, are all just forms of my interaction with
others, with the people who I value and who value me.”

The above words of a gifted young woman (Navan, 1988) frame the need for educators to design instruction that empowers student interaction with professors, with content, and with their peers. How do we create collaborative environments, environments that enable learners to construct knowledge through communities of inquiry? Connected Teaching (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986) is a model that promotes active communication and collaboration among learners and instructors.

In a more traditional model of instruction, educators “deposit” knowledge and students struggle to look at that knowledge through the eyes of the professor. The result is that the learner – perceived by the educator as receiver of information – may have little or no relational understanding of the depth and complexity of the content. Such a paradigm impedes interaction with the material and with other learners, an important process in the learning cycle.

Constructivist learning differs from the traditional perspective by acknowledging that the individual learner must construct knowledge. The learner uses past experiences, unique cognitive ability and learning style, and posture toward the material to interact with new experience and store it in cognitive schemata that are unique from those of any other learner (Sprinthall, Sprinthall & Oja, 1998). Blending elements of constructivist learning with principles of connected teaching, we facilitate the growth of a community of inquiry in the college classroom. The following are examples of ways that educators incorporate connected teaching and learning in the classroom.

Incorporating personal individual experience. Because students need to assimilate new information by integrating it into previous learned material, allow student time during class to reflect and write about the content. How does the new material help them understand the content of the course? How does it help them to form the meta-concepts that are the framework of the discipline? Through the use of reflective journals, students have the opportunity to examine new concepts in light of their own personal framework and to construct innovative ways to apply new knowledge. Additionally, students might be given the opportunity to react to reflections of their peers, thus incorporating into their understanding the experience of others as well.

Nurturing each other’s thoughts to maturity through consensus. Discussion that centers on the exploration of essential questions (EQ’s), which are open-ended questions about the essence of the discipline or content, open a wide spectrum of possibilities and
prompt the learner to refine and organize higher level thinking (Hayes Jacobs, 1997). Combining EQ’s with the Socratic method of coaxing thought to maturity allows learners to nurture thoughts and build consensus.

Basing teacher’s authority on cooperation, not subordination. As adult learners, college students have reached the last stage of a developmental self-discipline model (Sprinthall, Sprinthall & Oja, 1998). At this stage educator and learners acknowledge and act on basic democratic principles, such as tolerance, equity, and fairness. The professor who recognizes and honors this stage of classroom interaction will emphasize both individual autonomy and the need for interdependence. An effective group method for students at this stage would be to help students build collaborative cohorts, groups of like peers who value shared expertise, who promote both individual and group goals, and who enable the development of higher quality products (Navan, 1994).

In conclusion, educators who create communities of inquiry are believers in the midwife paradigm of education vs. banker education. Rather than perceiving oneself as the depositor of knowledge, the connected professor promotes individual and group problem solving. Students give birth to their own constructed knowledge, reflect on it, share it with others in a collaborative setting, and search for creative ways to incorporate new learning into future experiences. Such a model promotes group and self-efficacy, which in turn directly influences achievement and goal setting. As one gifted young woman stated while reflecting on her opportunity to learn in a unique secondary environment that promoted connected teaching and learning, “I think more people in society could work collectively like we have done in this school. We’ve built our own little community, we’ve built our own family, we’ve built up friendships that will last a lifetime. I mean, society would go so much further if it just looks at and probes into our school.” (Navan, 1998)

References

Belenky, M.F., Clichy, B.M., Goldgerger, N.R. & Tarule, J.M. (1986). Women’s Ways of Knowing. New York: Basic Books.

Hayes Jacobs, H. (1997) Mapping the Big Picture. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Navan, J.L. (1994). A writers’ collaborative: The effects of collaborative learning on perceived self-efficacy. Proceedings of the 1994 Conference of the Ontario Educational Research Council. Toronto, Ont.: Ontario Education Research Council.

Navan, J.L. (1998). Perceptions of Efficacy of Gifted Young Women in Different Learning Environments. Unpublished dissertation, Ottawa, Canada: University of Ottawa.

Sprinthall, R.C., Sprinthall, N. A. & Oja, S.N. (1998). Education Psychology: A Developmental Approach, 7th Edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

Online Resources

Connected Teaching:
http://www.anrecs.msu.edu/research/fleming.htm
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/local/scisoc/grad/ideaforum/23apr04.html
http://www.cte.umd.edu/library/podresourcepackets/diversity/tales.html

Essential Questions:
http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/integrate/packet/int4.html
http://www.nashua.edu/integratedcurriculum/essentialquestions.htm

Portions of this article appeared previously in the newsletter of the Murray State University Women’s Center (Fall 1999).

Student-Centered Instruction

by Lawrence S. Albert, Director
Center for Teaching and Learning
Morehead State University

"If the shoe fits, you're not allowing room for growth."
- Robert Coons

"The first thing to do in life is to do with purpose what one proposes to do."
- Pablo Casals

Many of us attended college at a time when the predominant learning experience in college consisted of: (1) listening to and taking notes from a content expert, (2) occasionally responding to questions sprinkled sparsely through the expert’s talk, and (3) saying back to the expert, usually in the form of written test answers, what the expert had said to us. In its unembellished form, such instruction was essentially content-centered or instructor-centered, but not to any great extent student-centered. These days college instructors are much more likely than in the past to know and use instructional methods that are student-centered.

Faculty members who are intrigued by student-centered instruction and want to implement it in their classrooms might want to know what it is and what forms it can take. The intent of this article is to characterize student-centered instruction by describing it in terms of educational dimensions such as power, content, role of the teacher, responsibility for learning, and function of evaluation; dimensions described by Mary Ellen Weimer (2002) in her book entitled /Learner-centered teaching.

Below is a table that illustrates some differences between teacher and content-centered instruction and instruction that is student-centered.

Instructor's Mode of Teaching	Student's Mode of Learning	Immediate Goal of Instruction
Teaching as talking; the instructor “covers” the material.	Learning through listening	The goal is for students to say it as the instructor says it.
Teaching through creating a rich experiential environment	Learning through experiencing through all senses not just hearing	The goal is for students to know it as the instructor knows it.
Teaching by posing a question or presenting a problem.	Learning through guided discovery	The goal is for students to try to understand it as the instructor would try to understand it.
Teaching by asking the student to frame a question or pose a problem.	Learning through open-ended discovery	The goal is for students to find their own way to understand it.

These two approaches to instruction can be further differentiated by how the instructor approaches the teacher-student power relationship, and issues related to content and assessment.

With regard to the teacher-student relationship there is a shift in power and locus of control toward:

Stating intended outcomes in terms of student knowledge & skill
Identifying objectives more in terms of students’ goals for themselves and the course
Allowing students to shape the process of learning by providing input into the nature of assignments,
evaluation methods, etc.
Being more open to students’ ideas
Adapting instruction more to what the students already know and believe (consistent with
constructivism)
Increasing the responsibility for learning to a greater degree upon the learner

With regard to the content of the course, there is a greater emphasis on:

Learning that is deeper, more critical, and more creative, as opposed to learning that is superficial
Adapting to the affective needs of students such as their self-confidence and passion toward a topic
The teacher functioning as a facilitator of learning rather than a transmitter of knowledge
Basing assessments on students’ application of course concepts rather than on the correctness of
their recall and recognition

Should instructors implement student-centered instruction in all courses? Is it more effective to use student-centered approaches in courses at one level rather than another? Is student-centered instruction more effective with some subjects than with others, or with some students than with others? Can student-centered approaches be combined effectively with content-centered approaches in the same course? We might likewise ask these same questions of content-centered and teacher-centered methods. One thing is for certain, these questions are good candidates for scholarship of teaching and learning studies, and good sources of ideas for experimenting with instruction to strengthen student learning in the courses of both part-time and full-time faculty. Ask your colleagues and you will likely find that many of them have had very positive experiences with student-centered instruction in both basic and advanced courses. You might try it now and then to see how your students respond.

Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

WebQuest

by Lisa Lee, Education Coordinator
Madisonville Community College

contributed by Cathy Hunt
Madisonville Community College

"Computers will never be perfected until they can compute how much more than the estimate the job will be."
- Lawrence J. Peter

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to use the Net and he won't bother you for weeks."
- E-mail humor, Proverbs for the Millenium or Axioms for the Internet Age

"Daunting as the challenge of reform appears to be, its cost is insignificant when compared with the consequences of inaction."
- National Research Council, Everybody Counts

Interested in finding new ways to incorporate technology into your coursework? Maybe a WebQuest is just what you’re looking for! A WebQuest is defined as an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet (Dodge 1995). A WebQuest is not a stand-alone activity or piece of curriculum-it must be supported by introductory activities and lessons that scaffold learning to put students in a position where they can complete the WebQuest successfully (Garry 2002).

WebQuests can be short-term or long-term. Short term WebQuests can be completed in just a few class periods with the main goal being to get students to use technology and build upon prior learning while acquiring and integrating new knowledge. Long term WebQuests are designed to take days, weeks, or even months with a goal of forcing students to analyze a body of information, expand and refine their knowledge on a particular subject and ultimately demonstrate their new understanding by presenting it in the form of a final product. Short- or long-term, WebQuests promote higher-level thinking skills. They can be designed for students to complete individually or in cooperative learning groups.

WebQuests follow a basic format which includes the following components: Introduction, Task, Process, Resources, Evaluation, and Conclusion. The Introduction actually sets the stage for the students while peaking their interest in completing the Quest. It often includes a guiding question. The Task section basically describes what students will do and what their final product should be upon completing the WebQuest. The Process section is exactly what the name implies. This is where you clearly give step-by-step instructions, letting the learner know the process to follow in order to accomplish the “Task”. The Resources section simply provides students with a list of specific websites (listed as hyperlinks) that the instructor has deemed useful in completing the “Task”. This section may also include off-line resources. The Evaluation section of the WebQuest is where the instructor would provide rubrics that will be used to evaluate the student’s final product. If a rubric is not provided, then the instructor should make sure specific criteria are identified in this section to let the students know just how their work will be assessed. A checklist can be helpful to students as well. The final section, the Conclusion, is where the instructor summarizes what the students will accomplish through the completion of the WebQuest. It brings closure to the WebQuest and should encourage students to reflect upon what they have learned.

WebQuests are successful because they allow students to do something they like doing-surf the Internet! Students are motivated because they are given real resources to work with, not just a dated textbook. WebQuests use scaffolding or prompting which facilitate more advanced thinking. The constructivist view of learning is supported through the use of WebQuests because students are given lots of information through which they must sort, construct meaning and connect to prior knowledge.

There are some great WebQuests available online for your use, but the true challenge is in creating your own, specifically designed to meet your instructional/learning goals. Below you will find several useful websites that include sample WebQuests or basic information for creating your own. Good luck!

Sample WebQuests (obtained from a presentation at the New Horizons Conference)
Public Health: http://www.interactworks.info/madcow/madcowquest.htm
Math: http://homepage.cem.itesm.mx/lgomez/webquestgraph3d/tpactivity.htm
Allied Health: http://www.ufrsd.net/staffwww/stefanl/Webquest/index.html
Philosophy: http://valhalla.guhsd.net/library/webquest somewhereinmid.html
Psychology: http://www.berksiu.k12.pa.us/webquest/ehrhart2/index.htm
Computers: http://www.frederick.k12.va.us/wq/webdsgn/index.htm
English: http://mcvts.org/ettc/mentoring/GuessWho.htm

Resources
Dodge, Bernie, "Some Thoughts About WebQuests," 1995.
Campbell, Deborah, “How To Improve Student Learning Using WebQuests”, 2004.
Garry, Adam, “How to Succeed with WebQuests,” 2002.
March, Tom, “Why WebQuests”, 1998.
Schrock, Kathy, “Web Quest in Our Future: The Teacher’s Role in Cyberspace”, 2004.

Taking Too Much for Granted: Evaluating Websites

by Loris Sherman
Associate Professor
Somerset Community College
KCTCS

“Before undertaking a project, ponder what will be gained,
Lost and ultimately achieved.
There is nothing too difficult for a man who, before he acts,
Deliberates with chosen friends and reflects privately.”

-Tirukkural 47: 461-462

I routinely make assignments in my Biology classes that require students to go to the Internet for information. I have to remind myself that most students lack the skills necessary to evaluate the credibility of the sources they find there. Many assume that if it is on a web page, it must be true. Even students with prior orientation on the fallacy of this assumption sometimes fail to critically evaluate information and its source. I take for granted that they will recognize bias and/or garbage when they see it; they take for granted that everything they find has value and is accurate.

To prevent these mistakes, there are several online sources offering criteria that can be used to assess whether a web page should be trusted. At http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/processguides/evaluating_student.html you will find a fairly simple set of guidelines that beginning college students will find useful and easy to understand. At this site, Dan McDowell presents four main questions for students to ask as they evaluate whether they can rely on the information: 1) who wrote it; 2) who published it; 3) are opinions included; and 4) when was it written? For each of these questions, he elaborates on how students should interpret the answers to these questions. For example, he points out that when the page was written is only important if the material is time sensitive. His page was last updated in July 1999, which does not affect the accuracy of his information, but a web page discussing prions from that year would not reflect the most recent findings on these novel proteins.

A web search on this topic will generate dozens of links to excellent sites presenting strategies for evaluating web pages. But take the time to visit Dan’s site. It is just one page from his /Process Guides/ web page (http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/processguides/index.htm), which provides students with direction on the steps necessary to complete WebQuest assignments, such as how to brainstorm, build consensus, and form persuasive arguments. All of these things we take for granted that our students will understand.

E-Literacy: Course Redesign Strategy for Web-Enhancement of a Workshop / Lap

by Loris Sherman
Associate Professor
Somerset Community College
KCTCS

"Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."
- Mahatma Gandhi

"Ultimately, it is through serving others that we become fully human."
- Marsha Sinetar

Course redesign will include the following:
1. Identification of target audience and distribution of information about the labs to faculty advisors.
2. Development of diagnostic component and tutorials addressing language mechanics, MLA style, and elements of good writing.
3. Creation of modules for remediation and/or integration of existing PLATO modules. Thereby, the course can be saved electronically and shared with other instructors. It can also be used as a web-enhancement for any English composition course.

Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.

Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.

Technology productivity tools

Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

Technology communications tools

Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

Technology research tools

Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
Students use technology tools to process data and report results.
Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.

Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools

Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.
http://cnets.iste.org/students/s_stands.html

Checklist for Online Courses

by Hal Rice
Instructional Technology Consultant
Murray State University

“With new technologies we’ve tended to do the same things more efficiently,
when what we need is to do different things more effectively.”
- Christopher Dede, Harvard School of Education

Teaching an online course presents many challenges that are not immediately evident to first time instructors. One major concern is that the quality and outcomes of an online course should be equivalent to a course taught in a traditional face-to-face class. Many institutions have grappled with methods to make sure such outcomes are equivalent. The online course should, of course, have the same information available regarding grading procedures, schedules, and requirements as a traditional course. However there are some additional considerations for an online course. This is what I will try to assist with in this offering. After reviewing a number of check-lists for online teaching, I have compiled a very generic list of things you might want to think about as you review your class design. This is by no means an exhaustive list but a starting place to evaluate your efforts to prepare an online course.

Have I included a list of the required hardware and software necessary to successfully complete the course?
Does my site contain a clear explanation of how communication between instructor and student and student to student will take place?
Are my assignment submission procedures clear and detailed? Will assignments be emailed, or perhaps, use the digital drop box in a CMS?
Have I clearly identified where assignments and course content are located and how to navigate the site?
Do my students have any instructions as to what to do in case of technology problems? Do they have an email address and/or phone number where I can be reached if a system fails? Do I have contact information for them?
Have I minimized file sizes of images and other media files to the point that students on a telephone dial-up system will not be waiting hours for downloads?
Do my students have access to external resources that may be needed to complete assignments?
How will I assess student progress? If I am using traditional tests and exams, how will I know the person taking the test is in fact the student? How will the student receive feedback from assessments?
Have I clearly communicated the time frame in which a student can expect me to respond to questions and emails? Have I established some sort of virtual office hours during which students might be able to have a dialogue with me?
Have I considered that special needs students may be taking my course? Have I considered for example, how I might make necessary adjustments for a student who has low-vision, is hearing impaired or has other special needs?

This is a very short list that hopefully will spark your thinking in the special needs for online teaching. As you read this list you’ll note that many of the items are related to communication between you and your students. Many of these concerns are things that sort themselves out in a traditional; classroom in the day to day interaction between you and your students. This interaction is absent in the online world and must be considered if you are to be successful as an online teacher. It is a different environment and you must try to think about how your course looks and feels from the student point of view.

References:
Texas Education Agency, http://www.iqstandards.info
Sandy Bryant, Instructional Technologist, Rollins College
Ron Gibson, Director of Instructional Technology, Friends University

New Approach to Grading for Responsibility

by Judith Valade.
Texas A & M University

contributed by Christopher Daniel
Big Sandy KCTCS

“ Irrespective of different philosophies, the most important thing is to have
a tamed and disciplined mind and a warm heart." -The Dalai Lama

"They always say time changes things, but you actually
have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol

The following is an idea that was given to me during my time at Texas A & M University – Corpus Christi. It is the part of my grading scale that takes the place of “class participation.” It promotes critical thinking, reflective thought, and responsibility. It can act as a review for students as well as helping them to realize when and if they are procrastinating. I teach writing, so I find that it is a writing exercise as well. Below is an explanation of the “Responsibility” portion of the students’ grade.

One of the goals of this course is to invite/challenge you to take responsibility for your own success. The evaluation processes we use in this course are meant to fulfill this goal.

One of the more difficult aspects of student performances to evaluate fairly and consistently is what we normally call "participation." This is usually a catchall category that is meant to encourage you to prepare for each class, to attend class, to participate actively in classes, and to be a good citizen in the course--following policies, guidelines, deadlines, etc. We will take a different approach to this part of your course grade.

Beginning Friday, September 3 and continuing for the number of weeks in each of the three major folder periods, excluding Fall break and after the third folder period ends, you will submit weekly reports / proposals to me (via email). In these weekly reports, you will help me understand your performance for that week, the ways you were a responsible learner and participant in the business of this course.

In your report to me, you will propose that you were a responsible student and explain why / how. (This will be discussed further in class.) I will either agree with your report / proposal or I will respond with my view and ask you for more clarification. This activity, which is considered active participation, is worth 20% of your grade.

I hope you see how this approach has several benefits. For sure, you are invited to be part of the evaluation process, so you are taking responsibility. Perhaps more important in the longer term, though, is that this challenges you to be a reflective learner. Every week, you are challenged to examine your work carefully and honestly. Doing this regularly will help you learn how to learn, which is one of the central goals of higher education.

Student Assessment Resources

by Nancy Givens
Instructional Coordinator
Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching
Western Kentucky University

“Artistic growth is, more than it is anything else, a refining of the sense
of truthfulness. The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy;
only the artist, knows how difficult it is.”
- Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, 1915

With assessment of student learning, faculty often discover that students aren’t learning what they set out to teach. Traditional testing methods measure short-term retention, but what is learned may be quickly forgotten after the final exam. Newer, more innovative assessment methods seek to measure deeper level learning, i.e., increased ability for critical or analytic thinking, “big picture” thinking as well as details, and lifelong or job skills developed as a result of class. If you believe the research-based thesis that assessment drives student learning, then you will want to closely consider whether your assessment practices effectively link student learning with the outcomes you seek.

The Internet hosts a wealth of excellent student assessment sites. Here are just a few recommended sites to get you started:

1) http://www.aahe.org/assessment/principl.htm 9 Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning, from the American Association for Higher Education

2) http://www.flaguide.org/ Assessment of Student Learning Gains, from the Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide. Summarizes research and effective methods, has an Assessment Primer, a Matching Goals to Assessment Techniques table, extensive list of resources and more

3) http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm NC State University’s Internet Resources on Higher Education Outcomes Assessment. A very comprehensive assessment site with a wealth of resources (info on site is copyrighted)

4) http://www.ets.org/hea/ Higher Education Assessment. This site looks at assessment from an institutional accreditation standpoint.

5) http://www.olemiss.edu/programs/pharmednet/assessmnt.htm Assessment in Higher Education links.

6) http://www.tamu.edu/marshome/assess/HTMLfiles/oabooks.html Outcomes Assessment Resources on the Web.

7) http://www.calstate.edu/acadaff/sloa/index.shtml Excellent compendium of student learning outcomes assessment web sites, conferences and clearinghouses, plus articles on assessment.

Thanks to the recent POD Network Digest inquiry for these recommended Internet sites.

Grading Calendars

by Dawn Hall, Instructor
Bowling Green Community College
Western Kentucky University

“…it is the greatest of all mistakes to begin life with the expectation
that it is going to be easy, or with the wish to have it so.”
- Lucy Larcom, A New England Girlhood

Ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed during the semester because homework papers, projects, reports, or essays have suddenly materialized, at the same time, and there doesn't seem to be enough time to grade everything? We've all looked at the stacks of grading that accumulate on our desks and wonder, "How did this happen" or "What was I thinking?"

Being an English instructor, I found out very quickly that if my students wanted to receive their graded essays in a timely manner, as I had promised on the syllabus, I need to get control of my due dates and organize somehow. My solution was to create a grading calendar, and before the semester began, plug in my due dates for all my classes.

Grading Calendar Use this calendar to coordinate assignment due dates. Make sure due dates are sprinkled throughout the semester and do not consistently fall on the same day/week. Semester ________
Week 1 M T W R F	Week 2 M T W R F	Week 3 M T W R F	Week 4 M T W R F
Week 5 M T W R F	Week 6 M T W R F	Week 7 M T W R F	Week 8 M T W R F
Week 9 M T W R F	Week 10 M T W R F	Week 11 M T W R F	Week 12 M T W R F
Week 13 M T W R F	Week 14 M T W R F	Week 15 M T W R F	Week 16 (Finals) M T W R F

A grading calendar gives me a visual representation of the semester on one page and once I have all my major assignments (essays, journals, etc.) typed into the individual weeks/days, I can then see if I have 90 papers coming in at the same time. I can rearrange my due dates, so I have a realistic and manageable grading schedule.

Whether planning before a semester begins or rearranging due dates during the semester, getting a handle on your workload is very valuable. A grading calendar helps manage my academic and personal time and keeps me organized through out the semester.

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