Teaching Tips May 13 th, 2004 my webpage What?. Many books are available that discuss ALL aspects of teaching and lecturing. —Many are written by experts

Teaching TipsMay 13th, 2004

my webpageWhat?

http://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/biochemistry/faculty_detail.asp?id=876

•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”

References

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

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

THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF TEACHING

KNOWLEDGE OF SUBJECT MATTERKNOWLEDGE OF SUBJECT MATTER

TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTIONS

TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTIONS

COURSE MANAGEMENT

(Structure/Syllabus, Grading

& Exams)

COURSE MANAGEMENT

(Structure/Syllabus, Grading

& Exams)

PRESENTATIONPRESENTATION

What We Are Going to Talk About Today

– Course Management• Course Content• Writing a Syllabus• Writing Exam Questions

– The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistant

– Planning & Presenting Lectures

– Teacher-Student Interactions- (Classroom Strategies)

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR:

•Please feel free to ask questions or make comments

• 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?

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


Course Management―Course Organization

• Calendar

Course material should be BALANCED

Example: If teaching a general course—

Don’t spend 2 weeks on DNA synthesis and leave out protein synthesis

Do NOT cheat your students.


Course Management―Syllabus Preparation

fast forward

Components of a Syllabus:

Course Schedule

Course Objectives

Instructors’ names

Components of a Syllabus: 1. Course Title and Number2. Location of the classroom and the days and times that the

course meets. 3. Instructors’ names, office number, office hours, phone

number, and e-mail addresses.4. Course Description (This is usually the same as the

course catalogue. Any prerequisites should be listed.5. Course Objectives –In broad terms, what the students

are expected to learn or gain from the course. 6. Schedule of lecture topics, reading assignments &

exam dates. This is often a good place to list unit or section objectives.


fast forward

Components of a Syllabus continued:

7.Texts or equipment needed and materials on reserve.

8.Explanation and guidelines of assignments and due dates.

9.Policy on attendance, tardiness, and class participation.

10.Explanation of how the overall grade will be computed and the grading scale.

11.Miscellaneous information including policy on make-up exams, class rules, course drop dates, etc.


• 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

Course Management―The Syllabus

Style of a 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.

Course Management―The Syllabus

Presenting the Syllabus

• 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

Course Management―Examinations

Writing questions

• DNA polymerase catalyzes the synthesis of

A. DNA.

B. RNA.

C. protein.

D. polysaccharides.

E. lipids.

The best type of multiple choice question is one that thestudent must complete.


Multiple choice questions

What is the best type of multiple choice question?

Alphabetizing the answersensures there is no bias towardusing certain letters.

• DNA polymerase catalyzes the synthesis of

A. DNA.

B. lipids.

C. polysaccharides.

D. protein.

E. RNA.

• Each of the following enzymes regulates a metabolic pathway except:

A. acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

B. -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase.

C. glucokinase.

D. hexokinase.

E. phosphofructokinase.

Avoid using negatives and confusing syntax in the question.

Multiple choice questionsWhat is wrong with this question?

A better way to phrase the same question

• _____________ is the major regulatory enzyme in the glycolytic pathway.

A. acetyl-CoA carboxylase

B. -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase

C. glucokinase

D. hexokinase

E. phosphofructokinase

Which enzyme regulates fatty acid synthesis?

A. acetyl-CoA carboxylase

B. -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase

C. glucokinase

D. hexokinase

E. phosphofructokinase

OR



OR• Which answer is FALSE?

A metabolic pathway is regulated byA. acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

B. -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase.

C. glucokinase.

D. hexokinase.

E. phosphofructokinase.

• 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.


Essay questions

Examinations

Multiple Choice Questions ????

COMMENTS???

Course Content?

Course Organization- Calendar?

Syllabus Preparation?

Relevance?


– Course Management:• Course Content• Writing a Syllabus• Writing Exam Questions



– Classroom Strategies (Teacher-Student Interactions)


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.

–Planning & Presenting Lectures– Organize your thoughts before you

work on your lecture.

–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• Talk to the audience, not the screenProject your voiceDo not read to the class except in rare instances where appropriate

Whenever possible, involve the class

– 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

–Planning & Presenting Lectures•From the outset of the lecture, let the students know:

–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

15 Minutes

• 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.”)


• 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


– 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

–Planning & Presenting Lectures•Generate supplemental handouts when appropriate

–Planning & Presenting LecturesPlanning & Presenting Lectures–Planning & Presenting LecturesPlanning & Presenting Lectures

Organization?

Pace?

Take Home

Message?

Handouts?

COMMENTS???







– 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

The first day of class is the most important day of the entire semester

• Set the tone for the entire semester• What you say and how you act on that

day is sometimes irretrievable• Give a short autobiography• Often students may get a very distorted picture of a

teacher. Letting them get to know you opens the possibility for future conversations.

• Let the students know what you DO like (questions, comments, discussion) & what you do NOT like (sleeping in class, coming in late, talking, etc.)

• 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


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


• Keeping order in a large or a small class

– 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

– Start every class in the same, professional way. This signals students to stop talking and tune in.– Ask disruptive students to leave.– Avoid confrontations… ask aggressive students to speak with you after class.

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.

QUESTIONS???

COMMENTS???

REMBEMBER THAT TEACHING IS ABOUT STUDENT LEARNING…..

The 1st day of class?

Class Rules? Student Questions?

Getting to know the students?







Learn as much as you can from your TA

experience

Learn as much as you can from your TA

experience

Do as well as you can for your students

Do as well as you can for your students RESEARCHRESEARCH

Maintain a professional relationship with the course coordinator &

co-workers

Maintain a professional relationship with the course coordinator &

co-workers

PRIORITIES

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.

☺The course coordinator may or may not give you the kind of guidance you expect &/or need.

– Be organized and perform tasks efficiently.

– Be PROACTIVE- IF YOU NEED SOMETHING, ASK FOR IT.

– 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.


– 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?


– Clarify your duties and responsibilities with the course coordinator.

? ?

? ?

?Duties and responsibilities?

Be proactive?

•Behave professionally ?

Organized?

What We Have Talked About Today

• Course Organization, Content, Exams & Lectures – Basic Course Components

– Constructing a Syllabus

– Constructing Exam Questions

– 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

– Planning Lectures– Learning Goals– Lecture Outline– Presentation

• 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

Documents

Teaching Tips May 13 th, 2004 my webpage What?. Many books are available that discuss ALL aspects of teaching and lecturing. —Many are written by experts