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August 26, 2009, 11:00 am
What’s on your mind?
How’s your semester going?
Do you need advice or feedback about something related to life and work in higher ed?
Do you have advice or feedback to share about something related to life and work in higher ed?
What would you like to see covered at ProfHacker?
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6 Responses to Open Thread Wednesday!
Candace Nast - August 26, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I missed an on-campus workshop today on “Aligned Assessment” – making sure classroom testing matches learning goals. I’d love to hear what Prof. Hacker has to say about this.
Elise Anderson - August 26, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Great site! I came across it earlier today and have had a wonderful time looking through your posts. I’m a new AI and would love to read about successful discussion techniques: what kinds of activities are engaging for underclassmen? Any things I should avoid? (FYI: I’m leading two discussion sections of thirty students each for a 100-level world music course — starting next week!)
George - August 26, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Welcome, Elise! Here are 3 suggestions for fostering successful class discussions:
First, give the students some specific things to think about in advance of the class meeting where you want them to engage in a discussion.
Example: In my Survey of British Lit 1 course, I just finished an introductory lecture on the Old English epic Beowulf. When I was done, I gave the students several prompts to think about, and I told them to be prepared for discussion on Friday.
Second, give students clear guidelines regarding what they should be doing in class discussions. If contributions to class discussions are part of their grade, then create a grading rubric and go over it with them.
Example: One of my colleagues gave me permission to use her criteria for evaluating discussion contributions in my classes. When my students come to class on Friday for the Beowulf discussion, I’m going to project these criteria onto the screen and briefly go over them. (They’ve already been assigned the responsibility of reading the criteria and other course policies, so this won’t be the first time they see these.)
Third, give students feedback on their grade in class discussion contributions at regular intervals during the semester, maybe 3 times total. By doing this, you’ll be giving them a motivation for doing a better job. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that for many (if not most) students, if a task is irrelevant to the grade for the course, they will not complete it.
Example: I’m going to come to Friday’s class with a printed grid of all the students’ names and spaces to the right for me to make brief notes to myself about their contributions. (If I’ve already learned their names, this step will be a lot easier.) After class, I’m going to send a quick, short email to each student that says, “If you continue contributing to discussions in the way you did today, you’ll earn this much for your participation grade.”
I’ll be honest: this is the first semester I’m trying out something so systematic, so it could all blow up in my face. But I’ll be sure to report back at some point.
Prof. Hacker - August 26, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Shameless comment-mongering attempt #1: ‘Tis the season for new faculty orientation. If you had the ear of the people who plan these orientation sessions, what would you say to them about how best to orientate new faculty?
Meagan - August 26, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I’m a new faculty member– just finished my PhD this summer. I’m adopting a GTD-type system (I read Allen’s book a few years ago). I’d love to hear about other people’s time management systems– successes and failures.
Billie - August 26, 2009 at 10:50 pm
I just went through a new faculty orientation (and I’ve been through two others at different universities). Having been through a few of these helps understand what they can (and can’t) do. One thing I’ve learned about these orientations, though, is that they can’t be all things to all people . . . and we tend to expect that they will be what WE need them to be. It just doesn’t work like that.
My first comment, though, is for the new faculty member, especially if this is your first tenure-track (or full time position). Remember that the university strives to introduce you to itself in these orientations. The facilitators are providing you with information THEY think you should know. Facilitators and speakers might not know that you are the world’s expert on Interlibrary Loan or accessing your own university webspace (or whatever). They are speaking to a large group with very broad abilities and interests. You might think you already know what they have to say. Maybe you do. Probably you don’t. Be gracious. Listen. Learn. Please don’t go on and on about how bored you are and how they are wasting your time. (Yes, I’m speaking to myself here, too.) Teaching as a graduate student is NOT the same as teaching as a full-time faculty member.
But if I had the ear of those who could make it what I might want? I’d include the following:
First, remember your audience. If your orientation includes tenure-track faculty, adjuncts, lecturers, instructors, and grad students, you will have a lot of unhappy, bored, and sometimes confused people. If possible, split the orientation into the specific groups of personnel, as they have different needs. If having separate orientation days is not possible, have some breakout groups that can address track-specific questions/concerns.
Secondly, the orientation be a one-stop shop of all things XYZ University: parking, university ID, computer accounts, etc., as well as the usual brief introductions to counseling centers, disability services, IRB offices, and the library. Directions would be explicit about how to get access to the items/services the faculty member would need.
Thirdly, not much should be brought up in the orientation unless there was a way to address it fully (course management, for example). It’s difficult to hear “Oh, and we have Blackboard [or eCollege or WebCT], but you can only access it after you have done this, that, and the other thing.” But then we don’t hear about this, that, and the other thing during orientation. That lack of direction/organization be frustrating.
Next, the orientation should be an active learning exercise. The passive style of the three orientations I’ve attended (sitting at a table and listening to speaker after speaker after speaker) is mind numbing. Allow us to get up and move around, mingle, meet people, do things, participate. We will remember more of the material and we’ll engage more with each other.
Lastly, talk about faculty learning communities, teaching circles, scholarship groups, . . . be specific about how new faculty can join in these group and become a part of the university culture/system. Assign a faculty mentor . . . maybe one outside the department (as the department itself might assign one within).