Resources

This paper is an attempt to develop a constructive and substantive conversation about the nature of teaching. I have, in fact, written it in conversation with my colleagues at Alverno College and with others from other colleges and universities. It represents my reflection on the practice of scholarship when shaped by student learning as its ultimate purpose. That reflection is based on my experience at Alverno, where teaching is recognized and rewarded as our primary professional responsibility. In this sense, the ideas in the paper are descriptive. But they also serve as a challenge to faculty to take seriously the unique requirements of scholarly activity that has students learning as its goal.

A review of studies of mentoring for new college faculty suggests practical guidelines for maximizing the mentoring experience. Recommendations include "cataloging" (of past, current, and planned activities); group mentoring; and application of a theory stressing involvement, regimen, solving the right problem, and social networking. (DB)

Discusses the relationship between student assessment and instructional improvement. Describes the development and administration of a Teaching Goals Inventory, which helps teachers clarify what they want their students to learn and helps institutions discover teaching priorities among departments and within the college as a whole. (DMM)

(Text not available on web.) Reviews purposes of teacher questions, types of questions, strategies for questioning, tactics for fielding student responses,and tactics for fielding student questions.

What is a discussion? No one seems to define it. Lowman (1995, p. 159) suggested: “(A) useful classroom discussion...consists of student comments separated by frequent probes and clarifications by the teacher that facilitate involvement and development of thinking by the whole group.” In this paper, discussion is defined as twoway, spoken communication between the teacher and the students, and more importantly, among the students themselves. This paper primarily addresses discussion in small classes that meet one or more times a week, or in smaller classes that meet one or more times during the week as part of a course consisting of one or more large lectures each week. Discussions can take the form of recitation, dialogue, and guided or open exchanges. However, many of the suggestions in this paper should also be useful for shorter discussion sessions as part of a lecture class, since discussions are an effective way to get students to actively process what they learn in lectures (Lowman, 1995, p. 161).

Sooner or later, almost every university teacher confronts having to teach a course with 200 students in it, or suddenly finds 60 enrolled in a course so carefully designed for 20. For that teacher, we here present Maryellen Gleason's all-too-necessary "survival kit," a set of ideas and resources that recognizes the special challenges of the large class and that can enhance it as an environment for student learning.

This introductory course fulfills a number of goals for students and colleges, including recruitment ad screening of majors, provision of prerequisite knowledge, explorations of learning, commitment to college, and cognitive development.

This paper argues that instructors can enhance the effectiveness of oral instruction through attention to both the verbal and nonverbal aspects of their teaching. After defining and offering 2 means of achieving effective speaking, the paper discusses how lecturers should analyze their delivery, and makes 32 recommendations for improving delivery, focusing on vocal problems, positive vocal strategies, use of body, and positive body delivery characteristics. Finally, the paper offers suggestions for putting the 32 recommendations into practice, specifically discussing identification of problems, delivery style, mental focus, and preparation. Fourteen references are attached.

Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of essay tests, and recommends best practices. Idea Paper no. 17, from the series developed by the Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, Kansas State University.

Strategies for teaching writing across the curriculum. Idea Paper no. 25, from the series developed by the Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, Kansas State University.