Planning and Teaching a College Course 2008

8/14/2019 Planning and Teaching a College Course 2008

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Planning and Teaching a College

Course

Developed by Professor Terry DoyleFerris State University

Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning


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Teaching is First and Foremost--

A human to human interaction


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The Most Important Thing to

Remember about Teaching

It is the one who does the workthat does the learning!


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Learner Centered Teaching

Each decision made about how the course

will be taught is made with the idea in mindthat the decision should optimize theopportunity for the students to learn thematerial.


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The Two Crucial Parts

of Effective Teaching

Planning

Learning OutcomesLearning ObjectivesAction PlansResourcesAssessments

Building Relationships

CommunicationSupporting

ChallengingChoiceFeedback


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Planning and Teaching a College

CourseDecisions about Teaching

Skills

Behaviors

Content

Thinking

Methods, Assignments

Evaluations


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Planning and Teaching a College Course

Three roles that acollege teacher takeson:

Planner

Relationship Builder

Evaluator

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Step OneWhat are Students Expected to Learn in thisCourse?

Identify all of the major elements ( content, skills,behaviors and thinking processes) that you want thestudents to learn.

Sources for Gathering this Informationcurriculum guide

previous instructors syllabusdiscussions with other instructorstextbooksself expertise


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Major Elements of a Course

For ExampleMajor Elements EDUC 443

Developing reading guidesUnderstanding how a child learns to readUnderstanding common reading disabilitiesWriting Effective Questions that promote proper

levels of thinkingHow to talk with parents about the reading problemsof their children (behavior )


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Step Two

Topics

Make a list of the

topics, ideas,concepts, skillsand behaviorswith in theseelements youthink need to betaught

Decisions about Teaching

Skills

Behaviors

Content

Thinking

Methods, AssignmentsEvaluations


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Topics

Example

Major Element--How children learn to read

A. Definition of reading B. Eye Health/physical health C. Text impact/syntax/vocabulary D. Home Environment E. Common Errors


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Step Two -- Topics

Refine the list

to include onlythose topicsthat are mostimportant

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Step Three

Sub topics

From each of these topics break the information intosubtopicsthese subtopics will become your dailylessonsMajor Element How a child learns to readTopic Eye health/Physical healthSubtopics

Common eye diseasesEye testsLanguage developmentChildhood diseases and reading


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Step FourDevelop Learning

Outcomes for the Major Elements

From these major categories write a set of learningoutcomes for the course

Learning Outcomes have four (4) partsWho will do the learning?When will the learning be completed?What will they learn?How will you know that they learned it?


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Learning Outcomes

Most courses have between 5-10

learning outcomes


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Step Five

Develop a Course Time Line

Organize theElements/Outcomesinto a course time line

Which outcomes willyou teach first, second,third and so on.

www.3squareassociates.com/ Resources/Lesson_PL .


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Step Five

For each Element

estimate theamount of classtime you will needto teach this

material thiscould be hours or days

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Step Five

Take eachtopic/subtopic under element one (for example) andestimate how muchclass time you will

need to teach it.This is the first step inbuilding a lesson plan www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ time/images/clocks.jpeg


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Time Estimates for Lesson Planning

Major Category --The Reading Process

TopicsReaders Health -1 hour Reading Environment -1hour Text -2hoursReaders BackgroundKnowledge -3hours* This time estimate should include assessment time


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Time Estimates

A 3 credit course has only 45 hours of class

time so much of the learning the studentswill do will be outside the class

Plan to use class time for the most importantelements of the coursethose that needyour expertise


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Step Six

Choose a Teaching Method

For each topic under element one decide whatapproach you will use toteach this material

Example--Lecture-The definition of lecture is totalk to students about thoseideas, concepts etc. thatthey cannot learn on their own

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http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/g_knott/index1.htm


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Step Six Other Teaching Methods

DemonstrationsSmall or large groupdiscussion/activityStudent presentationsGuest speaker Film/videoField TripsStudents Teaching each Other

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Context in which the Course is Taught

Impacts Teaching Decisions

Recognize that the Context of the Course willinfluence your teaching decisions

Number of studentsDesign of classroomRole of the course in the curriculumNumber of days perweek it meetsOn-Line or face to face or bothCharacteristics of the student population-i.e.first-year or fourth year


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Step Seven--ResourcesThen make a list of whatmaterials you will need to

teach this topicLecture notesPicture/image/graphicVideos/moviesProblems or casesPhysical materialOverheads/Power PointsHandouts


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Step EightStudents RolesNext decide what thestudents will do to learnthis material .

Read in advance of theteaching

Read after the teaching Assignments that follow

the teaching Study for quiz/test Work in groups Make presentations Take Notes www.fotosearch.com/ comp/BNS/BNS197/UNV013.jpg


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Step Nine

Evaluation of the Learning

How will you evaluate the students learning of thismaterial?

Formative EvaluationsUngraded feedbackClass discussion

Individual student questioningOne to one interactionsClassroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)


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Step Nine

Evaluation of the Learning

Summative Evaluations

QuizzesTestsCumulative ExamsPresentations/Individual or Group

PortfoliosPapersCases/Problem Solving


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Step NineWhat will be the criteria for the evaluation ?

Rubrics defining your expectationsGrading scalePeers evaluating peersTeacher expertise

Predetermined standardsNational StandardsIndustry Standards

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Step Ten

Giving Feedback to Students

How will you givefeedback?

Written responses

Orally individually or as a group

Rubric with comments

What will you ask the studentsto do with the feedback?

How will students use thefeedback to improve?

ali.apple.com/.../1000085/ files/jpegs/Rubric.JPG


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Part Two - Teachers as RelationshipBuilders

Relationships are the key to Creating ClassroomCommunity

Know your students names

This is a sign of respect

It says I value the relationship

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Step One- Creating CommunityHow do I createcommunity in the

classroom? Establish relationshipsteachers to students andpeer to peer

Create an atmosphere of safety and trust by givingup some control andgiving students morechoices www.ayusa.org/images/ photos/community_rep.jpg


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Step One- Creating Community

How do I motivate mystudents to want tosucceed?Find out what isalready motivatingthem.(James Zull, 2002)

www.peoplemotivation.it/ images/motivation.jpg


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Step Two-Gather Information

Gather as much information as possible onwhat your students know, how they learn,and what the students think their role is in thelearning process.

Dont assume that students enter thecourse with the necessary backgroundneeded to learn everything.


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Step Three

Identify what will be Difficult

Identify the complexand difficult parts of the course and lookfor ways to make thematerial connect tostudents

backgrounds.

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Step Four

Connecting to Students Backgrounds

Work to developexamples, analogies,metaphors, images,graphic organizersand stories that

create bridges to thestudents backgroundinformation.


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Ask Students Questions

Continually ask student to be involved in their learning :Ask students to explain things to eachother Ask what they need more help in

Ask what is working or not working for them


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Step Five

Keep Records

Keep records of whatworks

Why did it work

What if any changes need tobe made to make it better

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Step OneInformal Evaluation

Use formative evaluationprocesses.

LearnerCentered meansusing formativeevaluationsmostlyinformal and ungradedfeedback that createsgrowth and development

of the learner.

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Step One

Informal Evaluation

Make the learners usethe feedback todemonstrate theyhave improved as a result of the feedback

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Step Two Formal Evaluation

Use summative evaluationprocesses

that are in harmony with:1. your learning outcomes

2. the skills and content thatwas taught,

3. the cognitive level at whichit was taught.

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Step TwoDevelop evaluationsthat tell you what youwant to know aboutwhat the studentshave learned.Make them as

authentic as possible

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Step Two

Give enoughevaluations to have avalid picture of whatthe students havelearned.

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Step Two

Give cumulativeevaluations to insurestudents have trulylearned theinformation.

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Step TwoTry to evaluatestudents throughmethods that let thestudents show youwhat they know inways that are best for

them.

www.freemedia.org/videos/choiceisyours.html


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Grading Process The Grading process

is socially constructedand context dependent

meaning no system is

always right bysome indisputablestandard

www.pitt.edu/~registrar/ images/grdaplus.jpg


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Grading Accuracy Complete objectivity

is a myth

Our job is to render an informedand professional

judgmentto the best of our ability www.students.vcu.edu/.../ newpaths/myths.GIF


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Grading Assignments Spend enough time to make

a thoughtful and professional judgment and then move on

Studies show that facultywithin the same disciplinewill grade the same workdifferently

Even the same professor will grade a piece of a

students work differently atdifferent times

www.krepcio.com/tkdrawingblog/ archives/canIch...


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Grading Systems

There is no university-wide required gradingsystem. There is published system that canbe used as a model

Most faculty use a point system that weightsvarious assignments and test as percentagesof the final grade.


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GradingResearch on grading makes a clear point that nosingle assessment is by itself, an accurate predictor

of what a student may have learned in a course

The best grading systems have numerousassessments of different kinds( papers, presentation,discussions, quizzes, tests, cases etc.)

A test or assignment is only a valid measure if itelicits from your students the kinds of learning youwant to measure


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Classroom ManagementYour first and mostimportant job as ateacher is to maintainthe learningenvironment of theclassroom so it is

always optimized for learningwww.murdochcollege.wa.edu.au/ %5Cimages%5Cpr-t...


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Classroom ManagementThe classroom should be a community of learners

The community needs a set of guidelines that helpsit to function to its best ability

These guidelines are best developed in consultationwith the students (the community members)


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Classroom Management

Never attribute tomalice what you canattribute to ignorance


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Writing Tests

Even the most experienced college teacher does not write tests that are highly reliableand valid

Tests tells us only about those items we ask

aboutit is difficult to draw fair assumptionsabout students understanding beyond theitems on the test


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Writing Tests

1. Write (or at least draft) tests questions theday you teach the material

2. Give students a practice test prior to thefirst test of the semesterthis will improvethe validity of the first test


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Writing Tests

3. Have a peer preview your test for clarityand accuracy

4. Dont be afraid to throw out questions thatwere misunderstood by students

5. Test cumulatively


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SyllabusA syllabus is a contract between the teacher and thestudent

It indicates what the teacher is promising to provideto the student in terms of content and skills

It indicates the ways in which the content and skillswill be offered and assessed


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SyllabusIt outlines the rules,

guidelines and

expectations for thestudentsincluding anyactivities that gobeyond the usualclassroom activities

( field trips,conferences, servicelearning activities)

Planning and Teaching a College Course 2008

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