teaching times at pitt - nov 04

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November 2004

U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H

A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh

Volume X, Number 2

Outstanding teachingpromotes engagement,critical thinkingIn This Issue. . .

For this annual awards issue

of theTeaching Times, facultywho have won major Univer-sity teaching awards share waysthey apply two concepts related toexcellent teaching: Winners oftheSchool of Arts & Sciences Belletawards discuss ways to actively en-gage students in the learning pro-cess, and winners of the Chan-cellors Distinguished TeachingAward reflect on ways they teachstudents to think critically.

Faculty members play a criticalrole in student learning. Para-mount among indicators of en-gagement that directly influencethe quality of students learningare faculty who communicate highexpectations and encourage coop-eration, active learning, and stu-dent-faculty contact.1

The act of engaging students asactive learners is connected to anoverarching goal of higher educa-tion: to foster the kinds of higherlevel thinking skills that studentswill use in other courses and be-yond college. This complex think-ing is often referred to ascriticalthinking, a disciplined process thatrequires conceptualizing, applying,

analyzing, synthesizing, and/ or

evaluating information.2

Termsused synonymously with criticalthinking includeproblem solvinganddecision making.

Critical thinking takes root inthe learners engagement withproblems, when faculty encourageinquiry, discussion, and debate.At the same time, students acquireskills in complex thinking fromfaculty who model thought pro-

cesses valued in their particulardisciplines.3

Beyond the classroom, cri ticalthinking is a powerful resourcein ones personal and civic life.Educating good critical thinkersyields insights which are the basisof a rational and democratic soci-ety.4

In addition to high-profile

teaching awards, this issue fea-tures a comprehensive list ofawards recognizing teaching excel-lence throughout the Universityin the past year. TheTeachingTimesstaff compiles this informa-tion through the year, and up-dates can be e-mailed to Jo Rosol,[email protected].

see Criti cal Thinking page 2

Chancellors Distinguished

Teaching Awards

Elmer J. Holzinger ............... 3

Paul Kameen ....................... 4

S. J. Murabito ..................... 5

Lauren Yaich ...................... 6

Instructional Technology:Electronic ResponseSystems ........................... 7

Bellet Teaching ExcellenceAwards

University-wide TeachingAwards...................... 12-13

TA Services: TrainingNeeds............................ 14

Geeta Kothari ................... 8

Ericka Cederstrom-Huston 9

Marla Ripoll .......................10

Pete Simonson ................... 11

Communication-across-the-Curriculum Seminar......16


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TeachingTimes 2

Teaching Times

ReferencesCri tical Thinking from page 1

Chancellors teaching

awardees press students

to think at complex levels

In interviews on the following pages, 2004 winners of theChancellors Distinguished Teaching Award share ways theyencourage their students to think at higher levels.This teaching award has been conferred since 1984 as a way to

recognize excellence in teaching and inspire colleagues throughshared insights. The most broadly based teaching award at theUniversity, it has been bestowed upon 118 faculty, representing arange of schools within the University and its regional campuses.

Candidates for the award can be nominated by students, facultycolleagues, department chairs, or deans. A committee of faculty

and students recommends selections to the Chancellor for hisapproval. Any full-time faculty member who has been active as ateacher for at least five years and has not previously won is eligible.

In addition to a $2,000 cash award and a $3,000 grant to beused to support teaching activities, winners are honored at anannual Honors Convocation and have their names inscribed on apermanent plaque in the William Pitt Union. The awards arefunded by an endowment from unrestricted 1980 Capital

Campaign funds. !

Center for InstructionalDevelopment & Distance Education(CIDDE)University of Pittsburgh

Room 8204227 Fifth AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15260Phone: 412-624-6596Fax: 412-624-7220E-mail: [email protected] .edu

Web site: www.pitt.edu/~ciddeweb/FACULTYDEVELOPMENT

Editorial Staff:Carol DeArment, editorJoyce Walsh, productionTim Kyle, copy editor

Autumn Koerbel, asst. copy editor

Photographs by CIDDEPhotography & Electronic Imaging

TheTeaching Times, a newsletter devoted tothe support of teaching and learning, is dis-tributed to every faculty member and teach-ing assistant at the University of Pit tsburgh.It features interviews with faculty who shareteaching experiences, strategies, and tech-niques that can be applied in classroomsacross the University.

TheTeaching Timeswelcomes letters andarticles from faculty and staff about anytopic affecting University teaching and learn-ing.

TheTeaching Timesis published by the Cen-ter for Instructional Development& Distance Education (CIDDE), whichprovides a wide range of services to faculty insupport of University teaching and learning.The central mission of CIDDE is to supportexcellence in University instruction. CIDDEalso is responsible for maximizing the effec-

tive use of instructional technologies to meetthe Universitys academic goals and priori-ties.

Diane Davis, Directordjdavis@pitt .edu

Joanne M. Nicoll, Associate Director forInstructional Design and FacultyDevelopment [email protected]

Nick Laudato, Associate Director,Instructional Technology, laudato@pitt .edu

Michael Spring

1. Chickering, Arthur and Zelda F. Gamson, Seven Principles for Good Practice in

Undergraduate Education, AAHE Bulletin, American Association of Higher

Education, March 1987.

2. Scriven, Michael and Richard Paul, Defining Critical Thinking, (Draft

Statement for the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking):

www.criticalthinking.org/ University/ univclass/ Defining.html.

3. Bean, John C. ,Engaging Ideas: The Professors Guide to Integrating Wri ting, Cri tical

Thinking, and Acti ve Learning in the Classroom. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1966.

4. Facione, Peter A., Critical Thinking: What I t Is and Why It Counts, Cali forniaAcademic Press, 1998. !

Correction: Michael Spring, InformationSciences, pictured at right, was misidentifiedin a photo in the September 2004 issue of theTeaching Times. Spring was awarded anInnovation in Education grant with MarlinMickle, Engineering, for Active Learning withWri ting, Experimenting, and Simulation (ALWES).


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TeachingTimes 3

Elmer J. Holzinger, Medicine

Chancellors Distinguished Teaching Award

I emphasize the need to be able to listen carefully and interpret

appropriately and also to know which questions to ask in orderto obtain the most information.

My teaching of medical stu-dents involves students atall four years of the medical

school curriculum. However, themajor portion is in the third andfourth years, and theteaching at this level ispredominantly centered

on patient care. It is atthis time when the stu-dents have the opportu-nity to apply their basicscience knowledge tothe care of patients inthe clinical sett ing. Thestudents must be able toaccurately assess theclinical picture of eachpatient and this begins

with a detailed historyand physical examina-tion. Students mustdevelop the appropriatetechniques of obtaininga good history and mustbe able to interpret thesymptoms. I emphasize the need tobe able to listen carefully and inter-pret appropriately and also to knowwhich questions to ask in order toobtain the most information and to

not inappropriately interrupt. Thisis followed by a detailed physicalexamination during which thestudents proficiency is assessed. Onthe basis of this initial informationthe student then must decide on adifferential diagnosis and appropri-ate laboratory investigation in orderto make an accurate diagnosis andproceed with appropriate therapy.The students are uniformly excitedabout applying their basic science

knowledge to patient care in athoughtful and precise manner. Inaddition to the scientific aspect ofpatient care, it is certainly impor-tant that the student understand

the psycho-social aspect of eachpatient in the clinical setting.

It is exciting for me to watchthe students carefully approachthese many aspects of patient care

and then develop a reasonable dif-ferential diagnosis and list the rea-sons for their choices. It is in thismanner that the students gain expe-rience and thought processes inconnecting their basic scienceknowledge to the clinical aspect ofpatient care. During this time Igently challenge them so that eventhe relatively simple clinical prob-lems become a teaching experience.The entire student-patient encoun-

Photo by Patricia Nagle, CIDDE

ter is, therefore, a very dynamic expe-rience that varies with each patientand it is intriguing to see how thestudents quickly adjust to the vari-ability in patient presentation, both

from the psycho-socialaspect and the presenta-tion of various disease

processes. The effective-ness of this method isevident in the excitementthat the students demon-strate while deliveringpatient care. The stu-dents many times returnthe following day afterhaving reviewed currentliterature regarding thepatients that they had

seen the day before, andnow each experience froma patient encounter repre-sents a tremendousamount of gain in medi-cal knowledge.

The opportunity tobe involved in the education ofmedical students in clinical medicinehas given me a great deal of satisfac-tion, and this is particularly so whenI observe the competence that the

students have gained at the end oftheir medical school training. It isduring these clinical years of teachingthat students are able to experiencethe enormous responsibilities andgreat satisfaction in being a physi-cian. It is also at this time that theimportance of remaining curious isemphasized along with the need forconstant, almost daily, continuingeducation in order to remain a good

physician.!

Elmer J. Holzinger with medical student Spring McCann


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Paul Kameen, English

When I think about my teaching, I like to startwith the more fundamental questions andwork my way up to matters of technique.

One set of those questions pertains to what I call myidea of the university. Basically, I believe that the uni-versity is an arena for the pursuit of intellectual work,the purpose of which is the production of knowledge,

and the nature of which is intrinsically collaborative.I have given some thought to what each of these

terms means to me, but they are to some degree alwaysin play, evolving and changing over time. And I canimagine having very contentious arguments among mycolleagues about my definitions. Fixity and agreementare not the point. What is non-negotiable for me,though, is that the classroom is a site for the pursuit ofthose ambitions. So, course to course, year to year, I amlooking for ways to translate the imperative of my cur-rent idea into terms that are applicable to the course

I am teaching and pertinent to the students I expect toengage there.

In freshman composition, for example, I ask studentsto do the same kinds of things I do when I write for apublic audience: Establish a position and make an in-vestment in it; locate that position in an ongoing con-versation by making use of (not just quoting from) thetext(s); use enough detail to develop a distinctive, evenoriginal, position in that conversation; invite othersto read the text and decide how to use their advice.When I read a students work, I am always thinking:

What is the next step for this writer to be taking rightnow with this essay?How can I get her to see that, anddo that? Then I look at the result and try to find a wayto facilitate the next step. I follow the same pattern inclass discussion: I listen to what a student offers, and Itry to say something back that will help her take thenext step, and the next one, in support of the expecta-tions I have laid out. To be honest, its in this be-tween stage of reading or moderating classroom discus-sion where I feel I can make my most significant contri-

Paul Kameen

Photo by Joe Kapelewski, CIDDE

Its in this between stage of reading or moderating classroom

discussion where I feel I can make my most significant contributionas a teacher.

bution as a teacher. I try hard to receive what is be-ing offered and then to lend my resources to elicitingits greater possibilities. At some point in the term,and it varies widely from student to student, I see thelight go on: Oh, now I see what writing can allowme to do. This is something I really do want to dowell. Right then, the student becomes a writer in

the same mannerif not on the same scaleas weare, because, like us, s/ he has an investment in theprocess and stake in the outcome.!


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TeachingTimes 5

S.J. Murabito, EnglishUniversity of PittsburghGreensburg

Critical thinking has to do with staking out con-nections, contexts, and possibilities. Ultimately, ithas to do with generating ones own individualpoint of view.

Iam a teaching writer and a writ-

ing teacher, a person who infi-

nitely tries to make connections,

discover contexts, and entertain criti-

cal, cultural, and intellectual possi-

bilities for meaning in what I read

and in what I write. This process of

seeing, understand-

ing, and applying is

the critical thinking

that I try to teach tomy students. For

example, in a com-

position course, the

class might examine

different strategies

that writers use for

opening their essays.

Subsequent to that,

the students will

either write re-

sponses to thesedifferent openings

or compose critical

commentaries on the openings of

their own essays. In a fiction writing

course, the class might study the ef-

fectiveness of the dialogues in selected

short stories. Then the students will

compose short stories, highlight im-

portant dialogues, and separately ex-

plain how those dialogues are func-

tioning. In a literature course, theclass might make note of the various

punishments in Dantes Inferno. Next,

the students will create journals or

longer essays that discuss these pun-

ishments, either in and of themselves

or in broader contexts.

Critical thinking, then, is born of

close reading and careful discern-

ment; it is the opposite of the easy-

answer culture of the shoulder-

shrugged, Whatever. Critical think-

ing has to do with staking out con-

nections, contexts, and possibilities;

it has to do with thinking, reading,

and writing; and, ultimately, it has

to do with generating ones ownindividual point of view.

In terms of a specific assignment

that many of my colleagues could

adapt to their own teaching, let me

discuss teaching the concept of irony

in George Orwells classic essay,

Shooting an Elephant. I teach this

masterpiece of personal and political

S. J. Murabito with student


writing toward

the end of my

basic composi-

tion course be-

cause it is very

multi-layered and

is best read after

the students have

gained the most

confidence pos-

sible.

In the essay,

Orwell employs

several levels of

irony to convey

his anti-imperial-

ist theme. Having the class study

these ironies and then either respond

to them or to the ironies in their

own essays helps the students im-

prove as thinkers, readers, and writ-

ersin this case, seers of irony,

understanders of irony, and appliers

of irony, which is, after all, a funda-mental building block in all intellec-

tual discourse. It is in this way that

composition joins writing and litera-

ture courses in preparing students no

only for further study in these specific

areas but also for more confident

study in other university courses as

well. !

Photo courtesy of Pitt-Greensburg


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TeachingTimes 6

Lauren Yaich, Natural SciencesUniversity of PittsburghBradford

The development and refinement of this rigorous, truth-seeking skill is

perhaps the essence of a higher education, creating a habit that will be

retained long after the student has left the college classroom

Lauren Yaich

Critical thinking is integral to the scientific pro-

cess, and explaining how this scientific process is

used to answer questions about living organisms

is the common denominator in my various biologyclasses. As budding scientists, students are taught to

make observations about a phenomenon, create a hy-

pothesis about some aspect of this phenomenon, and

then carry out experiments that will either prove or dis-

prove the hypothesis.

To make this process a bit more concrete for my stu-

dents, who are often fans of TV shows likeCSIand Law

and Order, I often use the analogy of lawyers who are

working on a murder case, because in the end, the ult i-


mate goal of science and the criminal justice system is

the sameto determine the truth about a particular

situation. If the lawyer is a prosecutor, he will bui ld a

case by collecting as much incriminating evidence as pos-sible (e.g., blood samples, bullet fragments, testimony

from witnesses). The scientist essentially carries out a

similar process, performing numerous experiments to

study different aspects of the phenomenon in order to

build up a body of evidence that supports her hypoth-

esis.

In the criminal justice system, there is also a lawyer

whose job is to defend the accused. He must force the

jury to take a very hard look at the validity of the evi-

dence. Was the evidence collected and processed

correctly?Is there another possible explanation for

why that drop of blood was found on the carpet?

The scientist must play this role as well, and it is

here where critical thinking really comes into play

she must take a hard look at the evidence she has

collected to veri fy that it really supports the hypoth-

esis. Is there more than one possible explanation for

the results obtained?Were the controls appropriate

for that particular experiment?Were enough data

points collected to make the results statistically sig-nificant?What other experiments should be carried

out that might either strengthen the hypothesis or

refute it?The development and refinement of this

rigorous, truth-seeking ski ll is perhaps the essence of

a higher education, creating a habit that will be re-

tained long after the student has left the college

classroom. !Photo courtesy of Pitt-Bradford


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TeachingTimes 7

Instructional Technology

Electronic Response SystemsAvailable from Media Services

By Barbara Frey & Dan WilsonCIDDE

Student response systems, also known as classroom,electronic, and interactive audience response sys-tems, provide students with a wireless, hand-held

pad that allows them to electronically reply to classroomquestions and receive immediate feedback. Faculty canthereby engage students in course material through inter-active question and answer sessions. The SRS softwarequickly polls students, tabulates the results, and graphi-cally presents the findings. The types of questions pro-grammed into the SRS are multiple choice, true/ false,and rank order items.

Student polling systems are made up of two generalparts, hardware and software. The software is similar topresentation software that displays a question. The stu-dents respond with devices similar to television remotecontrols that send infrared signals to a receiver attachedto a computer. The computer records and displays theresponse.

to answer quiz questions that create a healthy competi-tion.

3. Provide instant feedback to students regarding an is-sue, question, or calculation.

4. Increase communication by discussing the answersand opinions revealed in the SRS results. The SRSprovides all students with an equal opportunity to re-spond, and faculty can take advantage of their re-sponses to generate dialogue. Because the system canallow for anonymous responses, it is effective for sensi-tive questions, such as ethical, legal, and moral issues.

5. Collect data for research or formative/ summativeevaluation. The SRS can be used for classroom assess-ments to measure students preparation, understand-ing, and/ or satisfaction. Some instructors administerpre- and post-tests.

The SRS quickly summaries student responses to an in-

class question.

The SRS can help faculty achieve the following goals:1. Engage students in course material through survey,

pretest, practice, or review questions. The resultantinteractive classroom encourages students to come toclass prepared. However, to achieve this interactionand maintain learners attention, questions must bechallenging, thought provoking, and/ or stimulating.

2. Promote collaboration with group exercises that re-quire students to discuss and come to a consensus or See Electronic Response page 15

What are faculty saying about the SRS?Associate Professor Ellen Cohn in the School of

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences says, I find that theStudent Response System engages the most reticent ofstudents. It introduces an element of personal responsi-bility and interactivity that is otherwise difficult toachieve within a large class.

In the Department of Chemistry, Associate Profes-

sor Joseph Grabowski uses the SRS in large lecture class-rooms. He values the ability to get 100% of the stu-dents to respond to a question; the distribution of an-swers gives me a good handle on where the class is atthat moment. Grabowski believes that students likethe activity because it gives them immediate feedback,in a non-threatening manner, about their current level ofunderstanding.

Nick Laudato, CIDDE associate director of instruc-tional technology, states that he is most excited aboutthe pre-test/ post-test applications. The pretest can help

Faculty integrate the SRS into their teaching at vari-ous levels. At the most basic level, faculty deliver the re-sponse question orally or in a PowerPoint presentationand view a summary of the students responses. At themore advanced level, the software can be used to showresponse histograms or charts and to calculate statisticalanalyses. It is also possible to export the response datato an Excel spreadsheet.


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TeachingTimes 8

Bellet Teaching Excellence Awards

Bellet award winners discuss ways toactively engage students

Established in 1998, the annual Bellet Teaching Excellence Awards recognize outstanding and innovative teaching in theundergraduate School of Arts and Sciences. This years winners are Ericka Cederstrom-Huston, Chemistry; Geeta

Kothari, English; Marla Ripoll, Economics; and Peter Simonson, Communication. Through an endowment from alumnus

David Bellet and his wife, Tina, winners receive a $2,000 stipend and a $3,000 grant for the support of teaching.

My primary interest as a teacher is in writing,

which is a central focus in all my classes. My

goals and

approach in the classroom

have been inf luenced by my

work as a tutor. When I

tutored, I wanted students

to learn how to rely on

themselves and draw on

their own resources, as well

as on learned strategies,

when wri ting a paper. The

idea was to avoid creating a

situation in which students

came to depend on the

Writing Center. Similarly,

in my classes, I want

students to learn how to

rely on themselves as

critical readers and writers.

Thus, I am wary of teaching students, especially at

the introductory and intermediate levels of fiction

writing, to depend on feedback from their classmates or

me. The drive to wri te has to come from within,

especially for the writing majors. While I cant create

this drive in students, I can teach them practices and

strategies that will help them to write beyond the

classroom while also preparing them for the next class. I

spend considerable class time teaching students how to

identify and question their own wri ting process. I try to

Geeta Kothari, EnglishThe drive to write has to come from within. I spend considerable

class time teaching students how to identify and question their

own writing process.

Geeta Kothari

Photo by Joe Kapelewski, CIDDE

create a classroom space where someone can ask a

seemingly obvious question: Did you have to learn how

to revise or did you just

do it? How does that

happen?

My composition and

creative writing classes

integrate regular reading

and writing. Published

writing provides models

that teach students what

to read for in terms of

narrative, language, style

and elements of craft. As

they become better

readers of literature, they

become better readers for

each other and for

themselves. I have also

found that in literature

and writing classes the discussions are more productive

and interesting when we focus on issues of form before

content. This is a challenge, in both classroom settings,

because students often do not have time to read closely

or more than once; the texts I assign often require a

second reading. Therefore, I try to ask questions that

will encourage them to explore and examine the readings

again. Other effective techniques I use are open-book

quizzes in writing classes, and in-class writing exercises in

literature classes. !


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TeachingTimes 9


Ericka Cederstrom-Huston, ChemistryA thread ties much of organic chemistry together. I share this

connection with students, so they realize the importance of continuing

to build upon everything they have learned so far.

My enthusiasm about what I

teach is very apparent and

rubs off on many of my

students. I loved organic chemistry

as soon as I started taking courses

in itI actually got warm fuzzies

from my first textbook. When I

share this story with my students

many of them laugh (and Im sureroll their eyes!). I tell them can-

didly that, whether they think this

class is as exciting as I do, theywill

have to do a lot of work to suc-

ceed. I tell them I will do every-

thing I can to help them but in the

end their success will be due to their

own effort, discipline, and natural

ability.

In order to help my students

do well I am very transparent aboutmy expectations. In my organic

classes I provide a list of bulleted

learning objectives for them to assess

whether they have mastered the

course material. Many classes average

150 students (I have had as many as

240); so opportunities for one-to-

one interactions during lecture are

limited. Thus, I believe it is espe-

cially important for students to feelcomfortable enough to ask ques-

tions that address their misconcep-

tions. Consequently, I am very

friendly during and outside of class.

I encourage students to ask ques-

tions and let them know that they

need not feel inadequate or intimi-

dated.

While my lectures are quite tra-

ditional, most students stay engaged

(even in my intense four-week sum-mer organic courses where there is

no time for classroom breaks) be-

cause my lectures are very animated

(aerobic for me!), deliberate (I

choose examples very carefully), and

organized. Before each class, I refer

to what was talked about last time

and then link it to what will be dis-

cussed. If we are starting in a new

direction and have to change gears, tell them so. The value I place on

clarity contributes to the way I orga

nize my lectures. I continually try

to show my students how a thread

ties much of organic chemistry to-

gether. I think it is important to

share this connection with students

so they realize the importance of

continuing to build upon every-

thing they have learned so far. I fre-

quently repeat important principlesand do everything I can to make

sure that students comprehendno

memorizeas we apply them over

and over. I tell them when particu-

lar topics are not going to go

away. In organic chemistry, I draw

pictures on the board, explaining

that each arrangement of atoms has

a personality that can be used to

make predictions. After presenting

a general concept, we do examplesthat encourage students to use their

knowledge to predict whats going

to happen. Rather than memoriz-

ing a rule, an understanding of the

underlying principles and meaning

is crucial for figuring out a problem

I believe the problem-solving skills

students learn in their chemistry

courses can be applied to situations

they will encounter in their chosen

careers. !

Photo by Joe Kapelewski, CIDDEEricka Cederstrom-Huston


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TeachingTimes 10

Marla Ripoll, Economics

It is important for knowledge to be meaningful to me, the

teacher, as well as to the students. I pose questionsdesigned to clearly connect concepts discussed in class

with real-world examples.

One of the most effective

techniques for faculty to

engage students is to

devote some time reflecting about

why theyare engaged with thesubjects they teach. My own

courses include topics such as the

unemployment rate, credit

constraints, poverty, and per capita

income differences across countries;

this knowledge I share with my


students on these topics is

meaningful also to me because I

constantly strive to understand the

economic difficulties of my native

country, Colombia. Clearly, theknowledge we share with our

students not only sheds light on

the reality outside of the classroom

but also helps us more fully

understand who we are as teachers.

Another method for engaging

students is to make this shared

knowledge meaningful to them.

Ultimately, students will become

interested in content that allows

them to understand questionsthat remain fixed in their minds.

One way I do this is by

providing plenty of

opportunities to see the

connections between the

concepts learned in class and the

reality I want students to

understand. Consequently, I am

forever searching for relevant

news clips, historic episodes, or

videos on case studies. Butbefore I show any of these, I

usually question my students.

For instance, I may ask: What

do youknow about the extent of

poverty in the world today? I

then pose additional questions

for them to consider while they

watch the video, listen to the

tape, or read the news clip. These

questions are designed to clearly

connect the concepts discussed in

class with real-world examples.

Finally, I conclude with a brief,general discussion in which they

share their answers with their

classmates.

Another effective technique I

use is allowing students some

latitude in howthey engage with the

course material. When they write

term papers, give presentations, or

even do certain homework

assignments, I give them some

freedom to select material thatinterests them. I am always amazed

by how the quality of students

work improves when they do

something they have chosen.

Similarly, faculty themselves are

often better teachers when they

choose and design courses they

want to teach.

When I read student papers or

homework assignments after having

used these three techniques, I canperceive their passion for learning;

it becomes clear that their work

means something to them. As a

result, I can see who they arein

the same way I can see myself

through what I teach. And that is

a wonderful feeling which makes

teaching rewarding to me. !Marla Ripoll

Photo by Patty Nagle, CIDDE


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TeachingTimes 11

Making Learning Active for You

and Your Students


Pete Simonson, Communication

I use various techniques in

the context of the biglecture to reach diverse

students representing all

strata of the University

community.

Like most required courses, my large, introductory-

level Rhetorical Processcourse attracts a diversityof students representing all strata of the University

community. Therefore, to reach as many students as

possible, my goal is to offer something for all of them.

So what do I do in the context of the big lecture, where

it is easy for students to tune out and more difficult for

faculty to monitor their progress? While some of my

techniques are specifically tied to teaching the art of

rhetoric, others are transportable to practically any

other field.

1. Use teams or learning groups. In their firstmeeting, recitation leaders (being careful to separate

close friends) assign students to semester-long, four- or

five-person teams. Teams work toward a culminating

projecta public campaign that applies principles

discussed in class. Weekly assignments build toward

that project and require all students to complete work

on their own and then to discuss individual responses as

a team. With instruction and monitoring, teams learn

the material together and apply higher-level concepts to

practical problems. Those who are tempted to

disappear in lecture have peer pressure to participate,while the best students can help teach teammates and

thus learn the material better themselves.

2. Mix the conceptual or purely intellectual with the

practical. Throughout the semester, I discuss the history

and key concepts from the classical rhetorical tradition.

I present Greek terms like kairos(the opportune

moment) or dissoi logoi(countervailing arguments), talk

about the cultural contexts in which they arose,

illustrate them through everyday examples, and then give

students frequent opportunities to apply them. My aim

is to broaden the horizons of the practically oriented

student and to nurture the intellect of the budding

scholar; the application phase gives everyone practice to

think like a rhetorician.

Pete Simonson

Photo by Mike Drazdzinski, CIDDE

!

3. Use active learning techniques during lecture. To

keep everyone involved and motivated, I give frequent

quizzes and graded informal writing opportunities

during lecture, typically based on questions I had

distributed previously. I also pose questions designed to

elicit oral responses and to generate brief, structured

discussions (the responses are worth 1 to 3 points). I

make a point of posing questions of varying difficulty

simple factual queries; middle-range application

questions; and higher level queries requiringcomparison, evaluation, or conceptualization. Self-

reports indicate that speaking and hearing peers speak

keep students of different levels involved and learning

from one another.

My overall aim is to make the large lecture work

more like a small discussion class, with lots of active

learning by the students, significant potential for peer

teaching, and a multi-viscosity conceptual approach that

mixes strange ideas with familiar experiences.


12/16

2004 Teaching AwardsNumerous schools and departments at the University of Pittsburgh present annual teaching awards. Recipients of 2004 awards

that are known to theTeaching Timesare listed below. TheTeaching Timesprints an annual list of award recipients and welcomes

information about awards. Please contact Jo Rosol with this information: [email protected].

TeachingTimes 12

University-wide Teaching Awards

School of Arts and Sciences (A&S)Student Choice Awards

Trudy Bayer, A& S, CommunicationJan Beatty, A& S, EnglishAna Paula Carvalho, A& S, Hispanic Languages & LiteraturesThomas W. Crock, A& S, MathematicsToi Derricotte, A& S, EnglishBarun Dhar, A& S, Physics & AstronomyKimberly Ellis, A& S, Africana StudiesBob Gilbert, College of Business AdministrationMichael Golde, A& S, ChemistryCynthia Golzman, A& S, Hispanic Languages & LiteraturesRaymond Jones, College of Business AdministrationJenni fer Lee, A& S, EnglishAudrey Murrell, College of Business AdministrationLisa S. Nelson, Graduate School of Public

& International AffairsLaurel Roberts, A& S, BiologyJulia Romero, A& S, Hispanic Languages & LiteraturesSusan Shaiman, A& S, Communication Science & DisordersJonathan Sterne, A& S, CommunicationLiann Tsoukas, A& S, HistoryStefan Wheelock, A& S, English

Chad Zutter, College of Business Administration

College of Business AdministrationCBA Teacher of the Year

Raymond Jones

CBA Teacher of the Year Finalists

Robert AtkinRobert GilbertJocelyn Kauffunger

Jay Sukits

Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business

Executive MBA Outstanding Teacher of the YearFrederik-Paul Schlingemann

Katz School Outstanding Teacher of the Year

Prakash Mirchandani

School of NursingDeans Distinguished Teaching Award

Jason J. Dechant, Health Promotion & Development

Rosemary Hoffmann, Acute/ Tertiary Care

School of Dental MedicineFaculty Award of Excellence

Kenneth Etzel, Microbiology/Biochemisty

School of EngineeringBeitle-Veltri Memorial Award

Mary Besterfield-Sacre, Industrial EngineeringJayant Rajgopal, Industrial Engineering

Faculty Honor Roll

George Stetten, BioengineeringRobert Parker, Chemical & Petroleum EngineeringJohn Oyler, Civil & Environmental EngineeringPeter Miller, Electrical EngineeringMike McCloud, Electrical EngineeringAndrew Klimas, A& S, MathematicsBryan Norman, Industrial EngineeringIan Nettleship, Materials Science & EngineeringWilliam Clark, Mechanical Engineering

Outstanding TA Awards

Erik. H. Lindsley, BioengineeringJeffry A. Florian, Chemical & Petroleum EngineeringOwen K. Silbaugh, Civil & Environmental EngineeringNicholas V. Zorn, Electrical EngineeringAdaeze F. Nwaigwe, Industrial EngineeringJose E. Garcia-Gonzalez, Materials Science & EngineeringRoxana Cisloiu, Mechanical Engineering

TA of the Year

Joshua Lucas, Computer/ Electrical Engineering

College of General StudiesStudent Choice Awards

David J. Defazio, Graduate School of Public &International Affairs

Edward Strimlan, Graduate School of Public &International Affairs

Sandra Collins, A& S, Religious StudiesHoward B. Slaughter, Graduate School of Public &

International AffairsCathy L. Misko, Graduate School of Public &

International AffairsJohn B. Lyon, A& S, Germanic Languages & Litera-

turesErnest Fullerton, Graduate School of Public &

International Affairs

Gordon, J. Weinberg, A& S, Statistics


13/16TeachingTimes 13

University-wide Teaching Awards

School of PharmacyTeacher of the Year Award

Denise Howrie, Pharmacy and Therapeutics

Faculty Member of the Year Award

Samuel M. Poloyac, Pharmaceutical Sciences

School of MedicineExcellence in Education Awards

James R. Johnston, Renal-ElectrolyteJohn W. Kreit, Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical CareWilliam P. Follansbee, Cardiovascular InstituteJoseph A. Kithas, PsychiatryGregory J. Naus, PathologyDavid L. Paterson, Infectious DiseasesJonathon Erlen, Behavioral and Community Health

SciencesAshok J. Bharucha, PsychiatryAndrea R. Fox, Geriatric Medicine

Kenneth E. Schuit Award

David E. Eibling, OtolaryngologyCynthia Lance-Jones, Neurobiology

Golden Apple Award

Paul Rogers, Critical CareSpiro Papas, Edward McClain III, Jeff Baum,

Carl Hasselman and Paul Resnick,Three Rivers Orthopaedic Group

Departmental Awards

Helene Finegold, Theresa Gelzinis, Jeffrey Astbury,Bruce Ben-David, Catalin Ezaru, Richard McHugh, LiMeng, Stephen Mosier, Steven Orebaugh, NashaatRizk, Manuel Vallejo, James Krugh and Barry K. Ray,

AnesthesiologyJoe Darby, Critical Care MedicineTracey Conti, Family MedicineRichard P. Brenner, NeurologyA. Leland Albright, Neurological SurgeryMitchell Creinin, W. Allen Hogge, Kathleen Moore,Hyagriv Simhan, Arundhathi Jeyabalan, Mary AnnPortman, Elizabeth Roberts and Justin Chura,

Obstetrics/ GynecologyBarton Branstetter, OtolaryngologyIra Bergman, Michael Mortiz, John Peters, NaderShaikh, Leslie Borsett-Kanter, Melanie Gold, LeeBeerman, and Heidi Feldman, PediatricsJoseph E. Losee, Kenneth C. Shestak, Michael J.White, and Joseph Darby, Plastic Surgery

Carl Fuhrman, Radiology

Graduate School of Public Health

Deans Distinguished Public Health Service Award

Karen S. Peterson, Nutri tional Services

Graduate Student/Fellow Teaching AwardArts and Sciences

Janette A. Steets, Biological SciencesRobbyn Berenda, Demetra Chengelis,Adam Keller, Pamela Meadows Diane Mitchell,Joseph Noroski, Scott Quivey, and Tiffany Turner,

ChemistryAimee Marie Dorsten, CommunicationYadwiga Semikolenova, EconomicsPetra Dierkes-Thrun, EnglishNoemie I. Parrat, French & Italian Languages & LiteraturCraig Thomas Marin, HistoryMarilyn S. Feke and Marjorie Zambrano,

Hispanic Languages & LiteraturesKevin Scharp, PhilosophyEmily L. Chapman, Suchetana Chatterjee, and SandeeTyagi, Physics & AstronomyHeather Elko, Stephanie McLean, and Nils Ringer,

Political ScienceJoyce Giovannelli and Elizabeth Claire Holt, Psychology

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

Excellence in Teaching AwardDonald I. Ulin, A& S, English

Alumni Association Teaching Excellence Award

Jeffrey C. Guterman, A& S, Communications

University of Pittsburgh at GreensburgDistinguished Teaching Award

Randi Koeske, Psychology

Alumni Association Award

Sayre Greenfield, English

University of Pittsburgh at JohnstownPresidents Award for Excellence in Teaching

William Brice, Geology

Phi Eta Sigma Teacher of the Year Award

Katherine Reist, History



Responding to TA

training needs

By Vanessa SterlingTA Services, CIDDE

Teaching Assistance Services

Last winter, TA Services conducted a surveyfor the Advisory Council on InstructionalExcellence (ACIE) about how each depart-

ment trains its TAs. The results were quite interest-ing and varied. We are now designing workshopsfor the fall term to address some of the needs ex-pressed by survey respondents and those of the

broader University community.The survey addressed how each departmentoversees the orientation, training, mentoring andevaluation of graduate student instructors. The re-sults showed a range of ways of training TAs. Somedepartments do everything in house, from orien-tations and teaching seminars to evaluations, whileothers rely on University-wide programs, such asNew TA Orientation and the University TeachingPracticum, a graduate seminar designed for teach-ing assistants and teaching fellows who will be

teaching a class independently for the first time.Graduate student instructors across depart-

ments share some common concerns. For ex-ample, many are unsure how to strike a proper bal-ance in dealing with undergraduates, as many arecloser in age to their students than their faculty.Others feel that undergraduates rely on their helptoo much or are unfocused in their dealings withTAs, which can be time consuming. Some interna-tional TAs sti ll feel disconnected from the Univer-

sity community (for a variety of cultural reasons)and thus find it more difficult to work with stu-dents.

New workshops to address these issues are be-ing designed by CIDDEs TA Services. One newoffering later this term will be Conferring with Stu-dents. This workshop will examine the dos anddonts for conferencing with students includingtechniques demonstrating student advocacy, estab-

lishing safe/ nonthreatening environments duringconferencing, talking with low-achieving students,and managing office hours. This workshop willhelp TAs feel more confident in their outside-of-class meetings with students and help with timemanagement.

To address the needs of specific internationalstudent communities, we are building workshopsthat address cultural issues. The first workshop isbeing designed for TAs from China, who comprisethe largest cohort of international TAs. (In the re-cent New TA Orientation, of 208 registered partici-

pants, 33 were Chinese. The second largest groupof 11 students came from India.) In followingterms we wil l offer workshops for South Asians,Latin Americans, Africans, and Europeans, in coop-eration with advanced graduate student instructorsfrom these various parts of the world.

Of course, we will continue to host our regularseminars, including those on using technology inthe classroom, developing a teaching portfolio,dealing with cheating and plagiarism, and managingthe classroom. And we are available for one-on-oneconsultation about any teaching-related issue. How-ever, we want to continue to develop new work-shops, especially those that address the ever-chang-ing needs of the Pitt community. If you have a spe-cific idea or concern that you would like to see uscreate a workshop around (for your department orthe larger University community), give us a call at412-624-6671. We are eager to help! !



Electronic Response from page 7

students assess their entry knowledge of course topicsand motivate them to resolve any deficiencies it identi-fies. It also helps the instructor adjust where to placeemphasis or additional examples. The post-test can rein-force that students effectively mastered course content oralert the instructor that additional work may be re-quired.

This graphic display allows instructors and students toquickly review the range of responses submitted by theclass.

Faculty can obtain further information and arrangeto use an SRS by contacting Michael Arenth,[email protected] or 412-648-7236 in CIDDE Me-dia Services.

Media Services offers six sets of 32 hand-held keypad units, six receiver units, and the SRS software serv-ing a maximum of 128 students. Faculty can request thesystem be set up prior to class time, which takes about30 minutes. One receiver is required for every 32 keypads.

When using the SRS from Media Services, facultyfind it beneficial to have assistants help distribute andcollect the hand-held keypad units. In order to lessentheir responsibility, instructors may require students topurchase the units (about $25 each). Some publisherspackage the response uni ts along with textbooks. Toactivate their units, students must register at thepublishers Web site which requires an additional fee.

Additional information:

The article Effective Use of the Audience ResponseSystem from the Center for Education Research andEvaluation at Columbia University presents guidelinesfor using an SRS in classroom instruction.www.library.cpmc.columbia.edu/ cere/ web/ facultyDev/ARS_handout_2004_tipsheet.pdf

The Teaching Exchange from Brown University in-terviews two professors on how they use the SRS in As-sessment and Student Response System.www.brown.edu/ Administration/ Sheridan_Center/pubs/ teachingExchange/ sept2002/ assessment.shtml. !

Surfing the Cyber Library:

A Great New Resource

Amajor academic challenge facing students

across all disciplines is how to best utilize theover whelming amount of information avail-

able via the World Wide Web. This issue is ad-dressed in Surf ing the Cyber Library, a Web site hostedby the University of Pittsburgh Library System(ULS) Web Pages.

Produced and designed by CIDDE in collabora-tion with ULS, this fully interactive, creatively de-signed Web site with embedded video clips providesa dynamic, upgradeable source of information. Itsfour chapters consist of a series of Web pages de-voted to teaching the fundamentals of Web research:Chapter 1 Using Search Engines; Chapter 2 Scan-ning URLs and Web Pages; Chapter 3 EvaluatingWeb Information Using the Five Ws; and Chapter4 Citing Web Information in Research.

The site originated with an Innovation in Educa-tion project, Becoming an Information Critic: AVideo Providing Students with the Fundamentals ofInformation Evaluation. It was renamed andevolved into a new form as Project Director MarianC. Hampton, School of Information Sciences (SIS)and ULS, worked with video producer Len Jendrey,graphic designer Alec Sarkas, and other CIDDE staffto crate a tool to facilitate the evaluation of onlineresource materials.

Surfing the Cyber Librarycan be found at:www.library.pitt.edu/ guides/ eval/ .

Faculty Diversity Seminar Luncheon

The 10th anniversary of the Faculty Diversity Seminar wascelebrated with a luncheon meeting on October 15. In the past 10years, 91 University of Pittsburgh faculty have participated in theseminar, sharing the experience of working with their colleagues toincrease awareness of diversity issues and transform courses toaddress issues of diversity.

Ogla Duff, Education, past director; Valire

Carr Copeland, Social Work, past fellow

and director; and Susan Albrecht,

Nursing, past fellow

Photo by Cindy Lu, CIDDE


16/16

Teaching Times

University of PittsburghCenter for Instructional Development & Distance Education

4227 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260Phone: 412-624-6596, Fax: 412-624-7220Editorial staff: Carol DeArment, editor, [email protected] .edu

Joyce Walsh, production, [email protected]

Faculty seminar promotes writing & speakingacross disciplines

Communication-across-the Curriculum Seminar pro-vides an opportunity for faculty to redesign one oftheir undergraduate courses to better use writing

and speaking to promote student learning in their disci-plines. Offered each term by the School of Arts & Sci-ences, the seminar is in its second year. The Seminar isdesigned to enable fellows to:

Use written assignments to promote student learn-ing in their disciplines.

Improve the quality of student presentations. Help students develop their ability to write and

speak with eloquence.During the term, 15 participants meet every other

Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to discuss the relevantliterature, talk about their own courses, and draw on the

intellectual and practical resources of speakers, selectedreadings, and local experts. In the off week, part icipantsmeet individually with CIDDE instructional designers to

implement these ideas into new or existing courses. Theend results are enhanced undergraduate courses that notonly meet the rigor and standards of the relevant field ofstudy, but also provide students the opportunity to de-velop their written and oral communication skills.

This fall terms seminar is co-directed by BethMatway, from the English Department, and PeterSimonson, from the Communication Department. Formore information, please contact Lisa Murphy [email protected] or 412-624-6480 and go to theWeb site at www.wac.pitt.edu/ faculty/ seminar.asp.

Photos by Mike Drazdzinski, CIDDEPete Simonson,

Communication, Co-directorBeth Matway, English

Co-director

Dennis Looney,French & Italian

Languages &Literatures

Ligia Aldana, HispanicLanguages & Literatures

Lara Putman, History

teaching times at pitt - nov 04

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