The art of discussion leading (two workshops)
This topic will be covered in two workshops to contrast the style and strategy needed to engage students in a large traditional lecture as opposed to that needed for a small group discussion
- Engaging students in large lectures through discussion and debate
Tuesday Sept. 27th, 3-4:15 pm
Lecturing large number of students in big lecture halls may not encourage students to participate in discussion and debate. However, Dr Michael Sandel, Harvard Professor of Government, is known not only for his elegant and witty lectures, but for his ability to engage students in constant debate during his lectures. In this workshop, we will watch Prof. Sandel delivering his lecture on moral and political philosophy to a large number of students (a video from Harvard University 's Center for Teaching and Learning). We will then analyze and discuss his successful strategies.
Facilitator: Aziza Ellozy, Center for Learning and Teaching
- Leading a small group discussion
Tuesday Oct. 4th, 1:35-2:40 pm
In this workshop, we will watch a 30 min video that shows Harvard Professor R. Chris Christensen, known for his teaching prowess, leading a group of graduate teaching assistants into a challenging discussion in the classroom. Following the viewing, we will lead our own discussion, analyzing the strategies used by this master of discussion teaching. For those participants in both workshops, we will compare the two approaches
Facilitator: Pandeli Glavanis, Center for Learning and Teaching.
"Pros and cons of student presentations: some thoughts on helping students to read critically and present concisely".
Tuesday Oct. 11th, 1:35-2:40 pm
In principle, encouraging student involvement in a course through presentations seems like sound pedagogy. In practice, it can be a waste of every one's time. This workshop will summarize contrasted experiences of assigning student presentations of academic texts in upper-division and graduate courses, recognizing that many of our students, even at the graduate level, have no system in approaching scholarly prose. We will discuss the development of critical reading skills and the transitions required to move from reading to presenting material in class.
Facilitator: Michael Reimer, History Department
Technology can enhance and support “learner-centered” teaching
Tuesday Oct. 18th, 1:35-2:40 pm
Faculty-centered instruction in the oral tradition has seriously been challenged by both students and faculty and found wanting. Instead, learner-centered environments and a variety of instructional strategies that support active engagement of students is gaining momentum. The workshop will suggest that “technology” can contribute to enhancing the process of active knowledge construction and enable a class of individual students to transform into a “learning community”. Thus, “smart” classrooms (of whatever form) are no longer an added luxury; they are the foundation on which modern pedagogy is evolving. The workshop will explore paradigmatic developments in this area and hopefully contribute to current debates within AUC.
Facilitator: Pandeli Glavanis, Center for Learning and Teaching.
Strategies to improve student learning
Monday Oct. 24th, 1:35-2:40 pm
Focusing on content and teaching styles rather than learning process and learning outcomes is a wide-spread problem that characterizes the didactic approach to education and thus also neglects the social nature of learning and the role of peer-interaction in achieving desired or expected learning outcomes. This workshop will explore the conditions required for effective learning which may include interaction with courseware, interaction with the instructor and especially interaction with peers. Thus, the workshop will suggest that group (class) participation (negotiation) in identifying what is a learning achievement and how to achieve it is critical to the process of enhanced and effective learning and thus the attainment of better learning outcomes.
Facilitator: Pandeli Glavanis, Center for Learning and Teaching.
Designing effective written assignments
Monday Oct. 31st, 1:35-2:40 pm
Written assignments are an effective way to assess students' abilities to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information. However, designing effective written assignments to accomplish these goals is difficult. This workshop will discuss the creation of written assignments by determining pedagogical goals, wording the instructions, designing a grading rubric, and applying this rubric when commenting.
Facilitators: Natascha Gast and Deanna Blevins, Writing Program
Towards better learning: assessing the effectiveness of your teaching
Monday Nov. 7th, 3-4:15 pm
End-of-course evaluation data are not enough: they come in too late, they do not give us the details we need and, more importantly, our students do not believe they make a difference. In this workshop we will discuss certain fast feedback activities that will h elp you identify which teaching methods, teaching style, instructional materials, etc help your students learn.
Facilitator: Aziza Ellozy, Center for Learning and Teaching
Students and ideas: Parrot or ponder?
Monday Nov. 14th, 3-4:15
Are your students parrots who simply mimic your lectures, or are they fully engaged with key ideas in your course? "Reacting to the Past" empowers students to actively debate important intellectual controversies while honing their speaking, writing, and critical thinking skills, thereby preparing themselves to be better global citizens. A video of a class in action will introduce discussion of this new pedagogy, suitable for first year or upper division courses across the curriculum in sciences, social sciences, and humanities .
Facilitator: Cynthia Sheikholislami, ELI
Education for social responsibility :the service-learning experience
Monday Nov. 21st, 3-4:15
This workshop presents an overview of the benefits and challenges of service-learning, and shares the experience of two service projects conducted in a Writing Program course – the organizing of a Water Conservation Campaign and an Undergraduate Research Conference. Student reflections on the experience will be shared for audience analysis.
Facilitator: Amani El Shimi, Writing Program
Presentation
Student-centered learning?...Try MERLOT
Tuesday Nov. 29th, 3-4:15pm
In this workshop, participants will be briefly introduced to student-centered learning, and although this approach does not necessarily require technology, we will use examples from the MERLOT collection to illustrate it. MERLOT ( Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching), is “a collection of peer-reviewed, high-quality interactive online learning materials”. Participants will be shown how to use the collection and examples from the humanities and the sciences will be analyzed to illustrate the method. Time permitting, participants will search and share what they find from their own disciplines.
Facilitator: Aziza Ellozy, Center for Learning and Teaching
The use of multimedia in academic writing
Tuesday Dec. 6th
Technology plays a very important role in effective communication. At hand is a documentary film produced as part of a Soc/Anthro master's thesis. Thus, the workshop will explore how academic and scholarly writing at University can integrate multimedia technology and thus enhance output, critical writing and in particular the communication of complex social reality.
Facilitator: Jeannette Rizk, SAPE