Articles

Flipping Large Classes: Three Strategies to Engage Students

As we continue our ongoing series focused on the flipped classroom in higher education, it’s time to tackle another frequently asked question: “How can I flip a large class?”

I like this question because it’s not asking whether you can flip a large class, but rather what’s the best way to do it. Faculty who teach large classes are challenged not only by the sheer number of students but also by the physical space in the classroom. Having 100, 200, or 400+ students in class means teaching in large lecture halls with stadium seating and seats that are bolted to the floor. It’s not exactly the ideal space for collaboration and group discussions, so the types of flipped and active learning strategies you can use are more limited.

Barbi Honeycutt, PhD August 22, 2016

Teaching and Learning ‘Respect’ and ‘Acceptance’ in the Classroom

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Kentina R. Smith, PhD August 19, 2016

A Memo to My Students
Re: College and the Real World

To: My Students
From: Your Teacher
Re: College and the Real World

I just read about a senior engineering student who was presenting a design project in an upper-division business communications course. In the presentation, he talked about what he would do if he were a “real” engineer. His teacher asked him what it was about what he was doing that wasn’t “real” engineering. He’d designed the project. He was presenting it to a group of his peers. He answered, “It’s school—not real engineering.”

Maryellen Weimer, PhD August 17, 2016

Teaching Quantitative Problem-Solving Skills Lies in the Solution

Editor’s Note: One of the themes that emerged from our recent Faculty Focus reader survey was a request for more articles specifically related to teaching in the STEM disciplines. In response, we are pleased to present an article written by true leaders in STEM education and the authors of Teaching and Learning STEM: A Practical Guide (Jossey-Bass, 2016). As its name suggests, the book focuses on the practical application of research-based strategies for designing and teaching STEM courses. It has been called “hands-down the best instruction manual for professors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that you can find.” [Barbara Oakley, PhD]

Rebecca Brent, EdD, and Richard M. Felder, PhD August 15, 2016

Trying Something New? Seven Things that Boost Success Rates

So, the fall semester is about to begin and you’ve decided to try something new in one or more of your courses. Maybe it’s a

Maryellen Weimer, PhD August 10, 2016

Testing What You’re Teaching Without Teaching to the Test

Have your students ever told you that your tests are too hard? Tricky? Unfair? Many of us have heard these or similar comments. The conundrum

Cindy Decker Raynak and Crystal Ramsay, PhD August 8, 2016

What You Are Teaching? What Are They Learning?

Consider the lessons we learn without being fully aware they are taking place. Take something simple, such as walking into a new building for the first time. With everyone and everything you observe, your mind is giving you feedback based on a multitude of judgments. These impressions, while sometimes incorrect, come to us with little effort. Yet they could loosely be considered teaching and learning without calling it either. I have found this to be a fruitful concept from a pedagogical standpoint. How many of us actively question this point to ourselves, “What am I teaching students, and what are they learning?”

Dale Schlundt August 4, 2016

Classroom Spaces Where Great and Magical Things Can Happen

Classroom spaces (virtual or physical) are special. We tend to take them for granted, partly because spaces in general have become less differentiated. We don’t do certain things in specified places like we used to. We work at home, on planes, and in various public spaces. We eat in our cars and in front of the TV. We use our devices everywhere—bathrooms, bedrooms, churches, cars, elevators, street corners, and, yes, classrooms.

Maryellen Weimer, PhD August 3, 2016

Overcoming Racial Tension: Using Student Voices to Create Safe Spaces in the Classroom

Since the election of President Barack Obama, America has been pushing a false narrative of a post-racial society. The continued killings of black and brown

Kyesha Jennings August 1, 2016

Prior Knowledge as an Unexpected Obstacle to Learning

Prior knowledge is essential for learning because it helps us make sense of new ideas and information. But when that prior knowledge is incomplete, confused, or flawed, it can create barriers to learning. Consider the following scenarios.

Janet G. Hudson, PhD July 27, 2016

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