Dennis
E. Schell, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Dr.
Terry Hufford, Professor Emeritus of Botany
Summer
Series Learning Models Activity
Dr. Philip
W. Wirtz, Professor of Management Science & Psychology
Dr.
Charis E. Kubrin, Assistant Professor Of Sociology
Judie
Vajda, Adjunct Instructor of Psychology
Dr.
Susan P. Willens, Professor of English
Tip
from Dennis E. Schell, Assistant Professor of Psychology
In order to
reduce the possibility of students downloading "ready-made"
papers and essays from the internet, I tailor them to specific questions
or issues to the course and phrase the assignment to the specifics of
the course as it's being taught.
For example, in abnormal
psychology, I develop a scenario such as:
"your friend has set you up with the perfect blind date. You and
your date
haven't said much but now you're at the restaurant and have just placed
your order. You sit back and begin to get to know each other better."
The task is to take a personality disorder (e.g. anti-social personality
disorder, narcissistic personality disorder) and develop as creative
a scene as desired that clearly demonstrates the behavior, thinking,
and emotions of an individual with that disorder. The individual could
be the "date" or the "student."
For example,
in general psychology, I select a current problem in psychology (e.g.
effectiveness of disbributive study versus cramming) and ask the students
to develop an outline of a possible scientific research study utilizing
the text chapter on psychological research. I, then, ask specific questions
such as why the study should not be correlational, what ethical issues
does the research need to consider, etc.
Even if students use WEB
sources, they can't easily download an entire
essay nor can they easily cut/paste from the WEB.
Tip
from Dr.
Terry Hufford, Professor Emeritus of Botany
Discovery,
Discussion, and Reflection
In the year
2000 I had the opportunity to develop a new biology course for Honors
students. I determined that the course would not only focus on biological
content, but would emphasize the student’s ability to read and
think critically, to integrate information from various sources, to
communicate effectively, and to work collaboratively with others. In
addition, it was, and still is, my belief that as an Honors course an
innovative instructional approach would best accomplish those goals.
Consequently, I developed an approach that I believed was particularly
significant to the teaching of science, although I think it will work
well for any course in which an objective is to encourage students to
think critically. I considered how biologists come to know what they
know. How did the body of knowledge that constitutes biological information
come to be? First and foremost is an innate curiosity; a desire to discover
the basis for an observed phenomena. This involves asking questions,
proposing a hypothesis or hypotheses, and then developing ways to test
those hypotheses. This is a discovery process. It is based, in part,
in what has already been discovered, and in part on questions that invariable
arise out of those previous discoveries.
Thus, in teaching,
the first introduction to a body of biological information should entail
a discovery process; an activity that involves the
students in a hands-on process either in the laboratory or in the field
that will provide them with some insight to the topic. Thus, unlike
traditional biological laboratories which are typically the confirmation
of what the student has already learned, this approach allows the student
to discover information they may not have previously been aware of.
This new knowledge
must then be placed into a broader framework. How does this correlate
with what is already known? What does the author or authors of the text
book have to say about the topic? What new information has been provided
by biologists through publication in leading biological journals? What
can be found through a search of the internet? Such information, in
my view, is best understood if it is shared with others. This leads
to the second meeting of the week; discussion.
In many college
and university courses this is where the learning process ends. Yet,
it is my belief that to become more informed is not the most significant
goal. Why should the student know this information? Of what significance
is it to the student’s personal life, ethos, or frame of reference?
Of what significance is this information to society as a whole? Therefore,
I determined that the third class of the week should entail reflection.
The student needs to step back from the information a bit and consider
why it is significant, in what way it is significant, and how it intercalates
into their total cognitive and affective base. Biology does not exist
in a silo; it impacts upon and interacts with many if not most of the
areas of humanities and the social sciences. That interaction needs
to be recognized and considered if the student is to be considered educated
in the liberal tradition.
The approach
is very much a student-centered approach. Given the considerable emphasis
on discussion, there is a “critical mass” of students required.
I have found it difficult to have an engaging and informative discussion
when only a handful of students are present. It also requires, if it
is to be most effective, students who have considerable intellectual
curiosity – a burning desire to know – and the intellectual
maturity to take responsibility for their own learning. I have found
that unfortunately too many students take the view that they are paying
good money, or their parents are, to GWU to be taught, and by gum they
expect to be taught. It is the instructor’s responsibility to
instruct; theirs to “learn” that information.
For teachers
that feel uncomfortable with a strongly student-centered approach to
instruction, the DDR approach can certainly be incorporated within a
more teacher-centered approach, with the teacher being more directly
involved in the discussion process. I use a more middle of the road
approach to instruction in Honors Biology. However, in 2002 I developed
a non-majors biology course through a University grant from the Hewlett-Packer
Foundation. This course was almost entirely student-centered, and for
a new course with no “trial” run, it was moderately successful.
Thus, I feel DDR is an effective way to engage students in the learning
process and encourage them to be active rather than passive learners.
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Tip
from Philip W. Wirtz, Professor of Management Science & Psychology
Optimize our course with
Viewlets. Professor Phil Wirtz recently provided a Teaching with Technology
Talk regarding the instructional use of Viewlets, or animated tutorials
based on a series of annotated screenshots. As a follow up, Instructional
Development Specialist Howie Southworth interviewed Professor Phil Wirtz
to get more detail on Viewlets as an instructional tool, and its potential
on campus. View the PDF.
Tip
from Charis E. Kubrin, Assistant Professor Of Sociology
This tip pertains
to teaching large classes (90+ students). One of the best ways to encourage
participation in large classes is to make an extra effort to learn students'
names--and especially those that frequently participate--right from
the beginning. When students realize they are viewed as individuals
and that you care enough to learn their names, they are much more likely
to want to speak up in class.
To quickly learn names, I announce on
the first day of class that I need students' help to learn their names.
I ask them to state their name before they make a comment or ask a question
until I am able to call on them without them having to remind me of
their name (this usually takes about 3 or 4 interactions with the student).
By the second or third week of classes, I can usually call by name at
least 50% of the students.
To reinforce what I have learned (because
this information fades quickly), I recall names and faces as I walk
to class each day, and while the students are taking an exam, I go row
by row and name each student to myself. Going the extra mile to learn
AND remember students' names is abolutely worth the effort; your students
will feel appreciative and you'll notice a significant increase in class
participation.
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Tip
from Judie Vajda, Adjunct Instructor of Psychology:
1. Psychology
lends itself to the use of students as examples of theoretical and conceptual
applications. Consequently, I walk around and ask a student his or her
name, and then use that student to demonstrate an application (were
you bitten by a dog as a child -- do you feel nervous or frightened
around dogs?) If so, you have been classically conditioned to learn
a fear response.
2. I ask students
to offer their own experiences which helps them relate their own lives
to the understanding of human behavior, it encourages other students
to be both willing to participate, and it helps students to relate to
their peers.
3. I tell
stories, lots and lots of stories which are real life experiences that
help to illustrate the application of theories and concepts to real
life..
4. I treat
them with respect -- always with respect.
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Tip
from Dr. Susan P. Willens, Professor of English:
I think of
writing as frozen speech. The best writing expresses ideas that the
writer wants passionately to say. This means the writer has to have
ideas, which, in a composition class, grow out of specific reading and
conversation. So students really need to be thinking and talking, debating
and exploring while they are together in class. In a discussion class
of 20 students, like my freshman composition courses, I have found a
couple of ways to encourage discussion that includes all the students.
Here are two simple ones:
1. duet presentations. Whenever we read an article from the essay textbook
or chapter from a novel we're using in class (such as Charles Dickens's
Great Expectations), I assign two students to "present" the
reading to the class. I choose them randomly as soon as I receive the
class lists; their names are on the syllabus from the beginning of the
semester. Together -- and in conversation with me -- they decide what
major points they want to make. Then they lead discussion for about
15 minutes. They might divide the class into discussion groups of two
or three students who consider questions the leaders pose. Occasionally
the leaders organize Jeopardy or other quiz games. They stage mock trials.
They suggest quick in-class writings which students read. The student
presenters encourage everyone to participate and they do.
2. I myself
use all these techniques (well, not Jeopardy). Whatever the topic of
discussion -- public issues to personal experiences -- I set up relevant
hypotheticals or debates and number off the students who move their
chairs around into small groups and talk for about ten minutes. After
that time the areas of agreement/ disagreement are clear, and everyone
has an opinion. They are well on their way to writing about the topic
at hand.
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