Russell Edgerton, American Association for Higher Education
Forward to Aristotle: Teaching as the Highest Form of Understanding
There is more to teaching than a mere grasp of content. The act of teaching itself is a complex and fascinating experience which goes beyond simply knowing the subject and talking about it.
Robert Boice, SUNY-Stony Brook
Countering Common Misbeliefs About Student Evaluation of Teaching
In spite of all evidence to the contrary some people continue to believe that student evaluation of teaching is “nothing but a popularity contest.” How much more useful it is to recognize what the students have to offer in the way of feedback on teaching.
Jean MacGregor, The Evergreen State College
Collaborative Learning: Reframing the Classroom
The method of collaborative learning goes far beyond a change in teaching
methodology. It is a change in the whole relationship between learners and the environment.
Barbara Solomon, USC-Los Angles
Impediments to Teaching a Culturally Diverse Undergraduate Population
There are many societal factors within and outside the academy with which we must contend to help each student reach his or her potential. Most of all we must learn to recognize when the differences we see arise from the student, his cultural background, or the fact that he is, after all, a human being with much in common with all human beings.
Ohmer Milton, University of Tennessee
Course Tests: Integral Features of Instruction
The tests we give in class are one powerful means of communicating our intentions to the students. They should be recognized and respected as such.
Robert Menges, Northwestern University
Teaching: Beliefs and Behaviors
Our beliefs about learning shape the behaviors of our teaching. We need to be aware of what they are and how they influence our actions.
John Boehrer, Harvard University
Spectators and Gladiators: Reconnecting the Students with the Problem
Learning does not take place when the instructor does all the work. It is necessary for the students to get back into the game and do some of the grappling as they do in the case method of teaching.
Marilla Svinicki, University of Texas
So Much Content; So Little Time
The universal complaint of faculty is that there is too much content to cover in the time allotted. Rather than complaining, perhaps we should re- examine how we go about choosing the content to include in a course. We might find we have more than we really need.