McKeachie's teaching tips: srategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers

Preface Part 1: Getting Started: Introduction: College or university culture In conclusion Countdown For Course Preparation: Time: Three months before the first class: Identify the student learning goals, or outcomes What goals? Order textbooks, lab supplies, or other resources students may need Time: Two months before the first class: Create a syllabus for the course Time: One month before the first class: Begin preparing class session plans Choose appropriate teaching methods Select appropriate technology Time: Two weeks before the first class: Check resources Start a portfolio or teaching journal Time: One week before the first class Supplementary reading Meeting A Class For The First Time: Setting the stage Breaking the ice Alleviating anxiety: Syllabus and course structure Testing, grading, and fairness Strategies for succeeding Building community: Reciprocal interviewing Question posting Prioritizing class goals Assessing prior knowledge Questions and reactions What about subject matter? Supplementary reading Part 2: Basic Skills For Facilitating Student Learning: Reading As Active Learning: Textbooks or texts? Research on learning from reading: Sample reading strategy students can use How do you get the students to read the assigned readings in the first place?: Build links to the course as a whole frequently Use the readings in class exercises Build reading assessment into the grading structure Bottom line Supplementary reading Facilitating Discussion: Task in teaching by discussion Helping students prepare for discussion Conducting a discussion: getting started: Starting discussion with a common experience Starting discussion with a controversy Starting discussion with questions Starting discussion with a problem or case Conducting the discussion: moving things along: Listening, responding, and modeling discussion behavior Conducting the discussion: common problems: Students' reluctance to participate Involving nonparticipants What about a student who monopolizes? What if the students haven't read the material? Handling conflicts and arguments Conducting the discussion: teaching students to learn through discussion Conducting the discussion: minutes, summaries, and drawing to a close Student-led discussions Online discussions In conclusion Supplementary reading How To Make Lectures More Effective: Research on the effectiveness of lectures What are lectures good for? Planning lectures Preparing your lecture notes Organization of lectures: Introduction Body of the lecture How can lectures be improved?: Attention What can be done to maintain attention? Teaching students how to be better listeners How do students process the content of a lecture? Should students take notes? In conclusion Supplementary reading Assessing, Testing, And Evaluating: Grading Is Not The Most Important Function: Planning methods of assessment: Institutional purpose for your course assessments Methods of assessing learning: Tests: in and out of class Performance assessment (authentic assessment) Graphic representations of concepts Journals, research papers, and annotated bibliographies Portfolios Peer assessment Assessing group work Embedded assessment Classroom assessment In conclusion Supplementary reading Testing: The Details: When to test Constructing the test: Choosing the type of question How many questions should you use? Tests from the student perspective Reducing student frustration and aggression Helping students become test-wise: Taking multiple-choice tests Taking essay tests Why teach test taking? Administering the test Alternative testing models gaining favor: Group or team-based testing Online testing What to do about cheating: Why do students cheat? How do students cheat? Preventing cheating Handling cheating After the test: Grading objective tests Grading essay questions Helping yourself learn from the test Returning test papers Helping students learn from a test Dealing with an aggrieved student What do you do about the student who missed the test? In conclusion Supplementary reading Good Designs For Written Feedback For Students: Formulation of written feedback comments: Understandable, selective, and specific Timely Nonjudgmental and balanced Contextualized Forward-looking and transferable Fostering feedback dialogues Making teacher feedback contingent on learners' needs Supplementing teacher feedback with peer feedback: Collaborative assignment production Peer commenting on assignments Learning through peer collaboration an review Activating and strengthening inner feedback: Harnessing inner feedback: more frequent tasks Having students reflect on teacher-provided comments Strengthening self-assessment In conclusion Supplementary reading Assigning Grades: What Do They Mean?: Do grades provide information useful for decision making? Can we trust grades?: Validity of the measurement Reliability of the scores Assigning grades: on a curve or against a standard? Reducing student anxiety about grades What about the student who wants a grade changed? Grades vs learning: some related research In conclusion Supplementary reading Part 3: Understanding Students: Motivation In The College Classroom: Motivational theories: an overview: Autonomy and self-determination Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation Expectancy-value theory Mastery and performance goals Social motivation and other goals Attribution theory Motivational power of beliefs about intelligence Putting motivation theory into practice Supplementary reading Teaching Culturally Diverse Students: Culture and communication: Nonverbal communication Verbal communication Motivation and stress: Cultural differences in motivation Cultural stressors Increasing motivation Dealing with stressors Tailoring our teaching methods: Offer multiple ways for students to learn Be concrete Enhance performance measurement Choose appropriate nonverbal behaviors Be accessible In conclusion Suggested readings Appendix

Different Students, Different Challenges:

Intellectual/academic challenges:

Argumentative students

Students who are at different stages of cognitive development

Students who are underprepared for the course or struggling

Class management challenges:

Attention seekers and students who dominate discussions

Inattentive students who dominate discussions

Inattentive students

Students who come to class unprepared

Students who are uncivil

Emotional challenges:

Angry students

Discouraged, ready-to-give-up students

Students with emotional reactions to sensitive topics

Dealing with psychological problems

Potential suicides

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

Part 4: Adding To Your Repertoire Of Skills And Strategies For Facilitating Active Learning:

Active Learning: Group-Based Learning:

Value of active learning itself

Value of active learning in groups

Why does peer learning work?

Group learning: variations on the theme:

Peer tutoring

Learning pair: from learning cells to think-pair-share

Team learning: syndicate and jigsaw

Online groups: synchronous and asynchronous

Team-based learning

Learning communities

Issues in designing group work

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

Experiential Learning: Case-Based, Problem-Based, And Reality-Based:

Argument for experiential learning

Essence of experiential learning

Types of experiential learning representing levels of reality:

Case method

Problem-based learning

Games, simulations, and role-playing

Field experience

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

Using High-Stakes And Low-Stakes Writing To Enhance Learning:

Little theory: high stakes and low stakes:

High-stakes assignments

Low-stakes writing

Low-stakes writing:

Kinds

Occasions

handling low-stakes writing

High-stakes writing:

Topics and assignments

Criteria for evaluation

Multiple papers and multiple drafts

Worst-case scenario

Responding to high-stakes papers

Middle-stakes assignments: think pieces

Peer response

About correctness: spelling and grammar

Technology and writing:

Process of writing

Revising

Dialogic, collaborative dimension of writing

Teacher's role with technology

About grading:

Portfolios

Contract grading

Preventing-and handling-plagiarism

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

Technology And Teaching:

How will technology enhance teaching and learning?

Teaching with technology:

Content

Instructor

Students

Technology tools

Teaching online or at a distance

Handling the technology boom

What is the impact of technology on teaching and learning?

In conclusion

Supplementary readings

Part 5: Skills For Use In Other Teaching Situations:

Teaching Large Classes (You Can Still Get Active Learning!):

Blended learning as an alternative strategy

Facilitating active learning:

Encouraging student writing in large classes

Student anonymity

Organization is the key:

Giving tests in large classes

Communicating with large classes

Coordinating Multisection courses

Training and supervising teaching assistants

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

Laboratory Instruction: Ensuring An Active Learning Experience:

Styles of laboratory instruction:

Expository instruction

Inquiry instruction

Discovery instruction

Problem-based learning

Studio instruction brings together the arts and sciences

Turning novice researchers into practicing scientists

Wet, dry, and in silico

What research says

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

Part 6: Teaching For Higher-Level Goals:

Teaching Students How To Become More Strategic And Self-Regulated Learners:

What are the characteristics of strategic learners?

Importance of goals and self-reflection

Increasing students' self-awareness

Using existing knowledge to help learn:

New things

Teaching domain-specific and course-specific strategies

Methods for checking understanding

Knowing how to learn is not enough-students must also want to learn

Putting it all together-executive control process in strategic learning

What instructors can do to help their students succeed in online or blended instructional environments

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

Teaching Thinking:

What are we up against?

Thinking pedagogy as a confused landscape

Frameworks that support teaching thinking:

How do thinking skills vary in complexity?

How do thinking characteristics change over time in college?

How does motivation influence thinking success?

How does intelligence influence thinking capacity?

How does learning style influence thinking development?

What role does emotion play in thinking success?

How does content complexity influence thinking success?

Improving thinking quality

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

Ethics Of Teaching:

Responsibilities to students:

To encourage the free pursuit of learning

To demonstrate respect for students

To respect confidentiality

To model the best scholarly and ethical standards

To foster honest academic conduct and to ensure fair evaluation

To avoid exploitation, harassment, or discrimination

Making ethical choices

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

Part 7: Lifelong Learning As A Teacher:

Vitality And Growth Throughout Your Teaching Career:

How can you develop effective skills and strategies?:

Looking for new ideas, methods, and strategies

How can you get feedback to help you continue to improve?

Keys to improvement with feedback from students

In conclusion

Supplementary reading

References

Index.