Simulations can be powerful active learning experiences. In the social sciences and humanities they can provide a kind of “lab-like” experience, often not a part of these courses. Finding good simulation exercises is a challenge in some fields and integrating them into the content and objectives of the course requires careful planning and execution. However, this extra work is justified given what a good simulation can accomplish in class. Check out these benefits listed in an excellent article on simulations.
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Sacrifices to Attend College
Posted Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 by Maryellen WeimerI’m cleaning out my Dad’s apartment and found a letter from the President of Washington State University addressed to my grandfather. The letter tells him that his daughter Barbara (my much loved aunt) has made the All-College Honor Roll for the sixth time and that no student does this without being “thoughtful” and “earnest minded.”
Study Time and Study Habits
Posted Thursday, September 23rd, 2010 by Maryellen WeimerHow often has this happened? After a test has been returned, a disappointed, sometimes distressed, student approaches after class, and says something like, “I can’t believe it! I studied 10 hours for this test and I still did poorly.” Most of us respond with some version of “but it’s not the quantity of time spent [...]
Finding the Motivation to Fix a Course
Posted Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 by Maryellen Weimer“Our course restructuring was motivated by several perceived deficiencies common to traditional lecture-based introductory courses. The most pronounced concern, shared by multiple faculty involved in the course, was poor student attitudes. Both numeric and written responses on course evaluations indicated that students were not satisfied with the course and did not recognize the importance of [...]
Curricular Design Problems
Posted Thursday, September 16th, 2010 by Maryellen WeimerDan Klionsky makes some excellent points in a letter to the editor published in Cell Biology Education. He’s objecting to how departments design curricula. He’s writing about biology, but what concerns him doesn’t just happen in biology.
“Curricular development … no longer involves rational and integrated course design. New courses are added based on faculty members’ [...]
Advice for New and Not so New College Teachers
Posted Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 by Maryellen WeimerWhen you’re a new college teacher, good advice can be so helpful. Studies are important—good practice rests on what has been verified about teaching and learning, but early on, it’s those practical bits of wisdom that help a beginner get a handle on the details that matter most. The other thing about advice for new [...]
Less Stress at the Semester’s End
Posted Thursday, September 9th, 2010 by Maryellen WeimerThere is no question that many students experience pretty serious burnout by the end of the semester. It’s easy for us to recognize it because we experience it ourselves. Even so, I have to admit I was surprised by the findings of a survey of one cohort of business majors.
Finding the Inconsistencies
Posted Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 by Maryellen WeimerThe previous blog post featured two quotes advocating reflection about teaching philosophy and teaching practice. The goal is to discover discrepancies (if there are any) between what one believes about teaching and how one teaches. The problem? It’s darn difficult to be objective about one’s teaching. We just have too much of ourselves invested in [...]
Keeping Teaching Philosophy and Instructional Practice on the Same Page
Posted Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 by Maryellen Weimer“Conscientious pedagogical reflection is necessary to produce a complete, well-developed teaching philosophy. The absence of pedagogical reflection can result in daily instruction that fails to reflect an instructor’s teaching philosophy or instructional belief system accurately. In particular, an underdeveloped teaching philosophy may translate into a teaching style full of inconsistencies, characterized by poorly coordinated and designed instruction.” (p. 182)
Five Minutes and Five Techniques
Posted Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 by Maryellen WeimerI was traveling again last week and dining by myself in a local restaurant. I had forgotten to bring something to read, but the restaurant, named the The Library, had stacks of old books decorating the short walls between different sections of the dining room. In the stack near my table I found Teacher Education [...]
