Requirements for Good Teaching

A while back, I came across an online Faculty Focus article about the top 10 requirements for good teaching. Please see the abbreviated list below. The full article, which was reprinted from the Teaching Professor Newsletter, can be found at the Faculty Focus site. I hope you will click comments below and give us your thoughts on the list and suggest additions and/or deletions.


Good Teaching: Top 10 Requirements by Dr. Richard W. Leblanc (rleblanc@yorku.ca. ):

One. Good teaching is as much about passion as it is about reason.
Two. Good teaching is about substance and treating students as consumers of knowledge.
Three. Good teaching is about listening, questioning, being responsive and remembering that each student and class is different.
Four. Good teaching is about not always having a fixed agenda and being rigid, but being flexible, fluid, experimenting, and having the confidence to react and adjust to changing circumstances
Five. Good teaching is also about style.
Six. And this is very important, good teaching is about humor.
Seven. Good teaching is about caring, nurturing and developing minds and talents.
Eight. Good teaching is supported by strong and visionary leadership, and very tangible institutional support—resources, personnel, and funds.
Nine. Good teaching is about mentoring between senior and junior faculty, teamwork, and being recognized and promoted by one’s peers.
Ten. At the end of the day, good teaching is about having fun, experiencing pleasure and intrinsic rewards … like locking eyes with a student in the back row and seeing the synapses and neurons connecting, thoughts being formed, the person becoming better, and a smile cracking across a face as learning all of a sudden happens.

A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Listening

A recent post by Maryellen Weimer, on her Teaching Professor Blog, was about various principles of teaching proposed by Ronald Markert (reference below). Of the principles outlined, one really caught my attention:

"Good teachers do not talk as much as the less effective colleagues do--Good teachers talk less because their students are talking more."

This principle reminds me of one of my favorite quotes about teaching:

"Teaching is listening, learning is talking" by Deborah Meier.

I used this quote once in a workshop and received some push back from a few faculty members because they believed this statement about teaching is too simplistic. I understand their point, especially in terms of established disciplinary styles of teaching. In any event, I think all teachers should do a little less talking and a lot more listening.

Please give us your thoughts by clicking "comments" at the bottom of this post.

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Reference: Markert, Ronald J. (August 2001). What makes a good teacher? Lessons from teaching medical students. Academic Medicine, 76 (8), 809-810.

Prezi and Anatomy of Course Design

NOTE: Use the arrows to click through the Prezi. You can click "play" to watch the YouTube videos embedded in the Prezi; however, please click "pause" if you want to move forward before the video has completed.


Earlier in the week, I conducted a workshop in CTLT's Summer Blitz Series entitled "Anatomy of Course Design." We had a great turnout and an excellent discussion of several factors associated with the design and redesign of courses (face-to-face, hybrid, online). I used an online presentation option, Prezi (www.prezi.com), to organize the flow of the workshop (see my Prezi above). Prezi is an alternative to using PowerPoint and uses a unique philosophy in presentation design and delivery. Instead of a linear flow of slides, as in PowerPoint, your Prezi is constructed on a "canvas" and a path is created through various parts of the Prezi. This is an excellent way to demonstrate the integrated nature of the topics you are discussing and YouTube (and other flash-based videos) can be easily integrated into the Prezi. I invite you to visit the Prezi site to see some examples of very good Prezis (unlike my initial attempt above) and to reflect on how you could use this technology in your courses. An excellent use of this technology could be student-generated Prezi presentations that cover specific topics. The workshop earlier in the week touched on issues, in Dan Pink's book A Whole New Mind, such as design and symphony. Constructing a Prezi may allow students' to use their creativity to design a Prezi that synthesizes various elements of a topic in unique ways using text, images and video.

Please note that at the end of the Prezi above, entitled ANATOMY of Course Design, a stick figure can be seen in the background (this is the type of creativity that will take me places!)


If you have any thoughts on Prezi, please click comments and share them with us.

A New Military Insurgency..PowerPoint!

A fascinating article was published in the April 27th edition of the New York Times entitled "We Have Met the Enemy and He is PowerPoint." The article describes the use (or misuse) of PowerPoint in the military. The image above was on the front page of the paper and was a slide in a PowerPoint presentation by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in a briefing in Kabul (Summer 2009). This image is being used as an example of the current abuse of PowerPoint in the military. Some notable comments and quotations from the article expand on the criticism of PowerPoint :

"PowerPoint makes us stupid"
“Some problems in the world are not bullet-izable”
"...the program stifles discussion, critical thinking and thoughtful decision-making"
“hypnotizing chickens"

This NYT piece mirrors articles and blog posts I have read about the use of PowerPoint in education. However, some comments on the article (in the web version) provide a rebuttal to the criticisms of PowerPoint. A portion of a notable comment is provided below. Please click COMMENTS below to give us your thoughts on this article or PowerPoint.

Comment on NYT article (April 27, 2010):
"PowerPoint is just a technology. It is the misapplication of that technology that is at the heart of the problem these military commanders are concerned about. But I'll go further and say the problem is cultural. No one wants to spend the time reading or writing technical papers that discuss the details beyond the depth that PowerPoint allows. In schools and in business people have been conditioned to look for the bullet points. Whether it's medical students learning to diagnose pneumonia or NASA managers trying to address a problem with the space shuttle, no one wants to listen to more than the bullet points. They ignore the connections between lines that form the context of the analysis and ultimately the solution."

Taking Risks in the Classroom

For a couple of years, I have been involved in a peer review of teaching program in my department. I am sure we could debate the pros and cons of such a program, but it has allowed me to reflect more on the evolution of my own teaching. While observing a probationary faculty member's class a few days ago, I began to think about how my own teaching has changed over the years. Besides using more technology, I try to take more risks in the classroom these days (insert your favorite risk-taking quote here). Over the years, I have become much more willing to try new teaching methods and implement unique ways to start class.

I was recently prescribed Tamiflu and decided to put the drug information sheet (that came with the prescription) in my biochemistry course file. I only really glanced at this information sheet, but it was clear there was information on this sheet concerning drug resistance. A few days later in my Biochemistry course, we were discussing the H1N1virus, Tamiflu and drug resistance. In the middle of class, I remembered that I had placed the Tamiflu information sheet in my notes, which most likely contained interesting and relevant information. Several years ago, I would have looked at that information sheet after class and included some of the information in the next class period. However, that day I walked over to my notes and pulled out that relatively unfamiliar information sheet and used it during class. In some ways, I felt like I was about to walk a tightrope when I pulled that sheet from my notes. It was a bit of a risk because I really did not know what drug resistance information was included on the sheet and I might not be able to effectively incorporate this information into the class discussion.

I would like to hear your thoughts on taking risks in the classroom or in online courses. Please click COMMENT below to give us your thoughts.

Top Ten Teaching Mistakes

The 2009 Teaching and Technology Forum recently concluded and it was an excellent opportunity to reflect on effective teaching practices centered around the theme of Connect-Engage-Empower. By contrast, a colleague recently sent me a link to a post at the Tomorrow's Professor Blog about the top ten teaching mistakes (written by Richard M. Felder). I am not sure if my friend was trying to send me a message or hoping I would share this post with the university community. In any event, I invite you to read the post linked below and provide your comments and thoughts on the list.

Top Ten Teaching Mistakes Post:
http://tomprofblog.mit.edu/2009/09/02/370/


Mistake #10. When you ask a question in class, immediately call for volunteers.
Mistake #9. Call on students cold.
Mistake #8. Turn classes into PowerPoint shows.
Mistake #7. Fail to provide variety in instruction.
Mistake #6. Have students work in groups with no individual accountability.
Mistake #5. Fail to establish relevance.
Mistake #4. Give tests that are too long.
Mistake #3: Get stuck in a rut.
Mistake #2. Teach without clear learning objectives.
Mistake #1. Disrespect students.

Understanding Great Teaching

An interesting article was recently published by Ken Bain and James Zimmerman entitled Understanding Great Teaching (Peer Review, Spring 2009, vol. 11 (2), 9-12). A link to this article article can be found HERE. Ken Bain is the author of the book What the Best College Teachers Do and this article is based on some observations and principles outlined in the book. Although this is a short article, the authors tackle key questions and issues such as different student approaches to learning, what makes teachers great, how to encourage a deep approach to learning and how to tell the difference between popular teachers and good teachers.

One of my favorite parts of this article is somewhat related to a previous post on the Power of the Question. In the article, the authors state:

"Through the power of the questions they raise, these outstanding teachers engage students in doing the discipline even before they know the discipline...teachers who promote deep learning approaches help students to learn inductively, moving from fascinating and important questions to general principles of the discipline."

I hope you get the chance to read this article about great teaching.

Why Do You Teach?

If you read the previous post, you know that I love the talks at the TED conference. I could not resist bringing up this conference one more time and highlighting a talk some years ago by John Wooden, former basketball coach and legend at UCLA. If you are a teacher at any level, this will be a thought-provoking video. It is clear that John Wooden saw his role at UCLA as a teacher of young people, not only about basketball, but life in general. There is no doubt that Wooden was a masterful teacher and in this video he gives us several gems of wisdom about teaching and life. One of the stories that caught my attention was one about a teacher that was asked "why do you teach?." I would imagine that many of us has asked that question at various times. The answer given by this teacher was quite profound and is discussed at 4:55 min into the video. Part of her answer was "where could I find such splendid company?."

As your summer schedule allows, I hope you will take the time to watch this video of John Wooden and reflect on your role as a teacher in higher education. If you have anything to share, please click COMMENTS below.

I Love TED (the conference!)

The TED conference started in 1984 to bring people together from the areas of technology, entertainment and design. At this point, the conference has broaden its scope to include the world's most fascinating thinkers from diverse areas that give short presentations. The mission of the TED conference is to spread ideas in order to change the world. You really have to visit the TED website to understand what this conference is all about.

Why am I mentioning the TED conference on a blog devoted to teaching, learning and higher education? I show the video above, featuring Dr. Gregory Petsko from Brandeis University, on the first day of class in my biochemistry courses. This talk is short but it carries a powerful punch! I am convinced that instructors can find TED presentations relevant to their disciplines and incorporate then into class discussions and/or student presentations. I also believe that these types of videos can introduce a multidisciplinary element to courses. The video above is relevant to my biochemistry students but I would imagine that the same video might be useful in a wide array of disciplines including Nursing and Finance.

Below are some TED presentations you might find interesting:

Barry Schwartz (we stopped being wise)

Hans Rosling (debunking third-world myths)

Chris Abani (stories of Africa)

Nalini Nadkarni (rainforest treetop ecosystems)


Please click COMMENTS below and give us your thoughts on the TED conference or how TED presentations can be used in your courses.

The Power of the Question

Two recent articles reminded me of the power of good questions in the teaching-learning process. In a recent post at the Teaching Professor Blog, Dr. Maryellen Weimer, discusses the value of good questions to promote productive discussions. Below is an excerpt from her post:

"To realize the potential of a good question, we can’t forget that the power of a question to promote thinking happens in the interstice between the question and the answer—in that quiet space between the asking and answering. Most of us are in such a hurry that that space is short—typically less than 5 seconds, according to research."


In the July 14th, 2008, edition of Chemical and Engineering News, an editorial was published by Dr. Richard Zare of Stanford University about the power of the question. Below are a few paragraphs from this excellent editorial:


"The question is a little-understood element of human cognition. Nevertheless, some question is at the center of every scientific and technological advance, and fundamental questions underlie every humanistic quest to comprehend the world about us. The question is a central aspect of both learning and knowledge creation....Yet students often seem to value more the answer than the question. I think quite the opposite. The quest to answer a question is where the learning takes place, not the answer itself.Those are two of the 10 winning questions."


"The point is that questions propel the world of inquiry and you should never underestimate the power of a simple question in organizing human endeavors. When you ask a question, you develop ownership of the question, and this sense of ownership is nothing like what you get from an answer. Today, we are drowning in information. The real power comes from the question, which organizes knowledge and directs us to the unknown. Life is not about answers; it is about questions, and the quest to find solutions to stated problems."


The question plays a vital role in our legal system and in the ability of journalists and authors to get information about a variety of issues. In my opinion, the question is often taken for granted in education. In some of my courses, I ask students questions in which the answer can be yes, no or maybe. Although the answers seem quite simplistic, the process students have to use to analyze the questions is sometimes quite complex. Overall, not getting the correct answer to questions with seemingly simple answers can often be a signal to students that they do not truly understand a concept or understand it only at a superficial level.

On the other hand, the quotes above suggest that another important part of teaching is helping our students ask more and better questions. Please click COMMENTS below and let us know what you think!

A Vision of Students Today (by Michael Wesch)

Dr. Michael Wesch is a cultural anthropologist at Kansas State University. His work in digital ethnography has gained national and international attention. The most visible project is his work on YouTube and a video entitled "A Vision of Students Today" that was a collaborative project with 200 of his students. According to YouTube, this video has been viewed close to 3 million times and certainly raised the visibility of Dr. Wesch's work. In fact, he was recently named the US Professor of the Year for Doctoral Universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Support and Advancement of Education.

The point of this blog post is to call your attention to the work of Dr. Wesch as I do feel it has a great deal of relevance in the current environment of higher education. After watching the video above, or visiting links to the Digital Ethnography project at Kansas State, I hope you will click "COMMENTS" below this post and give us your thoughts on this work and describe how it does or does not impact your teaching.


A VISION OF STUDENTS TODAY (also see above):
YouTube Video

Digital Ethnography Blog:
Visit Blog

Article written by Dr. Wesch at Academic Commons:
From Knowledgable to Knowledge-able: Learning in New Media Environments

Want to Get Rid of Grades?

A recent article at Inside Higher Ed, entitled "Imagining College Without Grades," raises the issue of not assigning letter grades in college courses. The alternative would be Pass/Fail designations or narrative evaluations. This story reports on a workshop at an annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Indeed, this is a complicated issue that would require a shift in teaching and assessment. Below, I have listed a few pros and cons that proponents and opponents of this idea have put forth:

PROS
-students will have greater academic freedom to take a variety of courses
-students can focus on learning, instead of worrying about grades and scores
-in the pass/fail system, faculty will spend less time grading and more time with students

CONS
-the amount of faculty time it will take to write narrative evaluations, especially in large classes
-many scholarships, graduate/professional school and job applications require a GPA
-students may lose the motivation to learn the material

I am sure that you can think of more Pros and Cons of this approach. So, click COMMENTS below and share them with us!!

Faculty Beliefs about Student Ratings

Dr. Maryellen Weimer, Editor of the Teaching Professor Newsletter, maintains an excellent blog that addresses many issues associated with teaching and learning. A post in April 2008 raised the issue of a potential disconnect between faculty beliefs and research on student ratings (end-of-semester student evaluations of faculty teaching). I think the most striking part of the blog post is a quote from a research paper on student ratings: "Teachers will not likely improve their evaluations from students by giving higher grades and less course work." (Centra, J., Research in Higher Education, 2003, 44(5), 495-519)

To many faculty members, this is certainly a "hot" topic as the value of student ratings of courses and teaching has been debated for many years. I invite you to read the blog post mentioned above and provide your comments on this blog (click comments below this post) about student evaluations of faculty teaching, a potential disconnect between faculty beliefs and research on student evaluations and/or the role student ratings should play in the evaluation of faculty performance (tenure, promotion, merit, etc.).