Maybe you think that because you have learned a lot about your discipline, you can easily learn something that is totally new for you. Have you ever considered what your students are going through when they attempt to learn material that is totally new for them? In a personal description of what it was like to learn to swim, Stephen Brookfield “recounts his own efforts to master a daunting new skills and the many lessons he learned about teaching and learning in the process.” The article, Through the Lens of Learning: How Experiencing Difficult Learning Challenges and Changes Assumptions About Teaching, is readily available on the internet: http://www.biochem.wisc.edu/faculty/weibel/lab/education/Brookfield_Through_the_Lens_1996.pdf. Read it and then decide about how easily you might learn your discipline if you have no prior knowledge or experience with it.
Question: When it arises, plagiarism is complicated and time consuming for all. I have to attend to detection, making a complaint, and sanctioning the student. How can I stop plagiarism from happening in the first place?
CITL’s Answer: The Iwasaki Library and the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning assist faculty through discussion sessions about the reasons why students plagiarize. And, at these sessions they offer recommendations for assignment design that can help deter plagiarism. Watch for announcements about these discussion sessions or contact the library: reference@emerson.edu, or the CITL: citl@emerson.edu.
Question: I prefer electronic means for obtaining information. Although I would like to find out more about teaching and learning in higher education, there is too much on the Internet to manage. I would like to dip one toe into the pool and then figure out where I want to plunge deeper. How can I get started?
CITL’s Answer: The CITL’s webpage has several links to helpful resources on a variety of topics about teaching and learning in higher education. The resources range from sites offering teaching tips and strategies to ones providing essays and scholarly treatments of current issues in higher education. To get started, visit the CITL’s web resources page: http://www.emerson.edu/about-emerson/offices-departments/citl/faculty-resources/web-resources.
In a May 18, 2011 article in Inside Higher Ed, Steve Kolowich summarized two studies on college students’ laptop typing behavior. The studies differed from those reported earlier because rather than surveying students and professors, the researchers set up ways to spy on students while they were in class with their laptops. An exploratory study at the University of Vermont revealed that instant messaging was the only laptop use that appeared to affect performance on assessments. At St. John’s University a law professor discovered that upper level students spent more time on class unrelated sites than lower level students. Those results were used to shape laptop use policies and not determine the effects of laptop use on learning. The professor, Jeff Sovern, said that the “problem is a lot of students use laptops legitimately, so anytime you ban laptops, you’re cutting off the ability of student to do that. . . it’s a decision that, to my mind, should be based on the data rather than ego.”
In the 2008 book edited by Lester Hunt, Grade Inflation: Academic Standards in Higher Education, Mary Biggs wrote that the “the cause of grade inflation is the faculty. We give inflated grades” (p. 112). But, you might ask, why do faculty give inflated grades? Peter Eubanks’ article in the August 9, 2011 issue of Inside Higher Ed offered three sources of pressure to give inflated grades. Pressure from students: students’ complaints about grades prompt “a nagging fear that minor grading errors have indeed been made and that the student should be given the benefit of the doubt.” Pressure from administrators: when faculty are expected “to produce good evaluations, [they can] feel a temptation to inflate grades to secure their own livelihoods.” Pressure from colleagues: faculty could believe that “if everyone else is giving out inflated grades, why should they be the ones to stand alone, only to incur the displeasure of students who may be confused by inconsistent standards.” Finally, pressure to inflate grades comes from the faculty themselves: “efforts in the classroom have sometimes been inadequate, that poor student performance reflects poor preparation or teaching . . . , and that grades must be inflated to compensate for . . . failings.” Which pressure do you feel most? Eubanks’ full article can be accessed here: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2011/08/09/essay_on_why_faculty_members_participate_in_grade_inflation.
Question: I have rules in my course for students’ behavior. For example, I have rules for cell phone use and attendance. But, I can’t seem to consistently enforce the rules. There’s always an exception that I have to consider. Are there rules about rules that will help me?
Answer: Most faculty are troubled by rules that get broken and then can’t be fixed. In the December 13th, 2011 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, Rob Jenkins listed rules about classroom rules. The first on the list is “Don’t make a rule you can’t enforce.” For some rules you may spend more time policing, instead of teaching. The last on the list is “Be consistent.” Jenkins advises that “if you have a rule, you must enforce it, regardless of the consequences.” For Jenkins’ other rules, here is the link to the article and readers’ comments: http://chronicle.com/article/The-Rules-About-Classroom/130048/.
In Teachers College Record Stuart Rojstaczer and Christopher Healy published an analysis of grades at four-year colleges and universities. The most common grade is the A. Forty-three percent of all grades are A. Private colleges award more than public institutions. And, the South tends to award fewer As than the other regions of the country.
Question: Oftentimes I would like to investigate a teaching and learning issue, but the vast literature is overwhelming. I would prefer to start with something targeted and brief. Is there a resource that could give me a quick overview of the literature about specific, common issues we face as professors?
CITL’s Answer: The IDEA Center publishes short articles on teaching and learning topics. There are nearly 40 of these articles available for free. They are written by experts in the various topics, and they include references for further reading. Obtain PDF versions of the articles here: http://www.theideacenter.org/category/helpful-resources/knowledge-base/idea-papers.
In the September 14th, 2011 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, Heather M. Whitney offered a simple way to improve teaching:
What we do and don’t recall easily is a funny thing. I’ve learned a lot of helpful information, science and teaching-wise, at the conferences I’ve attended, but some sticks in my mind without the help of notes and some doesn’t. One bit of information I recall most readily is a handy tip I learned from attending GradSTEP (Graduate Student Teaching Event for Professional Development) at Vanderbilt University, literally days after I defended my Ph.D. During one of the sessions, a panelist, very new to the professoriate herself, mentioned that immediately after each class, before she does anything else or even touches her computer, she takes a large 5×8″ sticky note and writes down what did or didn’t work well in that class period. She sticks that to her papers from the class and then uses that note the next time she teaches the course to improve her teaching. This relatively simple tip has been a lifesaver to me. It’s incredibly easy to forget such matters in the moments after leaving the classroom, but using the post-it note centers me enough to do some productive reflection, even if it is just for a fleeting moment. It also results in handy records that I can refer to the next time I teach the course. The result is better teaching and a mindset focused on continuous improvement. This little tip has meant wonders for my productivity, and I’m betting that’s why I remember it so easily.
Question: My students tell me they hear everything that is being said in class, but their work doesn’t suggest they listen deeply. How can I help them understand the difference?
CITL’s Answer: For a brief explanation about the difference between hearing and deep listening, go to a recent post on “Academic Minute,” a daily feature of Inside Higher Ed. In two and a half minutes, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Pauline Oliveros explains the difference. It could provide just what you need to begin to help you help your students engage in deep listening. The link is here: http://www.insidehighered.com/audio/academic_pulse/passive_hearing_active_listening
