I found chapter nine in First Day to Final Grade to be insightful on getting the most out of student evaluations. The idea I like is from page 170, which suggests that you ask open ended questions on student feedback forms. You can ask 4-5 questions pertaining to the course that require thought filled answers. An example of this would be to initiate an answer by starting a phrase such as, "In the second half of this course, I would like to see more...... " and allow for students to fill in the remainder of the sentence. You can also ask questions about what their favorite activity thus far has been or what aspect of your teaching works best for their learning style. A good question for evaluations would be one that requires more than a simple yes or no answer.

I think it is really important as teachers to use evaluations as a basis for what works for the students and what doesn't work as well. In addition to using the open ended questions, I can also include a list of the activities we have done in class and have students rank them from the most to the least useful. This will help me re-evaluate the activities I do in class and possibly discard those that students don't find effective. The open ended questions will hopefully go more in depth as to why they ranked the activities the way they did.

This chapter also provides good information for reading the evaluations. A teacher at some point will undoubtedly get negative feedback but it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the teaching or the class. Negative feedback can be driven by the student's academic frustrations or other personal issues. A good tip from the book is to realize that teaching is a process and isn't always perfect. Not everyone who takes your courses will like your teaching style or the course itself. Negative feedback should be considered for making improvements on the course but not taken to heart. There will also be students who do enjoy your courses and those are the evaluations you should re-read to keep a positive attitude.

I think a good suggestion from First Day is to read the evaluations at home, not around class time. This can give you time to relax and sort out any emotional reaction you may have to the evaluations. In my own experience, it's been interesting to look at how I've handled student criticism. I received a very negative comment from a student in the past and it stuck with me for some time. At a later time, I received positive feedback from a student from the same course. The chapter in First Day is helping me to realize that not everyone is going to like me or my teaching style and negative comments shouldn't be held on to. I think as I teach more it will get easier to hear negative comments and not be so effected by them. I think I can now look at those negative comments and use them a means for improving my teaching and not as a personal jab.

Chapter nineteen from Teaching Tips brings up the subject of teaching large classes. I am sure that at some point in my teaching career I will have to teach a large class. I believe a major challenge will be facilitating active learning. McKeachie describes a new form of technology that can make participation and learning easier in large classes. The use of electronic devices that a student can answer a question with can be useful. These devices are sometimes accompanied with a computer program that can display a graph of student answers and show voting trends. I think this method can help get students involved and provide a little healthy competition. Even though they won't know who chose which answer, there is always a desire to get the right answer and fall in the majority.

This method of technology was actually used in one of my classes and I found it to be beneficial on several levels. The professor would take breaks in lecturing and put questions up that we would answer with a clicker remote. A graph would then show how many votes were given for each possible answer. The professor then told us the right answer and those who got it right received 1/2 pt. extra credit. The activity was effective because it required participation from a large class, it encouraged students to pay attention and it encouraged students to look through their notes to find answers. The activity was timed so students had to pay attention or they would spend too much looking through their notes and miss the chance for extra credit. Even though this activity doesn't reduce anonymity, it does effectively get the class to participate in a large class setting.

Additional links...

This link provides an overview of some scientific correlations relating to the effectiveness of student evaluations. The specific page came from this website, which I thought had a lot of valuable links.

This article is fairly long but provides more information on student evaluations. And you may notice McKeachie is cited in most of the conclusion!

Some additional ideas for teaching large classes.

For my Equine Production class, I will design a low stakes writing activity. I will start the class by giving students the topic I will cover that day, and then ask them to free write their thoughts for a few minutes. For example, on a day that I want to discuss exercise physiology I can ask them to write down their feelings about young horses used for racing. I think this will be a beneficial activity to do on days where the content can lead to a discussion of opinion or debate.

The few minutes of free writing may help generate questions and give them a chance to think about what they want to contribute to a related conversation. This activity will hopefully get them interested in the lecture that will follow. I will have the students hand these in but remind them that it is not a graded activity. With their writing, I can see if there are avenues in the topic I didn't cover in the lecture and possibly add them in the future. I like this idea because it asks the students to become interactive in the lecture and it may help them connect with the subject. According to McKeachie, it also helps prepare students for high stakes assignments and makes them able to put ideas into their own language.

A form of active learning I can incorporate in my class is the use of a learning cell. This activity can help students effectively work in pairs to give each other feedback, generate discussion, or summarize an assignment (Teaching Tips, pg. 217). For my class, I will allow time for this right before an exam. I would ask students to use their notes to generate a list of questions they think they might see on the test. I will pair them up and have them go back and forth with their questions. I think this will effectively help them study for an exam and make them better able to communicate the material. I also think this activity will enable a deeper synthesis of the material by asking them to analyze it and form their own questions.

For problem based learning, I can incorporate the use of case studies in my class. I will come up with case studies of problem situations that are related to equine production and have the students assess how they can fix it. For instance, I can give the students a scenario about a management program that is causing the horses to be too thin or too fat. The students can use the clues within the context to figure out why this is happening and find ways to solve the problem. I can effectively use this model by giving the students specific questions related to the case such as, "Why is there a problem with this situation?", "What are the obvious and underlying implications of this management practice?", "How can this be effectively resolved?" I think the questions I generate will help keep the students on task and give them things to look for within the case. This activity is great to enhance student problem solving and involvement (Teaching Tips, pg. 223). I also like this learning method because in some courses it can be applicable to real life situations.

Our teaching demonstrations have shown us great ways to conduct learning activities like these in a class setting. In terms of procedural issues, I've liked the activities best when the directions have been clear and remained displayed for the class to see. I believe our class has done a good job keeping the activity appropriate and related to the material. I think a major part of any activity should be that it enhances learning and is easy to relate to the content. The students should never have to ask themselves, "Why am I doing this?" I think the ideas from the most recent chapters provide a great way to enhance learning, get the students interested and connect the content t o activities.

I believe it is also important for the teacher to be interactive in the activity and have a positive demeanor. Walking around and making sure the students understand and are on task is very important. I've realized that this teacher feedback can help clarify questions and confusion a group may be having. The teacher's presence can also introduce the group to new ideas and give them feedback on a direction they can take with the activity. Teacher attitude and enthusiasm goes a long way. In our demonstrations, I have seen our students' ("teachers") energy rub off on the activity and it has helped keep the class interested in the task.


Additional links...

In chapter 15 of Teaching Tips, the idea of peer review is brought up. I like the suggestions this link makes to the reviewer and student having their work reviewed. I also like the procedural approach the author suggests for peer review.


I found additional ideas for low stakes writing assignments.


I really liked the idea of using case studies. Here is a little more information on using them and their importance in a classroom.

Learning Centered Teaching

What is learner-centered teaching?



Learner centered teaching is a method by which a teacher gives the students a level of power and responsibility in a course. The power shift can occur when the professor allows the students to have more control over their grades, assignments, activities or course content. The responsibility aspect stems from the student's decision making process. It is the student's job to come up with fair and reasonable policies in deciding how they should be graded and when materials should be handed in. The professor will still make key decisions in the course but may allow student input on the details of these decisions. The thought process behind this method is to teach students how to teach themselves. The professor who uses this method will have a desire to create confident and motivated students. The following link contains a few other points about learner centered teaching.

What aspects can I incorporate into my own teaching?

An aspect of this method I can incorporate into my teaching is to let my students choose due dates for major assignments as mentioned in Learner Centered Teaching on page thirty-two. At the beginning of the course, I can go through the syllabus and discuss the assignments that will be due throughout the semester. I can then work with the class to establish when these will be due and what dates I can expect to receive markers or drafts of progress from them. I can also set up expectations, consequences for late work and a grading rubric with the students.

I really like this idea because it doesn't change the syllabus that much and it gives students a chance to feel more in control of their grade. I found it interesting that the author of Teaching Centered Learning knew a professor whose students frequently recommended harsher consequences for late work than he would have (pg. 34). I think the role of the teacher should be to step in if the penalties are too severe or too lax. However, I think it would be important to stay as close as possible to the student's ideas about this. I want the students to feel like this power is in their hands and that I trust their decisions. If there are differences in opinions from the students I think it would work well to choose the policy by taking a classroom vote. This may help students to see their ideas are important but compromises sometimes must be reached.

I liked many aspects from chapter thirteen in Teaching Tips on adapting one's teaching to culturally diverse students. I feel like it's important to realize that different cultures may do things differently than we do, and just because someone is a particular race doesn't necessarily mean they embody all of their culture's traditions. It's hard for me to know exactly how these students feel but if I can try to be sensitive to their cultural differences.

A big take home message I got from both of the reading assignments is that participation shouldn't come from putting people on the spot or expecting them to ask questions in class. As I learned, some cultures believe it is an insult for them to raise a question to someone of higher academic standing than themselves (Teaching Tips pg. 155). Some cultures also don't think it's polite to stare or hold eye contact as much as others do. I think it's beneficial for me to realize that maybe when I think someone isn't paying attention they might be, they just may be avoiding eye contact for cultural reasons. If this was the case, it seems like I would be punishing them if I were to put them on the spot and ask them to pay attention or answer a question. Knowing these differences and respecting them in my class is something I will incorporate in my teaching.

What may be difficult to incorporate into my teaching?

An aspect that may be difficult to incorporate is letting students chose the material they want to learn in the class. In the case of most science classes, the material builds on itself over time. If I let students look at the syllabus and decide there are things they don't care about there will be missing pieces in the information that follows. I also think this wouldn't work for me because I believe it's possible to look at a topic and not realize your interest is there until you learn about it. People have comfort zones and can be afraid of trying new things, by giving them a chance to cross off topics they're more unfamiliar with, I could be taking away an opportunity for them to generate new interests. What I could do is try to leave a few lectures each semester and open the content to student ideas. I could give the students a few days to look through their textbooks or search online and get back to me with ideas about what they would be interested in learning about.


Another thing I don't see myself incorporating into my teaching is reaching out to students on such a personal level that I'm having conferences with their families or commenting on their personal lives. In Teaching Tips, Richard M. Suinn (the chapter author) had mentioned the use of calling on family ties to motivate a student (pg. 160). He recalled asking a Latina student if her boyfriend's visit was going to interfere with her studies. Suinn also brought up a meeting between a professor and student's family to make sure the student was getting enough study time at home.


In general, I think it's great to try and help students achieve success. I understand that family support can bring strength and encouragement to students. However, I want to show students that they are the biggest factor in their own success. I can help students by giving them information on how to study effectively, how much time should be spent each week outside of class and by giving them realistic expectations. Also having them set up progress guidelines for project, papers and exam studying. I want them to be motivated to succed, I just don't believe it's my role to step into their personal lives.

A few additional links....

This link contains a psychological look at student centered learning and addresses concerns from students and teachers.


A look at interethnic communication.

Entry #6

Chapter 14 in McKeachie's teaching tips gave me a lot of good information on how to handle student problems and problem students. Since I am not TAing this semester, I haven't had to deal with many of these issues in a classroom. However, I have had to deal with some of these issues with the college team that I'm coaching so this information is still helpful to me.

• I like the subsection in McKeachie's book on how to handle students with excuses. Excuses aren't uncommon and are used for a variety of reasons. These reasons can be to get more time for an assignment, family emergencies, procrastination from the student, etc. I very much agree with the point on page 183 in Teaching Tips, that it is better to accept a false excuse than respond harshly to a legitimate excuse. We should give students opportunities to not be severely penalized for legitimate excuses. I also feel like instructors should not have to act as police in determining whether the excuse was real or not.

I think I can avoid some excuses by giving the students opportunities to drop their lowest quiz scores and by offering extra credit for work handed in early. My late work policy will be the same for every student. I found a link which analyzes discusses the problem with decreased expectations which may be to blame for some excuses. I like the idea from the Wellesley professor that gives 7 extension days a semester that students can allocate how they chose. After they've used these 7 days, he docks their grade no matter what. I may try to incorporate this in my own teaching someday and see how it works. Although, I think I'd be more likely to give 4 or 5 extension days instead of seven.

• I'm not in favor of McKeachie's advice to let students drop an exam grade from page 183 in Teaching Tips. I feel like this would give them the green light to miss an exam. In the case of exams, I will require that a student with a valid excuse must take the exam within a few days of the original exam. Their exam will be different from the one given to the class but cover the same material. I will find little ways to alter questions and answers that won't take that long but will make the tests different.

• From First Day to Final Grade, I liked the section on handling students with personal problems. Students may try to juggle school while dealing with personal problems such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse among other things. It is not the job of the teacher to diagnose a student but a teacher may be able to help move a student toward seeking help.

Both books covered this topic but I found the advice in First Day to Final Grade to match up more with what I would do in this situation. I would invite the student to come in and talk with me to find out if there is something interfering with their school work. I think the best route would be to keep the students performance the top priority in this discussion. I would find out the universities mental health services and make the particular student aware of them if I see it necessary. I don't like McKeachie's suggestion of picking up the phone and arranging a time for them to be seen by a psychologist or doctor. I do agree that if a teacher feels inclined to they should reach out to a student that may be having issues, but I do feel like the student should take the initiative to follow up if they really want help.

• The information on pages 125-131 from First Day to Final Grade regarding plagiarism is helpful. Every university has a plagiarism policy in place and it is important to make students aware of the consequences of plagiarizing material. Having students show progress on a written assignment, such as rough drafts, may help reduce the occurrence of plagiarism. Showing students how to properly use the internet and make citations may also help reduce the incidence of plagiarism.

I can use the ways given to spot plagiarism. I believe it will be helpful to me to notice a change in tone or exceptionally good grammar. I will also use the suggestions for what to do with an unclear case of plagiarism. I bet it would be easy to catch if you ask for a meeting with the student and ask for details about the paper. Asking about their change in writing style throughout the document and for further discussion on their paper topic may get them to confess.

The use of plagiarism checking websites also looks like a great idea. I've had experience as an undergraduate with a program called Turn-it-in. I believe this program is pretty popular with professors.

I like this link because there is a short contract embedded in it that a student must sign to say they know the consequences of plagiarism. I think it's a good idea.

Kind of a funny link that lists some "good" excuses for skipping class.

I quickly posted my last entry because my internet kept disconnecting. Here is the other link that is missing from my post!

I don't agree, but it's interesting to me that a pyschologist made this video claiming that learning styles don't exist.

This week’s reading brings up this argument as it emphasizes the learning-based approach versus the traditional performance-based approach. In the reading excerpt from What the Best College Teachers Do, learning based assessment is highlighted. Great teachers want to ensure that what they’re teaching is being learned and understood. These teachers go to great lengths to analyze how their teaching is being conceptualized by their students. These teachers realize that ‘Indians’, also referred to as ‘goats’ in the reading (p. 152 P2), may have problems learning due to the effectiveness of their teaching.

Learning based assessment asks the teacher to identify what they want their students to intellectually and personally develop from the course. Teachers who use this approach expect a deeper synthesis rather than traditional performance based memorization. This style of assessment encourages grading based on learning rather than testing and adding points for extra credit, participation, etc.

I know I can incorporate this into my teaching, but how is the question. Science is typically cut and dry facts, isn’t it? That is often true, but do those who memorize facts have any idea how to put these facts into words? I know I want my students to be able to tell me what they’ve learned rather than just pick the best possible multiple choice answer.

I currently have a professor who does all of his exams orally. The idea really scared me at first, but it’s forced me to change my study habits in a positive way. I talk through the concepts and hear myself saying them. This helps me understand and remember the material in a way that enables me to discuss it outside of class if I need to. With that in mind, I want to incorporate the idea of actually discussing learned material in class. One way I could do this is by facilitating small group discussions that I will give a grade for. I could present a question to small groups of students and have them participate take turns answering different components of the question. I feel by doing this I would be able to gauge their level of comprehension on the subject. I think this idea would help get all students involved and show me areas that may be unclear to the students. I also like the idea because the students would be able to hear their classmates answer questions which might clarify things in their mind.

Something else I liked from What the Best College Teachers Do, is the mention of comprehension exams. Students may feel relieved to know they can memorize something and forget about it after the exam, but many do not learn by doing this. The idea of a comprehensive exam tells the student that the material from the beginning of the semester is still important to know at the end of the semester. Something beneficial about a comprehensive exam is that the exams that follow the first can ask deeper questions about the same material and challenge the student to really know the material.

I like the idea of giving comprehensive exams. Science methods and concepts build on themselves and only get more challenging as a student continues their learning. I think a benefit to giving comprehensive exams is that students will need to continue to review early material, which may help clarify new material. It also encourages learning through repetition. Going over things constantly is part of how I have been successful as a student. I have a feeling that many students benefit through repetition as well.

I liked the information from chapter nine in Teachings Tips on helping students learn from a test. Professors often use tests as a way of assigning a grade to a student. Tests should actually be a learning tool. Corrective feedback on the test from the teacher can be very helpful. These comments can provide students with a different way of looking at the problem itself. Positive comments are also beneficial to students to show them that they testing successfully in some areas. These comments can serve motivational purposes.

This idea of using the test as a tool for students makes sense. I do see where it may take extra time for the professor. However, if the ultimate goal is to know your students learned something, wouldn’t it be worth it? I always loved seeing feedback on my tests offering more than just a red mark with subtracted points. In my teaching, I am going to make a real effort to provide feedback to students where they may have been misled or misunderstood a question. I will do this in hopes that they will rethink their answer and see where they went wrong. This would be a good way for them to realize what the best answer would have been. I will also make an effort to give encouragement as well by commenting on a test where the student nailed the concept right on the head.

Useful links….

A bit extra information on the usefulness of various types of test questions

A little more about the chief and Indian idea.