1. TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING IN STEM HIGHER EDUCATION Benjamin C. Flores, Ph.D. Director, Computing and Electrical and Engineering Division MIE Project Director June 24, 2005

2. Interaction with Students Treat everyone with respect Learn your students’ names Face students and move around the classroom Use an e-mail account for the class Invite students to meet you during office hours Invite teams to visit your research lab Take advantage of different leaning styles to motivate students

3. Shake hands with someone you don’t know Ask him/her: What kind of learner are you?

4. Questions Encourage students to write questions on the board before the start of the period Ask a question to the entire class every 10-15 minutes Allow students to discuss answers with a neighbor Use flash cards for quick feedback Restate all questions

5. What is the typical attention span of a college student? A) 50 minutes B) 20 minutes C) 10 minutes

6. Lecture Strategies Share your passion about learning Project your voice and vary your tone Divide lecture into 10-15 minute segments Promote face to face interaction Integrate hands on activities Share notes with students Require 1 minute essays at the end of the period

7. You are assigned to teach CHEM101. The lecture room holds 144 students. The furniture is bolted to the floor. The schedule calls for 80 minute sessions. What can you do to promote learning? Stop lecturing every 10 minutes or so and ask a pertinent question that requires that the students think for a minute and discuss it with with a peer for two minutes.

8. Team Based Learning Form random groups of 4 members early in the semester Check for gender and diversity balance and reassign teams if necessary Allow team members to get to know each other Let them pick a team name Discuss and promote individual accountability in class Meet with each team early in the semester to discuss group processing and team skills

9. P = Promotive interaction - “I learn better when I interact with others” I = Individual accountability - “I am responsible for my own work” G = Group processing - “Our team must make time to think about how we work together” S = Social skill - “It pays to be polite and reasonable” PIGS FACE TO FACE Team Based Learning

10. Syllabus Post it on the web before the start of the semester Think of it as a group contract Set expectations Discuss the syllabus in class List critical outcomes List important dates Include a statement on academic honesty Explain how final grade will be determined Help students take ownership of their grade

11. Share with us the most unusual information you have found in a syllabus cell phones going to the restroom sleeping in class

12. Homework Develop a homework grading policy Give specific instructions to your TA on grading procedure Assign 1 to 3 problems every class period Post solutions on a regular basis Return graded homework on a regular basis Plan problem solving sessions with TA

13. On average, how much time does a freshman study for every hour of lecture? A) 4 hours B) 2 hours C) 1 hour

14. You are assigned to teach CS101 Introduction to Programming. You want to promote team work on HW assignments but you are concerned that entire code routines are being shared indiscriminately. Develop a policy of what constitutes cheating on HW assignments.

15. Exams Remind students of exam dates Verify that test problems correlate with course outcomes Prepare test solution before giving the exam Check for length and time Make special arrangements for students with learning disabilities Discuss solution in class and post solutions

16. You are teaching Thermodynamics this semester. Unfortunately you’ve been too busy writing a journal article and have not been able to prepare an exam for the morning. Luckily you have found an old Thermo book at the library and hastily pick three end-of-chapter problems to make an exam. What could possibly go wrong?

17. NSF Curriculum, Course, and Laboratory Improvement Program Seek external funding (NSF) Think outside the box Team up with senior faculty Do your research Publish your work – Scholarship of Teaching

18. Support for the MIE Program is provided by the National Science Foundation