Evaluating Learner-Centered Teaching: Guiding Questions and Supportive Evidence

Evaluating Learner-Centered Teaching: Guiding Questions and Supportive Evidence 5 areas of teaching that warrant consideration 4 sources of evidence The application to 4 dominant modes of teaching: lecture course, laboratory class, clinical setting, and discussion-based class.

Evidence for evaluating a faculty member’s teaching • Classroom observations • Discussions with the faculty member • Information from a teaching or course portfolio or other documents including a self evaluation • Information from students • Evidence of Students’ Learning

Areas of inquiry • An expert: content knowledge, skills, and behaviors as they relate to effective teaching • The course, lab, or clinical • Day-to-day planning • Teaching • Aspects of community • Assessment of students and teaching • Grading and feedback

Evaluating Learner-Centered Teaching Definition “Given the context that surrounds my teaching practice will this teaching action (the method, activity, assignment or assessment) optimize students’ opportunity to learn.”

Part One: The Planning Process Learning outcomes for the course that are clear, meaningful, and measurable. 4 parts to a Learning Outcome • Who • When • What will they have learned • How will you measure their learning Sources: Syllabus or portfolio, discussions

Syllabus • An outline of the entire course that identifies all major assignments, projects, tests, papers, field trips, guest speakers etc. that students need to plan for. • A grading system • A set of guidelines, rules, or policies for the operation of the class • A list of resources students will need for the course • Statements of teaching methods or approaches to be used • Statement of expectations for students roles in the learning process • How to get in touch with the instructor

Day-to-Day Planning Set of objectives for each days class as to what learning is to take place. Examples: Set of questions to be answered Set of problems to be solved An amount of knowledge to be communicated A set of skills to be practiced/learned

Day-to-Day Planning • Rationale for the method selected for instruction for the class • Why am I lecturing?/ Why am I using teams • Reasonable knowledge of how to use the method in use. • What makes an effective lecture

Day to Day Planning • Role (s) the students will play in the class that day • Work in teams, make presentations • Rationale for the students’ roles • Why is this the best way for them to learn this material/develop this skill?

Day to Day Planning • Resources needed to optimize students learning of the days material in class • Media/Video/Digital • Images • Hands on Material

Plan for Outside of Class Learning • How will the class material be reinforced? • Reading • Writing/ Journals/ Summary/ Papers • Concept mapping • Presentation Preparation

Day to Day Planning • Assessment of days understanding and learning—if applicable in class or outside of class • How do I know they understood • Formative Feedback • A. asking questions • B. writing a brief summary or other explanation of learning • C. Muddiest Point

Day-to-Day Planning • Summative assessment • A judgment or measure of what was understood or learned • No set time frame for this • Quiz • Paper • Problems

Part Two:Creating Community Signs of Classroom Community • 1. Knows students names • 2. Signs that students know each other or are comfortable working with each other. • 3. Teacher is available before and after class for interaction with students • 4. Office hours are at times good for students

Creating Community • 5. Students have had some input to the rules and regulations of the course • 6. Students respond when called on in class • 7. Discussions among students are reasonably free flowing and active • 8 Electronic communication is encouraged and response is timely

Control and Choices and Community Building • Evidence that students are given some say in what and how they learn Possible areas • Choices in topics to investigate or readings to undertake. • Choices in assessments/assignments etc • Choices in due dates or tests dates.

Rationales for the content, skills and behaviors being taught • Evidence that the students understand WHY they are being asked to learn the … • Evidence that the students understand how this learning (knowledge or skills) will be helpful to them in their college class, career or as life long learners

Part Three:Teaching Methods • Evidence of ability to lecture effectively • 1. Organized • 2. Clear outcomes for the lecture • 3. Includes images and other visual aids • 4. Takes actions to prevent habituation by students • 5. Checks to see if students are understanding

Other Teaching Methods • Demonstrations • Small or large group discussion/work sessions • Student presentations • Guest speaker • Film/video • Field Trips • Students Teachingeach Other • In class practice/work • One to One

Part Four:Use of Assessment Tools • A clear rationale for assessment choices • The Assessment matches the learning objectives and outcomes Example • If application of knowledge was taught—application is assessed—not synthesis or evaluation

Part FourUse of Assessment Tools • Assessments allows (as is possible) for individual student learning differences testing/writing /presenting/ problem solving/collaboration/working alone/in class/take home • Are the number of assessments enough to paint a clear picture of what has been learned.

Rubrics • Rubrics are used (when appropriate) to give clear, meaningful feedback of work Possible uses • 1. Students help to develop rubrics • 2. Students use rubric to self evaluate before turning in work • 3. Students use rubrics to evaluate each others work

Feedback • Students’ work is graded/evaluated in a timely manner • Students do something with the feedback to improve their future work • Early feedback is possible before work is due to aid learning

Part Five Grading System • System is clear and easily understood by the students. • Grades are available to the students online

Part Five:Grading System • System accurately reflects the kind of learning being taught Example of inappropriate system • Flying an Airplane • A in Takeoffs • F in Landings • Final Grade C in Flying

Evaluating Learner-Centered Teaching • What questions do we ask? • What evidence do we gather to answer these questions? • Where do we look for this evidence?

Areas of inquiry • An expert: knowledge, skills, behaviors • The course, lab, or clinical • Teaching • Student learning • Affective elements • Feedback to and evaluation of students • Feedback from students (peers?) • Use of data to inform practice

Sources of evidence • Multiple observations of teaching • Department Head • FCTL • Colleagues • Tenure Committee

Sources of evidence • Conversations with the teacher • Discussions prior to observations/What will be happening in the classroom? • Discussions about methods, assignments and assessments/Why are these the best way to teach this subject? • Discussion about learning outcomes/What will students be learning in this class?

Sources of evidence • Portfolio both teaching and course • May contain some of the following: • Statement of teaching philosophy • Description of teaching methods used • Description of assessments used • Descriptions of assignments/student learning activities used • Course Syllabus • Description of any innovations being tried • Peer evaluations • Students evaluations • Evidence of students’ learning • Self evaluation • Creating Community in the Classroom

Source of Evidence • Use of feedback—Formative, ongoing, SAI, SGID and Summative • Evidence of use of formative feedback tools-- CAT’s, SGID, informal assessments • Evidence of the kinds of feedback students’ received on their learning—written, conferences, electronic

Evaluating Learner-Centered Teaching: Guiding Questions and Supportive Evidence