Teaching and Learning

1. Teaching and Learning How to Avoid Being Part of the “Five Minute University” OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS New Faculty Orientation | August 26, 2013

2. Session Overview Snapshot of Student Body at UM Campus and Diversity Diversity in Learning Styles In the Classroom Engaging Students Outside of the Classroom Feedback – a two-way street OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

3. Snapshot of Student Body OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

4. Diversity and Inclusion Campus commitment: • Prominence in campus strategic plan • Separate strategic plan for diversity and inclusion • Office of Diversity and Inclusion Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President coordinates programs in six offices, each involved with different facets of improving the institution’s policies, procedures, and practices related to its diverse student, staff and faculty populations. OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

5. Classroom Diversity & Inclusion Sample results of campus commitment: • Over 30 academic departments and programs with curricula specifically related to diversity and inclusion • The undergraduate General Education Program requires two courses focused on Diversity • Achievement gap for minorities is smaller than national averages • Listed in top 25 of LGBT friendly institutions OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

6. Diversity in Your Classroom Treat each student as an individual, and respect each student for who he/she is Don’t shortchange any students of advice you might give to a member of your gender or group (don’t try to “protect” any group of students) Be evenhanded in how you acknowledge students’ good work OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

7. Diversity in Learning Styles • Students differ in how they take in and process new information • Top down vs. bottom up • Concrete information vs. abstract models • Visuals vs. explanations (written or spoken) • Be aware of diversity in learning styles • Not everyone learns the way you do • Take a balanced approach: • sometimes work with students’ preferences, • sometimes go against their preferences, providing the chance for them to extend their abilities OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

8. In the Classroom • Provide overview of the day’s lesson plan • Be flexible and adjust if necessary, but a plan to start each class is helpful • Consider if drawing connections to material from previous lectures is appropriate • Maintain eye contact with your students • Their faces will tell you when you’re not making sense • You can field questions as they come up OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

9. Keeping Students Engaged • Respond to disengagement quickly: ask for questions, do a short group activity, etc. • Vary your delivery to keep students’ attention • Doing too much of anything in class is a mistake: mix things up • Convey your own enthusiasm for the material • Be conversational OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

10. In the Classroom • Avoid “Death by PowerPoint” • Use for outlining material and for visuals • Don’t read the slides! • Leave time at end to summarize • If you didn’t get through the agenda, acknowledge as much and offer a comment on how you’ll handle it -- (“We’ll start next time with. . .”) • Remind students of due dates, assignments, etc. OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

11. Engaging Students • Use ELMS (or other web tools) to allow students to contribute outside of class • Discussion boards, blogs, wiki-pages • Provide opportunity for students to ask questions before the class when a topic will be covered • Class discussions: have students discuss a topic or homework assignment in small groups before discussing it as a class • Clickers — clickers.umd.edu OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

12. General Suggestions • You are a human being: admit to and share your humanity • Be yourself in teaching • Honesty is the best policy • If you don’t know the answer to a student’s question, admit it, but promise to find the answer before the next session • Come to class early and stay late; be available • Communicate a positive attitude OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

13. General Suggestions Don’t take personally students’ apparent lack of interest and motivation Set aside preconceived notions about the student or the class as a whole You have power over the student, but you can make the environment more equal OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

14. Outside the Classroom • Planning • First time for a given course: plan on 2 hours for each class session • Course: plan assignments based on learning outcomes (don’t just teach content) • Syllabus – a useful tool, and policy requires it • http://faculty.umd.edu/teach/syllabus.html • Office Hours — encourage students to come • Email, etc., — set and communicate limits • Grading and Providing Feedback • Assess based on what you teach • Rubrics help maintain consistency • Grade the work, not the student OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

15. Feedback—a two-way street • Grading and assessment of students • Student feedback about the course generally and/or specific lessons • Don’t wait until end-of-semester, on-line system • Try “muddy cards” or “one minute papers” • Helps you know what material to cover again or what the common misunderstandings are • Try to address concerns as soon as possible • Helps students feel connected to the class and increases their engagement in the course OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS

16. Additional Resources • Tools for Teaching, 2nd edition. Barbara Gross Davis. Jossey-Bass. • Teaching Tips, 13th edition. Wilbert McKeachie and MarillaSvinicki. Wadsworth. • Center for Teaching Excellence • http://www.cte.umd.edu/ OFFICE OF FACULTY AFFAIRS