BASIC SKILLS TRAINING

Instructor:  Dr. Rory Donnelly (Linguistics/English Language)

Description:  In English Language Program courses for non-native speakers of English, I teach students to give short oral presentations using an overhead and transparencies.  I model by giving a short presentation myself and doing everything wrong:  I mumble, twist my hair, and don't look up.  After critiquing me, students generate a checklist for a good presentation.  I provide overheads which outline the main points they are to cover.   Students practice giving their presentations to a partner using the overhead, and then present to the entire class.  They get feedback on their presentations using the checklist they created. 

Rationale:  Giving oral presentations in a second language, is especially challenging.  Teaching non-native speakers to give a presentation using an overhead provides language support for them, since they can glance down to recall a word they may have forgotten or to remember what they wanted to say next.  It also gives their presentations a professional polish. The experience of repeated short presentations helps them get over their fear of speaking publicly in their second language.  Finally, getting feedback based on a checklist they've written takes the mystery out of the evaluation process.

Used in:  English Language Program courses for non-native speakers of English 

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2.      Game Shows for Test Reviews  

Instructor:  Jean Hemzacek Laukant (Earth Science)

Description:  Playing “Jeopardy” (or other TV game shows) is a successful review technique to boost students’ confidence and enthusiasm before an exam, while reinforcing terms and concepts.  An overhead transparency works well as the “game board,” and a student scorekeeper is chosen.  Teams are designated according to class size and room configuration.  Categories are revealed; students must visually (with raised hand) as well as audibly (make a buzzer sound) get my attention to compete.  Responses must be phrased in the form of a question!  The winning team gets candy prizes or bonus coupons (good for 2 points on the exam).

Rationale:
In a large introductory-level class, it can be difficult to cultivate teamwork. Simply asking a question in class may only generate responses from the "usual" few students. The lure of simple prizes in this game gets everyone involved, and the technique generates a level of enthusiasm and confidence about the material which seems to help students get a "jump-start" on preparing for the exam.

Used in: Intro to Earth Science

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Instructor:  Dr. Sandra Beyda, (Special Education)

Description:  This five-step technique involves breaking down a larger project so that students may complete it successfully. (1) Presentation consists of showing a model, explaining the model’s key components, and sharing my grading rubric for the final project. (2) Supported Application involves having small groups apply the key components to a hypothetical situation, with feedback from class “experts” as well as myself. (3) Partial Assignment involves requiring students to turn in a portion of their larger project for individual feedback. (4) Early Submission is one last opportunity for feedback if students choose to hand in their projects early. (5) Post Submission Revision involves requiring students who have not produced adequate work to revise their project with a minus 10% penalty.

Rationale:  I think this technique works for 4 reasons.  First, my students understand that the grading criteria are objective (rubric) and based on essential criteria associated with high quality work.  Secondly, and in accordance with a self-referenced perspective on grading, students are given the opportunity to learn from their mistakes in order to improve their work and to refine their misunderstandings.  Third, this technique maximizes active learning by building in numerous opportunities for student application and utilizing the expertise that students bring to the learning experience.  Finally, I am able to refine my own instruction, learning where communication has broken down, by listening to students’ in-class feedback and by assessing early versions of their work.

Used in:  SPED-411 “Remediation and Planning in Learning Disabilities” SPED-322 “Curriculum and Management Strategies for Individuals with Behavioral Disorders.” 

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Instructor:  Dr. Durward Hofler (Management and Marketing)

Description:  I have developed a class notes workbook (which I revise fairly often) in which students take notes during classes.  The workbook consists of printed content sections, fill in the blanks, diagrams (completed and incomplete).  It follows my course outline and presentations.  Its purposes are: a) free up time for more topics and discussion (students do not have to write everything I say); b) indicate what the instructor considers to be the key topics and points; and c) show the logical flow of presentation and discussion.  It is also visually designed to show the flow of discussion.

Rationale:  Student feedback consistently indicates that the workbook achieves the above three purposes.  I have found that it has allowed more time for discussion and for additional topics to be covered.  Students do comment that it helps them understand class presentation and discussion.

Used in:  Used in all my courses: Principles of Management, Organization Theory, Management of Change

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PROBLEM SOLVING

Instructor:  Mark J. Schukas (Mathematics)

Description:  The students are assigned a problem prior to arriving to class.  We read the problem together, and then one of us (often myself, but not always) writes the problem on the black board. The problem is then seen worked out by the students, and we subsequently discuss the problem line by line.  Then the "wind blows," and I erase (the "wind blows") the answer that has just been worked out on the blackboard. The students are given a short amount of time to rework the problem.  Often one or two students come up to the board and rewrite the work. The remaining students all redo the problem in their notebooks, while I walk around the classroom and give assistance as necessary.

Rationale:  This technique works because it allows the “whole” student to be involved.  They read the problem before class, they hear it as we read the problem in class,  they see the problem as we work it on the front blackboard, they hear the problem again as we discuss it, and they build the problem themselves as they redo the problem just successfully completed.

Used in: Course technique is used in mathematics courses

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Instructor:  Dr. David Rutschman, (Mathematics)

Description:  A standard feature of all my classes is a strong reliance on weekly homework.  The homework is generally taken directly from the textbook from the sections being covered that week and includes a cross section of problems ranging from routine to difficult. Students are encouraged to work with others, copying is not an issue. When homework is collected, I hand out a key (so late homework is either not accepted, or given less points).  I grade the homework (usually by the next class) and return it with comments (if any problem then warrants addressing in class, we do so).  Students know that the tests are based on the problems worked in class and those in the homework.  My grades are assigned by points (100 for a typical test), so a semester's homework usually counts as much as a test and a half.

Rationale:  This approach guarantees that students keep up with the class, and that they have some incentive to work the problems themselves (which is the only way to learn math!).

Used in:  The calculus sequence and all upper level and graduate courses

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Instructor:  Dr. Karen S. Bartels (Earth Science)

Description:  "Lab Explorations" are guided discovery activities.  Students work in groups to answer questions designed to guide their exploration of some particular phenomenon. This gives them some hands-on experience and piques their curiosity about the subject before they listen to me "lecture" on it.  Students become quite invested in finding out the reasons behind what they observed; they are actively engaged in the class when I lecture, asking so many good questions that the lecture becomes more of a lively class discussion.  After this, students do an assignment or lab in which they can demonstrate their understanding of the material. 

Rationale:  The technique works because students become invested in the topic.  When I lecture, the words have more meaning for them because they already have some concrete experience to which they can relate.

Used in:  ESCI 206: Rocks and Minerals, ESCI 311: Mineralogy, and ESCI 319: Petrology

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8.      An Inductive Approach to Teaching Hypothesis Testing  

Instructor:  Dr. Maureen Wang Erber (Psychology)

Description:  Instead of taking a directive approach, I ask my students to develop their own methodology to test a hypothesis via an observational study.  I emphasize that they should not worry about making mistakes.  Students are organized into small groups where they develop sampling, coding, and data collection strategies to test their hypothesis.  I intervene only when they seem hopelessly stymied.  After their data collection and write-ups, we critique each study.  I then present the textbook guidelines for the proper procedures and, based on this, ask students to revise their research designs and procedures and to collect data for their projects again.

Rationale:  I think this method works because it forces students to become actively involved in thinking about and completing their projects.  Rather than relying on guidelines and rules provided by a textbook or instructor, they are forced to figure out for themselves how to test their hypothesis.  I think this approach makes many of the issues involved in research methods more “real” and more meaningful; not just something that’s done because that’s how it is “supposed to be done.”  I hope that this assignment encourages my students to apply previously learned information and engage in critical thinking in the service of problem-solving and troubleshooting.

Used in:  PSYC 361: Lab, Research Methods in Social Psychology

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CRITICAL THINKING

9. Illustrating (Literary) Theories with Students’ Personal Stories

Instructor:  Dr. Timothy Barnett  (English)

Description:  Learning theory has often emphasized starting students off with what they know.  In writing classes, this often means having students write a personal experience narrative at the beginning of the semester, since students know their own lives better than all else.  Because such an assignment often produces decontextualized stories without clear focus or purpose, I ask students to write narratives at the end of the semester after immersing them in research, theory, and discussion about a topic such as literacy, technology and communication, social activism, etc.  I have them describe experiences that relate to/complicate the theories we've been working on as they use class readings to help them understand their experiences more deeply.  Students have the tools at this point to theorize their experiences in a specific way and find a purpose for doing so that they often don't have at the beginning of the semester.  Students also typically share these narratives with each other at the end of the semester, which gives us one final set of readings through which we can explore the topic of our class.  They are typically eager to read each other's experiences and discuss them in sensitive and rigorous ways.

Rationale:  Such a strategy can be used formally or informally in virtually any class (of course, with modifications).  Students could write journal entries, in-class essays, or formal papers about experiences they've had that relate in some way to the math or science or sociology courses they're taking, and such activity, ideally, can help them invest themselves in their work and see their lives as important sources of intellectual inquiry.

Used in:  English 101, 102, 203, 377, various graduate courses

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10. Interactive Lecture Demonstrations to Address Students’ Misconceptions

Instructor:  Dr. Robert Stehman (Physics)

Description: I describe the demonstration and do a simple version without measurements.  Students then record their predictions.  Students discuss their predictions in small groups.  Students record their final predictions. I elicit typical predictions from the class and the students’ reasoning leading to those predictions. I do the demonstration with measurements, using apparatus that immediately displays the results.  A few students are asked to describe the results and discuss whether the results coincide with the students’ predictions.  I discuss other situations in which the concepts learned from the demonstration apply.

Rationale:  Demonstrations have traditionally been used to illustrate basic concepts in Physics lecture classes.  However, a growing body of research (McDermott, 1991; Sokoloff & Thornton, 1997) shows that students very often start with a preconceived, and faulty, understanding of many of the underlying concepts and do not change their understanding as a result of traditional demonstrations.  Instead, they often unconsciously reinterpret the outcome of a demonstration to fit and reinforce their faulty preconceived understanding.  The Interactive Lecture Demonstration process (Sokoloff & Thornton, 1997) is designed to set up conditions in which students can consciously recognize the ways in which their understanding of a concept is in contradiction with actual observations.  Encouraging students to verbalize their understanding by predicting the outcome of the demonstration and discussing their predictions with their peers has the effect of bringing their preconceived notions to the surface, where the students are forced to compare them with the outcome of a real experiment.  I am using these interactive lecture demonstrations for the first time this semester, so I have not yet gathered sufficient data to measure their success in my own classes.  However, several researchers have made pre- and post- measurements of students’ conceptual understanding and have shown that the Interactive Lecture demonstration produces much larger gains in conceptual understanding than do traditional physics lectures.

Used in:  Physics labs

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11.  Critical Thinking Activities in the Intro to Anthropology Class                                                           

Instructor:  Lance Lindquist, (Anthropology)

Description:  I try to engage the students in a learning process that involves critical thinking, establishing relationships, and presents clear objectives. To do this I employ the following aides:  (1) PASSPORT. A document presented the first day of class containing 20-30 questions to be addressed during the course of the semester.  (2) SAPIENTIAL CIRCLES. A dialog group provides students an opportunity to listen and to be heard.  (3) LOG. An exercise in which students write a paragraph that contains a prescribed list of terms. The object is to demonstrate how the terms relate to each other in a meaningful way.  (4) PATHFINDING QUESTIONS. Using a formula of "inquiry, vision and action," students pose three questions that seek to clarify an issue and find the most appropriate solution.  (5) FIELDWORK. Experiencing "fieldwork" by engaging in an interview with an informant from another culture.

Rationale:  PASSPORT gives students a clear sense of the course direction and value. The SAPIENTIAL CIRCLE dialog technique gives students a real opportunity to have their ideas heard. It also encourages listening and consensus building.  The LOG-exercise helps students see the "bigger picture" and understand how concepts are related. It encourages a "holistic" approach to the subject.  PATHFINDING QUESTIONS: Students are told that asking good questions is often more important than knowing the answers. Providing guidelines as to how to approach a situation using three types of questions helps develop critical thinking skills and effective problem solving.   FIELDWORK: Actually engaging in conversation with someone from another culture brings the "theory" of anthropology home.

Used in:  212-Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

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12.  Structured Student Discussion Leadership

Instructor:  Dr. David Leaman (Political Science)

Description:  Near the beginning of the semester, I circulate a list of eight or so course topics (based on assigned readings) and the dates of specific class periods during which I would like students to lead discussion on those topics.  Each student is required to sign up to help lead one discussion on one of those topics during the semester.  Depending on the size of the class, this has meant two to four students per discussion leadership group.  I tell students that they can choose how to lead the discussion of their topic but that in all cases the discussion must be primarily based on assigned course readings and the discussion leaders must provide a list of questions to students, preferably in advance of the class period during which the discussion occurs.  On some occasions, students have prepared "Jeopardy"-type quiz shows.  This semester I have encouraged student discussion leaders to prepare the kinds of discussion questions they believe would also make good short essay questions for future quizzes and exams.

Rationale:  The advantage of this practice is that it "de-centers" the classroom periodically during the semester, turning "students" into "teachers." Student discussion leaders generally work very hard in preparing questions (and answers) for their turn at discussion leadership and do not seem to be too intimidated by the responsibility because they are always working with at least one other student.  While the results of this practice naturally vary, it seems to be working especially well this semester in my PSCI 307-G Globalization class, perhaps in part because I have begun making a point of using some of the questions prepared by student discussion leaders as questions in future course quizzes and exams.  During my several years of using this simple practice, I have often been amazed at the thoughtfulness of many of the questions and discussions and the preparation of the discussion leaders.

Used in:  I have used this practice several times in 300-level political science courses, including "Globalization and 'Third World' Politics" and "The Politics and Governments of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean."

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13.  Using Images to Help Students Understand Abstract Concepts

Instructor:   Dr. Saba Ayman-Nolley (Psychology)

Description:  Either before we start a concept (as preparation for the topic) or after we have discussed a concept thoroughly (as an assessment tool), I put out a series of images--pictures usually cut up from a variety of magazines, calendars, cards, etc.  These are often but not always abstract images of flowers, plants, urban/rural scenery, sky, ocean, mountains, animals... Students are asked to take a few minutes, review their thoughts on the topic of discussion, then they are asked to go to the table(s) where the images are and choose one that they see as a good analogy for the concept, or an aspect of the concept.  Once they have their image(s) they are to write a short statement on the analogy. Sometimes I ask the students to share their images and analogies with their neighboring fellow students.  Sometimes, I collect these and use them as a way of assessing their understanding of the material and then we process them all together in class. 

Rationale:  To have students reflect on the deeper levels of understanding material by seeing analogies of the concepts in images.  This usually reveals a more meaningful assessment of their knowledge of abstract concepts (such as comparison of adolescent/parent and adolescent/peer relationships) than verbal or written essay questions or general group discussion.  Many students have told me that this type of creative activity stimulates their thoughts and helps them understand the material better and at a deeper level.

Used in:  General and developmental psychology courses

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AUTHENTIC SCENARIOS

14.  Practicing Linguistic Analysis on Student-Selected Conversations 

Instructor:  Dr. Richard W. Hallett  (Linguistics)

Description:  I have students record twenty minutes of naturally occurring (non-scripted) conversation.  The students then transcribe the conversation and complete a series of four different types of linguistic analyses of their data.  First they analyze the sociolinguistic variables in the conversation, e.g. setting, participants, etc.  A couple of weeks later the students conduct an analysis of what was said and any underlying meanings in a pragmatic/semantic analysis.  Later in the semester the students analyze the grammatical structures of the utterances in a syntactic analysis. Finally they analyze the individual sounds in their data in a phonetic/ phonological analysis. 

Rationale:  I believe this technique works so well because (1) the students use data that interest them and (2) the students are lead through different types of linguistic analyses from a macro-level look at the participants and the background for a conversation to a micro-level description of how individual sounds contribute to the communicative process.

Used in:  LING 120 - Introduction to General Linguistics

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15.  Service Learning Projects to Connect Theory and Practice 

Instructor:  Dr. Nanette Potee (Speech and Performing Arts)

Description:  The goal of this project is to get students to use the content knowledge they take from our course and apply it to the creation of projects that assist non-profit organizations in their communities. The students work in small groups of 3-5 people.  I have generally allowed 8-10 weeks of both in and out of classroom work to complete the project. One of the most important aspects of this type of service learning project is connecting theory and practice.  Individually and in groups, through speaking and writing, the students spend a great deal of time reflecting on the processes involved in this project.

Rationale:  I know this method works, because of what the students and their clients have said about it.

Used in:  300 level Organizational Communication course

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Instructor:  Dr. Jim Lucas (Music)

Description:  I write songs that contain lyrics and/or musical elements applicable to my pedagogical needs and then I perform them for my students and also with my students (as sing-alongs).  For example, to teach my students the concept of pitch names, I compose and sing to them a song illustrating the pitch names used in music.  Or, to teach them the concept of syncopation, I compose and sing to them a song whose lyrics illustrate the concept and also whose music utilizes the concept of syncopation (in other words a syncopated song).

Rationale:  Since I teach music, the use of music and musical examples is appropriate.  It also allows me to customize my approach and have fun with it, especially in the lyrics of my songs.

Used in:  Introduction to Music Concepts course                                                  

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17.  Bringing Real-World Issues Into Statistics Courses

Instructor:  Dr. Diane Stehman (Economics)

Description:  Each week students are required to answer The Question of the Week.  These questions pose real world situations in which statistics are used.  The discussions are relevant to the topics currently being talked about in class or topics that are about to be talked about. Students are encouraged to discuss these questions among themselves.  I monitor the discussion and sometimes push them in the right direction and compliment the students when they come up with something insightful. 

Rationale:  I think that this technique has been very helpful for both the students and myself.  I have been enlightened by some of their comments, which show that the students come in to the course with many misconceptions.  I am then able to correct these misconceptions in lecture so that the students are better able to understand and apply statistical reasoning.  Their comments indicate that they find the Questions of the Week interesting.  Occasionally they ask me more about a particular topic.  They are going beyond what I expected, delving deeper into a particular area than they have to.

Used in:  Economics 220, Business and Economic Statistics I

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18.  Cultural Host Day: Raising Students’ Awareness of Other Cultures

Instructor:  Dr. Yi Hao (Teacher Education)

Description:  The strategy used is called "Cultural Host Day.”  Each student is required to choose a class day to be the host for his or her culture.  The host is expected to give an individual presentation that best reflects this culture, which would include sharing food, language, a folk story, a proverb, values, belief systems, artifacts, patterns of relating, and son on. The host is also expected to lead and conduct an activity to demonstrate how he/she would use this experience as a classroom teacher with the whole group. Each host's presentation is also evaluated by the rest of the group.

Rationale:  I believe that students come to class with their own knowledge, experiences, and learning style. Their existing knowledge, experiences, and unique cultural background should be the source of new learning. The "Cultural Host Day" activity provides students the opportunity to make connections to what they already know and focus on their own daily lives, ideas, understandings, and values. The whole experience helps students raise awareness on cultural consciousness, allows the class to learn a great deal about each other as well as how to take all the experiences gained into the early childhood classroom.

Used in:  ECED-312: "Teaching strategies with multi-cultural groups"

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SIMULATIONS

Instructor:  Audrey M. Natcone (Criminal Justice and Women’s Studies)

Description:   Students become people who are forced to seek basic necessities from governmental or private agencies.  Students are assigned a role as either a family member or an agency employee, and must play the part assigned.  They encounter enormous barriers from agency staff, and often fail to obtain what they need.  Students are given handouts detailing their family structure and immediate problem; agency representatives are instructed on the rules they must follow to dispense services.  I settle all disputes as they arise in favor of the agency staff.  At the end, students must write a paper about their experiences.

Rationale:  Most students have no personal knowledge of the difficulties faced by individuals trying to access human services; many students said it was the best learning experience they had ever had.  It allows them to see the struggles people face regularly, and it puts a face on poverty.  It also gives students an understanding of how the bureaucratic social service system fails in its stated mission to provide services to people in need.

Used in:  This technique has been used in Law and Racism in America, CrJu-331.        

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20.  A Case-Study Approach to Collaborative Course Projects

Instructor:  Dr. Diane Ehrlich & Nanette Sides (Human Resource Development)

Description:  “HRD 411: Consulting in HRD” met in the interactive T.V. room and was taught at three sites.  We developed a case study called Stress for Less which had students work the problem of getting a product to market in a timely fashion.  They were to play the role of internal consultants hired by the president and CEO of the company.  Students were to use interviews with key personnel in the various departments as a means of collecting data upon which to base their recommendations.  This extended simulation had assignments couched memos, samples of products, reports, etc. to provide a realistic setting for their investigation.  Students used class time and e-mail to write about an area they had responsibility for, e.g. Marketing, Research and Development, Quality, etc.  In class each week, we discussed strategies about the case study as the CEO and President.  After several weeks, we went through a thorough debrief of the case study.

Rationale:  Students saw the case from two vantage points—the theoretical and the practical. Nan’s full-time position as Vice-President of HR in a manufacturing environment made her the perfect foil for pulling the two perspectives together. We collaborated on developing a product, organization chart, and other materials.  Our collaboration gave students a real life experience on how corporations are run.  Students had access to people in their various departments so that they could develop questions and issues related to bringing a product to market.   This technique shows the students what to look for when this would happen with a real client in a consulting situation.

Used in:  HRD-408: Instructional Design II; HRD-411: Consulting in HRD

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MULTIPLE LEARNING MODES

Instructor:  Dr. Edward Y. Odisho (Teacher Education)

Description:  I follow what I call a multi-sensory and multi-cognitive approach to teaching, which simply means using more than one sensory modality and cognitive modality for any teaching demonstration. In teaching pronunciation, this is implemented through the application of a set of visual, kinesthetic, and body movement techniques besides the conventional auditory techniques which usually stand for 'ear-training.' Because philosophically, I assume that pronunciation is a function of the brain before being a function of the vocal organs, I teach pronunciation through 'brain-training' which is effected through 'eye-training',  'neuromuscular-training' side by side with 'ear training'. It works extremely effectively, especially with adults.

Rationale:  It works because it redefines pronunciation as a cognitive process rather than a physical one and designs techniques accordingly.

Used in:  ELED/BLBC 339:Teaching Communication Skills Cross Language & Culture

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22.  Guided Imagery for the Writing Process

Instructor:  Dr. Lorie Annarella  (Teacher Education)

Description:  This technique can be used as a pre-reading and a pre-writing exercise.  After the creative drama teacher has provided the framework for a story trip, students are asked to supply their own stories and fill them with the experiences and details from their imaginary journey to specific times and places.  The instructor only gives suggestions that help students determine the theme, mood, setting, and point of view of their story.  The purpose is to elicit empathy and understanding for the characters involved in the story, which ultimately leads to better student analysis of character and plot development.  The exercise should last about ten minutes, after which students are debriefed on how they felt, what they saw, heard, smelled, tasted, etc.  Every answer has merit.

Rationale:  This technique works well when students need to develop ideas for writing.  The guided imagery approach helps students visualize in their “mind’s eye” what they are responding to in their imagination.  Once they have developed ownership of their visualization, it becomes easier for them to begin the writing process.

Used in:  ELED-302  “Methods of Teaching Language Arts-Elementary;” ELED-417 “Multicultural Literature and Drama in the EL Classroom”

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Instructor:  Dr. Leslie K. Hickcox (Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Athletics)

Description:  Throughout my years at NEIU I have used Kolb's learning style inventory in several of my courses each term. The inventory is given during the first two weeks of the term. A class session is held to debrief students’ learning styles. In this way they develop new self-knowledge and become aware of other ways in which people may learn.  In my health curriculum courses the students are required to create and present an experiential learning cycle lesson. The learning cycle lesson results in teaching to the four Kolb learning styles and develops student-centered teaching/learning skills.  The experiential learning cycle is a centerpiece of John Dewey's experiential learning theory. It is in this spirit that the students are encouraged to develop as learners and teachers. 

Rationale:  The learning style inventory is very relevant for teacher prep. students. This gives them experience with taking the inventory and personally realizing some major concepts of how people learn differently. All teachers need awareness and methods for learning style connections in the classroom. The experiential learning cycle is an excellent lesson plan model if one wants to use more student-centered methodology.

Used in:  HLE-305 (Health Ed. in the Secondary), HLED-304(Org. & Admin of Sch.Health Prog.),  HLED-107(Health for Effect.  Living), HLED-303(Sex Ed.), PEMT-342e(Drug Ed.)

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24.  Graphic Organizers to Optimize Active Learning

Instructor:  Dr. Ana Gil-Garcia (Educational Leadership and Development)

Description:  Graphic organizers (visual representations) are learning tools I use to explain different theoretical content in my Educational Leadership classes.  Graphic organizers support the long-term memory process as the information enters through the working memory.  My students organize the information graphically to establish relevant connections with old knowledge stored.  I use six different patterns of organizers: top-down, construct based, sequential, assessment, relational, and cyclical.  When selecting a visual organizer I consider: (1) the type of text (informational or expository), (2) the organizational pattern of the text (cause and effect, comparison and contrast, sequence, characteristics, problem solution, listing, definitions and examples, and description); (3) the appropriateness and adaptability of the organizer.

Rationale: Graphic organizers promote the use of divergent thinking on the part of students.  They require students to scrutinize their schemata and utilize higher order thinking skills as they apply knowledge or new learning in a different (visual) context.  In the process of this application, students analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the information to determine what is important to learn and internalize.  A graphic organizer makes an inconsiderate text more considerate.

Used in: LEAD-421: Foundations of Educational Leadership, LEAD-429: Research in Educational Leadership, and LEAD-401: Curriculum Development

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MOTIVATION

25.  Creating an Atmosphere for Collaboration

Instructor:  Dr. Netiva Caftori (Computer Science & Women Studies)

Description:  Round table during first hour of a 3-hour class.  People introduce themselves and talk about their interests and goals they want to attain in the course.  In subsequent meetings people talk about the readings assigned and possibly relate them to the mid-term team project.  During these preliminary discussions people get to know each other and decide on team, technique, and topic selections with my help.  During the 15 minutes break we share food and tea and become more familiar with each other and get to talk one on one or in small groups.  During the rest of the class we have software demonstrations by me or other professionals, student presentations of papers or projects, and work done on the computer individually or in teams while I supervise.

Rationale:  It is student-centered.  We all learn from each other.  People get to express themselves in a comfortable atmosphere.  A team project is done first so people can rely on peer help from which they may diverge into an individual project.  It is multi-media:  Papers are written and presented to the class with the help of a software presentation or a web page tool.  Projects are authored using software of their choice.  People get to work on a topic close to their heart, therefore put in their best effort.

Used in:  Mostly in CS-303 and CS-303

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Instructor:  Dr. Martha Thompson (Sociology and Women's Studies)

Description:  I ask students on the first day of class to come back to class the second day with an adjective that rhymes with their name or begins with the same letter. Five or six students are randomly selected each day until everyone has had a chance to tell us their name and choice of adjective. Each person in the class has to have a unique adjective. I use a systematic process for learning and reviewing the names of class members and to add incentive I give an extra credit name quiz after the first month of so of class.  

Rationale:  Students tell me that the technique works because it is a non-threatening way for each person to "present" themselves to the class and it is a fun, collaborative way to learn who else is in the class and to create a learning community.

Used in:  SOC-100 Introduction to Sociology, SOC-230 Sociological Analysis, SOC-306 American Women: the Changing Image 

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27.  Book Club: Student-Selected Readings to Expand on Course Content 

Instructor:  Dr. Terry Stirling (Educational Leadership and Development)

Description:   Book club is a simple idea that can be used in any class. Students select a book to read, solely for pleasure, which expands on the content of the particular course. Unlike a conventional book club, students read a variety of different books.  The instructor or students may recommend books. On a given day students bring books to class and report what they will be reading. On another given day, after completing their books, students talk about their books in groups of four or five. At the end of this “book club” each group relates some of the most intriguing ideas discussed. There is nothing to write, although some students do bring summaries and notes.

Rationale:  Books usually cover topics in more depth than textbooks, journal articles, or case studies. When the class is over, students are more likely to continue learning about the subject matter through books rather than through these other materials. Because adult reading patterns are usually established ones, students may not think to select books to read for pleasure in areas related to their academic coursework. Often, too, they are not aware of the breadth of materials available.

Used in:  Due to the immense popularity of “book club,” I now use this teaching technique in all classes.

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