Submit Feedback

Resource Book Home

Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Using This Resource

I. Preparing to Teach
Planning a course
--Defining Instructional Objectives
--Teaching and Learning Styles: The   Academic Culture
--Choosing and Using Instructional   Materials
--Writing a Syllabus
--Syllabus Checklist
--Using the Syllabus in Class
--Summary of Course Planning
Addressing Students' Needs
--Importance of Knowing Your   Students
--Planning Considerations
--Getting to Know Your Students
--Students of Different Backgrounds
--Students with Disabilities
--Teaching Strategies: Non-Native   Speakers of English
--Creating a Learning Environment
--Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in   the Classroom
--Common Disruptive Student   Behaviors and Possible Responses
--Dealing with Apathetic Students
--Cultural Differences for International   Instructors
--Summary of Addressing Students’   Needs
Teaching Tips
--Organizing Class
--Ways to Be Accessible Outside the   Classroom
--Six Common Non-Facilitating   Teaching Behaviors
--Wireless in the Classroom: Advice   for Faculty
--Summary of Teaching Tips

II. Teaching Methods
The First Day of Class
--When the Class Meets You
--When You Meet the Class
--Diversity the Instructor Brings to the   Classroom
--Conversing with Students with   Disabilities
--Moving Forward
--Summary of the First Day of Class
Lecturing
--Strategies for Effective Learning
--Advantages and Disadvantages of   the Traditional Lecture Method
--Enhancing Learning in Large   Classes
--Chalkboard Technique
--Writing Assignments in the Lecture
--Engaging Women in Math and   Science Courses
--Formulating Effective Questions
--Summary of Lecturing
Discussion
--Brief Overview
--The “Nuts and Bolts” of Discussion
--Facilitating Discussion of Sensitive   Issues
--Encouraging Student Contributions
--Alternative Instructional Methods
--Potential Problems in Discussions
--Summary of Discussion
Expanding Teaching Strategies
--Practical Examples
--Show and Tell
--Case Studies
--Teaching with Case Studies
--Guided Design Projects
--Brainstorming
Group Work
--General Information about Using   Groups
--Group Work in an Introductory   Science Laboratory
Science Labs
--The Role of the Lab Instructor
--What Do the Students Need to   Know?
--The First Day
--Planning and Running a Laboratory
--Safety Procedures
--Summary of Science Labs
Teaching Outside the Classroom
--Tutoring
--Office Hours
--Teaching Students to Solve   Problems
--Advising and Extracurricular   Activities
--Summary of Teaching Outside the   Classroom
Overcoming Misconceptions
--Societal Attitudes and Science   Anxiety
--Misconceptions as Barriers to   Understanding Science
--Common Difficulties and   Misunderstandings

III. Teaching-as-Research
Assessing Student Performance
--Establishing Objectives for   Assessment
--Assessment Primer
--Formulating Effective Methods of   Assessment
--Helping Students Succeed on   Assignments and Exams
--The Why and How of Tests
--Grading Lab Reports, Problem Sets,   and Exam Questions
--Grading Checklist
--Grading Specific Activities
--Grading Writing
--Summary of Assessing Student   Performance
How to Evaluate Your Own Teaching
--Evaluating Your Own Teaching
--A Note on Teaching-as-Research

IV. Appendices
Inspirational Essays
--Mathematics: The Universal   Language of Science
--Transforming Quizzes into Teaching   and Learning Tools
--Teaching My Students to Fish
--Chemistry: The Other Foreign   Language
--Teaching to Different Modes of   Learning
--Notes from a Career in Teaching
Additional Resources
Websites
Graduate Assistant Handbook Outline
--Department- and Institution-Specific   Information
--18 Questions to Have Answered

Works Cited

Submit Feedback

Another important aspect of student learning is group work. Making students work together in groups is beneficial and can be used in a variety of contexts. Groups might be created in class or out of class, around projects or weekly homework assignments. Because group composition can have a significant impact on group functioning, you should use a variety of methods to create groups. Allowing students to create their own groups should be done sparingly, as it can consciously or unconsciously be used to create or reinforce social group differences within the class.

Communicate to students the importance of learning to work together. Collaboration, rather than individual effort, is the norm in many STEM fields. Bring in guest speakers from academia, government or industry to discuss the importance of teamwork with your students.

Reasons for using cooperative groups:

• To facilitate student learning
• To improve interpersonal relationships among students
• To foster students’ responsibility for their own learning and the learning of others
• To prepare students to work in groups in their future careers

Types of groups:

• Lab groups
• Homework groups
• Problem solving groups
• Study groups

Methods of assigning groups:

First, consider your learning objectives. Then, choose a method from the list below that is most appropriate. If you do not have well-defined objectives for group work, you may want to rethink your use of groups.

• Make heterogeneous groups across certain characteristics such as gender, race, area of residence, and/or level of achievement in a particular discipline, to improve interpersonal relationships among students.
• Ask students to draw a piece of paper with a group number from a bag.
  
• Allow students to form their own groups.

In addition to being aware of group formation issues, pay attention to the length of time students remain in the same group, particularly if the group is not working together well. It is essential that you address process issues when students work in groups, and some class time should be allocated in the planning of the course to discuss group process issues throughout the semester. You should help students determine a way to provide feedback to one another about group process and dynamics and a way to keep you aware of within-group functioning. Feedback is particularly important for identifying social identity characteristics that might be a source of problems in groups and for figuring out how to address problems satisfactorily. The following guidelines may be useful for addressing group process.

Create Roles

When groups are used, make sure that the same individuals do not always put themselves in the position of leadership. Assigning students to roles (e.g., recorder/notetaker, reporter, or moderator), or asking students to rotate roles, should reduce the occurrence of this problem.

Challenge Assumptions

Be ready to challenge assumptions that groups will either be aided or hindered by having certain kinds of students in their group. One way to reduce the likelihood of such assumptions manifesting themselves in group work would be to inform the class that each individual brings a different combination of strengths and weaknesses into the group work context and that students should not make assumptions about what these might be. Group exercises that identify the specific resources that each group member contributes can be useful in the early stages of group formation. It is also important to inform students of your availability to discuss group process problems that the groups themselves are unable to address successfully.

Prevent Isolation of Group Members

To monitor group interaction, break a large project into smaller units and work with the groups to achieve their goals step-by-step. Dividing the project can make it easier to observe student-student interactions. This technique is known as “scaffolding.”

You may need to make an extra effort to reduce the chances that a student who is different from the majority of the class will feel isolated (an African American student in a predominantly Caucasian class; a male in a predominantly female class; an openly gay, lesbian or bisexual student in a class composed predominantly of heterosexuals, etc.). For example, if students are shunning a classmate during small-group activities because their classmate is gay and they are homophobic, you have a responsibility to intervene on behalf of the excluded student.

Even when guidelines have been established for participation and responsibilities within groups, problems may arise. It is essential to act quickly when they do. You could begin by reviewing the guidelines for group work. An initial change (if students are forming their own groups) would be to assign individuals to groups and make sure each individual within the group has a role. Another option would be to put students in pairs. It is more difficult to exclude an individual when there are only two participants. If all else fails, it would be important to set up a meeting with the excluded student. Together, you could generate a variety of actions that could be taken to improve the classroom climate. This meeting would be a show of support for the student. While it is important to solicit student input, you cannot expect the student to have the time or experience to solve the problem. If efforts are made to improve the situation and little change occurs, you might speak to your co-instructors or to an administrator.