The 5 minute speed presentations at both the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 Teaching and Learning Symposiums received extremely positive feedback. Between the two symposiums, 24 UNL faculty described small teaching strategies that they have found engaging for students while promoting effective learning and implementable without overhauling their entire approach to teaching. The sessions topics ranged from “Using Debates to Help Students Engage in Course Material,” “Graphic Organizers,” “Modeling to Help Students Make Connections,” “Does Prediction Enhance Engagement and Retention?” to“Using Concept Maps,” among others. These presentations were recorded, and each presenter prepared a handout describing the strategy, outlining the steps to implementation, and providing their contact information. You can find all the handouts and recordings at http://teaching.unl.edu, select "Small Strategies.”
These presentations were based on the book by James Lang “Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning,” the selection for the Inaugural Book Club Learning Community. In this book, Dr. Lang describes strategies for improving student learning with a series of small-scale changes that can make a big impact. Designed to connect primary research and the classroom environment, these strategies can be implemented by faculty in any discipline and integrated into pre-existing teaching techniques. Each chapter introduces a basic concept in cognitive theory, explains when and how it should be employed and provides examples of how the intervention has been used in a variety of disciplines.
• Part I Knowledge: Retrieving, Predicting, Interleaving
• Part II Understanding: Connecting, Practicing, Self-Explaining
• Part III Inspiration: Motivating, Growing, Expanding
A good summary of several key topics can be found in the "Small Changes in Teaching" series in the Chronicle of Higher Education at http://www.chronicle.com/specialreport/Small-Changes-in-Teaching/44.
Since the fall kick-off, several departments have chosen Lang's book as the basis for their consideration. The inaugural learning community had the opportunity to connect with Dr. Lang via video conferencing, hear him discuss strategies for the beginnings and endings of class periods, units, and the course. You can hear his talk at http://teaching.unl.edu select “Small Strategies.”
Lang's book provides many evidence-based practical suggestions. Contact your instructional designer https://teaching.unl.edu/innovative-instructional-design-team to talk through possible strategies for your class.
Resources:
Fall 2017 (https://academicaffairs.unl.edu/events/teaching-learning-symposium-fall-2017)
Spring 2018 (https://academicaffairs.unl.edu/faculty/teaching-learning-symposium)
More details at: https://go.unl.edu/cf6k