5.95J | Fall 2015 | Graduate

Teaching College-Level Science and Engineering

Readings

Please come to class prepared to discuss the readings below. There are also Optional Readings.

SES # TOPICS READINGS
1 Introduction to the Class  
What is the Purpose of College – Now, Then, Tomorrow?

Roth, Michael S. “Learning as Freedom,” Op Ed in The New York Times, September 12, 2012.

“What Ails Elite Education? Debating Deresiewicz’s ‘Excellent Sheep’,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 19, 2014.

Hooks, Bell. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Routledge, 1994, pp. 1–12. ISBN: 9780415908085.

Berrett, Dan. “The Day the Purpose of College Changed,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 26, 2015.

Seymour, E., and N. M. Hewitt. Talking about Leaving: Why Undergraduates Leave the Sciences. Westview Press, 2000, pp. 145–77. ISBN: 9780813366425.
2 What we know About Student Learning in Higher Education

Halpern, D. F., and M. D. Hakel. “Applying the Science of Learning.” Change (2003).

Lang, J. M. “Week 7-Students as Learners.” In On Course: A Week by Week Guide to Your First Semeseter of College Teaching. Harvard University Press, 2008, pp. 153–77. ISBN: 9780674028067. [Preview with Google Books]

Boettcher, J. V. “Ten Core Principles for Designing Effective Learning Environments: Insights from Brain Research and Pedagogical Theory.” 2007.

Short Film: Teaching Teaching and Understanding Understanding. Aarhus University Press, 2006.
3 Designing a Course: Developing Learning Outcomes

Lang, J. M. “The Syllabus.” Chapter 0 in On Course: A Week by Week Guide to Your First Semester of College Teaching. Harvard University Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780674028067. [Preview with Google Books]

Slattery, Jeanne M., and Janet F. Carlson. “Preparing an Effective Syllabus Current Best Practices.” College Teaching 53, no. 4 (2005): 159–64.

Writing Intended Learning Outcomes, University of Waterloo.

Biggs, J. “Aligning Teaching for Constructing Learning.” Higher Education Academy, 2005.
4 Teaching Methodologies: Part I – Organizing a Class

Svinicki, Marilla, and Wilbert J. McKeachie. “How to Make Lectures More Effective.” Chapter 6 in McKeachie’s Teaching Tips. Wadsworth Publishing, 2013. ISBN: 9781133936794. [Preview with Google Books]

Lang, J. M. “In the Classroom: Lectures.” Chapter 3 in On Course: A Week by Week Guide to Your First Semester of College Teaching. Harvard University Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780674028067. [Preview with Google Books]

Schneider, Bertrand, Jenelle Wallace, et al. “Preparing for Future Learning with a Tangible User Interface: The Case of Neuroscience.” IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies 6, no. 2 (2013).
5 Teaching Methodologies: Part II – Active Learning: Why and How

Hanford, Emily. “Don’t Lecture Me: Rethinking How Students Learn.” Mind / Shift - KQED blog, February 20, 2012.

Petty, Geoff. “Active Learning Works: The Evidence.” (DOC)

psutlt. “Flipping the Classroom-Simply Speaking.” February 18, 2012. YouTube.

Felder, Richard M., and Rebecca B. Rent. “Learning by Doing.” (PDF) Chemical Engineering Education 37, no. 4 (2003): 282–3.

Freeman, Scott, Sarah L. Eddy, et al. “Active Learning Increases Student Performance in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics.”

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 111, no. 23 (2014): 8410–5. (A very interesting paper with poorly designed graphs.)
6 What Can Nerds Learn from Actors?

McKeachie, W. J. Improving Presentation Style. The Teaching Center at Washington University, St. Louis.

Cho, Mikael. The Science of Stage Fright. TED Talk. TED.com.

Cuddy, Amy. Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are. TED Talk. TED.com. June 2012.

Jong, Anneke. “Speak Easy: Tips for Public Speaking like a Pro.” The Muse.

Halpern, B. L., and K. Lubar. Chapter 1 in Leadership Presence: Dramatic Techniques to Reach Out, Motivate and Inspire. Gotham, 2003. ISBN: 9781592400171.
7 Designing Effective Assignments & Assessments

Mazur, Eric. “The Problem with Problems.” Optics and Photonics News 6 (1996): 59–60.

McClymer, J. F., and L. Z. Knowles. “Ersatz Learning, Inauthentic Testing.” (PDF - 3.6MB) Journal on Excellence in College Teaching 3 (1992): 33–50.

Suskie, Linda. “Writing a Traditional Test.” Chapter 11 in Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide. Jossey-Bass, 2009. ISBN: 9780470289648.

Davis, Barbara G. “Homework: Problem Sets.” Chapter 27 in Tools for Teaching. Jossey-Bass, 1993. ISBN: 9781555425685.

Feisel-Schmitz Technical Taxonomy
8 Teaching with Educational Technology

Garrison, D. R. Chapter 1 in E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for Research and Practice. Routledge, 2011, pp. 59–70. ISBN: 9780415885836.

Mayer, Richard. “Elements of a Science of E-Learning.” Journal of Educational Computing Research 29, no. 3 (2003): 297–313.

Berrett, Dan. “How ‘Flipping’ the Classroom Can Improve the Traditional Lecture,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, February 19, 2012.

Dahlstrom, Eden, J. D. Walker, and Charles Dziuban, foreward by Glenda Morgan. "ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology." (PDF - 2.6MB) 2013 (Research Report). Louisville, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research, September 2013.  
You need to read only the Executive Summary.

Aleman, L. and D. Shah. Guidelines on Ed Tech Usage (PDF). Created for the MIT Teaching Certificate Program, 2012.
9 Grading and Assessment

Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative-Assessments That Support Student Learning (PDF)  
From: Key points and factors from the review paper “Conditions under which Assessment Supports Student Learning.” By G. Gibbs and C. Simpson.

McKeachie, W. J. “The A, B, C’s of Assigning Grades.” Chapter 9 in Teaching Tips: A Guidebook for the Beginning College Teacher. Heath, 1969.

Piontek, Mary E. “CRLT Occasional Paper No. 24: Best Practices for Designing and Grading Exams.” (PDF) Center for Research on Teaching and Learning, University of Michigan, 2001.
10 Creating an Inclusive Classroom

Glenn, Weslee S., Elizabeth M. V., and Catherine L. Drennan. “But I Don’t Like Beer: A Guide to Identifying and Reducing Stereotype Threat to Maximize Student Performance.” (PDF - 4.6MB) Department of Chemistry, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professors grant. https://drennan.mit.edu.

McIntosh, Peggy. “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack.” (PDF) Independent School Magazine, 1998, 31.

Crosley-Corcoran, Gina. “Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person,” Huffington Post, May 8, 2014. (A slightly different perspective on White Privilege)

Resources for Reducing Stereotype Threat.

Davis, Barbara Gross. “Diversity and Complexity in the Classroom: Considerations of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender.” Chapter 5 in Tools for Teaching. Jossey-Bass, 1993. ISBN: 9781555425685.

Barad, Karen. “A Feminist Approach to Teaching Quantum Physics.” Chapter 2 in Teaching the Majority: Breaking the Gender Barrier in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering. Edited by S. Rosser. Teachers College Press, 1995, pp. 43–75. ISBN: 9780807762769.
11 Developing Your Teaching Philosophy

Haugen, Lee. “Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement (PDF).” Center for Teaching Excellence, Iowa State University, 1998.

Oneil, C., D. Meizlich, and M. Kaplan. “Writing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy for the Academic Job Search.” Center for Research on Teaching and Learning, University of Michigan, 2007.
12–13 Microteaching – Group 1 & Group 2 Microteaching Guidelines (PDF)

SES # TOPICS READINGS
1 Introduction to the Class 
What is the Purpose of College – Now, Then, Tomorrow?

Bain, Ken. “What Makes Great Teachers Great?” The Chronicle of Higher Education 50, no. 31 (2004): B7.

Bok, Derek. “The Evolution of American Colleges” and “Purposes.” In Our Underachieving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Students Learn and Why they Should be Learning More. Princeton University Press, 2006, pp. 11–30. ISBN: 9780691125961. [Preview with Google Books]

Edmundson, Mark. “On the Uses of a Liberal Education.” Harper’s Magazine, September 1997, 39.

Savkar, V., and J. Lokere. “Time to Decide: The Ambivalence of the World of Science Toward Education.” (PDF) Nature Education. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
2 What we know About Student Learning in Higher Education

Wankat, P. C., and F. S. Oreovicz. “Learning Theories.” Chapter 15 in Teaching Engineering. McGraw-Hill College, 1992. ISBN: 9780070681545.

———. “Models of Cognitive Development: Piaget and Perry.” Chapter 14 in Teaching Engineering. McGraw-Hill College, 1992. ISBN: 9780070681545.

Baviskar, Sandhya N., R. Todd Hartle, et al. “Essential Criteria to Characterize Constructivist Teaching: Derived from a Review of the Literature and Applied to Five Constructivist-teaching Method Articles.” International Journal of Science Education 31, no. 4 (2009): 541–50.

Bransford, John D., Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking eds. “How Experts Differ from Novices.” Chapter 2 in How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. National Academies Press, 1999. ISBN: 9780309065573.

Jaques, David. “Learning Theory and Research.” Chapter 3 in Learning in Groups: A Handbook For Improving Group Work. 3rd ed. Routledge, 2000. ISBN: 9780749430917.

Kloss, Robert J. “A Nudge Is Best: Helping Students Through the Perry Scheme of Intellectual Development.” College Teaching 42, no. 4 (1994): 151–8.

Pelligrino, James W., Naomi Chudowsky, and Robert Glaser. “Advances in the Sciences of Teaching and Learning.” Chapter 3 in Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Educational Assessment. National Academies Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780309072724.

Perkins, David. “What is Understanding?” In Teaching for Understanding: Linking Research with Practice. Edited by Martha Stone Wiske. Jossey-Bass, 1997. ISBN: 9780787910020.

Prosser, Michael, and Keith Trigwell. “A Model for Understanding Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.” Chapter 2 in Understanding Learning and Teaching. Open University Press, 1999, pp. 10–25. ISBN: 9780335198313. [Preview with Google Books]

Ramsden, Paul. “Approaches to Learning.” Chapter 4 in Learning to Teach in Higher Education. Routledge, 2003. ISBN: 9780415303453. [Preview with Google Books]

Redish, Edward F. “Implication of Cognitive Studies for Teaching Physics.” American Journal of Physics 62, no. 6 (1994): 796–803.

Tobias, Sheila. “Occasional Paper.” In They’re not Dumb, They’re Different: Stalking the Second Tier. Research Corporation, 1994. ISBN: 9780963350404.
3 Designing a Course: Developing Learning Outcomes

Kratwohl, David R. “A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy: An Overview.” Theory into Practice 41, no. 4 (2002): 212–18. (College of Education, The Ohio State University).

Armstrong, Patricia. Bloom’s Taxonomy - Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University.

Wiggins, Grant, and Jay McTighe. “What Is Backward Design?” In Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd edition. Pearson, 2005. ISBN: 9780131950849.

Schrock, Kathy. A New Structure for Bloom’s Taxonomy. Please take a look at the first 2 images / diagrams of the interlocking cogs.

Teaching Resources, Where to Start: Backward Design
4 Teaching Methodologies: Part I – rganizing a Class

Wankat, P. C., and F. S. Oreovicz. “Lectures.” Chapter 6 in Teaching Engineering. McGraw-Hill College, 1992. ISBN: 9780070681545.

Bligh, Donald A. “Lecture Organization.” Chapter 5 in What’s the Use of Lectures? Jossey-Bass, 2000. ISBN: 9780787951627.

Novak, J. D., and A. J. Canas. “The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use Them.” Technical Report IHMC Cmap Tools 2006–01 Rev 2008–01, Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, 2008.
5 Teaching Methodologies: Part II –Active Learning: Why and How

A Compilation of Active Learning Links and Resources.

Chi, Michelene, T. H. “Active-interactive-collaborative: A Conceptual Framework for Differentiating Learning Activities.” Topics in Cognitive Science 1, no. 1 (2009): 73–105.

Crouch, C. H., A. P. Fagen, et al. “Classroom Demonstrations: Learning Tools or Entertainment?” American Journal of Physics 72, no. 6 (2004): 835–8.

Mohamed, Abdi-Rizak. “Effects of Active Learning Variants on Student Performance and Learning Perceptions.” (PDF) International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2, no. 2 (2008).

Paulson, Donald R. “Active Learning and Cooperative Learning in the Organic Chemistry Lecture Class.” Journal of Chemical Education 76, no. 8 (1999): 1136.

Bloom, Benjamin. “The 2-Sigma Problem: The Search for Group Methods as Effective as One-on-One Tutoring.” Educational Researcher 13, no. 6 (1984): 4–16.

Ebert-May, Diane, Carol Brewer, et al. “Innovation in Large Lectures—Teaching for Active Learning.” Bioscience 47, no. 9 (1997): 601–7.

Hake, R. “Interactive-engagement vs. Traditional Methods: A six-thousand-student Survey of Mechanics Test Data for Introductory Physics Courses.” American Journal of Physics 66, no. 1 (1998): 64.

Yuretich, Richard F., Samia A. Khan, et al. “Active-learning Methods to Improve Student Performance and Scientific Interest in a Large Introductory Oceanography Course.” Journal of Geoscience Education 49, no. 2 (2001): 111–9.

Smith, Karl A., Sheri D. Sheppard, et al. “Pedagogies of Engagement: Classroom-Based Practices.” Journal of Engineering Education 94, no. 1 (2005): 87–101.

Wiemann, Carl. “Why Not Try a Scientific Approach to Science Education?” Change, October 2007, 9–15.
6 What Can Nerds Learn from Actors?

Duarte, Nancy. The Secret Structure of Great Talks A Ted Talk. TED Talk. TED.com. November 2011.

Schurenberg, E. “10 Zen Ways to Nail Your Next Presentation.” Inc Magazine, December 27, 2011.

Tauber, R. T., and C. Sargent Mester. Acting Lessons for Teachers: Using Performance Skills in the Classroom. Praeger, 2006. ISBN: 9780275992040.

A multitude of additional links on Effective Presentations Links.

(If you want to practice your breath control and enunciation) “Modern Major-General’s Song.” The Pirates of Penzance. Comic opera. Gilbert & Sullivan. 1879.
7 Designing Effective Assignments & Assessments

McKeachie, W. J. “Tests & Examinations.” Chapter 8 in Teaching Tips: A Guidebook for the Beginning College Teacher. Houghton Mifflin (Academic), 1986. ISBN: 9780669067521.

Suskie, Linda. “Creating an Effective Assignment.” Chapter 10 in Assessment for Learning: A Common Sense Guide. Jossey-Bass, 2009. ISBN: 9780470289648.

Forsyth, Donelson R. “Testing: Strategies and Skills for Evaluating Learning.” Chapter 4 in The Professor’s Guide to Teaching: Psychological Principles and Practices. American Psychological Association, 2003. ISBN: 9781557989604.
8 Teaching with Educational Technology

C4LPT’s Top 100 Tools for Learning from the Center for Learning and Performance Technologies website.

Bloomin’ App Example: “iPad apps to Support Bloom’s Taxonomy.”

A Variety of Edtech Links.
9 Grading and Assessment

Schinske, Jeffrey, and Kimberly Tanner. “Teaching More by Grading Less (or Differently).” CBE—Life Sciences Education 13, no. 2 (2014): 159–66.

Forsyth, Donelson R. “Grading (and Aiding): Helping Students Reach Their Learning Goals.” In The Professor’s Guide to Teaching: Psychological Principles and Practices. American Psychological Association, 2002. ISBN: 9781557989604.

Senior Design Rubric - Department of Civil Engineering, University of Pittsburg Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence - Carnegie-Mellon University Engineering Design Project Rubric (DOC)

Rubrics for Group Work & Oral Exams (PDF)

Angelo & Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques: Compiled by Kathryn Cunningham, MS Ed. and Deborah Moore, MS Ed. From: Angelo, T.A. and Cross, K.P. (1993) Classroom Assessment Techniques 2nd edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
10 Creating an Inclusive Classroom

Steele, Claude M. “Thin Ice: ‘Stereotype Threat’ and Black College Students.” The Atlantic Monthly, August 1999.

Harackiewicz, Judith M., Elizabeth A. Canning, et al. “Closing the Social Class Achievement Gap for First-Generation Undergraduate Biology.” Journal of Educational Psychology 106, no. 2 (2014): 375–89.

Reubena, Ernesto, Paola Sapienzab, et al. “How Stereotypes Impair Women’s Careers in Science.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 111, no. 12 (2014): 4403–8.

The Grandma Got STEM blog 
A great resource for women role models in STEM-fields it has fabulous stories and examples of older women in STEM.

Chugh, Dolly. “Professors are Predjudiced, Too,” The New York Times, May 9, 2014.

Benefits and Challenges of Diversity in Academic Settings (PDF)

The Microaggressions Project at Columbia.

The I Too Am Harvard Tumblr Project.

“At Princeton, Privilege Is: (a) Commonplace, (b) Misunderstood or (c) Frowned Upon,” The New York Times, May 2, 2014.

Some background on the Fat Shaming Tweet.

Colin Brooke’s reply to the Fat Shaming Tweet.

Davis, Barbara Gross. “Teaching Academically Diverse Students”. Chapter 7 in Tools for Teaching. Jossey-Bass, 1993. ISBN: 9781555425685.

Brickhouse, Nancy W. “Embodying Science: A Feminist Perspective on Learning.” Journal of Research in Science Teaching 38, no. 3 (2001): 282–95.

Mayberry, Maralee. “Reproductive and Resistant Pedagogies: The Comparative Roles of Collaborative Learning and Feminist Pedagogy in Science Education.” Journal of Research in Science Teaching 35, no. 4 (1998): 443–59.

Davis, Barbara Gross. “Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities.” Chapter 4 in Tools for Teaching. Jossey-Bass. 1993. ISBN: 9781555425685.
11 Developing Your Teaching Philosophy

Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement. Faculty and TA Development - Ohio State University, Teaching Philosophy Statements.

MIT Lecturer (PDF)

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