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)

Learning Resource Types
Lecture Videos
Activity Assignments
Written Assignments
Instructor Insights