Suggestions

Suggestion 212. Implement good practices in teaching large lecture courses

IF YOU WANT TO:

Develop and teach an impressive introductory course
Handle large classes with ease and pleasure

YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER:

Implementing good practices in teaching large lecture courses.

The following list of good practices describes ways of improving the instruction of freshmen and sophomores in traditional lecture and discussion courses.

Meet with your TAs before the term begins to discuss course procedures, their responsibilities, grading and the most effective ways for them to spend time in sections; continue to meet weekly to discuss how the course is going and ways of improving it.
Get to know your students by learning their names and something about their backgrounds and interests.
Discover and build on what students already know by giving diagnostic tests or brief questionnaires.
Give the students a good detailed syllabus and refer to it frequently.
Focus on just a few main concepts, themes, or points rather than going into all the complexities of a topic.
Plan the beginnings and endings of your lectures so that you "open with gusto" and "finish strong."
Begin each lecture by letting the students know what you are going to talk about and why.
Use the blackboard to outline lecture topics or to list questions students should be asking themselves during lecture and refer to it when making transitions.
Take a look at your blackboard work. Can it be seen from the back of the room? Is it legible?
Give students an early assignment or diagnostic test and develop remedial or review materials for those who will need them.
Organize your lectures carefully, but try to deliver them without detailed notes so that you can maintain eye contact and get cues from students as to their understanding.
Give students frequent short assignments and quizzes so that you and they will know whether they are understanding the material.
Don't make assumptions. Write out and define not only technical terms but other words or expressions with which the students may not be familiar.
Try to refrain from such comments as, "Now, I know you all know this" (many of them don't). Or "You don't know this?" (which makes them feel stupid).
Try to empathize with the students confronting this material for the first time; slow down and acknowledge the difficulty and importance of certain concepts or operations.
Intersperse your lectures with questions to students; this makes them active participants in learning.
Leave the last 0 or 5 minutes for student questions; try taking several questions at once and responding to them with a mini-lecture.
Encourage the students to form small study groups; help them get to know one another by giving short team assignments.
Write "See me" on any assignments which would receive a grade of C-minus or below so that you can give early assistance to students having difficulty.
Drop in on section meetings regularly to see how things are going and to get to know the students.
Ask TAs to give you periodic written reports on any problems students may be having, e.g., "List the one or two things that caused students the most difficulty in sections last week."
Give mini-lectures on such topics as "how to study," "how to read a difficult text," "how to prepare for an exam," or invite someone from the Student Learning or Counseling Center to give such a presentation in your class.
Relate your subject matter to current events or research which may be of interest to students and give them assignments for which there may be "real world" audiences whenever possible.
Give students advance study questions to help them prepare for tests and hold review sessions before examinations.
Have the students write exam questions as part of the review.
Give two or more midterms rather than one so that students have every opportunity to do well in your course.
Return papers and exams promptly and review them at the next class meeting.
Keep a journal or log of what explanations, techniques, or assignments worked well and share these with colleagues teaching the same or similar courses.
Get feedback from students once or twice during the quarter by asking them to write on two or three questions, such as "What is the most significant thing you have learned in this course so far?" "What, if anything, is still unclear?" or "What suggestions do you have for improving the course?"
Acknowledge student feedback at the next class meeting and indicate which changes you can and which you cannot make and why.
Sit in on courses taught by those of your colleagues you know to be especially effective teachers to see what other ideas or techniques you can pick up.