The Faculty Perspective
Most college science curricula still have the overall structure of three-days-per-week lecture/4 hr laboratory, at the least for the intermediate-level bread-and-butter courses. Why? What are the goals of those laboratories?
Most laboratory courses are focused on learning how to do particular field-specific techniques and how to gather and analyze particular types of data. The plan is for those laboratory sessions to engage concepts and approaches that complement what is being taught in the “lecture” component of the course.
Meditations, Responses, Reflections- Five ideas
Giving your class short writing assignments can be a great way to give them practice writing and thinking in the language of your scientific (or other) discipline. They also give your most shy students a way to express themselves, first in writing and then, hopefully, in class. These short writing assignments also give them practice using the language of science.
Laylah Ali: Bridging the Gap Between Two- and Three-Dimensional Space
Today’s post comes from Olivia Zisman, class of 2016 and Art Center Student Docent.
Laylah Ali’s print, Untitled, in the Recent Acquisitions: Works on Paper exhibition, brings three-dimensional motion to a two-dimensional space.
Earth Day Photo Contest!
Calling all photographers! Earth Day is right around the corner and you will be hearing more from us about that soon, but in the mean time send our your photos of campus by April 12th to our laundry company, MacGray, for the chance to win up to $500 and social media fame and glory!
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Sometimes there’s nothing better than chalk and a chalkboard
Blended classrooms, MOOCs, multi-media infotainment- are the new ways really better?
Should lectures really go the way of the dodo?
image from Wikipedia!
Not so fast……
Yes, it is true that small group activities, discussion sessions and other student-centered teaching techniques are quite effective at enhancing learning and retention of material, even complex biological and neuroscience concepts. I certainly use a variety of non-lecture techniques in my courses and I think I’m a better teacher as a result. By “better” I mean that my students seem to master the course material and my course objectives and they also seem quite satisfied.