Ed Psych f398T #74475

College Teaching Methodology

2001

Location:          SZB 284

Time:                M-Th 1-3

 

Instructor:         Marilla Svinicki, Ph.D.                         

Office:              Main 2209                                                      

Phone:              232-1777

Email:               msvinicki@mail.utexas.edu

 

Microteaching:  Karron Lewis, Ph.D.                           

Instructors

Office:              Main 2208                                          

Phone:              232-1776                                            

Email:               kglewis@mail.utexas.edu                      

 

Joanne Holladay, M.A.

Main 2207

232-1775

jholladay@mail.utexas.edu

 

Course Goals:  The purpose of this course is to explore the processes of teaching at the college level.  By the end of the session you will have some of the basic terminology, theory and applications with which we talk about college teaching and learning.  You will also have had practice in thinking through some of the issues surrounding college teaching today and in getting up in front of a class and actually teaching.

 

Readings:  Teaching Tips:  Strategies, Research and Theory for College and University Teachers  9th edition by Wilbert McKeachie.  There may be additional readings of interest passed out during the session.

 

            I also recommend several journals on teaching at the college level, both general ones such as Change and College Teaching, and discipline specific ones such as Teaching of Psychology and Teaching Sociology.  If you are going into college teaching as a career, you should become familiar with those that are most pertinent for you.

 

            You will also need to buy a videotape (60 minute VHS) for use with the practice teaching.  You can review it later to see how much you have progressed.

 

Course structure:  The course is designed to involve four different types of activity.  They are:

 

1.   didactic presentations, which provide basic information and structure,

2.   discussions and activities, which give practice in the application of concepts,

3.   case studies, which raise issues to be discussed,

4.   and practice teaching sessions, which allow you to hone your skills in direct teaching situations.

 

Assignments:  Course assignments will follow the same pattern as above.  They include the following activities:

 

1.   Readings:  A schedule of readings in McKeachie and other handed out material that fits your needs is shown in the course calendar.

 

2.   Practice Teaching (3 sessions) and Self-critique (1) - See Dr. Lewis' description in the attached handout. Critique due July 11

 

3.  Contribution to the class Teaching of Psychology (TOP) or College Teaching (CT) database. – Since as a professional in teaching you need to be familiar with the literature resources in teaching at the college level, we will build our own database of articles on teaching drawn from the TOP’s or CT’s issues since 1985.  Each person will take one year’s worth of TOP or CT issues and enter the best 10-12 articles into our communal database (to be described in class next week), along with annotations and a critique of the teaching described.  Everyone in class will then receive a copy of the database for future reference.  Completed by June 21

 

4.   Group Tough Topics/Teaching Cases:  With a group of two to three others you will work (either face to face or on-line) on developing a case based on a topic or objective that is tough to teach in psychology (or other) or on a teaching dilemma that commonly occurs (as identified by the class as a whole) and its accompanying analysis which will then be used with the whole class later in the semester.  The group will provide me with a written case analysis.  Turn in on July 3. 

 

5.  An Instructional analysis:  You will provide a no more than four (4) page analysis of the forms of active learning and on-line learning used or discussed as potential teaching strategies for their future classes (you can do it as a chart instead if that fits your style and it is complete enough for me to understand).  For example, what was it like to be a student in any of the kinds of active learning or on-line learning that were used in the class?  (You may analyze one method in depth or multiple methods comparatively.)  How feasible are these or other new methodologies for the kinds of teaching you will be doing in the future?  Turn in July 15 (after the last class) or any time earlier.

                       

Grading:  For most folks this course will be graded on a credit/no credit  basis.  To receive credit for the course, you must satisfactorily complete the activities listed above and attend and participate in class.  Should something you turn in be deemed unsatisfactory, you will have an opportunity to redo the assignment. If you are taking this for a grade, please let us know and we'll establish the grading parameters.

 

      Attending class means missing no more than three classes without a good reason.  By participating in class, I mean that you will have read the appropriate chapters or readings before class and will ask and answer questions on the topic as well as offering your own insights and experiences for discussion.  The success of this class depends heavily on your willingness to think critically about the issues of teaching we discuss and to offer those thoughts during discussion.

     

 

Office hours:  All three of us are usually in our offices all day every day except Friday, so feel free to call for an appointment any time.  Marilla Svinicki has set 11 MTW aside specifically for this class.