Author: Nardina Mein It’s been a busy semester at the OTL! I would like to take a moment to thank members of the WSU faculty who have devoted their time and insight by presenting on a variety of topics. The OTL is dedicated to providing the best and most relevant programming to support teaching and [...]
Author: Julie Thompson Klein In our last newsletter, we introduced examples of teaching as a form of “scholarship.” In this issue, we focus on curriculum development, drawing again on the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE) series, The Disciplines Speak. Faculty work is divided typically into the triad of research, teaching, and service. However, the [...]
Written by: Kristi Verbeke The following SoTL article highlights a study conducted by Michael Marcell at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC, that addresses an issue almost all instructors can relate to—students coming to class unprepared. Marcell argues that not reading assigned materials negatively impacts the classroom atmosphere (e.g., diminished student involvement, lower quality [...]
Author: Bill Warters The OER Commons is a comprehensive open learning network site where teachers and professors (from pre-K to graduate school) can access their colleagues’ course materials, share their own, and collaborate on affecting today’s classrooms. It uses Web 2.0 features (tags, ratings, comments, reviews, and social networking) to create an online experience that [...]
Authors: Anne-Marie Armstrong and Kristi Verbeke Many WSU departments and faculty are interested in the idea of teaching online. In fact, a few programs have already taken steps toward offering fully online degrees, and several others are investigating the development of their own online programs. The advantage of an online format is that students from [...]
Author: Kristi Verbeke The OTL is proud to present the brown bag Faculty Speaker series during the 2008 Winter semester. All WSU faculty members are invited. Bring your lunch and spend some time discussing teaching-related issues with your colleagues. All brown bags will be held from 12:00-1:30 in 144 P/K Library (the Simons Room). Current [...]
Author: Kristi Verbeke While the lecture is a commonly-used teaching method, it also draws a lot of criticism. This article will address the characteristics of a good lecturer, the appropriate use of lecture, and specific strategies you can utilize to make your lectures more engaging and interactive. Characteristics of a good lecturer Many people feel [...]
Author: Kimberly Conely WSU Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) enjoyed lunch and a lively discussion during the OTL sponsored Brown Bag Session held on Friday, January 25, in the Simons Room at the Purdy-Kresge Library. Sara Tipton, a lecturer from the English Language Institute, proposed several ways GTAs can address the all-too-common, mid-semester student burnout and [...]
Author: Annette Feravich Mel Silberman’s book, Teaching Actively: Eight Steps and 32 strategies to Spark Learning in Any Classroom, is a supplement to his best-selling book, Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject, and can be used to develop a theoretical framework around which new teaching and learning strategies can emerge. Silberman proposes an [...]