Teaching Strategies
Provost’s Learning Lightning Talks – September 2021
Rachel Branco – Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Prof. Branco discusses the use of alternative authentic assessments in a large science class as a means of replacing high-stress exams, improving student intrinsic motivation and problem solving skills, all while keeping grading manageable.
Vanessa Chan – Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Psychology
Prof. Chan discusses her us of a one-time grace period of 48 hours on a submission of a student’s own choosing, no questions asked. This allowance, she argues, allows for welcomed flexibility while simultaneously enabling students to take greater ownership of their own education.
Eva Dziadula – Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Economics
Prof. Dziadula shares insights into work she’s done using small, “soft” commitments—what she and her colleagues termed “microcommitments”—with the goal of improving student outcomes in areas such as engagement and test scores.
Victoria Goodrich – Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Inspired by ideas presented in the “Inclusive STEM Teaching Project” course on edX, Prof. Goodrich shares insights into inclusive teaching practices in STEM (specifically engineering courses) including the use of learning analytics to improve inclusivity based on students’ prior experiences as well as in class strategies to create an inclusive classroom environment.
Sonja Mapes Szekelyhidi – Associate Professor of the Practice, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Mathematics
Prof. Mapes discusses the use of low-stakes assessment together and mastery based grading in mathematics courses in the Fall of 2020 and Fall of 2021.
Paul Rumbach – Associate Teaching Professor, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Prof. Rumbach outlines 5 significant changes imposed by the pandemic, that resulted in more efficient and effective learning in his engineering laboratory courses.
Roger Woodard – Associate Teaching Professor, Director Online MS in Data Science
Prof. Woodard discuss his use of a rubric in an introductory statistics course that is designed to build critical thinking and logical argument. He describes how the rubric helps students connect the calculations to the practical implications.