Strategies for Creating Effective Learning Communities in the Classroom
Leader: Shafaq Amdani Moten, Ph.D. candidate in Physics (shafaq.moten@mavs.uta.edu)
Description: Engaging the students from diverse backgrounds in large classrooms to foster better understanding of the material. Large classrooms feel impersonal and it may disengage a significant proportion students. People of all different backgrounds and interests are in the same environment and with the same goal – doing the best that they can.
Location and Times: Twice a month. Wednesday afternoon at 2 pm in Science Hall Room 105.
1st Meeting: 2/8/17 – Intro to CIRTL and Issues facing Instructors in classrooms.
CIRTL. Issues facing classrooms today and addressing them. How to get help if needed .Cirtl_1 (2)
2nd Meeting: 2/15/17 – Guest Speaker, Dr. Ramon Lopez – Professor, Dept. of Physics, and Co-Director, UTeach Arlington.
Talked about “flipped classrooms” – lecture before classroom (online usually) and spend class time in problem-solving and discussions. Best way is to combine flipped, peer instruction and active techniques. Current Research Project and being a part of the Institutional research board (IRB).
Teaching Advice: 1. Get experience – TA labs or TA with UTeach Method (program for teaching High School Students). 3. Combine different aptitudes in class (to not lose students – utilize active methods). Recommended https://www.educreations.com/
Literature: Effective Teaching Methods for Large Classes by J.M. Carpenter (Univ. of S. Carolina) Jour. of family $ consumer Sciences Education. Vol 24. No.2 Fall/Winter 2006
3rd Meeting: 3/8/17 – How to Engage the student’s in classroom with effective teaching philosophy
Discussed effective method of engaging students one-on-one in the classroom. Large class (break in 5-6 groups) and small class – verbal discussion with instructor frequently throughout the semester. Making a positive first impression about the instructor, subject and classroom. A look at Previous literature and CIRTL website (local and Main).
Discussed Teaching philosophy statements and how to make effective statements and apply above discussed ideas in the philosophy statement. Analysed 3 different teaching philosophy statements and discussed the merits of materials and methodology.
4th Meeting: 3/22/17 – Debate- Time Management of demonstration vs. lecture. – Lab vs. Classroom demonstrations.
5th Meeting: 4/5/17 – Individual Projects- benefits and ideas
6th Meeting: 4/19/17 – Teaching as Research (TAR); Updates on Implementations of strategies utilized