ED 5100 College Teaching - Syllabus

2 Credit Hours - Graduate Standing Required

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Students successfully completing this class will be able to write and speak coherently about central pedagogical issues in contemporary college teaching.
• Students successfully completing this class will have produced a course syllabus complete with an complementary 3-4 page statement of educational philosophy, a description of teaching methods, assessment tools, and a list of course goals and objectives. This syllabus and the associated statement of philosophy will serve as a portfolio of their learning and provide evidence of their mastery of salient issues discussed in the course.
• Students successfully completing this class will have an informed sense of their own performance levels in an instructional setting by receiving the critical analysis of the instructor and fellow students on at least two planned mini-lessons.
• Students successfully completing this class will have the opportunity to reexamine several of the "axiomatic truths" that undergird the practice of most institutional educators.

Instructional Methods:

• Preparation and presentation of at least two in-class mini-lessons (20-25 minutes in length) with in- class critiques and assessments of student learning. All lessons will be recorded and students will be required to submit a statement of personal reflection following their own review of the dvd of their teaching performance for each of the lessons they design and implement. These personal reflections should be 3-5 paragraphs and must be submitted within one week of the time the student receives each dvd from the instructor.
• Assigned readings and case studies.
• In class discussions (supplemented with case studies, demonstrations, mini-lectures, etc.)
• Viewing of videotaped materials

Course Description:

An introduction to college-level teaching principles and practices. This course surveys several key issues associated with undergraduate instruction. Topics include instructional assumptions, course preparation strategies, organizing a course, setting goals and objectives, educational testing and evaluation, understanding theories and processes of student learning, developing assignments, instructional strategies (discussions, lecturing, collaborative learning, cases/simulations, etc.), using instructional technologies, motivating students, the various roles of the teaching assistant, and using institutional resources for student development. Source materials for the course are derived from research in higher education and the writings of experienced educational theorists, opinion makers in higher education, and the writings of the instructor.

Supplementary texts:

Tools for Teaching, by Barbara Gross Davis, Jossey Bass, San Francisco

Course Requirements:

• Regular class attendance (absences beyond 10% of class meetings will result in a lowering of the overall course grade). Late arrivals beyond 10 minutes of the starting class time will count as absences and two late arrivals (<10 minutes) will count as an absence. Missing class on a day you are scheduled to conduct a mini-lesson without prior arrangement will result in missing that assignment and lowering of the final course grade.
• Timely submission of 3-5 paragraph reflections on each of the weekly readings and any assigned case studies. Reflections for assigned readings and case studies must be submitted no later than two hours prior to the beginning of class on the day that they are being discussed.      Please submit reflections by including them in a plain email text (no attachments) and send them to teach@mtu.edu. No late reflections or other written assignments will be accepted. No exceptions.
• Active participation in classroom discussions and exercises
• Videotaped teaching segments and a subsequent critical self-reflection of these two 20-25 minute teaching segments. These segments must involve some sort of individualized assessment of student learning (you must give some sort of quiz, test, or some other device to measure learning)..

Teaching Segments

Teaching Segment 1: Prepare and deliver a 20-25 minute (time limits strictly observed) lecture/discussion on a topic related to your major area of study. Prepare and administer a brief assessment tool (quiz, test, etc.) to measure student learning. Submit, within one week after receiving a dvd of your recorded performance,, a 3-5 paragraph written critique of your lecture/discussion based on your viewing of the dvd and your review of the assessment tools.

Teaching Segment 2: You are to select a method of instruction (not lecture) to experiment with in your second teaching segment. You are to prepare a 20-25 minute (time limit strictly observed) classroom exercise/lesson using the non-lecture method. The topic should also be related to your major area of study. Again, you must submit a 3-5 paragraph written critique of your second teaching segment within one week of the date you received a copy of the recording of that session.

Final Project - Due date listed on course schedule. No late papers will be accepted. No exceptions.

Final Project

PART I: (At least 3-4 pages)

A comprehensive statement of your philosophy of education (identifying and defending your positions on key educational issues including, but not limited to:

1. Preferred mix and modes of delivery - % of lectures, discussions, games, simulations, group work, case studies, etc.
2. Assessment of student learning – assessment tools (types, frequency), grade determination (curving, criterion referenced v. norm referenced)
3. Areas of student responsibility
4. Areas of instructor’s responsibility
5. Conduct (harassment, intimidation, cheating)
6. Attendance
7. Late or missing work policies and procedures
8. Addressing learning differences and learning preferences
9. Motivating students

PART II: (At least 3-4 pages)

A complete syllabus for a university-level course related to your major containing at least the following elements:

1. Course goals expressed as specific, measurable learning outcomes
2. Identification, frequency, and defense of instructional methods used throughout the course
3. One paragraph course description (catalog copy
4. Course requirements - Prerequisites, attendance, standards, your expectations, work required, due dates, resources available, required readings, etc.
5. A representative sample of assessment tools (assignments, tests, quizzes, exercises, group projects, etc.) you would use to measure student learning. Identify which sorts of learning (using Bloom's Taxonomy) each tool would measure.
6. A complete assessment plan for the course including how you will assign grades, how and when learning will be assessed, and any weighting strategies you might use to encourage student learning.

Grade Determination:

20% - Attendance at >90% of class meetings
25% - Submission of weekly reflection papers
25% - Preparation, delivery, and written critique of teaching segment(s)
30% - Teaching philosophy and course syllabus

Office Hours: Moving to 220 J. Robert Van Pelt Library

I am available from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Monday thru Friday BY APPOINTMENT. As my administrative duties often require that I am out of my office or engaged in other meetings, PLEASE CALL AHEAD (487-2046) so that I can reserve sufficient time to meet with you. You may also reach me via e-mail (wkennedy@mtu.edu) and expect a reply within one business day. Finally, I will make every attempt to arrive outside the classroom 10 minutes early each class day and I will be happy to discuss any questions or concerns that you have after class.

In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attendtion, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the insructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact the Office of Affirmative Programs if you have questions about issue related to the ADA at 487-3310.

In keeping with its responsibilities as an educational institution, Michigan Technological University is committed to a policy of affording equal opportunity to all of its employees, students, applicants for employment and applicants for admission without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, height, weight, or marital status. The University is also committed to a policy of educating and employing handicapped individuals and veterans without discrimination. These policies are to be implemented with due regard for the relative qualifications of all involved.