You’ve probably already heard about Twitter, a micro-blogging application that appeared in 2006 and which has surged in popularity over the past year. Oprah, for example, is now on Twitter, and CNN offers news updates via Twitter. Posts to Twitter (which are called tweets) are brief — no longer than 140 characters, which is perfect for sharing a quick update about what you’re doing or reading, for disseminating a web address to a useful site, or for asking your Twitter “followers” a question. Universities have also begun to use Twitter to good purpose. Continue reading Twitter and Higher Ed – Mark Morton
International TA Training: One year in service – Walid Omran (ITA Developer)
How am I going to teach these students? Will they laugh at me because of my accent and language mistakes? How will I control their behavior in the class? Is it true that culture can affect the students-TA relationship? How can I prove that I am a good TA? These were just some of the questions I had in mind when I received my first TA assignment, four months after arriving to Canada as an international graduate student. Now, after spending three years at the University of Waterloo and being a TA for a number of courses, I still think that teaching in the Canadian classroom can be a challenge for many international TAs (ITAs). This is mainly due to language barriers, cultural differences and uncommon backgrounds. Continue reading International TA Training: One year in service – Walid Omran (ITA Developer)
Wikis: Which One is Right for You? – Mark Morton
Wikis are an online tool that allow numerous individuals to access and edit the same document at the same time. They are a powerful educational tool in the right situations, but the problem is that there are scores of wiki applications — which one is best for your purposes? Well, to help you choose, you might make use of the online Wiki Wizard, which asks you a series of questions and then recommends a handful based upon your responses. Try the Wiki Wizard here.
Are undergraduates really less prepared than three years ago? – Trevor Holmes
So… last night Dave DeVidi of UW’s Philosophy Department (and current FAUW Prez) was on TV. I love it when philosophers are on TV (that’s an aside). I always like to hear what Dr. DeVidi has to say, and often find myself agreeing. In this case he was talking about a survey recently done by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, in which just over a thousand faculty of the 2000 surveyed believe that students are less prepared than they were even three years ago. Continue reading Are undergraduates really less prepared than three years ago? – Trevor Holmes
CRAM the right way: How to improve student learning practices – Sara Ashpole
Imagine one of your students comes to your office door. It’s just before their midterm examination, and full of anxiety the student claims to have studied the wrong material. As the instructor do we have any responsibility in this situation? I believe as instructors, one of our responsibilities is to teach in a manner that promotes effective learning practices that will support a student in a cram scenario. As such, the instructor provides students with all the necessary tools to facilitate higher academic achievement. Continue reading CRAM the right way: How to improve student learning practices – Sara Ashpole
Learning about Teaching – Researching the Practice and Practicing the Research Nicola Simmons
Two exciting events coming soon at UW – the Opportunities and New Directions conference (May 6) and the Learning about Teaching Annual Symposium (May 4 & 5).
The first annual “Opportunities and New Directions: A Research Conference on Teaching and Learning” will take place at UW at Conrad Grebel on May 6. Conceived by a sub-committee of the Teaching-Based Research Group (TBRG) and the Centre for Teaching Excellence, the event is supported by Geoff McBoyle, AVPA. Continue reading Learning about Teaching – Researching the Practice and Practicing the Research Nicola Simmons
The Coolest Exam Review Game in the Universe? – Trevor Holmes
So for the past century or so, I’ve used variations on a review game when it’s time for students to think back across an entire course. It works for large introductory courses, medium-sized advanced courses, even PhD comprehensive exams! Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Before you think I’m selling the academic term-end equivalent of snake oil, I implore you, gentle reader, to download our latest Tip Sheet; it describes the game in its simplest form. While it’s too late in the term to ask students to come up with key terms (ideally week 10 is a good time to start), there is still value in trying the game in the last class, or recommending it to students for post-class, pre-exam study groups. Continue reading The Coolest Exam Review Game in the Universe? – Trevor Holmes