Friday, September 21, 2012

Eberly Center Faculty Workshops on Teaching & Learning

Fall 2012 Faculty Workshop Series

Collaboration:  A focus on process, not just product

Wednesday, October 10, 10:30am-Noon

Many faculty want to include collaborative learning in their courses but encounter many questions along the way: How will I keep students “on task”? Does it matter how students are paired? In this session, CMU Prof. Carolyn Rose will join us in discussing various ways to promote more effective collaboration and, in turn, better learning (especially in STEM topics). As a group, we will then discuss effective strategies and important considerations for incorporating collaborative learning into our own courses – both via classroom activities and longer-term projects.

Explanations: A task for students, not just instructors

Thursday, November 1, 3-4:30pm

It’s natural to think that giving explanations is the faculty member's responsibility or something students often do for each other. But students can also benefit from explaining material to themselves. In this session, CMU Prof. Vincent Aleven will join us in discussing what it means for students to “self-explain,” how to prompt students to do so, and why it promotes deep learning. We will then explore strategies for incorporating student explanations in our own courses.

Course and Syllabus Design

Tuesday, November 13, 1:30-3pm

In this session, we will analyze the syllabus as a window onto a course’s design, emphasizing the alignment among learning objectives, instructional activities, and assessments. We will discuss selected CMU syllabi, identifying key components they have share as well as variations in their content, form and style. Participants are encouraged to bring their own syllabi to facilitate further discussion and application of ideas.

Register Online [Link]