AtD+Faculty+Symposium+Tips+2011

> ** Bonus Activity:Shared Responsibility for Learning **
 * ** NOVA Faculty Tips from the AtD Symposium 2011 **
 * ** Elevator Pitch: Have students explain a concept in the amount of time it would take to ride an elevator. **
 * ** Write one or two questions on board at the end of class to assess what they learned during that period? **
 * ** Midterm satisfaction survey: What do you like? What needs improvement? (Use FAST survey or Survey Monkey) **
 * ** Class writes a letter at the end of the semester to the next semester’s students describing how to do well in the class. **
 * ** Faculty mentoring- Discuss strategies for success in class to make students feel more comfortable. **
 * ** Do an early assessment to establish accountability. **
 * ** Have students submit an introductory paragraph. Erase invisible barrier! **
 * ** Establish a class goal and remind them of the goal when they need to refocus. **
 * ** Have students share a personal goal with a partner. **
 * ** Work with a calendar and have students map out time needed for math studies. **
 * ** Promote the use of a binder. **
 * ** Advice: It’s better to take fewer courses than to have to repeat a course because you took too many. **
 * ** Put syllabus online. Give a syllabus quiz with ten key points to be sure your students get the essentials. **
 * ** Promote formulas on index cards as a test-taking strategy. **
 * ** Cultural sensitivity: Where does your name come from? **
 * ** “The Stressors in Your Life” essay **
 * ** Reflective journals at end of class **
 * ** Goals for the week **
 * ** Instructor does an introduction on Youtube **
 * ** Show students you care. **
 * ** Checklists to help prepare assignments. **
 * ** Use role-playing, scenarios, pros and cons **
 * ** Tip for students- E-mail a buddy when not going to be in class. **
 * ** Assign study groups to keep them on track **
 * ** Ask personal interests and incorporate these in class. **
 * ** Eleven-minute [|J.K. Rowlings]Inspirational Commencement Speech: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure” **
 * ** Name tags on the forehead! Shake hands. Tell us something we do not know about you. **
 * ** Facebook page for class **
 * ** Emphasize difference between High School and College **
 * ** Focus on relationships: Have students use personal examples. **
 * ** Major in something to get a job; minor in something you love. **
 * ** Guilty Pleasures icebreaker. **
 * ** Polleverywhere.com **
 * ** Clickers **
 * ** In order to combat ‘learned helplessness’ the presenter uses the following techniques to draw students into the (online) classroom setting some of which could also used in a face-to-face environment. **
 * ** Welcome email before class starts **
 * ** Email contains content that helps students direct through blackboard **
 * ** Pre-quiz testing ‘Blackboard readiness’ **
 * ** Number of assignments in the course **
 * ** Location of Discussion Board **
 * ** Checking email regularly **
 * ** In order to make students feel comfortable during their first class students are to draw a picture of themself and describe their results. **
 * Prior to the first meeting in the classroom, a set number of questions (4 or more) are created on a chapter-by-chapter basis. In order to engage students from the onset of class, students are put into groups of 3, 4 or 5. Groups have to elect a leader and then are given the questions. At this time they are given the date when these questions are due which will correspond to the syllabus. **
 * Group members decide among themselves who does which question. They will exchange email addresses because the leader is expected to collect all answers via email and then write an email with only ONE attachment containing the group’s answers to the faculty member. Each group will receive their task for the entire semester; they should be engaged more than once. Here are more ground rules: **
 * ** The answers to the questions are graded. **
 * ** These question answers are then made available to all students via Blackboard and serve as a study guide for exams. **
 * Tips after engaging the above technique for one semester: **
 * ** It would be best if the leader is exempted from answering questions but instead is made responsible for the quality of answers. This would mean that the entire group gets the same grade rather than the individual student. **
 * ** Students do read the book more often; know what is in the book. **
 * ** These answers have been coming in on time—sometimes the leader takes over the task of answering a question if a group member is not forthcoming with the answer. **
 * ** It takes diligence on the site of the professor to keep track of all such emails/postings if more than one class engages in this manner. **
 * Open Notebook/ OpenTextbook/ Open Index Card**
 * ** Table 3 discussed the results of open notebook/open book and/or open index card exams to lessen exam anxiety. Several techniques were mentioned: **
 * ** Index card—students can fill up an index card with everything they want (both sides) and take it into the exam. **
 * ** One piece of paper—students can fill up one DIN-4 paper with everything they want on both sides; however, it must be handwritten. Good for classes where essay exams are the norm. **
 * ** Students can take their entire notebook to class; everything MUST be handwritten; graphs can be included (hand-drawn). Faculty must check prior to exam. **