Strategies for Successful Teaching

Promoting more effective teaching and learning

Knowing your students can help you be a more effective teacher

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Julie Dodd

by Julie Dodd

An important part of developing an effective undergraduate course is knowing your students.

Why are students taking your course?
Is this a required course? Is the course a prerequisite for another course students want or need to take?

What academic background are students bringing into your course?
What courses have they had at the college level before taking your course? What courses did they have in high school? And we, as college teachers, need to be aware that every student — even if they have the same course on their high school or community college transcript — has not had the same learning experience.

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‘Rebooting the Academy’ profiles innovators in higher education

Posted on September 6, 2014 by Julie Dodd

by Julie Dodd

What are some of the trends in higher education and how are those affecting teaching, learning and jobs in higher education?

We’re going to discuss those issues in Mass Communication Teaching on Monday, Sept. 8, when we talk about “Rebooting the Academy.”

This was The Chronicle of Higher Education’s first e-book. Published in 2012, “Rebooting the Academy: 12 Tech Innovators Who Are Transforming Campuses” is a collection of profiles of innovators in higher ed — very few of whom are faculty members.

I’ve found it interesting to revisit the book this fall, seeing how those innovations are playing out two years later. I’m interested in hearing what the class considers to be the most exciting or most concerning developments, as they plan for careers in higher education.