New Teaching Guide for Statistics Instructors
Jun. 19, 2013—Statistical analysis is a critical tool in many fields, and as such, it is taught in courses across many disciplines. This new teaching guide, written by CFT Assistant Director, Cynthia Brame, provides an overview of techniques and strategies that have been shown to improve student learning in statistics courses. It also provides links to resources...
Teaching with Technology: Profile of Eric Mentges
Jun. 18, 2013—by Zoe LeBlanc, CFT’s HASCTAC Scholar 2013 Eric Mentges (B.A., The Ohio State University) is a second-year student in the Masters of Arts program in the Classics Department at Vanderbilt. In the program, all second-year students are required to teach both semesters, and Eric has used the opportunity to explore teaching Latin with PowerPoint. So...
Teaching with Technology: Profile of Paul Morrow
Jun. 17, 2013—by Zoe LeBlanc, CFT’s HASCTAC Scholar 2013 Paul Morrow is a PhD candidate in the Department of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. He is writing a dissertation on the application of the concepts of conventions and social norms to theories of mass atrocity and transitional justice. Paul is currently teaching the McGill Seminar in Philosophy, a...
Ask Professor Pedagogy: Encouraging Participation From All
Jun. 14, 2013—Ask Professor Pedagogy is a twice monthly advice column written by Center for Teaching staff. One aspect of our mission is to cultivate dialogue about teaching and learning, so we welcome questions and concerns that arise in the classroom; particularly those from Vanderbilt faculty, students, and staff. If you have a question that you’d like...
New Teaching Guide: Team-Based Learning
Jun. 10, 2013—Team-based learning is one version of a flipped classroom, which is supported by a 1998 study by Richard Hake. Hake gathered data on 2084 students in 14 introductory physics courses taught by traditional methods (defined by the instructor as relying primarily on passive student lectures and algorithmic problem exams), allowing him to define an average...
Reflecting On and Documenting Your Teaching Experiences
Jun. 8, 2013—Reflecting on Teaching: What? For Whom? Why? Often, the motivation to improve one’s teaching by revising practices or experimenting with new initiatives stems from reflection. This reflection often focuses on feedback received from others, such as student evaluations or peer reviews. Reflection further involves one’s own assessment of experiences, through self-observation and activities that foster...
HASTAC Scholars, an Opportunity for Graduate Students in the Digital Humanities (Deadline: July 1st)
Jun. 7, 2013—Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching, Center for Second Language Studies, Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy, and Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities invite applications from graduate students who would like to be 2013-2014 HASTAC Scholars. HASTAC (Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory) is a global network of individuals and institutions...
Make the Most of Your Course Preparation Time This Summer
Jun. 7, 2013—Summer time is here, and many faculty members have a break from their usual schedules, a chance to slow down a bit and start planning their fall courses. If you’ve got a breather, you may find this an opportune time to review and refresh your teaching plans and practices. The Center for Teaching is open...
Summer Reading Recommendations from CFT Staff
Jun. 4, 2013—by CFT Assistant Director Nancy Chick For many of us in academia, June brings relatively empty calendars and full reading lists. I love hearing what friends and colleagues are planning on reading during the summer and what they’d suggest for others’ lists, so I again asked my Center for Teaching colleagues for their recommendations. Last...
Ask Professor Pedagogy: Gender & Teaching
May. 31, 2013—Ask Professor Pedagogy is a twice monthly advice column written by Center for Teaching staff. One aspect of our mission is to cultivate dialogue about teaching and learning, so we welcome questions and concerns that arise in the classroom; particularly those from Vanderbilt faculty, students, and staff. If you have a question that you’d like...