Building a Teaching System - 4: Defining a Pattern in PedagogyAt CU-Denver we use a 60-item formative survey which includes 40 items (see back of this page and Figure 1) that focus on conveyance of content, clarity and organization, grading, student involvement, rapport and communication. An additional 20 items help diagnose the workings of collaborative and cooperative groups in classes that use them. The entire survey takes about twenty minutes of class time to complete. The returns are an excellent profile of our pedagogical pattern and incredibly useful insights about how to make specific changes that produce desired results. To request a formative survey, simply contact Ed Nuhfer through the phone or e-mail given on the masthead above. As point of information, deans, chairs, etc. cannot "invite" this form into a professor's class. Only the professor can invite it in, and the results are shared only with the professor. Try it! You'll like it!  Figure 1. Graphic output of mean scores on UCD's formative survey. The pattern of the graph reflects our pedagogical pattern through teaching traits we employ. Ratings on bundles of items that apply to a particular theme are more important than ratings on any single item. See back of this page for actual survey items. SURVEY of CLASSROOM SKILLS (1992, modified & used with permission of Center for Research & Development in Higher Ed., U of CA, Berkeley) The items result from research on traits confirmed to be good teaching practices. The higher the number on the graph (reverse side), the stronger the employment of a given teaching practice. All paper surveys can generate bad data unless students are given instructions how to avoid the pitfalls. It is important that the data result from specific issues rather than general feelings, so students must be instructed to answer each question for the specific content it requests rather from their general feelings about the faculty member, the content, the classroom setting or anything not related to the topic of the question. Students must be instructed to leave any item blank which they don't have first-hand information about. Unless such cautions are given, students will feel obligated to guess, and in some cases guesses can overwhelm true knowledge. An example is question 29. Research shows that only about 10% of students seek individual help, so only 10% know about this item. When students guess, the 90% who don't know about availability overwhelm the small percent who do know, and thereby two vastly different types of service to students can get the same rating. When students are informed about pitfalls of paper surveys, reliability of results shows dramatic improvement. Space for written suggestions for improvement are also provided on the form, so information comes from more than simply the items provided. The results of this survey are confidential and are a good basis for consultation between the instructor and a member of the CU - Denver Office of Teaching Effectiveness. Research shows that formative evaluation followed by consultation leads to changes that result in great gains in overall student evaluations. Please use the following scale for your response to each question Very descriptive Somewhat descriptive Not at all descriptive (5) (4) (3) (2) (1) 1. Discusses points of view other than his or her own. 2. Contrasts implications of theories. 3. Discusses recent developments in the field. 4 Gives references for more interesting and involved points 5. Generalizes from examples and specific instances 6. Uses examples and illustrations. 7. Stresses general concepts and ideas. 8. Is well prepared. 9. Explains clearly. 10. Gives lectures that are easy to outline (or provides prepared notes that adequately serve this same purpose). 11. States objectives of each class session. 12. Summarizes to emphasize major points. 13. Is able to clarify or improvise in awkward communication situations. 14. Makes a few major points during lecture rather than many. 15. Appears to know if class is understanding him/her or not. 16. Appears to know when students are bored. 17. Uses a variety of instructional media/resources (films, slides, overheads, guest speakers, etc.). 18. Uses a variety of teaching methods besides lectures (demonstrations, field trips, writing, group work, etc.). 19. Identifies what he or she considers important for purposes of testing. 20. Uses exams effectively for synthesis and understanding of course material. 21. Is fair and impartial in grading exams, quizzes, etc. 22. Keeps students informed of their progress. 23. Has students apply concepts to demonstrate understanding. 24. Encourages class discussion/participation. 25. Invites students to share their knowledge and experiences. 26. Invites questions, discussion or criticism about ideas presented in lecture. 27. Is able to accommodate and relate to students as individuals. 28. Asks questions of students. 29. Is accessible to students outside of class. 30. Has genuine interest in students. 31. Gives personal help to students having difficulty in the course. 32. Has a concern for the quality of teaching and learning. 33. Encourages/motivates students to challenge themselves to do high quality work. 34. Has an interesting style of presentation. 35. Gives interesting and stimulating assignments. 36. Uses a range of gestures and movement. 37. Has a sense of humor. 38. Appears confident. 39. Varies the speed and tone of voice. 40. Is enthusiastic. |
