OSU Center for Teaching and Learning

Blended learning is a prominent feature of the teaching and learning landscape at Oregon State University. Since 2012 when OSU established the hybrid course schedule type, Corvallis campus hybrid courses have enrolled more than 42,000 students. The number of hybrid course sections has grown by more than 20% every year.

The Center for Teaching and Learning has issued a Call for Proposals for the Winter 2020 Hybrid Faculty Learning Community. This program supports faculty in the redesign of Corvallis campus courses as hybrid courses that integrate classroom meetings with online learning activities.

The learning community has a hybrid format and offers professional development funding to participants. Space is limited; apply by Mon., Nov. 25, 2019.

SPS 2019 Fall Colloquium – Regan Gurung, SPS Professor & Interim Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning

What are the best ways to predict learning? How can you increase learning in large classes? In this overview of research on teaching and learning, Dr. Gurung will share some key predictors of learning, outline important needs for research on teaching and learning, and highlight some educational best practices.

This talk is organized by the School of Psychological Science, and is one in a series of exciting talks by faculty, students, affiliates, and guests of the School of Psychological Science at OSU. These colloquia offer an informal venue to discuss completed and ongoing research of broad interest.

Free & open to all OSU researchers.
Accommodations for disabilities can be made by contacting one of the
colloquium organizers listed HERE

Lesson Planning Matters: Learning Points from Tuesday Teaching Talk

“Teaching in a university classroom requires preparation and a redirection of focus. The teaching is not about us; it’s about the students” (Hara, 2010).

I recently facilitated my first Tuesday Teaching Talk to a cross-section of esteemed OSU faculty. If you missed it, this blogpost summarizes the key points covered. The focus of the talk was Lesson Planning and Reflection. The key learning points included the following:

• Lesson planning framework in a university context;
• Constructing S M A R T and S M A R T ER students learning objectives (SLOs) to guide student learning;
• Developing a direct instruction lesson plan to maximize student learning.

Framework for Lesson Planning in a University Context: Although lesson planning is a term that is commonly associated with K-12 education, the concept is relevant to the university context when it is defined as a pedagogical practice of designing a single class or two classes on the same topic within a course. Working from a lesson plan helps university teachers to:

• Focus teaching on student learning;
• Keep student learning objectives/outcomes at the forefront of instruction;
• Maximize academic learning time.

The concept of time which encompasses allocated time, time on task and academic learning time exemplifies a powerful rationale for lesson planning. In order to increase academic learning time, university teachers must be intentional with lesson planning.

Wiggins and McTighe’s (2005) Backward Design informed the framework for lesson planning as shown below:

• What should the students know, understand and be able to do (KUDs) to show that they have attained the student learning objectives (SLOs) of today’s class?
• Through what means (formative assessment) will students demonstrate the attainment of the SLOs?
• What learning experiences (instructional activities) will enable students to attain the SLOs?

Constructing S M A R T and S M A R T ER SLOs: SLOs are specific, behavioral statements of the intended outcome (s) of a particular learning experience (Richmond, Boysen & Gurung, 2016). SLOs must be aligned backward to reflect institutional, program and course goals, and delivered forward to meet these goals. Additionally, SLOs must be written in a decisive way to guide lesson planning and support student learning; they must be S M A R T:

• Specific/Student-oriented
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound (Cline, 2012).

S M AR T attributes are basic writing conditions. In order to make SLOs specific, measurable and results-oriented and therefore, SMARTER, they must be aligned with the cognitive levels and the knowledge dimensions in the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy as represented in Table 1 below:

Table: 1.2 colorized version from original by Anderson, L. W. and Krathwohl, D. R., et al. (Eds.) 2001.

The following example illustrates how to blend Bloom’s cognitive level and the dimensions of knowledge to write SMARTER SLOs https://bit.ly/32UR7NH.The discussion of SLOs provides a groundwork for the third learning point: planning a lesson.

Developing a Direct Instruction lesson plan: There are different types of lesson plans. I elaborated on the direct instruction lesson plan. The behaviors incorporated into direct instruction are designed to create a structured learning environment where students are actively engaged and are experiencing a high rate of success (Joyce, Weil & Calhoun, 2004). The behaviors are as follows:

• Pre-planning Reflection: Diagnostic planning
• Lesson opening
• Design Process: Flow/Body of the lesson
• Close/Consolidate
• Reflection Go to https://bit.ly/32UR7NH

The following diagrams illustrate the processes of two direct instruction approaches:

Diagram 1: Gradual Release of Responsibility

Diagram 2: Play, Pause, Repeat Strategy

Diagram 2 forces the question, what kinds of formative assessment techniques should university teachers implement during the strategic breaks between the iterations of instructional input? Go to https://bit.ly/32UR7NH for more information.

If you would like a modified University-level lesson Plan template to use as a working document for crafting lesson plans for their classes, go to Plan a Lesson Plan Template for more information.

References

Anderson, L. W., and Krathwohl, D. R., et al (Eds.) (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York: Longman.

Cline, J. (2012). Creating successful learning objectives. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_woMKwBxhwU

Dutill, J. & Wheler, M. (2017, October 23,). Pause, Play, Repeat: Using Pause Procedure in Online Microlectures. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/pause-play-repeat-using-pause-procedure-online-microlectures/

Hara, B. (2010, January 7). Lesson planning for the university classroom. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/lesson-planning-for-the-university-classroom/22899

Fisher, D. and Frey, N. (2010). Guided Instruction: How to develop confident and successful learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2004). Models of teaching (7^th edition.). Boston: Pearson.

Richmond, A. S., Boysen, G. A., and Gurung, R. A. R (2016). An evidence-based guide to college and university teaching: Developing the model teacher. New York: Routledge.

Funmi Amobi is an instructional consultant and College Liaison in Oregon State University’s Center for Teaching and Learning. Funmi provides consultations to faculty in individual and small group settings to support teaching excellence and student success. Funmi holds a doctorate degree in secondary education with major emphasis in curriculum and instruction from Arizona State University. As a reflective practitioner, she is a life-long student of the scholarship of teaching and learning. To schedule a Sparkshop call Funmi @ 541 737 1338 or email: Funmi.Amobi@OregonState.edu

Congratulations to the Oregon State University Center for Teaching and Learning on earning the bronze-level Green Office Certification!

Some highlights from their results include:

• Reusable kitchenware and silverware for employees to use.
• Utilizing OSU Surplus to find and dispose of furniture and office supplies.
• Signage around the office encouraging water conservation and waste reduction.

About the Certification:

The Green Office Certification is a simple yet effective way for OSU faculty and staff to further their sustainability efforts and get recognition for their work. It is also intended to provide new ideas for easy steps your office can take to reduce your environmental footprint and carbon emissions.

It takes the shape of an online Qualtrics survey that assesses current office practices under five categories: Utilities, Waste Management, Office Purchasing, Transportation and Travel, and Outreach, Engagement, and Professional Development.

Possible Certification Levels:

• Bronze (50-59%)
• Silver (60-69%)
• Gold (70-79%)
• Platinum (80+%)

Those interested in learning more or completing the Green Office Certification can reach out to sustainability@oregonstate.edu.

This blog captures the discussion of the thinking and instructional practices of outstanding teachers in the introduction to Ken Bain’s (2004) book, What the best college teachers do.

“Great teachers emerge, they touch the lives of their students, and perhaps only through some of those students do they have any influence on the broad act of teaching. For the most part, their insights die with them….” (p. 3).

Are great teachers born or made? Bain studied sixty-three of the best college teachers in the United States to capture and document their thinking and evidenced-based instructional practices in order to address the question that other teachers might ask, specifically: How did they do it?

The definition of excellence in teaching derived from the instructional practices of these outstanding teachers affirmed that they attained significant success in facilitating their students’ learning. Specifically, they made lasting, sustained and positive impact on how “students think, act, and feel” (p. 5). Furthermore, the professors selected for the study had to meet two critical tests. First, they had to show irrefutable evidence that students were greatly satisfied with their teaching to the point that they were inspired to continue to learn long after the class was over. Second, they had to demonstrate that what students learned was derived from learning objectives which were adjudged to be valuable and substantial by scholars in the discipline or field of study.

The evidence of sustained and deep learning was not predicated on seemingly favorable students’ comments related to their success in accomplishing the work required in a course. Rather, the evidence was extrapolated from comments that pointed to how the learning experiences that students encountered in a course stimulated their ability to develop multiple perspectives and metacognitive skills.

Bain (2004) delineated six general patterns which characterized the thinking and instructional practices of the best college teachers included in the study. The following conclusions emerged from the six questions posed to the teachers:

1. What do the best teachers know and understand? The best college teachers have extremely deep knowledge and understanding of their teaching subjects. This should come as no surprise since people are not likely to become outstanding teachers unless they are well-versed in what they teach. However, having deep knowledge of the subject and possessing the capacity to clarify deep concepts, break them down, and simplify them to students is a separate matter. The best college teachers have extraordinary capability to facilitate student learning and understanding of the deep, foundational and overarching concepts and principles that encompass their disciplines.
2. How do they prepare to teach? The best college teachers consider their teaching a serious intellectual pursuit that is equally as important as their research and scholarship. When the outstanding teachers selected for the study were asked to describe what they asked themselves when they prepared to teach, their responses did not follow the usual teacher-centered patterns related to what they will teach or how they will test. The questions that the best college teachers asked themselves focused on student learning objectives rather than what the teacher will teach or do.
3. What do they expect of their students?  The best college teachers expect more from their students, not in terms of imposing busy work that do not produce lasting impact on student learning. Instead, they focus student learning on authentic, real-life learning objectives.
4. What do they do when they teach? The best college teachers create a lively learning environment, what Bain (2004) called a “natural critical learning environment” where students encounter problems and real-life tasks which challenge them to deal with abstract ideas and force them to reconsider their assumptions and their perspectives on reality. Consequently, they create learning environments where students receive formative feedback to improve their learning, have frequent opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers, and are empowered to own their own learning.
5. How do they treat students? The best college teachers tend to have positive perceptions of students. They hold a belief that students want to learn and that all students can learn. Furthermore, these outstanding teachers evince openness in their classroom interactions with students. They often communicate with students about the successes and failures of their own academic journey therefore, creating an environment for students to be introspective about their learning.
6. How do they check their progress and evaluate their efforts? The best college teachers use an orderly approach to assess their own teaching and make requisite adjustments on a consistent basis. With outstanding teachers, evaluation of student work serves a dual purpose: to assess student attainment of specified learning objectives, and to gather feedback on the effectiveness of their own teaching actions.

Bain (2004) did not leave the reader with the impression that the outstanding teachers featured in the study are superheroes or that they are above any forms of lapses in judgement and performance in their teaching. Rather, he stated emphatically, “Nobody is perfect” (p. 19). The best college teachers do have bad days, and they do experience failures and frustration in their efforts to reach students. However, they do not engage in the practice of blaming their teaching challenges on students. Outstanding teachers use those challenges as fodder for reflection on their teaching.

Finally, Bain enjoined other teachers to use the thinking and instruction practices documented in the book to engage in continuing critical reflection on their teaching. Also, he reiterated that  college teachers need to deem their teaching as valuable intellectual work that can be improved by observation, critical analysis, reflective conversations with colleagues, and by peer critiques because “good teaching can be learned” (p. 21).

Reference

Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Funmi Amobi is an instructional consultant and College Liaison in Oregon State University’s Center for Teaching and Learning. Funmi provides consultations to faculty in individual and small group settings to support teaching excellence and student success. Funmi holds a doctorate degree in secondary education with major emphasis in curriculum and instruction from Arizona State University.  As a reflective practitioner, she is a life-long student of the scholarship of teaching and learning.

OSU’s Center for Teaching and Learning has kicked off it’s Fall 2019 Tuesday Teaching Talks with Tech (T4). T4 are teaching workshops that support the development of knowledge and skills in the planning of curriculum; facilitation of instruction; and assessment of learning.

Teaching philosophies provide instructors with a core to guide course design and pedagogical practices. Teaching philosophies reflect personal values and beliefs about teaching, and are self-reflective statements that describes both what you believe and provides concrete examples of what you do in the classroom to support those beliefs. The CTL T4 provided an overview of this important component of being an instructor.

The first T4 was a great kick off for the term! We had a little over 50 participants, including online participation. Participants learned about key components of teaching portfolios and philosophies and received resources and support to begin creating their own drafts/sites. A big topic of conversation that surfaced in both sessions was around the purpose of both (philosophies and portfolios) for the advancement of teaching and learning. We also discussed what OSU is doing to push for the use of these tools.

Check out the full line-up of talks here:https://ctl.oregonstate.edu/tuesday-teaching-tech-talks.

At the OSU CTL we are committed to creating and sustaining a culture of teaching excellence. We are always thrilled to see how different colleges and units on campus celebrate the hard work that goes into classroom and online instruction. Just recently, CLA shone the spotlight on teaching in their College.  We join them in cheering on the Teaching Award winners in particular.  If you celebrate teaching in your college, let us know so we can share the accolades with a broader audience.

The Thomas R. Meehan Excellence in Teaching Award–Recognizes outstanding contributions to undergraduate teaching in the College of Liberal Arts. This honor is made possible by Thomas and Margaret Meehan and carries a $3,500 award.

Sharyn Clough, Professor in the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion. Shari’s tireless dedication to innovative teaching and her passion for engaging students both within and outside of the classroom make her a truly exceptional teacher.Shari’s dedication to undergraduate education at OSU extends from her work with Philosophy majors and minors to teaching students in the University Honors College and across the university. Whether in upper-division Philosophy courses, Honors College courses and seminars, or in Bacc Core courses, Shari energetically adapts her teaching to suite her diverse audiences.Shari’s course syllabi reflect her dynamism, being updated frequently to reflect innovations and developments in the field and new and emergent pedagogical models. She creates an inviting, inclusive classroom, the successof which is evident in the great range of gender, cultural, and ethnic diversity among her students.Shari has consistently demonstrated profound dedication and innovation in her teaching, both inside and outside of the classroom, throughout her career at OSU.

The Isabelle Brock Memorial Outstanding Instructor Award–Recognizes exceptional contributions by a CLA Instructor through teaching and mentoring students.

Ameer Almuaybid, Instructor in the School of Psychological Science. Ameer’s dedication to student success has led to phenomenal opportunities and outcomes for students. A lotof students. Since starting as a full-time instructor in Fall 2016, Ameer has taught 5,342 students in 26 sections. Ameer mostly teaches General Psychology, a Bacc Core class that is also required for the Psychology major. These courses can be challenging because of the course size; up to 395 students per section.As part of a new effort to create a greater sense of belonging and engagement for Psychology majors, in addition to his teaching duties, Ameer piloted a new Psychology careers class to welcome new majors, including first term students and transfer students. Ameer found an outstanding lineup of employers to present in class, with some students actually hired straight out of the careers class.Ameer also launched a new Psychology club open to any student interested in Psychology. The club regularly draws over 100 students to meetings. Ameer and the team of club officers created career nights, field trips, and service learning projects with campus partners in Career Services, Psi Chi (the International Honor Society in Psychology), and CAPS.

Cheers to Shari and Ameer!!

“Each of us can contribute to the university’s student success initiative…share with students that you are here to help their success and help them succeed. Or attend one of the Tuesday Tech Talks put on by the Center for Teaching and Learning.” – President Ed Ray, Oregon State University. From his address to the campus community on University Day [Around Minute 8]

https://media.oregonstate.edu/media/t/0_b8k9dbx7?st=504&ed=9