PSCI 6400

Political Science 6950 (15440)

Teaching Excellence

Professor Sybil Rhodes

Office: 3416 Friedmann Hall

Office phone: 387-5700

Office hours: Mondays 2-4 pm; Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 pm; Wednesdays 1-3 pm

Course description

This course introduces advanced graduate students and teaching assistants to ideas, information, and methods that are innovative and encourages them to approach teaching in a way that goes beyond the traditional lecture format. Critical thinking exercises, group projects, project-oriented learning, portfolio learning, computer-aided instruction, and computer simulations are possible topics. Recent research on the nature of the learning process, both among late adolescents and adults, will also be included. Graded on a Credit/No Credit basis. Prerequisite: PSCI 694.

Required participation

To receive credit, students must attend class regularly (more than one absence may place the final credit in jeopardy), contribute to class discussions, demonstrate that they have completed the assigned readings, and turn in all assignments on time.

Required articles and books

Most of the required articles listed in the course schedule are available free online. I will post the syllabus on my website and provide direct links to these. The articles that are not on the open web are available free to WMU students via the university’s electronic database subscriptions. The two books listed below (one required, and one recommended) have been placed on order at the WMU bookstore and on reserve at Waldo Library. If you need it, the password for our course reserve is “Teaching Excellence.”

Required:

Brinkley, Alan. The Chicago Handbook for Teachers: A Practical Guide to the College Classroom.

Recommended:

McKeachie, Wilbert. Mckeachie's Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers.

Assignments (Link to guidelines)

Oral assignments

A practice lecture (introduction only) (5-7 minutes)

A presentation of an in-class group exercise or simulation that you have invented (5-7 minutes)

A presentation about the use of technology in the classroom (5-7 minutes)

Written assignments

Guidelines for a writing assignment

An exam study guide that includes an explanation of grading criteria for exams

Feedback on a fellow student’s writing assignment guidelines

Course schedule

Week One – Jan. 10th

Introducing your own course

Examples of teaching excellence

Week Two – Jan.17th

Cooperative teaching

Being a TA; teaching your own course

Practice lectures

Reading:

1. Brinkley, Introduction, Chapter 8

2. Waismel-Manor, Israel and Daniel Sherman, “TA Education,” Inside Higher Ed, May 17, 2005. http://www.insidehighered.com/workplace/2005/05/17/sherman

Week Three – Jan. 24th

What to teach?

Course planning; effective syllabi

Practice lectures

Reading:

1. Brinkey, Chapters 1 and 2

2. Chronicle article about copyright issues in course materials: http://chronicle.com/media/audio/v54/i17/techtherapy/

Week Four – Jan. 31st

Lecturing

Organizing material, speaking styles, incorporating videos, clickers, and other technologies

Practice lectures

Reading:

1. Brinkley, Chapter 4

2. Article and video about how to teach the moebius strip:

http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2624/mathematics-professors-video-about-moebius-transformations-is-a-youtube-hit?at

3. NYT article about MIT physics professor with links to his video lectures (watch a few minutes of at least one of them:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/education/19physics.html

4. Guardian article about the use and misuse of Powerpoint:

http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/comment/story/0,,2027064,00.html

5. Online lectures at the Woodrow Wilson school (watch a few minutes of at least one of them):

http://uc.princeton.edu/main/

Week Five – Feb. 7th

Leading discussions

Practice lectures

Reading:

1. Brinkley, Chapter 3

2. Blog discussion on “Getting students to speak:”

http://crookedtimber.org/2007/09/25/getting-students-to-speak/#comments

Week Six – Feb. 14th

Assignments: active learning

Group projects and simulations.

Simulation presentations

Reading:

1. Cartoon of the week: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/teachable_moments/cartoon1130

2. Berkeley teaching compendium on interesting assignments:

http://teaching.berkeley.edu/compendium/sectionlists/sect21.html

3. Switky, Bob. 2004. “Party Strategies and Electoral Systems: Simulating Coalition Goverments.” PS (Jan.)

Week Seven – Feb.21st

Assignments: student writing

Academic honesty and plagiarism

Simulation presentations

Assignment due: writing assignment guidelines

Distribute writing assignment guidelines for feedback assignment.

Reading:

1. Brinkley, Chapter 5

2. Chronicle article about use of resources for student work

http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2601/for-students-its-about-courses-not-subjects?at

3. Woessner, Matthew C. 2004. “Beating the House: How Inadequate Penalties for Cheating Make Plagiarism an Excellent Gamble.” PS (Apr.)

4. Bob, Clifford. 2001. “A Question and an Argument: Enhancing Student Writing Through Guided Research Assignments.” PS (Sep.)

Week Eight – Feb. 28th

Exams and grading

Issues of clarity and fairness

Assignment due: exam study guide

Simulation presentations

Assignments due: exam study guidelines and feedback assignment

Reading:
1. Brinkley, Chapter 6

2. Dean Dad,”What kind of grader are you?” Inside Higher Ed, Nov 11, 2007

http://www.insidehighered.com/views/blogs/confessions_of_a_community_college_dean/what_kind_of_grader_are_you

3. Berkeley teaching compendium on exams:

http://teaching.berkeley.edu/compendium/sectionlists/sect22.html

Spring Break – week of March 6th

Week Nine – March 13th

Distance and online teaching

This class will be held at the Instructional Technology Center (387-4357).*

*This class may need to be shifted to a different week, depending on the schedules of the ITC staff. If the change is necessary, it will be announced in class.

Reading/preparation:

WebCT/Blackboard tutorial (details to be provided)

Week Ten – March 20th

Teaching evaluations and building your teaching portfolio

Diversity and other classroom issues

Simulation Presentations

Reading:

1. Brinkley, Chapters 7, 9, and Afterword

Week Eleven – March 27th

Diversity and other classroom issues, continued

Technology presentations

Reading:
1. “Reframing the debate about what professors say”

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/09/11/aaup

2. Kellu-Woessner, April and Matthew C. Woessner. 2006. “My Professor Is a Partisan Hack: How Perceptions of a Professor's Political Views Affect Student Course Evaluations.”PS: Political Science & Politics. 39(3): 495-501.

3. December 1998 forum in PS on advocacy in the classroom (available through regular databases and also via the APSA website: http://www.apsanet.org/content_12734.cfm )

Week Twelve – April 3rd

Incorporating new technologies in the classroom

Technology presentations

Reading:

1. Brinkley, Chapter 10
2. “Students’ ‘evolving’ use of technology”

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/09/17/it

3. “The redistricting game” (an online simulation):

http://redistrictinggame.org/index.php?pg=game

Week Thirteen – April 10th

Teaching outside the classroom

Recommendation letters, honors theses, individual work, and office hours

Technology presentations