Pedagogy

provide short activities that can break up a lecture engage students in activities that confront their prior understanding of a core concept. The activity can be a classroom experiment, a survey, a simulation or an analysis of secondary data.

to Teaching entails the use and integration of methods and analytical frameworks from more than one academic discipline to examine a theme, issue, question or topic.

are a flexible means of demonstrating learning as well as a method of exploring one’s thinking to stimulate learning, which is why the literature on writing instruction emphasizes both learning to write and writing to learn

are conceptual multiple-choice questions that focus on one key concept of an instructor’s learning goals for a lesson. When coupled with student interaction through peer instruction, Concept Tests represent a rapid method of formative assessment of student understanding.

allows students to “get their hands dirty” by working with real-world data. Spreadsheets make abstract or complex models accessible by providing concrete examples and allowing “what if” analyses.

combines two elements: the case itself and the discussion of that case. Teaching cases provide information, but neither analysis nor conclusions. The analytical work of explaining the relationships among events in the case, identifying options, evaluating choices and predicting the effects of actions is the work done by students during the classroom discussion.

is a class format in which professors provide a structured, guided context for students working collaboratively to solve problems.

allows students to visualize probability distributions, which in turn can make the processes associated with probability more concrete.

provides educators with a better understanding of what students are learning and engages students more deeply in the process of learning content.

Campus-Based Learning uses the campus environment itself as a teaching tool.

Investigative Case-Based Learning involves students in addressing real world problems

engages students with numbers by asking them to analyze and use quantitative data in written reports and arguments.

Role Playing immerses students in debate around Earth science issues.