Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Roberta, Great! When we respond to our students and classes this way, the outcomes students will achieve are just going to be better than if we did not employ the methods. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Being a student-centered instructor

Karen, Terrific! Student centered instructors do exactly these kinds of things, and as the name implies, the instructor is centered on student achivement, whether that is individual or group oriented. In short, we take what we want the student to learn and present it in a way they can understand. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Informing students of status in course

Steve, Sure, if instructors can identify lower performing students early on, those students will have a better chance of making necessary corrections as the course progresses. Also, poor study habits or suggestions for where and what to focus on that come from the instructor can be a strong influence to achieve better student outcomes. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Selecting instructional media

Steve, Many students enjoy and actually learn better when multimedia and technology resources are used. I think the main thing is to insure lots of variety so students don't get bogged down with too much of the same delivery methods. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Informing students of status in course

Arthur, In a sense, if instruction follows a well written syllabus, and student learning is being measured regularly, there would never be "a surprise". But the reality is students do benefit from knowing their status, receiving advice and suggestions from their instructor, and discussed with care and encouragement. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Organized and prepared to teach

Steve, Awesome! That's the hope every instructor ought to have. With good preparation and an abundance of enthusiasm, students should be the recipients of an interesting and informative class session each time class meets. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Informing students of status in course

Linda, Sure, like most people, when we know our status, how our performance is measuring up, and what suggested improvements are needed, we are more inclined to take the instructors advice and work towards successfulness in the course. Without such information the student is more likely to flounder and miss out on the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Awarding extra credit

Melissa, I know this practice as "bundled questions". Usually essay in nature, a given essay question may have, say, 4 points, but only 3 are counted. In this process, an entire exam may have a total of 220 points, but a score of 200 points would earn a student an "A". In this example, the student is being given the opportunity to potentially earn 20 bonus points. The benefit is a student is being prompted to share how much of a question topic they have learned. In the sense we want to measure learning there is merit in the process… >>>

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Role of instructor personality in delivery selection

Melissa, Thinking ahead is part of good planning. Being able to seamlessly move from topic to topic with all materials, notes, and information conveys that the instructor is ready, has taken time and effort to deliver a solid lesson, and is serious about the importance of the students education. And when this is delivered in an interesting and enjoyable manner, it goes far in building trust and respect among the students towards their instructor. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Using a teaching journal

Linda, Journaling can be helpful as a self reflecting aid that many instructors find useful, especially if noted immediately after each class session. Barry Westling