Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Claire, Other use of the term student learning outcomes are what the student will achieve when all of the cumulative course objectives have been met. So, we have activities, that are part of a lesson, that are part of a daily objective, that are part of a course objective, that are part of a student learning outcome (SLO), that are part of a program learning outcome (PLO), that are part of a institutional learning outcome (ILO). It's a taxonomy of a learning hierarchy. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Selecting instructional media

Claire, Sometimes the good old days provide great memories! Really, there's no reason why the overhead can't be used still (unless they've all been removed from use). I've found as new technology evolves and is introduced, I often have top learn to adapt and find the way way to use it in my classes. Seems like there's always a learning curve to technology progress. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Organized and prepared to teach

Claire, Often, we have one chance to make a good first impression. That impression can be long lived if it is backed up with good solid preparation and readiness. Students benefit, and the class runs smoother when good organization has preceded it. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Being a student-centered instructor

Claire, Nice quotes, stories of sorts that help convey an idea succinctly. Caring is the first step towards effective student centered instruction. And when students see their instructor cares, they will be more open to accepting assignmenbts, doing their work, and performing better in class. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Reasons for evaluating students

Lisa, Evaluations can give grades, which is but one way to assess student knowledge. To be as objective as possible evaluating student knowledge is a fair and consistent method to detrmine recall and analysis of required content. Evaluation can also mean assessing other performance (and behavior) status. Attendance and punctuality, cooperation, class participation, these are among other ways to assess if students are getting it.I like to chat with each student to give frequent and regular status updates that gives a comprehensive overview of their standing. I think students like this and it helps inform them plus gives me a… >>>

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Informing students of status in course

Katherine, I agree and think grading criteria should be clearly staed and discussed at the outset. Next, the grading system should be accurate and fair. Also, balanced in such a way that no one category in of itself will doom a student (e.g., "the killer final exam"). More variety of assessment categories allows the most comprehensive method of of assessing student learning, in my opinion. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Awarding extra credit

Jim, I am in agreement. We want to base our instruction on learning outcomes. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Using pretests as planning tools

Katherine, It's true there are often students who are less than fully prepared who end up in a class. We may not have too much control over who is in our classes, but we surely can assess their prior knowledge in order to better plan how to "confront our challenges" realistically. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Mistakes made when selecting course content

Jim, Yes, and too much can be as little as 15-20 minutes worth of the same topic in one sitting. Most career classes tend to be longer, so it's important for instructors to keep in mind their audience. Variety, switch-ups, discussions, breaks, and physical activity (such as lab, if applicable) are examples. Barry Westling

Barry Westling

Discussion Comment

Goal of educating students

Joel, Great summary of the basic goals we can all aspire to impart! Barry Westling