Ever wondered how students’ prior knowledge (or misunderstandings) and the ways they organize new information impact their learning? Curious about what factors motivate students to learn? Want to know more about which types of practice and feedback actually enhance learning, or how you can help your students become self-directed learners?
Author: Carmen Larsen
Rethinking Assessment Practices
With the new semester beginning, many of us are thinking about how we will assess our students’ progress over the next 14 weeks. What information will we include on our midterms and final exams? What types of assignments and projects will we ask our students to complete? A recent Faculty Focus article suggests that this […]
A Brief History of Learning Outcomes (or is it learning objectives?)
Educational objectives, instructional objectives, behavioural objectives, teaching objectives, learning objectives, learning outcomes, subject-specific outcomes…no wonder there is so much confusion! Although some suggest that the terms learning objectives and learning outcomes are synonymous, when we look at the history of these terms, it’s clear that they are not. Joanna Allan’s (1996) article, Learning Outcomes in […]
Teaching Critical Thinking: Some Practical Points
In a recent Faculty Focus article, Linda B. Nilson discusses strategies to help students develop critical thinking skills. She lists a number of open-ended questions and teaching methods that instructors can use to encourage students to question, analyze and assess course content and their own arguments and ideas. Teaching Critical Thinking: Some Practical Points
Five Ways to Teach Students to Be Learning Centered, Too
As instructors, we put a lot of time and effort into ensuring our courses, lessons and assignments are learning-centred. But what about our students? How much do they think about and take charge of their own learning? Do they even know how? Carl S. Moore offers 5 suggestions on how to “inspire your students to […]
