Enhancing the Classroom Experience

Last month, I spoke to a group of our faculty about using Facebook for teaching. You can view my class page here, which contains posts relevant to my topic. Students can earn participation points for posting in my classes, and many remain “fans” of the page long after the course is over.

I’ll be speaking in late October at MSU about the “Flipped Classroom“, in which the traditional lecture model is abandoned in favor of hands-on learning. Rather than using class time for lecture, students come to class having completed pre-class activities (the reverse of homework). Class time becomes available for students to work collaboratively or independently on projects, with the instructors providing help as needed.

Finally, I’m assisting with several faculty efforts developing new courses using the backward design model. Instructors interested in this topic might want to review the following books:

Creating Significant Learning Experiences, by L. Dee Fink

Understanding by Design, by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe