First 3 Weeks

One of the main goals of this academic blog is to provide colleagues with research on teaching. Although most academics agree that we should support our pedagogy with research, few of us have time to review the current scholarship. Another goal is to offer timely research, i.e., articles that you could apply to your teaching today, this week/month. So, with that in mind, I would like to share a SoTL website from the University of Nebraska that shares “101 Things You Can Do in the First Three Weeks of Class.”

The website notes that the “rationale is based on:

to direct students' attention to the immediate situation for learning;
to spark intellectual curiosity--to challenge students;;
to encourage the students' active involvement; and
to build a sense of community in the classroom."

[Modified] 20 Highlights from the list include:

Hit the ground running on the first day with substantial content and offer an assignment.
Share how much time students need to give to this course to be successful.
Provide sample assignments and clear expectations for performance.
Ask students to write about what important things are currently going on in their lives.
Offer a pre-assessment to diagnose conceptual gaps.
Start each class with a puzzle, question, paradox, picture, or cartoon.
Elicit student questions at the beginning of the class and list these on the board.
Ask students to write down what they think the important issues are for the day.
Have students write out their expectations for the course.
Use variety in active teaching methods.
Share [and follow] your philosophy of teaching.
Form a student panel to provide feedback on instruction.
Share your current research interests and why the topics interest you.
Ask students what books they read over summer.
Let your students see the enthusiasm you have for your subject.
Allow students to demonstrate progress in learning.
Use non-graded feedback to let students know how they are doing.
Give visible structure by posting the day's outcomes on board.
Make collaborative assignments for students to work on together.
Assign a team project early in the semester and provide time to assemble the team.

In addition, CMU CTL offers a set of eight concrete objectives:

Orchestrate positive first impressions
Introduce yourself effectively
Clarify learning outcomes and expectations
Help students learn about each other
Set the tone for the course
Collect baseline data on students' knowledge and motivation
Whet students' appetite for course content
Inform students of course requirements

BTW, if you would like to reflect on the prior five years of SoTL Articles, these can be found at https://jacehargis.wixsite.com/jace/blog.

References

Anderson, D., McGuire, F. & Cory, L. (2011). The First Day: It Happens Only Once. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(3), 295-300.

McKeachie, W. et. al. (2002). Teaching Tips. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

van Merrienboer, J. & Sweller, J. (2005). Cognitive load theory and complex learning: Recent developments and future directions. Educational Psychology Review, 17(2), 147-177.