Session on Classroom management, Tuesday, 4 th November, 2009

E.B. Session on Classroom management, Tuesday, 4th November, 2009 Prof. E.B. Sonaiya Prof. B.E. Antia

Outline of topics for session – E.B. • Ecological relevance of course/study programme • Organizing my course: outline, study pack, technology • Managing the large class: distance learning methods in face-to-face teaching • Student assessment of teaching

Objectives E.B. • To gain familiarity with some best practices in course planning, delivery and evaluation • To evolve mechanisms for operationalising lessons learnt • To contribute to improving the quality of the teaching and learning experience

B.E. Topic 1: Ecological relevance of course/study programme Case studies: Millennium Development Goals and Enterpreneurship

For Georg Forster award: The research proposal must address issues of significant relevance to the future development of your country of origin and, in this context, promise to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and methods to developing and threshold countries. Problem • Students’ difficulties completing forms • Unsuccessful outcome of applications on grounds of social relevance • Limited knowledge of market value of training • Little appreciation of system linkages, interdisciplinary work • How well does this reflect on us as teachers and mentors? The Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program offers advanced study opportunities to leaders who work for social change Successful candidates will: - Propose to pursue a post-baccalaureate degree that will directly enhance their leadership capacity in a practical, policy, academic, or artistic discipline or field - Present a plan specifying how they will apply their studies to social problems or issues in their own countries

Motivation for linking curriculum to big issues: MDGs, entrepreneurship • Fostering a relevance-probing mindset • Enhancing competitiveness of applications • Enhancing the market solvency of graduates • Whetting appetite of would-be students • Fostering team-work across disciplines

E.B. Presentation on MDGs Prof. E.B. Sonaiya (see his slides)

Presentation on Entrepreneurship Mr. Michael Magaji, Kaduna Business School (see his slides)

Breakaway session Group work on MDGs and Entrepreneurship

Topic 2: Organizing my course: outline, study pack and technology Prof. Bassey Antia

Problem: Power • Background: • power: ‘ability to control behaviors surrounding life events, the freedom to make informed choices with the authority to act on them, and the conviction to realize those choices’ (Rinehart 1991: 3) • In the overarching sense of control, power ‘becomes a dirty word only when it is used to disempower others and to create situations in which others must necessarily lose’ (Cuming 1981: 2, cited by Rinehart (1991: 6) • The non-beneficial deployment of professional power in service settings (e.g. health care) & typology of power • (Hypo)thesis: We as teachers wield much too much power to be effective

Case study: course outline • Some models: • The verbal announcement • The brief description: • In this course we will see the relationship between Man and Environment, with particular attention on the Lake Nyos region • The topic listing (no references, references not ascertained to be within reach of students, no indication of specific pages or chapters): • Course XYZ (3 units). 1st Semester 1954/1955 session. • Approaches to the problems of environmental management • Principles of the Environment • Man’s role in environmental modification • Pollution problems and strategies for assessing and confronting man-induced environmental hazards

Critique • To what extent does outline: • enable students know study outcomes, what they should know and be able to do after taking the course? • make it difficult for learners to assess if, for a given topic, lecturer has taught, in depth and in scope, what should have been taught/is expected to have been taught? • motivate the learners or whet their appetite? • empower the student for independent study? • understand the disciplinary or broad ecological relevance of the course? • know (e.g. through model test questions) the logic or thought patterns associated with the course (or a topic thereof)? • help the lecturer, who for whatever reason, could not adequately prepare their material prior to class presentation as they would otherwise normally do?

Critique • serve as check on class time being used for a discussion of non-relevant personal biographies? • facilitate collaborative/joint teaching and examining? • Prof. Sonaiya will present DL samples …

Norway How about a course guide … • Preceded by a letter to students: • Dear Student, Thank you for signing up for …, importance/ecological relevance, what you should know and be able to do…, number of tests/assignments, week when to be taken/due, contact …, resources • and detailed all empowering description • Week/lecture 1: Topic, brief description, what you will learn and be able to do (even post-graduation), sample test questions on the topic, expected (logic in) answer and marking scheme, references, … • Week/lecture 2: Topic, brief description, what you will learn and be able to do (even post-graduation), sample test questions on the topic, expected (logic in) answer and marking scheme, references, … • Week/lecture 4: Assignment

Too much work? • Of course! • Chances of success are higher in negotiations (e.g. over increased staffing) with managers are enhanced with evidence of a good performance orientation • Norwegian experience

Topic 3: Technology and the study pack Bassey Antia

BREAKOUT SESSION • Provide a detailed outline for a 3 unit course for the first week. • Identify the: • relevance of the course – objective and real-life application • Learning outcomes (skill, knowledge, etc.) • Sample questions (and marking scheme) • Grading scheme – A, B, C, etc.

Session on Classroom management, Tuesday, 4 th November, 2009