Teaching and Learning Forum

1. School of Agricultural and Resource Economics Teaching and Learning Forum 15 November 2013

2. Forum Objectives • Exchange teaching experiences amongst SARE staff • Discuss what teaching techniques work well, and what does not work well • Draw generic lessons and draft guidelines for SARE staff Program: • Three 10-minute presentations: teaching first year students (JF), block teaching (AM), new technologies and learning from high scoring units (MK) • Discussion on T&L issues • Review of key lessons

3. Large class teaching reflections and changes November 2013

4. An introduction to first year teaching

5. A recap on first year teaching • An academic that cares • Formative assessment structure • Options to miss an assessment • Student don’t follow through on requests • High demand on staff • Lots of student support options • Student review of teaching • Screen recordings are effective (Coursera)

6. Equitable treatment of students Group sample size: 36 – 58 Common assessment v Tutor assessment

7. Equitable treatment of students Group sample size: 36 – 58 Common assessment v Tutor assessment Table1. Mean mark by tutor (percentage)

8. Equitable treatment of students Group sample size: 36 – 58 Common assessment v Tutor assessment Table1. Mean mark by tutor (percentage)

9. Lessons from first year teaching • Weekly email communication • Formative and summative assessment • No avoiding time consuming assessment • 45 minute teaching block? • Direct assessment drives learning • Initial impressions matter • Life long learning resources (recordings)

10. For discussion: teaching first year • Requirements in later year units? • Level A or teaching only role ? • Internal or cross school co-ordination • Research v Teaching trade-off • Infrastructure limitations (rooms, LMS) • School maths resource page

11. Block Teaching -ARE Amin Mugera.

12. Block Teaching Committee Meeting • Definition and scope of BT • Supportive infrastructure - cost and time • Pre-recorded lectures • Flexibility - scope of BT • Timing/enrolment - when to teach

13. Traditional Teaching ScheduleECON3300 – Agricultural Economics and Marketing 13 Weeks 3 hours per week of lectures Total lecture hours = 39 1 hour tutorial per week for 12 weeks Total contact hours = 51

14. ECON5510 – Applied Demand and Production AnalysisAGRI4402 – Agricultural Economics • Feedback from Students • Limited teaching time – give more contact hours • Timely feedback for assignments • Clash with other units • Not enough time to catch up with readings • Provide online resources (lectures) 5 teaching weeks : Wks 33, 35, 37, 39, 42 Two blocks of 3 hours per teaching week Total contact hours = 30

15. ENVT4405 – Development in Rural Areas 5 hours 4 weeks 10 hours per week 40 contact hours

16. Feedback on Block Teaching Major complains Many contact hours per week Not enough time to keep up with readings Clash with other classes Long hours- draining, ineffective Not enough time to get feedback Positive feedback Student interaction through group activities

17. Block Teaching Assumption – student self directed learners Time to learn and understand Time for feedback What can and cannot be BT

18. Cornell College • One course at a time • 18 class days • Time: M, T, W ; 9-11; 1-3 • Total contact hours = 72 • 8 blocks per year • Liberal arts and sciences • Training not for vocational or professional skills • Video 1 • Video 2

19. New technologiesandLearning from high scoring unitsAssist/Prof Marit E. Kragt

21. Democracy

22. Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning • CATL BITEs: • Online in-class polling (student response systems) • Online mark-up of student assignments • Online interactive tutorials (PowerPoint based products) • Online interactive tutorials (Stand alone products) • Teaching with technology workshops: • Teaching with technology – an introduction to eLearning • Designing a technology – integrated unit/curriculum • Enhancing assessment / learning / teaching with technology • Curriculum development: Blended and online learning

23. How do students react? Fun Flexible Modern Interactive Makes you more approachable Invites questions

24. Interviews with high scoring (>3.5)units’ co-ordinators Neil Foley – Policy & Governance (EART4412) Natasha Pauli – Environmental Management (ENVT4404); Environmental Policy & Planning (PLNG2203) Andrew Williams – Micro-economics, prices & markets (ECON1101) Veronica Huddleston – Regional Development (EART3327)

25. Lectures • Alwaysshow how concepts are applied in the real world. Theory may be frontloaded (first two or three weeks) with lectures including a lot of practical applications • Include many (current) examples – e.g. through newspaper cuttings, internet sites, articles from The Economists etc. Never journal articles…. • Stories to show how the lecturer applies the learned material in, e.g. research, consultant work, government, etc. (varying with your background) • Lectures are updated every year to reflect current state of knowledge, current examples and current literature • Lecture slides always include a lot of pictures and images • Make lectures relevant to students’ world (e.g. future work-place, local area, related to their courses) • Online material to introduce the essential mathematics and calculus

26. Labs and tutorials • Visit tutorials at least once a semester • Timely posting of material – either at the start of semester or at least one week prior to the tute • At the start of the tutorials – go through concepts and questions that were received about last week’s material • Tutorial participation or exercises as part of the assessment

27. Resources and assessment • Three of the units did not have a prescribed text but were based on lecture notes and supplementary readings • Assessment predominantly focussed on application of theory • Assessment a combination of reports, essays (e.g. of field trips or case studies), quizzes (true/false, MC, open-ended) and a final exam • One co-ordinator used peer-marking of quizzes as learning approach (these are then re-marked by the lecturer) • Students appreciate (a) detailed descriptions of the what is expected in the assignment; (b) early availability of the assessment descriptions; and (c) timely and plenty of feedback notes on their work

28. Communication with students • Unit outlines and LMS websites are extensive  Most information directly in unit outline. Post additional materials well in advance • Interaction with students through online LMS forum (Questions can be de-identified!! and are answered by lecturer in the forum) • Sending student emails can go through Calista – this will have all up-to-date enrolments • Andrew communicates with students through a Facebook page • Knowing students’ names makes a difference. Students like informal and personal interactions

29. Lessons • TIME All these co-ordinators put at least 2 days per week into teaching, more in the preparation stages of semester • PERSONAL ATTENTION  Interact personally with the students (directly, through emails, or through Facebook) – e.g. knowing student names, and caring for your students • CLARITY assessment guidelines and early posting of lab/tutorial exercises • RELEVANCE Significant emphasis on real-world applications. How does the theory/concepts apply to the real world, and the future workforce?

30. Teaching resources on the School website