If you missed the ePortfolio Workshop on September 18, here are some tips and resources that were shared. ePortfolios aren't just about a collection of work students can show during job interviews. There are different types that include presentation, personal and learning portfolios Learning ePortfolios allow students to do Peer Reviews, Personal Reflections, Dynamic Lab Notebooks, Collaborative projects and even Poster Presentations Any faculty, staff or student at ASU can create an ePortfolio through MyASU and Digication. These portfolios remain available for students when they graduate, or staff and faculty can download the content to be viewable offline. Resources: Slides: http://www.powtoon.com/show/bBiF6hDEBgn/eportfolios Faculty Perspective Video: http://youtu.be/6B3tujXlbdk Student Perspective Video: http://youtu.be/TFb0u6dI3u4 Questions to get students to reflect: http://metroacademies.myefolio.com/efolio/reflect Website for Dr. Helen Barrett's e...

This week I asked Dr. Ron Rutowski to address this question about keeping students involved specifically in a lab room. Dr. Rutowski has been a faculty member in SOLS for over 35 years doing research on animal behavior and coloration and teaching courses with laboratory components such as Comparative Invertebrate Zoology and Research Techniques in Animal Behavior. Ron Rutowski, PhD In a lab, how do you engage a student that isn't actively participating? There are at least two circumstances where this can happen.  One is that in whole-class discussion students can check out.  Here are some ways to deal with that. Especially if they are near the back of the classroom, move so you are standing close to them.  This is especially easy in lab rooms where the front may be less clearly defined, and also when student lab groups are presenting.   Call on the inattentive person by name.  This could be preceded with having all students briefly discuss an issue ...

This week, Peter van Leusen, PhD, addresses a question from our Grad TA Mike Holter, on what to do when things aren't working. Peter is an instructional designer in CLAS, and former Assistant Director in the Office of Instructional Consulting in the School of Education at Indiana University. He teaches both face-to-face and online classes. Peter van Leusen, PhD What a mess! The blank stare in my students‘ eyes told me that the lesson that I meticulously prepared all weekend long did not have the desired learning outcomes for which I had hoped! What should I change? From my own teaching and observing other instructors, I quickly learned that there is not a “perfect way” to teach. I found that each class has different characteristics due to students (e.g., personalities, number) or contexts (e.g., online, time of the day). To make learning experiences meaningful despite these variables, I like to reflect on my own teaching regularly and make changes, if nece...

Fantastic to see such a good turnout for our Fall TeachT@lk Webinar Series!  Different formats for Web-conferencing Yesterday's webinar was on web-conferencing , and led by Peter van Leusen, PhD . He discussed best practices and "demoed" how to engage students in active learning exercises. We focused on Adobe Connect , as it is available to all ASU faculty for free, and fully supported by UTO. Comparison Table for Connect, Hangouts and Skype Below are some of the resources mentioned during the webinar, along with the slides and recording.  If you have questions, or are interested in trying out web-conferencing for your class, please contact me at amy.pate@asu.edu . Webinar Recordin g (58 minutes) : https://connect.asu.edu/p5o6ay3wkep/ Slides : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12594701/Web-Conferencing_final%20(2).pdf Educause article : 7 Things You Should Know About Video Communication ASU Adobe Connect Sit e: Adobe Connect Overview Example...

This week, I asked Miles Orchinik, PhD to tackle a question on classroom facilities from our new Grad TAs. Miles Orchinik, PhD, Director of Undergraduate Education Initiatives , is a neuroscientist who studies how stress alters behavior, brain function, and the endocrine system. He is also interested in science education research, particularly in how undergraduates learn core concepts, and which teaching methods are most effective at promoting learning. "Miles in his habitat!" "I picked this question submitted by Zane because I am learning how to deal with the issue this semester in BIO 360, Animal Physiology." "We will all teach in less-than-ideal learning environments, but it is always possible to introduce elements of active learning into a class. Micki Chi (cognitive scientist / educational psychologist at ASU) has an excellent framework for distinguishing student activities in the classroom along a spectrum of active learning. Her interactive-cons...