My Freshmen Year

The aspect I found to be most surprising in this text is that instructors are seemingly oblivious to the way in which undergraduates conduct their daily lives. Granted student lives have become increasingly complicated due to certain added responsibilities and increased connectedness with family and friends; however, students working while in school, cutting corners on assignments, and finding it difficult to balance their personal and academic lives are not new concepts. For lack of a better way to state it, I was surprised at her being surprised that student’s lives are complicated and fraught with periods of seemingly unmanageable stress. Is it that her undergraduate experience (as well as the experiences of her friends and anyone she was acquainted with) was so uneventful, with less pressure, that these are new situations, or is this an issue of willful ignorance that allows the author to fill the pages of a book?

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The advice I would give to a new college student would be:

1. an average undergraduate will complete the coursework in 4 ½ to 5 years, so do not worry about the 4 year timeframe,

2. take only 12 credits your first semester and concentrate the extra time on understanding the university and learning about what the university has to offer, and

3.try to land a part-time job on campus – work study benefits individuals because it provides them experience as well as affords students an opportunity to work alongside instructors, tearing down the perceived barriers of ‘us’ and ‘them’.

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The advice I would give a new college instructor would be that since students have not evolved since you were in college:

1. do be discouraged by lack of class participation;

2. be conscious of student responses when facilitating class discussions – what fails one day might work the next;

3. remember that this is not the only class students are taking and to temper expectations to be more realistic with students priorities and schedules (assigning students to read 30 pages from a dry textbook will more then likely not be completed before class – 30 pages from an interesting text will bring about a more positive response to class participation).

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The class did not change my perspective on students as much as it did with instructors. It was not until I had to actually complete certain assignments (such as thinking and stating course objectives) did I realize how a seemingly mundane and primarily overlooked portion of instruction demands a great amount of attention and thought. Moreover, I find it interesting that instructors, who were at one time students themselves, fail to understand that nothing has really changed over the decades– at least no drastically – when it comes to college culture. For the most part, students are just as willing to skirt the rules and cut corners now as they were 10, 20, or 30 years ago.

I do not believe the texts completed in the course have changed my perception of students as much as it has changed my perspective of instructors. The texts have provided a sense of humanity to instructors that tends to be lacking when an undergraduate student, diminishing the concept of ‘other-ness’ in student thought. Simultaneously, I feel that the texts also illustrated, purposefully or not, how disconnected instructors are to an environment that they should be all too familiar with and should be fully capable of identifying with.

To answer the question more directly, my perception of undergraduate students has not changed. It seems to me that undergraduate students are expected to act in a more responsible and professional manner solely because they received a diploma from their high school and moved into a college dorm. It seems to me that a majority of the assessments and expectations put on undergrads are unrealistic, and it is these unrealistic expectations that are the reason for the negative light being put upon these students. However, it is not as if some undergraduate students do not deserve this moniker.

Evaluations to Improve Teaching

In developing a mid-term course evaluation, I would utilize, but not limit myself to, the list of questions below. I have added parenthetical commentary and explanation/reasoning to each question.

How effective is the instructor’s use of class time? Could there be a better use of class time?

(This question is typically found in these questionnaires, so I will add it solely on that basis. I wonder if these ever generate effective remarks, since the students rarely have a comparative class to judge the course against or will refrain from pitching ideas for fear of added work.)

Is the class pace too fast or too slow? Does the instructor need to utilize more or less examples?

(I believe that these are good questions to ask students because it will allow them an opportunity to comment on particular difficulties or boredom they may face prior to entering the classroom.)

Does the instructor promote a comfortable and open learning environment?

(I believe that asking about the comfort level in a classroom is important because what the instructor feels to be comfortable might not be the same sentiment as what students are feeling.)

Has the instructor correlated course objectives to the lectures and class activities?

(Checking in on course objectives is essential because of the difficulty of writing them.)

Are the course’s readings, assignments, and projects suitable for the class?

(Moving beyond whether there is too much or too little work – students will almost always say too much – I think its better to ask whether or not the student feel the material is relevant.)

How much time, outside of class, do you typically spend studying and preparing and is this done independently or in a group?

(The amount of time it takes for a student to study outside of class will show the instructor the level of difficulty for the course – whether there is actually too much or too little work. Moreover, self-motivated group studying/work will show either the difficulty level requires multiple people to complete what should be an easy assignment or the course environment is friendly. It could go either way.)

What grade do you expect to get I this class?

(I always liked these questions because it forces people to think realistically about how much effort they are actually putting into the course.)

To quickly answer the remaining questions with the limited space remaining:

- The answers to the questions will provide just enough information about how effective and efficient I am being without going overboard.

- The questions would ask for more detail in the final course evaluation

- I would administer the evaluation in an in-class survey, because people might be shy or seen as judgmental in focus groups and people would forget to complete online surveys.

- I think I would attempt to reorganize the way in which information is presented in the course, depending on the answers. I believe that student interest is less about the amount of work that they have to do and more about the manner in which the information is presented, whether it facilitates interest to a broad audience.

Objectives

Objectives:  Upon course completion, students will:

1.   have working knowledge of the theories, concepts, and issues defining conflict management;

2.   demonstrate reflective thought and relate central concepts through written assignments and peer-to-peer discourse;

3.   investigate the manner in which international actors respond to conflict; 

4.   exhibit an ability to systematically arrange the discipline’s concepts in a coherent framework;

5.   assess the course’s relevancy to the discipline and evaluate its effectiveness

Syllabus Discussion

I am currently designing a syllabus for an international conflict management course, and the objectives I have designed are:

1. understand the theories, concepts, and issues surrounding international conflict management efforts;

2. demonstrate reflective thought through written assignments and peer-to-peer discourse;

3. relate central concepts, via case studies, to contemporary events;

4. investigate the manner in which international actors respond to conflict; 

5. exhibit an ability to systematically arrange the discipline’s concepts in a coherent framework;

6. assess the course’s relevancy to the international relations discipline and evaluate its effectiveness

I attempted to design an objective based on all six of Bloom’s taxonomy, discussed in class as well as in the readings, and, surprisingly, it is more difficult then it initially looks. I followed Bloom’s model from Knowledge to Evaluation, and, after re-reading, I feel that some ideas will be merged (ie. #2 and #3 are very similar) in order to aid in streamlining the objectives. I will leave them, as written, for the time being, however, in hopes of furthering discussion.

The way in which I plan to assess whether or not I have achieved these objectives is through a series of writing assignments that will be spread throughout the course; four essay assignments focusing on case studies, as well as short in-class responses to peer-to-peer discussions. The first paper will focus primarily on the first two objectives, because they are the easiest to write about and focus on. The writing assignments following that will slowly integrate the other objectives, resulting in the fourth essay to be focused on objectives 1-5. The final assignment in the course – in thus the final exam – will be a reflective essay pertaining to the course, which will allow students to evaluate the course in a constructive manner – what worked and what did not – and utilizing the theories and applications learned to defend their critiques.  

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Class Participation

Because there will be in-class discussions and writing assignments that will aid in a student’s ability to fully comprehend the information being provided in the course, class participation is required for everyone. Students are expected to have the reading assignments completed on the day of class, and be prepared for in-class activities. Reminder: class participation will be 25% of the students overall grade.

Submitting Late Assignments

I will initiate an open-window policy when concerning late assignments. All major assignments in the course will be due at the time in which they are initially scheduled, primarily Friday’s at 5:00 p.m.; however, I will be accepting paper submissions until Saturday at 5:00 p.m. The window closes on Saturday at 5:00 p.m., and any assignment still pending will result in a 0 for a grade. Students are welcome to submit their work early, and those that choose to do this will receive a greater amount of feedback, then those that submit their assignments after the Friday deadline.   

Testing and Academic Honesty

I believe that the most important testing issue that faces college instructors is something that was glossed over by both readings; tests and assessments clarify weaknesses the students have, yet there is little attempt, by instructors, to follow-up on these weak points. Barbara Gross Davis tells instructors to “ascertain whether the exam was faulty”, “analyze why students performed so poorly”, and “talk about the disappointing results with the class”, yet there is nothing after that – such as, if the students all did poorly in one particular section, review and create a short quiz for them to take, again (2010, pg. 371-372).

I believe that there is a fundamental disconnect in the classroom if the instructor does not attempt to review and re-administer a test in which a large portion of students had done poorly. It seems that instructors are expected to chalk it up as a loss and move on, which, I believe, will further impede student’s ability to learn. Academics are linear and students need to understand all the base information, entry level and general classes, in order to be successful later on in their academic careers. By moving on from poor performance with little review, it will hurt students in the future.

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I believe that there are two primary causes for cheating. On the one hand, individuals can, at times, be incapable of managing their personal, professional, and academic lives that causes them to find an easy solution to a temporary problem. Disruption or competition in a student’s daily life I feel are the primary causes for cheating in academia, and it is the very competitive environment that has caused “’56 percent of graduate business students’” to cheat (Lang, 2008, pg. 197).

On the other hand, I do not believe in it solely being a student-based issue. Instructors may either fail to provide students with enough requisite information to complete the assignment, or have students answer overly-complicated questions that require a far greater knowledge base then they have, currently. It is important for instructors to understand that they need to provide students with not only an opportunity to direct their own education, but also create enough structure to guide the students to a successful conclusion. There are plenty of terrible instructors in the world that do not consider that some of what they do may be the reason behind the cheating.

Lastly, I will state that some (graduate school) instructors do not attempt to provide a realistic environment to test student knowledge. In the sciences, I understand it is important to memorize certain equations; however, I fail to see the purpose behind instructors not providing the equations to the students during tests. There should never be a point in your scientific career that if you forget an equation you will not have your resources at hand.

I believe that the most effective way to deter cheating is “give students lots of opportunities to do well in your course by giving a wide range of grade-bearing assignments, testing their skills and knowledge multiple times and in multiple ways” (Lang, 2008, pg. 202). By providing numerous avenues to achieve success in class, instructors provide students the opportunity to make up points in class if they were having an off-day.

Informal and Formal Groups

For background in this scenario, I would be instructing a Peace-Building and post-Conflict Reconstruction class.

Informal Group Activity

The informal group activity would focus on learning cells. I would instruct the class on a project for approximately one-third the allotted time. I would then discuss a case study that would be applicable to current events, as well as choose a topic that would be recognized by most of the students. I would briefly discuss the case study and provide individuals with a short article to read. Before the class reads the articles, I would provide them with two to three questions to think about while reading. Once they are finished, I would have them work with their neighbors to answer the question, prior to opening the entire class up to a group discussion about the topic.

Formal Group Activity

The formal project’s design will attempt to merge three concepts: discovery learning, guided design, and simulation. Mid-way through the course, students will be divided, using the first letter of the student’s names, into groups of four for a simulation on humanitarian intervention. Each person will be provided a role for the simulation: state A, state B, displaced/minority population, and intergovernmental organization (read: U.N.). The instructor will provide a different scenario every class period, in which individuals must resolve a particular situation or justify actions taken, in using international humanitarian law cases studied during the first half of the course. Students will write and submit their resolutions and justifications at the beginning of class time, and discuss, in their groups, for a brief period in class, what they would have done and why.

Collaboration

I was able to incorporate this week’s readings into the development of my group activity, for my teaching demonstration, by taking what I have already drawn up and writing it out, long-hand, in the ‘informal group activity’ section. There is two ways in which this type of group activity could be properly evaluated. I could either assign two questions for the groups, stating that each person has to work on one of the questions, or I could increase the difficulty of the questions, forcing individuals to work in tandem. Moreover, to ‘force’ collaboration, ensuring that either one individual does not take over the project or other individuals refuse to participate, I kept the groups small, as well as opened the possibility for designating roles, thought the ‘formal activity’ needs role designation to succeed. Providing roles and responsibilities in the formal game allowed each person to understand what they are supposed to do, but the individual grades are not reliant on the other student’s willingness to participate, allaying any fears. Designating the informal group in having two members will provide a better opportunity to answer questions, for if two people are provided two questions they are more then likely going to designate a question per person.

Week 4: Technology in the Classroom

There are numerous pros and cons when attempting to integrate technology into a classroom setting. On the one hand, technology can be used to better facilitate an inquiry-based learning environment, it can be directed to enhance classroom learning, and it can be utilized to encompass all learning styles. Moreover, in an increasingly technologically engaged society its integration into the classroom was inevitable. On the other hand, technology can hinder the learning environment for it allows students to focus on a topic’s outline, and not provide them with the time to properly synthesize a topic. Technology is also costly and ever-evolving, making training for faculty and students necessary to fully comprehend how and in what way the advancements function. Furthermore, technology tends to fail at the most inopportune times, causing instructors to lose valuable time struggle with the machines rather then providing information to the class.

I believe that it is important for instructors using technology as a teaching component to refrain from relying on it too much. It seems that if it takes two hours to prepare technology for every one hour of in-class teaching (or 4 for that matter) that the instructors seem to be focusing a lot of time of making the content visually appealing, rather then informative and useful to the audience. I am not saying that preparation for class is not time-consuming, but, from personal experience, some individuals tend to focus more on presentation then content

The most useful tidbit of information I retained from Davis’ work “Tools for Teaching” was the general strategies outlined in Chapter 49, on Slide Shows. The concepts of not only “design[ing] your presentation around your images”, but also “show images while students are arriving” are interesting to me, because it helps in focusing the attention of the students as well as the instructor’s lecture notes. I find that in designing the presentation around the images that it will aid in progressing the lecture toward its logical conclusion, as well as allow for a visual application. I have sat through numerous lectures in which the imagery seems to have been added out of boredom, rather then for relevant content. Furthermore, providing images prior to the lecture beginning may enhance student interest and applicability in correlating the lecture to the images.

The question that arises when reading about technology in the classroom is when does technology no longer aid in the development of classroom information/discussions? Is there a point in which there is too much technology and not enough lecturing, or will this never be the case?