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Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Using This Resource

I. Preparing to Teach
Planning a course
--Defining Instructional Objectives
--Teaching and Learning Styles: The   Academic Culture
--Choosing and Using Instructional   Materials
--Writing a Syllabus
--Syllabus Checklist
--Using the Syllabus in Class
--Summary of Course Planning
Addressing Students' Needs
--Importance of Knowing Your   Students
--Planning Considerations
--Getting to Know Your Students
--Students of Different Backgrounds
--Students with Disabilities
--Teaching Strategies: Non-Native   Speakers of English
--Creating a Learning Environment
--Dealing with Disruptive Behavior in   the Classroom
--Common Disruptive Student   Behaviors and Possible Responses
--Dealing with Apathetic Students
--Cultural Differences for International   Instructors
--Summary of Addressing Students’   Needs
Teaching Tips
--Organizing Class
--Ways to Be Accessible Outside the   Classroom
--Six Common Non-Facilitating   Teaching Behaviors
--Wireless in the Classroom: Advice   for Faculty
--Summary of Teaching Tips

II. Teaching Methods
The First Day of Class
--When the Class Meets You
--When You Meet the Class
--Diversity the Instructor Brings to the   Classroom
--Conversing with Students with   Disabilities
--Moving Forward
--Summary of the First Day of Class
Lecturing
--Strategies for Effective Learning
--Advantages and Disadvantages of   the Traditional Lecture Method
--Enhancing Learning in Large   Classes
--Chalkboard Technique
--Writing Assignments in the Lecture
--Engaging Women in Math and   Science Courses
--Formulating Effective Questions
--Summary of Lecturing
Discussion
--Brief Overview
--The “Nuts and Bolts” of Discussion
--Facilitating Discussion of Sensitive   Issues
--Encouraging Student Contributions
--Alternative Instructional Methods
--Potential Problems in Discussions
--Summary of Discussion
Expanding Teaching Strategies
--Practical Examples
--Show and Tell
--Case Studies
--Teaching with Case Studies
--Guided Design Projects
--Brainstorming
Group Work
--General Information about Using   Groups
--Group Work in an Introductory   Science Laboratory
Science Labs
--The Role of the Lab Instructor
--What Do the Students Need to   Know?
--The First Day
--Planning and Running a Laboratory
--Safety Procedures
--Summary of Science Labs
Teaching Outside the Classroom
--Tutoring
--Office Hours
--Teaching Students to Solve   Problems
--Advising and Extracurricular   Activities
--Summary of Teaching Outside the   Classroom
Overcoming Misconceptions
--Societal Attitudes and Science   Anxiety
--Misconceptions as Barriers to   Understanding Science
--Common Difficulties and   Misunderstandings

III. Teaching-as-Research
Assessing Student Performance
--Establishing Objectives for   Assessment
--Assessment Primer
--Formulating Effective Methods of   Assessment
--Helping Students Succeed on   Assignments and Exams
--The Why and How of Tests
--Grading Lab Reports, Problem Sets,   and Exam Questions
--Grading Checklist
--Grading Specific Activities
--Grading Writing
--Summary of Assessing Student   Performance
How to Evaluate Your Own Teaching
--Evaluating Your Own Teaching
--A Note on Teaching-as-Research

IV. Appendices
Inspirational Essays
--Mathematics: The Universal   Language of Science
--Transforming Quizzes into Teaching   and Learning Tools
--Teaching My Students to Fish
--Chemistry: The Other Foreign   Language
--Teaching to Different Modes of   Learning
--Notes from a Career in Teaching
Additional Resources
Websites
Graduate Assistant Handbook Outline
--Department- and Institution-Specific   Information
--18 Questions to Have Answered

Works Cited

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Introductory science laboratories in the university setting often have to rely on groups to efficiently use the resources that are available.

Science classrooms are often equipped with tables around which the students sit, rather than the traditional rows of individual desks. My classroom had four square tables with seating for one person on each of the sides. This led to the students forming their working groups the first day. The students tended to disperse themselves evenly around the available tables as they came in. For instance, the first four people that came in tended to pick four different tables. As more students came in, they also distributed themselves randomly and evenly among the tables. To some extent, this distribution resulted in grouping of different personalities together because the students did not know each other when they entered the class. I thought that the students might regroup as the semester went on, but instead they much preferred to use the same space for the entire semester regardless of how they interacted with their group. The random distribution of individuals among the groups was very much what I had hoped for.

Teaching assistants often have a short (sometimes long) lecture containing information for the students before they start the lab. I found that the longer my lecture was, the more students were apt to tune out what I was saying. It is important to start out the class with everyone on the same wavelength. I started my labs with announcements pertaining to the class, and then solicited questions pertaining to labs I had handed back and labs they had just handed in. This allowed me to answer questions the students had in front of the entire class. It also allowed the students to see that others in the class had the same questions they did. Then, I briefly explained the new lab and handed it out. The students worked on the labs in their small groups.

In labs of 15 to 20 people, group size is best limited to four or five people. I found that three people tended to work independently, and more than five allowed for someone in the group to avoid participating. Groups of four or five were large enough that students were apt to articulate an idea, thinking that someone else would have similar thoughts. The groups were also small enough that students who tended to shy away from asking questions in a large group would pose those questions to peers in the smaller group setting. Group size will depend upon the total size of the class, the amount of available lab materials, and, interestingly, the size of the tables. Don’t squish eight people around a table meant for four, even if you don’t have enough lab supplies. Wait until one group is done and rotate the materials, or the students, about the room. In the same vein, don’t spread four people around a table meant for ten. This is no longer a group, but becomes four individuals.

I worked more closely with specific groups if they were struggling with the material and the rest of the class was not. It is essential when working with groups that the GSI (graduate student instructor) recognize the dynamics of each group. For example, one group consistently seemed to comprehend the material and move quickly through the lab. With this group, it was important to check that everyone was working at the same pace. If four students understood the material and one did not, the less-rapid student tended to copy down answers, so as not to slow down the rest of the group. To check understanding as I worked with the groups, I asked each person if they understood the material. I posed some challenging questions for each member of the groups that were working particularly quickly. This allowed me to slow down the groups, make them think about the consequences of the work they were doing, and find out if individuals were having problems with the material. I looked for group dynamics from across the room as well, checking that all members were engaged in the discussion at some point. If they were not, I intervened to tie the group back together with some questions.

A student that was having trouble with the material could also slow the group down and make the lab unproductive. Often, if one student fell behind, the others in the group tended to “goof off” while waiting for the slower student to catch up. I tried to stimulate these groups by asking questions from the lab to the students who had finished a particular section. I also posed questions to draw the students back into a group as a whole. For example, I would ask students who had finished a section how they did a certain part. Then I asked them if they could explain how they thought through the problem, and how that might help a hypothetical slower student in the group. Not only did this help any slower students develop ideas and additional points of view, but it also made the others think again about their own work. After I did this exercise once or twice, I found that students took responsibility for the others in their groups.

I found that, when in groups of four to five, the students want to be at the same level as others in their group. Students that understood the material, or to whom I had explained the material so that they understood, wanted to show their peers that they had gained knowledge. It was a status symbol to show the others they had this knowledge. The students who didn't understand the material looked at their peers and said, “If s/he can do this, I must be able to do it.” These two attitudes had an amazing effect on group dynamics. Suddenly, I had groups of teachers and students in my class. The students with a good grasp of the ideas wanted to pass on their knowledge, and the students who were confused wanted to understand the material. Not only did this make it easier for me to teach, but it made the students more comfortable working with one another as well.

Although it certainly was a great feeling to have the groups working on their own, I never lost contact with any group for more than 10 minutes. If I had been fielding questions from three of my four groups, I either quickly checked on the fourth group, or sometimes just told them that I saw them working well (or not well) so they knew I was still interested in their progress. If the lab had kept the students busy for the entire period, I tied the entire class back together at the end by asking again for general questions and previewing what we would be doing in the next session.

Lab groups are an integral part of lab science. The necessity of working in groups is often brought on by limited supplies, but groups can also be an effective teaching structure. The small-group format allowed me to get closer to the students and gave them opportunities to ask and answer questions of each other. I don’t feel that instructors should shy away from using this structure; instead, they should try to tailor their classes for effective use of small groups.

Working in lab groups is an opportunity for students to learn to work with other students and learn to talk and share ideas about the material. This group experience helps prepare them for teamwork later in their careers.