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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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In the fall of 1999, I taught an upper division course in animal behavior in which one of my students was blind. Up until this point I had little experience working with students with disabilities, and had never before taught a visually impaired student. Most courses in biology are visually extensive, relying on numerous charts, figures, and diagrams to illustrate important concepts, and the course on animal behavior was no exception. Much of the information presented in lecture was in the form of pictures and graphs, and almost every assigned reading included additional figures and charts that either contained data or diagrammed processes. Such emphasis on visual learning presented an obvious obstacle to my student.

It was clear early on that my female student with a visual impairment was having a difficult time understanding the course information, as her lecture notes were based only on what the professor or I had said, and completely lacked anything that was presented on the chalkboard or on overheads. Furthermore, most of the reading and homework assignments required analysis of figures and graphs from various articles and, without being able to view the diagrams, she was clearly unable to perform this task sufficiently. When the issue first arose a few weeks into the semester, she was understandably frustrated with the course, and her performance in it was low.

In order to overcome this learning obstacle, we decided that I would meet with her privately, outside of my regular office hours, approximately once a week, to go over lecture material. Additionally, I agreed to verbally review the reading and homework assignments with her, guiding her in completing the assignments without giving the answers away. I admit that, without the use of diagrams or figures, I initially struggled in our weekly meetings to explain clearly the important information and concepts that were being presented in the lectures. I was personally amazed at how much emphasis was (and still is) placed on visual aids in learning about biology, and it was obvious that she was surprised as well – she admitted that she had taken few courses which had depended so heavily on diagrams and pictures.

This course posed a challenge for both of us: for me, on the teaching end, and for her, on the learning end. Even so, we stuck to it, and what transpired over the next few weeks was a rigorous effort on my part to mold my teaching of biology into a form that she was easily able to access. This consisted primarily of explaining in words not only what a figure looked like but what important information it was trying to convey. Often, this was best achieved by first explaining what the figure looked like in concrete terms, and then discussing the same information in a new way that did not rely on the figure. This follow-up aspect required me to be creative, using metaphors or real examples from her life that could be compared to the biological concept at hand. On more than one occasion, I even attempted to use a physical learning technique by having her touch or feel things in the room in a particular way or pattern in order to relay a general idea or theory that was implicit in the biology being taught.

We had to work at it, but by the end of the third week, our personal meetings had evolved to be stimulating, creative, and most importantly, effective in teaching her biology. This was confirmed by a steady increase in her overall performance on course assignments and exams, and just as importantly, an increase in her enthusiasm and interest in the course itself. In fact, in our first weekly meeting she had discussed the possibility of dropping the course, but as the weeks passed this idea disappeared, and she eventually went on to finish the course.

This is one example of how I was able to help a student with a specific learning need. More importantly, however, my teaching as a whole benefited from this process. As the semester progressed, a larger and more general issue became clear to me: different students learn in different ways. This idea applies not just to students with learning disabilities, but to all students. Some students are visual learners, requiring pictures and diagrams to process and understand information. Other students are auditory learners, learning best through listening, word-for-word note-taking, and a focus on memorizing definitions and categorizing facts. Additionally, there are many students who learn best through examples and active participation.

Just as there are many things that are best learned through practice or through direct observation, there are many students who learn processes and concepts most effectively by observing them in real life or, if possible, by actively participating in them. Realizing that different people learn in different ways, I believe, vastly improved my teaching, not only for my blind student but for all my students. Throughout the remainder of the semester, I attempted to always explain things in more than one way, constantly accessing multiple modes of learning. Thus, every time I drew a diagram, I also verbally explained what I was drawing and why I was drawing it in that way. Furthermore, I would then follow this up by creating a scenario or metaphor outside of science that students could personally relate to, and that illustrated the same underlying principles of the course material.

Presenting the same information in different ways, I believe, allows for better teaching because it allows students with diverse learning abilities to access and understand what you are trying to teach. Based on the performance of my students in the classroom and on graded assignments, I believe that my teaching has continued to improve and become more effective, whether it be in one-on-one situations, as with my blind student, or in a large classroom setting. I plan to continue to apply the valuable information I gained from this experience to my future teaching.

Note: new technologies such as thermoforming can be used to generate three-dimensional representations of images for blind students.