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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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Solid course organization is essential for effective communication with students, meaningful grading, and relevant assignments and exams.

The first step in organizing your course effectively is listing your goals. The following questions can be helpful in generating a set of objectives for your course.

• What do you want your students to comprehend by the end of the course?
• What skills do you want them to master?
• What level of depth of knowledge do you want them to attain in each facet of the subject?
• What degree of problem-solving ability and intellectual independence do you want to foster?
• How much do you want your students to know about practical applications?

Once you have decided on your objectives, you can design your course around them. This includes exams, assignments, labs, lectures, discussions, and course evaluation. When appropriate, provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate knowledge. For example, along with traditional tests and papers, consider group work, demonstrations, portfolios, and presentations as options.

Undergraduates know that their academic performance will determine their future career path, so they are under pressure to excel. Often, students in introductory science courses are overwhelmed by the quantity of information they are expected to assimilate. They are not sure whether the textbook material, the lecture notes, or the homework assignments are most representative of what they need to learn for the exams.

Improved communication can make STEM courses more accessible for undergraduates. If you make your expectations clear to students at the beginning of the course and confirm them by using a consistent assessment method, students will feel much less intimidated by the course and will respect you as a teacher. They will also focus their efforts on what you think is important for them to learn.

Students who already doubt their own competence or feel socially isolated benefit greatly from coherent course design. A female student who knows that she is not the “stereotypical scientist” may be more easily discouraged by instructors who adopt a “sink or swim” attitude towards their students and do not communicate clearly with them.

Defining your course goals also allows you to challenge your students to develop their higher-order problem-solving skills, which are essential in the workplace. As you write down your goals, you can organize them from low-level objectives (basic knowledge) to intermediate objectives (competency) and higher-level objectives (mastery). Then, when you write your exams, you can provide some questions of each type on the exam.

Do not surprise your students with difficult mastery questions on the exams unless they have already solved highly challenging problems in their problem sets. As a general rule, exams should be somewhat easier than homework assignments. Students become discouraged and resentful if they are asked to solve problems which they are not prepared to handle.

Scientific ability is a combination of aptitude and training. With proper preparation, undergraduates can learn to think creatively about science problems. Asking higher-level questions in introductory courses can keep bright students motivated and interested in the sciences.