Posted 18 Jun 2019 / 2
It has been awhile since I took the time to chronicle my analysis of my course evaluations. I always take a very deep look at my evaluations, and have been updating my overall history of course evaluations on a regular basis. But actually sitting down to write about my analysis — and sharing what I Read More
A Major Post, Assessment Methods, Course Evaluations, Higher Education, MSWI-260C, Evolution, MSWI-270C, Ecology, Environment, & the Anthropocene, Teaching
Posted 10 Oct 2016 / 0
Image of students taking an online exam at the turn of the century courtesy of Michael Surran via Wikimedia Commons I think that any teacher who is honest about their relationship with their students realizes that they are not completely impartial. Given how much you can get to know your students — especially if you require Read More
A Major Post, Assessment Methods, Ethics, Learning Management Systems, Teaching
Posted 05 Sep 2016 / 0
Chronicle Vitae “It’s Time to Ditch Our Deadlines” I am experimenting with “suggested deadlines” this semester, which are actually even more forgiving than the grace period and negotiable extension system that Ellen Boucher describes here. She makes a compelling case for dropping strict deadlines, and I have a feeling that her system makes a lot Read More
A Minor Post, Assessment Methods, Higher Education, Teaching
Posted 18 Aug 2016 / 0
For the most part I am like most of my colleagues: there are about a hundred things — some less than glorious — that I would rather do than analyze my semesterly course evaluations. But for whatever reason, I feel compelled to do so, especially given that in recent years my course evaluations have been Read More
A Major Post, Assessment Methods, Course Evaluations, Higher Education, MSCI-260, Evolution, MSCI-270, Ecology, MSCI-271, Ecology for Architects, Teaching
Posted 19 Aug 2015 / 0
Chronicle Vitae “Late Again?” I like the approach of asking students why they come late, although I think that I would have a hard time devoting class time to this subject. And beware of the answers you receive! As Masson aptly puts it, asking your students for advice on how to deal with them often Read More
A Minor Post, Assessment Methods, Higher Education
Posted 17 Aug 2015 / 0
The Chronicle of Higher Education “This ‘Extra Credit’ Question Does No Credit to Fairness” This seems like kind of a dumb stunt on the part of the psychology professor who posed it. I never really respected my professors who did not take very seriously the idea that students are pretty amped up by the experience Read More
A Minor Post, Altruism, Articles, Assessment Methods, Ethics, Game Theory, MSCI-270, Ecology, MSCI-463, The Evolution of Cooperation
Posted 14 Aug 2015 / 0
The Chronicle of Higher Education “Final Exams or Epic Finales” I like reading articles like this because they are pretty firmly aimed — as in wanting to shoot down — the way I teach. It is always good to hear challenges to your pedagogical methods. There is kind of an Achilles’ heel to this article, Read More
A Minor Post, Assessment Methods, Higher Education, Teaching
Posted 07 Aug 2015 / 2
They are in: recently I received the email containing my course evaluations for the Spring 2015 semester, and I am ready to analyze them in their full glory. As I indicate on my Course Evaluations page, I have a somewhat-tortured relationship with student evaluations. Let me just start out by saying that I would be Read More
A Major Post, Assessment Methods, Course Evaluations, MSCI-260, Evolution, MSCI-271, Ecology for Architects
Posted 15 May 2015 / 0
Being on the school Calendar Committee is not the most glamorous academic service assignment. Our task — create the academic calendar for coming school years — seems so simple that it might beg the question “what’s the need for a committee?”. Well, once you find a ‘calendar system’ that works for a given institution, the Read More
A Major Post, Architecture, Art & Design, Assessment Methods, Mentoring, Pratt Institute, Teaching
Posted 16 Jul 2014 / 0
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America “Keys to a Successful Student-Centered Classroom: Three Recommendations“ This is a really nice guide for anyone who wants to do a large-scale course conversion to a student-centered learning approach. These recommendations are sound and valuable, although they may seem overly-obvious to anyone who has been practicing this kind Read More
A Minor Post, Assessment Methods, Ecological Society of America, Ecology Education, Higher Education, Teaching, Teaching Tools
