Engaging students in classroom teaching: Teaching practicum for science, engineering, and mathematics graduate students

CHED 1612

Joseph A. Heppert, jheppert@ku.edu, Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045-7582, Daniel J. Bernstein, Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66049, Lynn S. Villafuerte, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66049, Claudia J. Bode, Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66049, and Gary K. Webber, Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66049.
The presentation describes a one-semester graduate course providing students with both grounding in research on effective teaching practice and a reflective internship in teaching at the university level. An eight week preliminary component of the course covered a range of literature on modern learning and modeled the use of research-based strategies for increasing the effectiveness of instruction. During the practicum, students were paired with a faculty member teaching an undergraduate course related to the student's field of study. The faculty assisted in the design of a series of lectures and assignments using the principles outlined above, and allowed the students to present these lectures and evaluate student work on associated assignments. In the final course segment, students presented a reflective portfolio to the class that analyzed the effectiveness of their teaching practicum experience. This presentation will summarize strategies used in constructing these portfolios and the student outcomes from the course.
 

General Papers
1:00 PM-3:40 PM, Thursday, April 10, 2008 Hilton New Orleans Riverside -- HEC A, Oral

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Sci-Mix

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008