Teaching and Learning STEM: A Practical Guide

1 Introduction to college teaching
1.0 Welcome to the university, there’s your office, good luck
1.1 Making learning happen
1.2 Learner-centered teaching: Definition, warning, and reassurance
1.3 What’s in this book?
1.4 How to use the book

2 Learning objectives: A foundation of effective teaching
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Writing and using course learning objectives
2.2 Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives
2.3 Addressing course prerequisites and program outcomes
2.4 Ideas to take away
2.5 Try this in your course

3 Planning courses
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Three steps to disaster, or, how not to approach course preparation
3.2 A rational approach to course preparation and redesign
3.3 Choosing a course text or content delivery system

4 Planning class sessions
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Avoid common planning errors
4.2 What’s in a class session plan?
4.3 Promote long-term memory storage, retrieval, and transfer
4.4 Two cornerstones of effective class sessions
4.5 Plan good questions and activities
4.6 Don’t turn classes into slide shows and verbal avalanches
4.7 Use handouts with gaps
4.8 Planning undergraduate laboratory courses
4.9 Ideas to take away
4.10 Try this in your course

5 Elements of effective instruction
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Make class sessions effective
5.2 Make pre-class assignments effective
5.3 Don’t be a slave to your session plans
5.4 Keep improving your teaching
5.5 Ideas to take away
5.6 Try this in your course

6 Active learning
6.0 Introduction
6.1 What is active learning?
6.2 Structures and formats of activities
6.3 How well does active learning work? Why does it work?
6.4 Active learning for problem solving
6.5 Common active learning mistakes
6.6 Common active learning concerns
6.7 Active learning in recitations and flipped classrooms
6.8 Ideas to take away
6.9 Try this in your course

7 Teaching with technology
7.0 Introduction
7.1 Instructional technology tools
7.2 Learning benefits of technology
7.3 Setting up communications
7.4 Integrating technology into instruction
7.5 Blended learning and flipped classrooms
7.6 Online courses
7.7 Ideas to take away
7.8 Try this in your course

8 Evaluating knowledge, skills, and understanding
8.0 Introduction
8.1 Multiple-choice and short-answer questions
8.2 Evaluating and promoting conceptual understanding
8.3 Evaluating problem-solving skills
8.4 Evaluating reports and presentations
8.5 Ideas to take away
8.6 Try this in your course

9 Problem-solving skills
9.0 Introduction
9.1 The long, steep path from novice to expert
9.2 Strategies for teaching expert problem-solving skills
9.3 A structure for complex problem solving
9.4 Problem-based learning
9.5 Ideas to take away
9.6 Try this in your course

10 Professional skills
10.0 Introduction
10.1 How can professional skills be developed
10.2 Communication skills
10.3 Creative thinking skills
10.4 Critical thinking skills
10.5 Self-directed learning skills
10.6 Project-based learning
10.7 Creating a supportive environment for professional skill development
10.8 Ideas to take away
10.9 Try this in your course

11 Teamwork skills
11.0 Introduction
11.1 Cooperative learning
11.2 How should teams be formed?
11.3 What can teams be asked to do?
11.4 Turning student groups into high-performance teams
11.5 Dealing with difficulties
11.6 Ideas to take away
11.7 Try this in your course

12 Learner-centered teaching revisited
12.0 Introduction
12.1 Aspects of student diversity
12.2 Inductive teaching and learning
12.3 Learner-centered teaching strategies
12.4 Last words