Tell us about your course.
I teach a 150-student, sophomore level statistics course with multiple assignments (readings, quizzes, homework, projects, exams) that assess student’s understanding of the material.
What specific practices do you use to ensure students are engaged and learning in your classes?
I have a flipped-classroom wherein students watch videos before coming to class so in-class time is focused on problem solving. (I even call them problem-solving sessions instead of lectures.) As the course is math and equation heavy, I make handouts with the equations for each session. The handout also includes the problems we solve that day and, sometimes, graphics (e.g., a photo of the normal distribution) as well as statistical tables (e.g., z table).
The handouts are usually one page (double sided), which forces me to condense the information. On the first day of class (when we have no formula sheets), I explain that: (1) the sheets are handed out at the beginning of every class; (2) the sheets have important terms, equations, and notes; (3) the sheets are posted on the LMS before class.
I also tell students the reason I developed the sheets — because students asked for it YEARS ago when I did a MAP — as well as the fact that most students find the sheets really helpful. The next day of class (when we have formula sheets for the first time), I explain this again because they’ve undoubtedly forgotten by then!
How do you know when your practices are working?
I’ve used this technique – handouts with equations and problems – in two of my classes, both of which are math heavy. I can tell it’s working because in one of my classes, students are allowed to bring a “cheat sheet” to the in-class exam and 95% of the cheat sheets are screenshots of my handouts. Students also come to office hours with the handouts and use them to explain concepts they are confused about or to relate the concepts on the handout to their homework. In short, students refer to the handouts in nearly all aspects of the class. One student loved the handouts so much that he asked me to provide them in 3-hole punch format so he can put them in a binder.
What are you excited to try next in your teaching?
I’m on sabbatical this year and I had a course release in Spring 2024 so I’m just excited to get back to teaching in Fall 2025. I haven’t been in the classroom since Fall 2023! I’m not planning on trying anything too adventurous when I return, but I am excited to teach a course I’ve never taught before – our 200-person intro to mechanical and industrial engineering course – in a Team Based Learning (TBL) classroom. I’ve never taught in a TBL classroom, and I’ve never taught a course this large, so that will be exciting in and of itself.
