Friday @ the Center
March 5, 2010
Course Evaluation Changes
Remember that you can change your default course evaluation forms and/or add your own customized questions on Banner until 11:59 p.m. on March 7. Also, a variety of strategies for encouraging student participation are described on the OAA website.
Grant Writing at SPU: Grants from External Agencies
If you are thinking about applying for a grant from an agency external to SPU and identifying yourself as a SPU faculty member, you need to discuss your plans with your Dean—no matter how big or small the grant is. In the complex academic web, an external grant may have impacts or implications not readily apparent to you. Besides, it’s a good idea to let your Dean know about your efforts and activities. When you decide to pursue the grant, you must complete an Intent to Apply form, which includes your Dean’s signature, and submit it to the Grants Office at least three weeks before the funder’s initial deadline. Since granting agencies occasionally do not announce opportunities until a month or less before their deadline, flexibility will be exercised in such cases.
Developing Independent Learning: Remembering
The sixth in our series of skills for independent learning, based on Terry Doyle’s Helping Students Learn in a Learner-Center Environment is remembering what has been learned. I must admit that I passed my Washington State history class in high school by engaging in a massive cram session the night before the exam and retained nothing from that class (sorry BW). How can we encourage students to truly learn something? Doyle suggests the following strategies: 1) help students see the connections between comprehension and recall, 2) use emotions to aid memory formation, 3) have students reflect on what they have learned, 4) have students recode what they have learned, 5) have students review repeatedly over time (why comprehensive final exams are crucial), and 6) have students sleep. Oh well, we can at least do 5 out of 6.
Happy Teaching,
Susan Susan VanZanten |
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