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Resources for Teaching Large Classes


General Information About Teaching Large Classes

Go to /NAGTWorkshops/intro/large_classes.html
Teaching Introductory Geoscience: Teaching Large Classes - This collection of pages contains a variety of information on teaching large classes, including active learning pedagogies for large classrooms and a browse of examples of introductory courses with 150 students or more.
Go to /NAGTWorkshops/earlycareer/teaching/LargeClasses.html
Early Career - Teaching Large Classes - This page contains useful strategies and references about keeping students engaged, using technology and making it work for you, and getting groups to work well.
Go to /sp/library/urban/index.html
Teaching Urban Students - This collection of pages is part of the Cutting Edge and Pedagogy in Action projects and focuses on how to teach in urban environments, including how to handle large class sizes. The pages present information about how to effectively teach and engage students and example activities.
Go to /NAGTWorkshops/assess/lgclass.html
Assessment in Large Classes - Large classes pose a challenge for instructors who need to assess a large number of students in an efficient way. This page hosts a collection of SERC pages devoted to assessment strategies andexamples of how assessment is performed in the geosciences.

Effective Teaching Methods for Large Classes

Go to /introgeo/interactive/index.html
Pedagogy in Action - Interactive Lectures - It can be difficult to engage students with the material in a large lecture class. This collection of pages on Interactive Lectures has strategies and specific examples of activitiesto involve students in large and small lecture-based classes.
Go to /introgeo/demonstrations/index.html
Teaching with Interactive Demonstrations - Interactive demonstrations can also be used in classes of all sizes, as projection systems can make demonstrations visible to students in the backs of large classrooms. In this module you can learn about how to illustrate conceptsand perhaps even entertain your class with simple demonstrations. There are several example demonstrations included.
Go to /NAGTWorkshops/teaching_methods/lecture_tutorials/index.html
Lecture Tutorials - Lecture Tutorials are short worksheets that students complete in class to make lecture more interactive and thus, they can be effective in teaching large classes. They are designed specifically to address misconceptions and other topics with which students have difficulties. This module provides basic information for what lecture tutorials are and hot they can be used in the classroom. References and examples are also provided.
Go to /sp/library/conceptests/index.html
ConcepTests - ConcepTests are conceptual multiple-choice questionsthat focus onone key concept of an instructor's learning goalsfor a lesson. When coupled with student interaction through clickers and peer instruction, ConcepTests represent a rapid method of formative assessment of student understanding and may be useful in assessing learning in large classrooms (especially when used with clickers). This module explains what ConcepTests are, how they are used, and provides references and examples of ConcepTests.
Go to /sp/pkal/pogil/how.html
Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning - This page, part of Project Kaleidoscope, explains how and why process-oriented guided inquiry learning can be effective in large classrooms. Links to resources with more information are also provided.
Go to /NAGTWorkshops/metacognition/largeclasses.html
Teaching Metacognition in Large Classes - These pages, by Perry Samson, explain why and how he teaches metacognitive skills in his large introductory classes.


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What Determines Gender in Humans? part of Merlot Biology Pedagogic Collection:Interactive Lectures:Examples
In this activity students examine karyotypes from five individuals to try to identify which chromosomes determine gender in humans. This activity is also a good illustration of meiotic non-disjunction. -

Subject: Biology:Molecular Biology, Genetics
Resource Type: Activities

Psychic test part of CAUSE Teaching Methods:Interactive Lectures:Examples
Show relative frequency converging to true probability by testing the psychic ability of your students.

Subject: Mathematics:Statistics:Probability, Mathematics, :Statistics:Data Collection, Mathematics:Statistics
Resource Type: Activities

Motion Concepts: Displacement, velocity, & acceleration graphs part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Interactive Lectures:Examples
Students often struggle with motion concepts. These activities focus on the graphical representations of displacement, velocity, and acceleration given a number of situations of an object moving along the x-axis. ...

Subject: Physics:Classical Mechanics:Motion in One Dimension
Resource Type: Activities

Measuring voltage and current in a DC circuit part of comPADRE Pedagogic Library:Interactive Lectures:Examples
These exercises target student misconceptions about how to properly measure voltage and current in simple DC circuits by letting them investigate different meter arrangements without fear of damaging equipment. ...

Subject: Physics:Electricity & Magnetism:DC Circuits
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity

An Activity to Introduce the Geoscience Perspective part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:Role Playing:Examples
This role-playing exercise introduces students to geology by having them examine rocks from the perspective of a child, a sculptor, a geologist or someone from another walk of life. -

Subject: Geoscience:Geology
Resource Type: Activities:Project, Lab Activity, Activities, :Classroom Activity

Relative Time Application and Synthesis Exercise part of Cutting Edge:Introductory Courses:Activities
This classroom activity is a formative assessment that explores the degree to which students can apply relative time principles and synthesize that information with concepts related to the rock cycle.

Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Historical Geology
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity, Activities

Toilet Paper Analogy for Geologic Time part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
An in class demonstration of the vastness of geologic time using a 1000-roll sheet of toilet paper and unrolling it around the room.

Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Historical Geology
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity:Short Activity

Exploring Radiometric Dating with Dice part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
An activity in which students use dice to explore radioactive decay and dating and make simple calculations.

Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Radioisotopes, Mathematics
Resource Type: Activities:Lab Activity, Classroom Activity:Short Activity:Demonstration

Minute Paper part of Cutting Edge:Student Learning: Observing and Assessing:Activities

Subject: Education, :Assessment:Written Report, Education:Assessment
Resource Type: Assessments:Written Report, Other Assessment Type, Assessments

Earth, Wind, and Fire Quiz part of Cutting Edge:Student Learning: Observing and Assessing:Activities
This is an example of one of the formative assessments I used while teaching labs for a geology class for non-science majors. Such quizzes were given at the start of each lab session.

Subject: Education:Assessment, Assessment:Exam
Resource Type: Assessments:Exam, Assessments