The document discusses effective teaching strategies for instructors. It emphasizes applying scholarly rigor to teaching as well as choosing evidence-based teaching methods. Some key strategies discussed include incorporating active learning during class time through think-pair-shares, questions, and other interactive techniques. The document encourages instructors to limit straight lecture to less than 40% of class time based on research showing other approaches improve student learning and engagement. It challenges instructors to reflect on their teaching methods and try incorporating brief active pauses within lectures to make them more interactive.

1. Being a successful
instructor:
Stir in some active learning
@ New Faculty Orientation
August 3rd, 2018

2. SETTING THE STAGE: DISCIPLINE
ABUSE
What are myths or misconceptions that
“laypeople” have about a topic within your fied
of expertise?

3. DISCIPLINE VS. CAREER
3
Dunning-Kreuger effect:
• Expertise in a discipline probably makes us
underestimate our knowledge/skill.
• A lack of expertise in teaching probably makes
us overestimate our knowledge/skill.
Teaching is a fundamentally social activity,
regardless of topic or academic discipline.

4. SCHOLARLY TEACHING
4
Goal 1:
Apply the rigor and scholarship of our academic
disciplines to the discipline of teaching.
Goal 2:
Choose teaching methods that are strongly
informed by the best empirical evidence
available.
Contrast teaching your subject with treating
diabetes…

5. CONSISTENT EVIDENCE-BASED
THEMES
5
• Active engagement during class time
• Effective preparation (students & instructors)
• Feedback loops and iterative learning

6. If you were to take an average, what fraction of
your class time is spent on lecture-based delivery
of content?
Previous anonymous poll results (compiled):
N = 106
2% 10% 15% 39% 34%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
0-20% 20-40% 40-60% 60-80% 80-100%

7. Changing The Classroom
7
If you lecture, will it be the best lecture on that
topic given by anyone this year?
Is the best lecture on that topic on YouTube?
If class time can be effectively replaced with a
video... it should be.
Do that part before class. Spend your precious
hours on the parts that deserve discussion,
discovery and inquiry.

8. Active Engagement – Active
Pause
8
Create an “active pause” in an otherwise didactic
part of class.
• 2 minutes to write a summary or question
• Ask a question about a part you know is hard
• Think-pair-share a muddiest point

9. Would you feel comfortable using a question to
create an "active pause" in the middle of an
otherwise "straight lecture" part of your class?
A) Yes. I can think of an example.
B) Probably, but an example eludes me.
C) Probably not, but I'm not sure why not.
D) No. And I can explain why.

10. Summary and Challenge
Challenge yourself to be a scholarly-teacher
Follow the evidence!
Be moderate… (perhaps follow the “10% rule”)
Engage with peers! Share, steal, and combine.

11. Your Summary
11
For yourself… or to share?
What nugget(s) from this talk do you want to
keep in mind in a month or a year?
Email: jloats1@msudenver.edu or jeff.loats@gmail.com
Twitter: @JeffLoats
Slides: www.slideshare.net/JeffLoats

12. References
12
Dunning–Kruger effect:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Louis Deslauriers, Ellen Schelew and Carl Wieman (2011). Improved Learning in
a Large-Enrollment Physics Class. Science, Vol. 332 no. 6031 pp. 862-864 DOI:
10.1126/science.1201783
Freeman, Scott; Eddy, Sarah L.; McDonough, Miles; Smith, Michelle K.;
Okoroafor, Nnadozie; Jordt, Hannah; Wenderoth, Mary Pat; Active learning
increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics (opens as
pdf), 2014, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
Sappington, J., Kinsey, K., & Munsayac, K. (2002). Two Studies of Reading
Compliance Among College Students. Teaching of Psychology , 29 (4), 272-274.
Marrs, K.A. (2003). Just in Time Teaching enhances cognitive gains in biology. J.
Coll. Sci. Teach.
Bachhel R, Thaman RG. Effective use of pause procedure to enhance student
engagement and learning. J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(8):XM01–XM03.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4190777/

13. Aside: Learning Styles
“I think that many teachers teach in a way that
makes sense to them, according to their learning
style […]”
Best current evidence: Learning styles don’t exist
References:
• “The Myth of Learning Styles”
by Cedar Riener and Daniel Willingham
• YouTube: Learning Styles Don’t Exist
• Scholarly review: “Learning styles: Concepts
and evidence”, Pashler et al, 2008