Instructional Strategies

There are multiple strategies faculty can use to increase student engagement and make the learning experience more active.

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Formative Assessment -

What is Formative Assessment?

Formative assessment refers to instructional methods used to assess student understanding. These strategies are used to inform both the teacher and the learner. The teacher uses this information to address student misconceptions, and students use it to help them guide their learning. The key to formative assessment is that it  happens during the learning process. Examples include quizzes, think-pair-share, class discussions, application exercises, quick polls, and more.

Resources

• Formative Assessment: An Overview [Video]
• Guide to Formative Assessment [Infographic]
• Formative Assessment for Clerkships and Residents
• Formative Assessment for the Large Lecture Hall and Small Groups

Tools

• 16 Quick Formative Assessment Activities
• Tech Tools for Formative Assessment

 

Flipped Classroom -

Why Flip your Classroom?

Have you ever wanted to go deeper with a topic in the classroom, but felt like you were limited on time? Ever bothered by the fact that there's too much content to cover, and you have little time left to make your classroom activities engaging? You should consider a flipped classroom approach! By flipping the classroom you can make students responsible for the content before attending class, and then you have time to implement active learning strategies like team-based learning and case presentations.

Resources

• Flipping the Classroom [Video]
• Flipped Classroom Basics
• Low-Tech Flipped Classroom

Tools

• Use Panopto recordings (to embed questions into the video for added engagement)
• Use student-paced Nearpod lessons (add audio to each slide)
• Use Leo to post content, readings, videos, web links, discussions, quizzes, etc.
• Articulate 360- Work with an Instructional Designer to develop online learning modules for your content!

 

Small Groups -

Why use Small Groups?

Small group learning promotes deeper learning of course material, helps students to identify and clarify concepts they do not fully understand, promotes the development of self-directed learning and self-reflection, and encourages students to "work collegially and acquire skills that are essential to the medical specialist." ¹

Whether you want to incorporate team-based learning, problem-based learning, case-based learning, or informal group discussion into your teaching, the Office of Educational Development can support you! Contact us so that we can set up a time to introduce you to these topics and help you plan and implement these teaching methods in your course.

Resources

Team-Based Learning

• 12 Tips for TBL
• Using Leo for TBL

Case-Based Learning

• Case-Based Presentations [Infographic]
• Case Based-Presentations [Detailed]

Best Practices

• Assessing Small Groups
• Active Learning in Foundational Courses
• Teaching with Small Groups with Large Class Sizes
• Teaching with Small Groups (Journal Article)

¹ Jones, R. W. (2007). Learning and teaching in small groups: characteristics, benefits, problems and approaches. Anesthesia & Intensive Care, 35(4), 587-592.

 

More Strategies and Tips -

• Using Rubrics (webinar | slideshow)
• Writing and Mapping Learning Objectives (slideshow)
• Interpreting Exam Statistics (slideshow)
• Bloom's Taxonomy