Glossary
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ADA/Accommodation
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (United States Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. 327), enacted on (July 26, 1990), is a wide-ranging civil rights law that provides protection from discrimination for individuals on the basis of disability. The ADA extends civil rights protections for people with disabilities to employment in the public and private sectors, transportation, public accommodations, services provided by state and local government, and telecommunication relay services. A disability is defined as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity." An accommodation can be defined as any change or adaptation that enables an individual with a disability to have equal opportunities. Accommodations in education may include: note-taking assistance, alternative testing, taped lectures, extended deadlines, etc. Institutions of higher education are among the organizations that must abide by the ADA. Colleges and universities receiving federal financial assistance must not discriminate in the recruitment, admission, or treatment of students. Students with disabilities may request accommodations that will enable them to participate in educational programs and activities. Faculty and staff may need to provide a variety of accommodations to students with special needs, to ensure that students have equal access to the academic environment.
Related Resources
NC-Vital: North Carolina Vocational Instructors Training in Accessible Learning
This project is a collaborative effort among Catawba Valley Community College, Blue Ridge Community College, and Surry Community College in partnership with the North Carolina Community College System. The purpose of this website is to provide a central repository concerning issues related to meeting accessibility requirements for community college campuses
ADA & 504: The Law (PowerPoint)
Given by Karen Yerby, NCCCS Associate Director of Student Development Services, at the 2006 System Conference, this presentation covers the basic requirements and implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973), and NC Senate Bill 866.
Faculty Handbook for Accommodating Students with Disabilities
Estrella Mountain Community College, Maricopa Community College District
The Faculty Room
University of Washington
A website for postsecondary educators who want to learn how to create classroom environments and activities that maximize the learning of all students, including those with disabilities.
Disability Services
Student Services Division, Volunteer State Community College, Gallatin, TN
Adult Learning Theory
Andragogy is the study of how adults learn. The field of adult learning was pioneered by Malcolm Knowles. Knowles identified the following characteristics of adult learners:
- Adults are autonomous and self-directed. Their self concept moves from being a dependent personality toward one of being a self-directing human being.
- Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and knowledge. that becomes an increasing resource for learning.
- Adults are goal-oriented. Their readiness to learn becomes oriented increasingly to the developmental tasks of their social roles.
- Adults are relevancy-oriented. Their time perspective changes from one of postponed application of knowledge to immediacy of application.
Faculty and staff working with adult learners should be familiar with Adult Learning Theory and adult teaching methods to be effective instructors. Postsecondary instructors should understand that learning, retention and motivation are different in adults from what they were in adolescents and children. Adult Learning Theory advocates a learner-centered model of teaching, rather than a teacher-centered model.
Related Resources
Adult Learning, From Theory to Practice
L. Herod, National Adult Literacy Database, Canada
A self-paced online course in which the first module examines current adult learning theory, while the second module relates this theory to the practice of adult education.
"Principles of Adult Learning"
Stephen Lieb, Faculty Development Teaching Tips, Honolulu Community College
Guidelines for Working with Adult Learners
Susan Imel, ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Career and Vocational Education, [ED377313]
Adult Learning: an Overview
Stephen Brookfield in International Encyclopedia of Education
Alternative Assessment
Alternative assessments are non-conventional methods for evaluating and assessing learning and achievement. They are "alternatives" because they use open-ended questions, performance demonstrations, work samples, portfolios, and journals rather than standardized, norm-referenced traditional assessments such as paper and pencil tests. In a diverse population of learners, student achievement cannot always be accurately measured with traditional means. Thus, assessments should reflect a diversity of learning styles.
Related Resources
9 Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning
Assessment Forum, American Association of Higher Education
Overview of Alternative Assessment Approaches
Coalition of Essential Schools
Alternative Assessment
North Central Regional Educational Library
Authentic Assessment
Authentic assessment requires students to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful and relevant applications of knowledge and skills through critical thinking and problem-solving. Student performance is typically scored on a rubric to determine how successfully the student has met specific standards. The advantage of authentic assessment is that an instructor can evaluate whether students just “know” a specific concept or whether they truly understand and can apply the concept in a real world context.
Related Resources
Authentic Assessment Toolbox
Jonathan Mueller, Professor of Psychology, North Central College, Naperville, IL
A tutorial containing everything you need to create authentic tasks, rubrics, and standards for measuring and improving student learning.
Authentic Assessment Resources for Teachers
A portal to online professional development resources on assessment from the School of Education, University of Wisconsin at Stout.
Bloom's Taxonomy
A classification scheme in which thinking/learning is organized by level of complexity, Benjamin Bloom's taxonomy commonly refers to the six cognitive levels he identified (in order of increasing complexity): Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. The taxonomy can be used as a planning tool for instructors as they create more focused lesson plans and learning objectives and infuse different cognitive levels into class instruction.
Related Resources
Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives
Brett Bixler, Instruction Designer, Educational Technology Services, Penn State University
Bloom's Taxonomy Breakdown: Roles, Process Verbs & Products from Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain
Connie Lutz has created a table that will come in handy when using Bloom's taxonomy to plan instruction
Applying Bloom's Taxonomy
Joan Dalton developed another helpful table, this one related questions and potential instructional activities to the six cognitive levels.
Writing Educational Goals and Objectives
Brett Bixler, Instruction Designer, Educational Technology Services, Penn State University
Tips for writing goals and objectives, including how to use Bloom's taxonomy in their construction.
Bloom's Taxonomy: Original and Revised
During the 1990's, a former student of Bloom's, Lorin Anderson, led a new assembly which met to update the taxonomy for 21st century students and teachers.This chapter by Mary Forehand is part of the wonderful E-book, Learning, Teaching, and Technology.
Bruner, Jerome
Jerome Bruner (1915 - ) is a psychologist whose contributions to the study of cognitive learning and educational psychology have had great impact on curriculum development and theory. The theory for which he is most well-known states that instructional development should take four factors into consideration: a student’s readiness for learning; the content structure; the sequence in which material is presented; and the student’s motivation for learning.
Related Resources
Jerome Bruner and the Process of Education
M. K. Smith, The Encyclopedia of Information Education
Jerome Bruner: A Web Overview
David Hollyman, Massey University
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
Popularized by educational researchers Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross in their essential work, Classroom Assessment Techniques, A Handbook for College Teachers, CATs are formative evaluations. As such, they provide instructors and students with feedback during the process of instruction as opposed to end-of-unit or end-of-course exams that are given after instruction has been completed (summative assessments). Quick and easily administered, these non-graded, in-class activities can assist instructors in determining the degree to which students understand the course content and in evaluating whether their teaching methods have been effective. Feedback from CATs helps faculty make instructional changes that will better meet the needs of students. Feedback students receive from CATs helps them self-assess and learn how to monitor and manage study skills.
Related Resources
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Iowa State University
An overview of CATs—with examples—and a look at how they can be used to improve teaching and learning.
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University
An overview of CATs with rationale for their use and links to other resources
Classroom Assessment Techniques
Sinclair Community College, Dayton, OH
A portal to many other resources on CATs.
Collaborative/Cooperative Learning
In collaborative learning, students work together to find a solution, develop a product or complete a project. They learn by exchanging ideas and sharing information. Cooperative learning is sometimes thought of as a subset of collaborative learning. In cooperative learning, students work together in small groups on a structured activity but are individually accountable for their work as well as for the end product. Collaborative learning encourages active student participation in the learning process and offers opportunities for personal involvement, feedback, and interpersonal development Because students learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process, instructors should review their courses and select content areas or lessons in which collaborative learning—from a simple class discussion to a major group project—could be used as an effective teaching strategy.
Related Resources
Active and Collaborative Learning
Richard Felder, North Carolina State University
Links to articles discussing Dr. Felder's research on active and collaborative learning and exploring strategies for implementation.
Collaborative Learning: Group Work and Study Teams
Barbara Gross Davis, University of California, Berkeley
Tips for organizing, implementing and evaluating group activities.
The Cooperative Learning Center
Roger T. Johnson and David W. Johnson, University of Minnesota
Established by two of the best-known researchers in cooperative learning, the Center provides resources and training on practical procedures related to cooperative learning, school-based decision making, academic controversy, decision-making controversy, conflict resolution, and peer mediation.
Cooperative and Collaborative Learning
From the Concept to Classroom workshop series, Thirteen Ed Online
An extensive tutorial that includes step-by-step planning for the use of cooperative and collaborative learning experiences.
Doing CL
National Institute for Science Education, Wisconsin Center for Education Research
This tutorial focuses on the implementation of collaborative learning including the role of group dynamics, several potential structures for activities, and incorporating lecture into the learning experience. There is also a link to teaching stories centered around interviews of postsecondary faculty who have used collaborative learning successfully.
Collaborative Learning in Community Colleges
Elizabeth Foote,
ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges [ED411023]
A description of five courses using collaborative learning strategies.
Common Course Library
Prior to NCCCS’ conversion to a semester system in 1996, there was very little curricular coordination among the colleges; each developed its own courses, titles, and numbers. The same course could be entirely different at every community college within the state. With increased delivery of courses via distance learning, it became apparent that the the System needed to capitalize on existing resources and enable all 58 colleges to have ownership and access to all of the developed courses. The resulting Common Course Library established systemwide prefixes, course numbers, prerequisites, credits, and comprehensive course descriptions.
Course Objectives
Course objectives are specific statements of student learning outcomes that indicate what students should be able to do upon successful completion of a course. Objectives may include a standard of performance ("with 85% accuracy") or a statement of condition ("without assistance"). When creating objectives, instructors should be careful to describe the intended result of instruction rather than the process of instruction itself.
Well-written course objectives should be:
- observable and measurable,
- clear and easy to understand,
- created with performance terms and action verbs such as identify, define, solve, compare, and describe,
- used by the instructor to plan, organize and deliver course content,
- used by students to direct and monitor their own learning, and
- used by instructors to create appropriate evaluation methods.
Related Resources
Developing Course Objectives
Illinois Online Network, University of Illinois
A step-by-step guide that includes types of objectives, components of objectives and the difference between goals and objectives.
Developing and Teaching a Course: Goals & Objectives
Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education, University of Pittsburgh
A tutorial that links objectives to an instructional design model and to Bloom's Taxonomy.
Worksheet for Identifying or Developing Course Objectives, Strategies, and Outcomes
University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering
A helpful worksheet that could be used as a template for linking course objectives (aims of the course), strategies (means instructors will use to accomplish those objectives) and outcomes (what students will know or be able to do upon completion of the course).
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is an active mental process demonstrated when students gather, interpret and evaluate information in order to reach a decision or find a solution. It is associated with activities such as solving complex real-world problems, drawing inferences, and synthesizing and integrating information. These skills are valued in both the higher education and work environments and thus should be developed. Rather than delivering knowledge to students through lecture methods requiring only rote memorization, instructors should encourage students to think critically and provide opportunities for creative problem-solving.
Related Resources
Critical Thinking
Grayson H. Walker Teaching Resource Center, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
A very good overview of critical thinking, with an explanation of its characteristics and associated teaching strategies.
Critical and Creative Thinking
From Understanding the Common Essential Learnings: A Handbook for Teachers, Saskatchewan Department of Learning
A chapter outlining some of the theoretical underpinnings of critical thinking and the means for developing a climate conducive to critical and creative reflection.
Critical Thinking in Community Colleges
Sharon Hirose, Eric Digest for Community Colleges [ED348128]
A summary of 1) Glock's work advising that instructors reinforce verbal critical thinking skills by focusing greater attention on students' "why" questions than their "who," "where" and "how" questions; and 2) Sheridan's suggestions for writing exercises that promote critical thinking.
Curriculum
Curriculum is generally defined as a planned set of instruction for a program or course. Program curriculum refers to the integrated series of courses (and their content) that comprise a program of learning, usually toward a certificate or degree. Course curriculum includes the instructional content and plan—including skills and learning outcomes, performance standards, sequenced lessons, materials and resources, and assessment instruments—for a particular course.
Related Resources
IT Curriculum Development Toolkit
National Workforce Center for Information Technology, Bellevue Community College
A tutorial that walks you through the Program Curriculum development process for Information Technology. This example could serve as a model for program curriculum development in other fields.
Wilson's Curriculum Development Index
Leslie Wilson, University of Wisconsin, Steven's Point
A portal to many helpful resources on curriculum design, including information on asking questions essential to course planning, instructions for developing many different kinds of objectives, and links to lesson plans.
Dewey, John
John Dewey (1859 – 1952) was a philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer. He is recognized as one of the founders of the philosophical school of Pragmatism. Dewey believed in progressive education in which schools teach students how to be problem-solvers by helping them learn how to think critically. His work provided the foundation on which constructivism was built.
Related Resources
My Pedagogic Creed
John Dewey, The School Journal, January 16, 1897 (reprinted in The Encyclopedia of Informal Education)
John Dewey: American Pragmatist
The Pragmatism Cybrary
Links to works by and about Dewey.
FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy rights of students. All schools that receive funds from the U.S. Department of Education must comply with this law regarding the creation, maintenance, and access to students' educational records. Instructors should be knowledgeable regarding their responsibilities for maintaining the confidentiality of student information. For example, information cannot be released to the parent of a student who is aged 18 or older without that student's consent.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
U.S. Department of Education, www.ed.gov
A one-page brief on what is and is not permissable under the law protecting student privacy.
FERPA: Basic Guidelines for Faculty and Staff - A Simple Step-by-Step Approach for Compliance
William R. Van Dusen Jr., for the National Academic Advising Association
A clear and concise guide to educational records and rules for their release.
Practical Online Guide to FERPA
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
A more in-depth tutorial of the provisions of the law, including processes for enforcement and for amending student records.
Online FERPA Tutorial for Faculty and Staff
The University of Utah's guidebook (with definitions) and tutorial.
Freire, Paulo
Paulo Freire (1921 – 1997) was an adult educator and theorist who stressed that students should be active in the learning process, rather than passive receivers. For instructors, this means abandoning the idea of the sage on the stage delivering content. Instead, education should be a collaborative process. Freire is probably best known for his writing on what he termed the “pedagogy of the oppressed.”
Related Resources
Paulo Freire
M. K. Smith, The Encyclopedia of Information Education
A biographical sketch of Freire, with an overview of his theories emphasizing dialogue and making a difference in the world.
Issues in Freirean Pedagogy
Tom Heaney, National-Louis University
An exploration of the Freirean philosophy—with a helpful glossary of terms he coined—and its implications for adult education.
Gardner, Howard
Howard Gardner (1943- ) is a psychologist at Harvard University best known for his theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner theorizes that there are at least seven different dimensions of intelligence in which people may excel. (See Multiple Intelligences)
Huskins
The Huskins Bill established a type of concurrent enrollment in which a course is set up for high school students but is taught by college faculty and conveys college credit. The Huskins Bill [G.S. 115D-20(4)] states, “...local administrative boards and local school boards may establish cooperative programs in the areas they serve to provide for college courses to be offered to qualified high school students with college credits to be awarded to those high school students upon successful completion of the courses.”
Knowles, Malcolm
Malcolm Knowles (1913 – 1997), a professor and theorist of adult education who held the position of Professor Emeritus of Adult and Community College Education at North Carolina State University, is credited with coining the term “andragogy” to denote the teaching of adults.
Related Resources
Malcolm Knowles, Informal Adult Education, Self-Direction and Andragogy
M. K. Smith, The Encyclopedia of Information Education
A biographical sketch of Knowles, with an overview of his theories on adult education and excerpts from his writings.
Malcolm Knowles: Apostle of Andragogy
Robert Carlson, Vita Scholasticae (reprinted by National-Louis University)
The theory behind and social implications of andragogy.
Learner-Centered Instruction
Teaching strategies that encourage students to take a more active role in the learning process are considered “learner-centered.” In learner-centered classrooms, an instructor facilitates and guides students to skill development and knowledge acquisition; in teacher-centered instruction, an instructor is solely responsible for content delivery. Learner-centered instruction provides the opportunity for increased student learning, motivation, and achievement. The instructor acts as an information resource for students and provides monitoring of progress and helpful feedback, while students interact and collaborate with other students, solve problems, think critically, and take more responsibility for their own learning.
Related Resources
Learner-Centered Teaching
Center for Teaching, Learning & Faculty Development, Ferris State University
Links to articles and research on best instructional practices for motivating, empowering, and engaging students.
Handouts from a Turning Knowledge into Learning Workshop
from the Teaching Teams Program at University of Arizona
Contains a discussion of what learner-centered instructional practices look like and planning templates for designing a course using them
Learner-Centered Instruction
Master Teacher Website, Alamo Community College District
A brief overview of the psychological principles underlying learner-centered instruction, their application to learning styles theory, and their consideration in the development of lessons.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes are statements defining what students should know and be able to do upon completion of a lesson or course. Sometimes called objectives, learning outcomes describe the competencies students are expected to achieve and the performance standard by which achievement of those competencies will be measured. For instructors, learning outcomes serve as a guide for the development of relevant instructional activities and associated assessment methods. Explained to students in detail at the beginning of the semester, the outcomes provide a statement of expectations which alert them to their responsibilities as learners.
Related Resources
Student Learning Outcomes
John Koetzner, Mendocino College Library
Links to sample learning outcome statements, how to write them and how to use them as to development assessments.
Student Learning Outcomes: A Faculty Resource on Development and Assessment
University of Washington, Office of Educational Assessment
A tutorial on the purposes and benefits of using student learning outcomes, ideas for designing them and methods for assessing student accomplishment of them.
Planning for Outcomes
Getting Results: A Professional Development Course for Community College Educators, National Science Foundation and WGBH Educational Foundation
A step-by-step module with videos that teach how to design a course that focuses on real-life outcomes.
Learning Styles
The term “learning styles” refers to the ways students prefer to acquire, process and learn information. One simple model of learning styles describes those with a preference for seeing information as being visual learners, for hearing information as being auditory learners, and for experiencing information in a tactile, hands-on way as being kinesthetic learners. Kolb's more complex model categorizes student learning styles according to their preferences in four quadrants: concrete experience, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation and reflective observation. An understanding and recognition of different learning styles will help instructors select strategies for reaching diverse learners. Using a variety of teaching methods, activities, and assessments ensures that all students have the opportunity to process information in a way that is most effective for them.
Related Resources
Learning Styles
Support4Learning.org.uk, a service of Higher Education Research Opportunities (UK)
A portal to many other resources on learning styles, including diagnostic tests and academic papers linking learning styles theory to instructional methods.
“Student Learning Styles and Their Implications for Teaching”
Susan Montgomery and Linda Groat, the University of Michigan's Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
Compares the Myers-Briggs, Kolb, and Felder-Silverman learning styles models and examines the Grasha Riechmann model which is based on students' responses to actual classroom activities rather than personality or cognitive traits. Teaching methods associated with each cluster of teaching and learning styles are summarized in a convenient table.
Index of Learning Styles
Richard Felder and Barbara Soloman, North Carolina State University
An on-line instrument used to assess preferences on four dimensions (active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global) of a learning style model formulated by Richard M. Felder and Linda K. Silverman.
Learning Styles and Personality Types
Dianne Hilliard, Western Nevada Community College
Connects learning styles to the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory types, and temperament types to teaching styles.
Lesson Plan
A lesson plan is an organizing tool that provides a roadmap for achieving specific learning outcomes. Through detailed descriptions of instructional activities, this document serves as a written guide outlining learning goals and objectives, methods for encouraging student engagement, timelines for content delivery, and other pertinent areas of instruction, such as assessment. Creating a lesson plan prepares an instructor to teach the topic. The process gives faculty time to reflect on how the lesson will be structured, i.e., what content needs to be covered; how it will be introduced, experienced, and practiced; and how mastery of content will be demonstrated. The lesson plan typically contains some of the following elements: lesson title, unit topic, timeline, required materials, objectives, introduction/warm-up, content to be delivered, practice exercises, discussion, review/summary activities, and assessment.
Related Resources
Creating Lesson Plans
Faculty Development Teaching Tips Index, Honolulu Community College
Provides an overview of the plan-writing process and two blank templates for creating daily lesson plans.
Writing Lesson Plans
Teaching Guides, Colorado State University
This guide describes some of the processes that other instructors have found valuable to their own lesson planning
The Madeline Hunter 7-Step Lesson Plan
Tom Allen, Humboldt State University
This basic lesson plan outline contains these elements: 1) objectives, 2) standards, 3) anticipatory set,
4) teaching [input, modeling, and check for understanding],
5) guided practice, 6) closure, and 7) independent practice.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a psychological theory proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943 to address human motivation. He suggested that as humans meet basic lower-level needs, they seek to satisfy increasingly higher-level needs. The hierarchy is generally represented graphically as a pyramid with the needs ascending from lowest-level to highest-level: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization. Instructors can use the theory as a tool for understanding student motivation and thus, for making the learning process more conducive toward meeting students’ needs for self-actualization.
Related Resources
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Faculty Development Teaching Tips Index, Honolulu Community College
This brief article, drawn in part from Psychology: The Search for Understanding, includes a list of points educators should address when helping students become self-actualizing.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Teachers Toolbox, Cambridge Regional College, UK
This very helpful diagram describes each of the needs in relation to how a student feels when each need is or is not met. The site also explains how to use the hierarchy to solve behavioral or performance problems and to motivate students to do their best work.
ABC of Learning and Teaching: Educational Environment
Linda Hutchinson, British Medical Journal
The article details how Maslow’s hierarchy relates to the context and climate for learning.
Multiple Intelligences
The psychological theory of Multiple intelligences proposed by Howard Gardner in 1983 suggests that there are several different types of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, inter-personal, and, intra-personal. b. The theory states that all types of intelligence should be acknowledged and developed in education. Instructors should recognize the diversity of their students and utilize teaching methods designed to meet a broad range of knowledge and skills and by adapting their instruction to reach students with various types of intelligence. When different intelligence types are taken into account, students have the opportunity to learn based on their individual style, and thus become more involved in the learning process.
Related Resources
Multiple Intelligences: Gardner’s Theory
Amy C. Brualdi, ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, ericae.net
An introductory overview of the theory.
Multiple Intelligences
Janet Laughlin, Inquiry, Virginia Community College System
Illustrates the characteristics of Howard Gardner's seven multiple intelligences and explores the implications for instruction.
Tapping into Multiple Intelligences
Concept to Classroom/Thirteen Ed Online, Educational Broadcasting Corporation
A self-paced tutorial loaded with resources, including the tips for implementation, criticisms of the theory, and a transcript of an online chat with Howard Gardner.
Seven Intelligences Checklist
An inventory for identifying your cognitive strengths/cognitive styles based on the theory of Multiple Intelligences.
North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH)
Sometimes used as a generic term referring to distance learning via interactive video/videoconferencing, the NCIH is a dedicated statewide network providing data and videoconferencing services. Video applications which are supported over the network include distance learning for K-12 and higher education, state agency meetings, statewide training activities, emergency response assistance, public hearings, etc. Currently, the NCIH supports approximately 100 video sessions daily and over 15,000 yearly.
Related Resources
Sites supporting distance learning via NCIH
“Teaching Tips for Teleweb, Telecourses and Two-way Video (NCIH) Courses”
Expanding the Virtual Learning Community (VLC Newsletter), May 2005
Piaget, Jean
Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980) was a philosopher and psychologist recognized for his work studying children and his theory of stages of cognitive development. He is considered one of the chief theorists of cognitive constructivism.
Jean Piaget: 1896 - 1980
C. George Boeree, Shippensburg University
Provides an introduction to Piaget's cognitive developmental stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations.
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
W. Huitt and J. Hummel, Educational Psychology Interactive, Valdosta State University
Identifies the stages of cognitive development and provides a critique of the assertion that the stages are automatically attained with biological maturation.
Portfolio
A portfolio is an organized collection of a student’s work. Designed to exhibit an array of work completed, portfolios can be used to document students’ efforts and achievement. The process of compiling representative samples of their coursework—in either hard copy or multimedia format—helps students become more aware of their progress and become more actively involved in the learning and assessment process. At the end of the semester, portfolios serve as a demonstration of mastery of course content. (A teaching portfolio contains evidence of an instructor’s teaching practice including: a statement of teaching philosophy, summaries of courses taught, sample syllabi, student evaluations, conference papers, professional development experiences, and most importantly, reflections on the evidence.)
Related Resources
Electronic Portfolios
Michael Day, Northern Illinois University
The history and use of electronic portfolios, with a case study and examples.
The Use of Portfolio Assessment in Evaluation
Meg Sewell, Mary Marczak, and Melanie Horn, University of Arizona
This article explores the use of portfolios as a means of authentic assessment, that is, evaluation that goes beyond beyond test scores to
include substantive descriptions or examples of what the student is doing and experiencing.
Rubric
A rubric is a scoring tool that can be used to evaluate a task, work, or behavior. Composed of statements or criteria that describe certain levels or qualities of the work to be accomplished, it serves as an assessment guide by providing a scaled description of performance characteristics corresponding to a rating scale. The criteria described in rubrics should be linked to standards and learning objectives. When provided to students upon assignment of a task, well-written rubrics provide valuable information about instructor expectations by establishing clear goals and outlining standards by which achievement will be measured. Rubrics also allow for more efficient, objective, equitable and consistent grading.
Related Resources
Rubrics
Jonathan Mueller, Professor of Psychology, North Central College, Naperville, IL
From his Authentic Assessment Toolbox, this tutorial explains the difference between holistic and analytic rubrics and gives step-by-step instructions for creating each.
Why Rubrics?
Teachnology: The Web Portal for Educators
Explores the philosophy behind using rubrics as assessmenta that are student-centered
and standards driven.
Links to Educational Resources about Rubrics
Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, Indiana University Kokomo
Skinner, B.F.
B.F. Skinner (1904 –1990) was a philosopher who is known for his work on experimental psychology and behaviorism. He is probably est known for his theories connecting learning to the stimuli-response cycle leading to operant conditioning.
Related Resources
Operant Conditioning
Greg Kearsley, Theory into Practice Database
Provides a brief introduction to Skinner's theory and explains how it led to the development of programmed instruction.
B. F. Skinner: 1904 - 1990
C. George Boeree, Shippensburg University
Explores several ideas springing from Skinner's operant conditioning theory, including schedules of reinforcement, aversive stimuli, behavior modification, and the potential for a utopian society.
Syllabus
Provided by the instructor on the first day of class, a syllabus outlines content that will be covered, expectations, class rules, attendance policy, grading policy, list of assignments, due dates, required textbooks and course materials, and the instructor’s office hours, and contact information. A syllabus can be an effective tool for helping students understand what to expect from the instructor and also what the instructor expects from students.
Related Resources
Syllabus Tutorial
Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota
Provides thorough instructions for organizing your course syllabus.
Creating a Syllabus
Barbara Gross Davis, University of California, Berkeley
In addition to the traditional items included in a syllabus, the author suggests adding supplementary material
that might be helpful to students.
Writing a Syllabus
Howard B. Altman and William E. Cashin, Faculty Development Teaching Tips, Honolulu Community College
Virtual Learning Community (VLC)
The purpose of the VLC is to develop, edit, and broker content for NCCCS courses offered via distance learning. Hundreds of North Carolina community college educators have worked on VLC course development teams to create high quality courses that are available now to all colleges within the system.
Vygotsky, Lev
Lev Vygotsky (1896 – 1934) was a psychologist best known for his theories regarding the zone of proximal development, metacognition, and social constructivism—the influence of culture on human cognitive development.
Related Resources
Social Development Theory
Greg Kearsley, Theory into Practice Database
A brief explanation of Vygotsky’s theory of the interaction between social interaction and cognitive development.
Vygotsky and Language Acquisition
Ricardo Schütz, English Made in Brazil
Explores the relationship between cognition and language acquisition.
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) is an educational reform movement that seeks to make writing a part of the learning process in all courses regardless of department or level. WAC proponents contend that writing is a tool that promotes critical thinking and learning. Including even brief writing activities in instruction can help increase a student’s ability to communicate clearly, to think analytically, and to learn new information. Writing assignment such as journaling, article reviews, research papers, reports, and informal writing can also be used to assess student learning.
Related Resources
The WAC Clearinghouse
Kate Kiefer, Colorado State University
Co-sponsored by the International Network of Writing Across the Curriculum Programs, publishes journals, books,
and other free resources for instructors who use writing in their courses. A fantastic resource!
NCTE Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing
Writing Study Group, National Council of Teaching of English Executive Committee
Eleven principles that should guide the effective use of writing within an instructor’s teaching practice.
Writing Across the Curriculum
Longview Community College, Kansas City, Missouri
A guide to best practices in teaching a "writing intensive" course.
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