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Center for Teaching & Learning: Practical Applications for Teaching

Supporting the MCPHS faculty and staff in their commitment to excellence and innovation in teaching and learning

What Types of Assignments Will Students Like?

There are many types of assessment. Choosing which one to use depends upon the type of learning and what you are assessing. We've included a few resources for some of the more difficult or less common assessments. 

Use the Transparent Assignment Template below to formalize your assignment instructions, communicate the expectations, and provide clear links to the course subjects, concepts.

How Can I Improve My Presentations?

What Makes a Lecture Effective?

Lectures are the way most instructors today learned in classes. However, with today’s students, lecturing does not hold students' attention for very long, even though they are a means of conveying valuable information.

What Can I Do to Make My Discussions Engaging?

Engaging students in discussion deepens their learning and motivation by propelling them to develop their own views and hear their own voices. A good environment for interaction is the first step in encouraging students to talk.

Introduction

Holding a substantive discussion in a classroom environment can be difficult, whether online or face-to-face. Students are often reluctant to speak up, even when they have questions. You may have difficulty encouraging thoughtful participation. You probably have all had the experience of asking a question and facing a silent classroom. Surprisingly, in online classes, the often silent student is more willing to speak up – the distance tends to feel more anonymous for them (even though it really isn’t).

Why have discussions?

Have you ever read something, thought you understood it, and then found you can’t explain it? That is why discussions are important. Discussion are integral to active learning. There is a large body of research that supports this (some resources are listed below).

Resources

10 Tips for Effective Online Discussions from EDUCAUSE

How to Hold a Better Class Discussion Advice Guide from the Chronicle of Higher Education

How Can I Get My Students to Read?

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