Observe. Design. Experience. Grow.

In spring 2017, this class has 2 different sections offered: the earlier section is from 11:00-12:20 pm; the later section is from 5:30-6:50 pm. Due to my availability, I chose to observe the later section instead. This class was hosted in a large lecture hall (ZZZ Noyes Laboratory) with around 130 students. The room has theater auditorium seating that is separated into left and right by an aisle in the middle. It also has 4 chalkboards, an instructor laboratory table, and 2 front-projection screens in front. In usual weeks, CHEM XXX will have a combination of lecture and laboratory section. The section I observed was the lecture right before their 1st exam so it added some unique dynamic to the content and instructional choices.

In light of these contexts, Dr. K did a solid job on demonstrating and explaining the chemistry concepts, which can be demonstrated from three different perspectives. First of all, the utilization of instructional technologies. It was interesting to see how Dr. K taught the class with an iPad in his hand and using a pen to draw on the digital OneNote notes constantly, as I never saw anyone done this before. Chemistry often involves complex formulas and is hard to describe through purely verbal interactions. Relying on writing and visual cues give people the opportunity to directly observe what instructor are writing about. Compare to using powerpoints, OneNote also has the advantage of active engagement through notes taking and handwriting, which might be critical for students to recognize and understand the key materials and processes in organic chemistry. This also doesn’t stop him from interacting with students. He made eye contacts with students, and he also answered more than 5 questions raised by students throughout the lecture. Second, Dr. K also made an enormous amount of effort to make connections between the chemistry concepts and processes with real life situation. For example, he always made it clear to students what are the things industries are expecting students to know by saying “I have worked in the industry for years and I can promise you … is important to learn”. Dr. K not only draw information from his work experience, he also shared stories about his undergraduate and graduate lab experience, sometimes intense personal conflict caused by the chemical phenomenon. Last but not least, Dr. K constantly asked students to draw out a chemical product within a limited amount of time (various between 30s and 1mins). Within the 80mins lecture, this drawing tasks happened more than 10 times. This not only gives students an opportunity to engage with the concepts and processes but also primes students to the exact type of tasks they will be doing from their first exam in this week.

It was a wonderful experience to observe Dr. K’s instruction. One thing I have learned is that there are various kinds of instructional technologies and they can be used for different purposes in different contexts. There is no “ideal” type of technology, so we should actively explore whether there are better technologies that can facilitate presenting and communicating boring or abstract concepts. Besides this lesson, I also learned two different things that are readily for me to apply to my classes. On the one hand, the way Dr. K make connections between academic knowledge, professional experience, and personal life is extraordinary. In a discipline that can be applied to daily lives, communication, I should help students to see the connections between the things they are learning and the things they are doing outside of class. On the other hand, another thing I could apply to my section is to give students regular problems to work on throughout the lecture. This is an interesting way to get students’ attention back once a while and keep them engaged in the process of learning and solving problems. I hope the things I have learned can help me build a more engaging and reflecting discussion section for the class I am teaching this semester.

Syllabus is an important part of the course design. There are different approaches to design a syllabus. In this little space, I will present two of the examples I have exposed to.

First is graphic syllabus. The idea of graphic syllabus and course big idea comes from integrative and backward course design. By starting from objectives, designed learning outcomes, and big ideas in the class, we as instructors further develop specific plans to help us achieve each of our goals. In the meantime, graphic syllabus gives us a way to visually present the information to students so it is easier for them to process the information.

Second is learner-centered syllabus. By adjusting the tough we use to communicate our course-related information to students, we motivate them to engage in the process of learning and provide them with caring and personalization that they deserve. Focusing on learner instead of the teacher, we also redesign the course content in the way that is more approachable for students to reduce the potential barriers in teacher-learner interactions.