Teaching

My classroom teaching has evolved significantly over the years. When I first started teaching university classes in the mid-1990's I emulated the professors who taught me: I lectured at the board from a set of notes and assigned textbook readings as well as problem sets. Students would copy what I wrote and we all seemed to feel that, by doing so, learning was reinforced. Tests were done with calculators (if any computing device) and exams were proctored. 

Today, I typically rely on videos ("async") to deliver background lectures and walk students through tedious calculations. Engagement with this mode of delivery is assessed through simple quizzes. Chapter book readings are supplementary and often optional—largely because I've found that today's students are less likely to assimilate knowledge by reading. For elective classes, exams and assignments are open book and involved, resembling case work, so they are "take home" rather than timed. And, last but not least, class time is more open-ended and meant to reinforce concepts through practical examples, cases, and discussions. This approach has required a great deal more investment of my time, but I believe it's also made me a more effective teacher. My sense is that it has also transitioned my role into one in which the students view me as a senior partner, rather than an adversary, in their academic journey.