Teaching & Learning

Teaching with Laptop Computers
Laptops can require that the instructor is much more proactive and has done more class planning that directly involves the use of the tool in the class. Studies show that laptops do improve learning.

Miracle or Menace; Teaching and Learning with Laptop Computers in the Classroom  

Learning and Teaching in an e-Classroom

Laptops can enhance the students classroom experience and can be used for:

• Note taking
• Take advantage of digital media
• In class assignments that can be e-mailed at the end of the class
• Webquest - Instead of lecturing to a piece of instruction bring in websites and other materials into class that students use to develop and present. This strategy could be refined to a situation in which the professor has created a scavenger hunt online that reflects the days topic which the student presents and the professor elaborates on thru direct instruction or discussion
• Use websites to introduce ideas related to the course materials. Use hyper linked movies and audio and have students go to the sites rather than projecting them
• Develop online library materials that students use much the same as you would use websites
• Develop a Blog or Wiki that is designed for increasing creative writing skills and is used during class
• Use online discussion to give students who might not otherwise participate an opportunity to participate anonymously

Examples of Notebook use in the e-Classroom

Classroom management: Best Practices for an e-Classroom

• Be very clear about the rules for use during class.
• Teach from the back of the class especially if you are using PowerPoint
• Have students put laptop screens down during parts of the class to create greater focus/think time
• Move students with laptops to the front of the class
• Look for a change in eye contact and movement

Creating Significant Learning Experiences

All teachers face the challenge of designing their courses and teaching in a way that leads to learning that can be deemed to be truly significant, as viewed by both students and others.

Dee Fink has written a book on this subject: Creating Significant Learning Experiences (Jossey-Bass, 2003). This website is intended to complement that book and to allow interested parties to continue learning how to meet this challenge as effectively as possible.

To this end, this website allows you to:

• Read a summary of key ideas from the book.
• Read descriptions of courses that have been successful in promoting significant student learning.
• Describe and share one of your own teaching experiences that has been successful in this way. (This is NOT a time to be modest, we all need to learn from each other.)
• Pose questions and problems you face in trying to design significant learning experiences.
• Find additional publications and websites that are related to this subject.

Instructional Strategies Online

Instructional strategies determine the approach a teacher may take to achieve learning objectives. Five categories of instructional strategies and explanation of these five categories can be found within this site.

Instructional methods are used by teachers to create learning environments and to specify the nature of the activity in which the teacher and learner will be involved during the lesson. While particular methods are often associated with certain strategies, some methods may by found within a variety of strategies. A sampling of instructional methods with accompanying explanations are presented in this website.

Teaching Tips Index

Teaching and Learning Strategies

In this area of the website you will find information on some of the best researched and the most widely implemented methods of helping all students to learn more successfully. The information includes a description of how the teaching and learning strategies work, where they have been applied, results, and where to find further information from experts in the field, books, websites, and other resources. They have been demonstrated to be successful with students of all ages and ability levels, including those with various kinds of disabilities and those who do not learn in traditional ways. Following are links to different teaching and learning strategies, a description of how they work, where they have been applied, results, and where to find more information from individuals, books, web sites, and other resources.