Teaching Enrichment Workshop
The College of Science and Letters held its third annual Teaching Enrichment Workshop on Wednesday, April 25, for IIT faculty and PhD students. Designed to help teachers of all levels, the workshop featured Professor Audrey Champagne, professor emerita in chemistry and educational theory from the State University of New York at Albany, and Norman Lederman, Professor and Chair, Mathematics and Science Education Department, speaking on "Assessment for Learning, Teaching and Accountability."
Some of the best and brightest students do not really understand complex concepts; they merely memorize material. How can teachers assess this and change their teaching and tests so students truly learn?
Professor Champagne discussed the cognitive complexity involved in students' learning of topics like why the seasons change that is, the degree of demand placed on a learner and different levels of knowledge needed in order to fully understand (for example, "knowing that," "knowing how," knowing a concept in a coherent way, knowing how to analyze and plan). Analyzing cognitive demands can help teachers write course objectives and teach in a way that considers these different levels of knowledge, she said, and develop test questions that gauge which levels of understanding students have reached.
Professor Lederman gave specific examples of such test questions, checking the audience's own ability to apply science concepts. He then expanded on cognitive complexity, offering even more levels of knowledge, how to write course objectives that take them into consideration and how to fairly test in order to evaluate their attainment. (He particularly emphasized the need to develop clear course objectives as the first step in successful teaching, and fair and effective assessment.) He also provided metrics for evaluating a test's difficulty, fairness and effectiveness, and more.
After the lecture, a lively panel discussion, led by Associate Dean Ishaque Khan, drew many questions from the audience. Topics included checking with colleagues about test appropriateness; whether to "stretch" students on a test with more complex material than what was covered in class (answer: no); the use and importance of teacher evaluations; different types of tests, such as essay or multiple-choice; whether to supply students with formulas needed to answer test questions (answer: no); and more. "Supporting the teaching efforts of the faculty, promoting teaching excellence, and enriching students' experience here at IIT are among the key priorities for the College of Science and Letters" said Khan.
