Instructional Rounds Courses and Instructors
We interviewed the following instructors to offer you a bit more information about our host classes and the instructors who teach them.
BIOL 150 - General Biology I
Instructor Name: Angela Hodgson
What teaching techniques, strategies, or methods will you showcase:
Teaching in a SCALE-UP using student-centric active learning methods. These methods can include students doing collaborative problem solving at their tables and/or on the white boards and use of clicker questions to gauge student understanding. Also, we are now using a standards-based grading system instead of a points-based grading system.
How long have you been using these strategies?
14 years
What prompted you to learn about or start using these strategies?
I wanted to use strategies that engaged students in the subject matter, improved student learning and allowed students to develop critical thinking by focusing on questions requiring higher-order cognitive skills.
What benefits have you seen from implementing these strategies?
In the last seven years we have seen a 20% decline in drop, failure, withdraw (DFW) rates in this course, and at the same time, an increase in the percentage of assessments that are requiring higher-order cognitive skills.
Who would benefit most from your session?
Anyone interested in active learning, use of SCALE-UP classrooms or use of standards-based grading, especially in large classes.
BIOL 272 - Research Experience: Learning in Biology
Instructor Name: Jenni Momsen
What teaching techniques, strategies, or methods will you showcase?
Research Experience: Learning in Biology is a course-based undergraduate research experience. We use a combination of standards-based grading with ungrading (or student-led grading). Students collaborate in small groups to develop and implement an independent research project. Something new we implemented this year is teaching students Scrum project management skills and agile thinking.
How long have you been using these strategies?
This is my second semester using ungrading with standards-based grading in this course. I’ve been using collaborative groups for over a decade.
What prompted you to learn about or start using these strategies?
There is compelling evidence that collaboration results in more meaningful learning than working independently, and this prompted me to use groups in all my courses. Alternative grading practices are new for me and reflect my response to the pandemic and a reflection on how grades and grading negatively impact learning.
What benefits have you seen from implementing these strategies?
Students have strong – and valid – opinions about group projects and group work. Their feedback has prompted me to explicitly teach the skills and strategies that promote successful group work, particularly Scrum and agile skills. Students are incredibly eager to learn these real-world skills!
Ungrading has transformed my teaching. Ceding power to students is liberating, and teaches them the skills of self-evaluation and goal setting. While many students are initially hesitant about these alternative practices, most find they reduce anxiety and make learning an enjoyable experience.
Who would benefit most from your session?
Anyone interested in alternative grading practices would benefit, although this class approach may be best suited to smaller classes. I also think individuals interested in using collaborative learning might find some use in this session.
Any other information you would like to provide participants?
Because this is a student-driven course, the observation may feel a little dull! There won’t be any sage on the stage to observe, but you can see how we structure such a hands-on course!
CNED 710 – Counseling Techniques
Instructor Name: Jodi Tangen
In the class session we will be discussing culturally-responsive counseling and broaching. In my classes, I try very hard to make the material relevant and meaningful for students by providing lots of examples and showcasing the skills in an accessible manner.
How long have you been using these strategies?
Eight-ish years now. I teach content courses different from the way I teach practical courses, such as this one. In this class, I utilize lots of demonstrations, examples, and activities. The content is low and the practice and experience are high.
What prompted you to learn about or start using these strategies?
Over the years, I’ve realized more and more that students don’t learn how to do something (like counseling) from just hearing content about it. They need to practice over and over and over again.
What benefits have you seen from implementing these strategies?
More classroom engagement and better counselors.
Who would benefit most from your session?
Anyone interested in active learning!
Any other information you would like to provide participants?
I mess up sometimes, but the class and I typically laugh about it.
COMM 700/701 - Research Methods in Communication/Advanced Research Methods in Communication
Instructor Name: Carrie Anne Platt
What teaching techniques, strategies, or methods will you showcase?
Using Mentimeter for content application, real-time assessment, + connecting in-class and remote students
How long have you been using these strategies?
Since Fall 2020
What prompted you to learn about or start using these strategies?
Teaching students in-room and via Zoom at the same time (start of HyFlex teaching at NDSU).
What benefits have you seen from implementing these strategies?
I have gotten a better sense of what students understand and what needs further explanation while we are in the lesson (real-time assessment). I also now have a greater sense of class community in HyFlex setup.
Who would benefit most from your session?
Instructors teaching graduate courses, combined-level courses, upper-division undergraduate courses, and courses with some students joining remotely. Those looking for ways to incorporate more active learning in research methods courses may also be interested.
Other Information:
The Q&A session will be held at a time that works best for most participants. If we do the debriefing at 7:30 p.m. on the same day as the class, observers would have a 1-hour break between the observation and the Q&A session. The other time available is 9 to 10 a.m. the following morning.
COMM 425: Specialty Writing
Instructor Name: Melissa Vosen Callens
What teaching techniques, strategies, or methods will you showcase?
In this course, I use the following tools on Blackboard: VoiceThread, quizzes, and video feedback (an option embedded into the gradebook). I also have incorporated individual writing conferences over Zoom and periodic optional group help sessions in a classroom. Students can also attend over Zoom or watch the recording of the help sessions.
How long have you been using these strategies?
I have been teaching asynchronously online since 2006. I have been teaching the course in its current form since 2020.
What prompted you to learn about or start using these strategies?
I am constantly trying to figure out the best way to engage students online. I am using the VoiceThread tool because it allows students to annotate and analyze writing samples before they write their own papers. Individual writing conferences over Zoom have been great; students appreciate the individualized feedback and connecting with me despite the course being an online course.
What benefits have you seen from implementing these strategies?
Students told me they appreciate how well organized my online courses are; they also repeatedly mention how much they like the use of video feedback. I have been told by them that the feedback feels more personable. One student told me last year: “I feel like a true person in this class, even though it was just online. Thank you for being an amazing person and teacher.”
Who would benefit most from your session?
Instructors who are teaching asynchronously online or are wanting to start teaching asynchronously online.
COMM 435: Critical Approaches to Popular Culture
Instructor Name: Melissa Vosen Callens
What teaching techniques, strategies, or methods will you showcase?
In this course, I use the following tools on Blackboard: Journals and video feedback (an option embedded into the gradebook). Students also discuss course content over Slack.
How long have you been using these strategies?
I have been teaching asynchronously online since 2006. I have been teaching the course in its current form since 2020. Prior to that, I taught a hybrid version since 2015.
What prompted you to learn about or start using these strategies?
I am constantly trying to figure out the best way to engage students online. Students have told me they like Slack for a discussion board (as opposed to Blackboard). It is more user friendly, and it is much easier to tell when someone responds to their posts. There is also an app, which is very easy to use.
What benefits have you seen from implementing these strategies?
Students told me they appreciate how well organized my online courses are; they also repeatedly mention how much they like the use of video feedback. I have been told by them that the feedback feels more personable. One student told me last year: “I feel like a true person in this class, even though it was just online. Thank you for being an amazing person and teacher.”
Who would benefit most from your session?
Instructors who are teaching asynchronously online or are wanting to start teaching asynchronously online.
HNES 250 - Nutrition Science
Instructor Name: Kerrie Honrath
What teaching techniques, strategies, or methods will you showcase?
On October 26th we will use the think-pair-share technique as students work in groups on an in-class activity and then we will go over it as a group. On November 9th we will use PointSolutions and Mentimeter to demonstrate student engagement.
How long have you been using these strategies?
This is the first semester I have used Mentimeter but I have used think-pair-share and PointSolutions since I started teaching this class in 2017.
What prompted you to learn about or start using these strategies?
PointSolutions was being used by other instructors teaching the course (there are multiple sections). I learned about Mentimeter this summer at the Teaching and Learning Conference which inspired me to use it as it allows students to answer completely anonymously as the instructor is not able to see who answered what after class like with PointSolutions. I am testing this strategy to determine if it will help with more student engagement.
What benefits have you seen from implementing these strategies?
The students seem to be enjoying the Mentimeter questions so far. It is a low stakes way to get them to start thinking about a topic as it is anonymous and is not for a grade.
Who would benefit most from your session?
Instructors of larger classes in a typical lecture hall setting. My classroom is a hard environment to use some active learning strategies but I try to implement a few.
MATH 266 - Introduction to Differential Equations
Instructor Name: Jessica Striker
What teaching techniques, strategies, or methods will you showcase?
Student teams spend class time working through directed notes and problem sets rather than listening to lecture.
Who would benefit most from your session?
Instructors who want to flip their classroom so students work through problem sets while assistance is available to them through groups and instructor presence.
PHRM 545L - Pharmacotherapy Lab &
PHRM 536 - Neurology & Psychiatry Pharmacotherapy
Instructor Name: Amy Werremeyer
What teaching techniques, strategies, or methods will you showcase?
In both courses, I will showcase different formats of discussion question usage intermixed with standard lecture. Discussion questions are used to introduce and apply material and are interspersed throughout the course session in order to promote periodic active learning and peer interaction.
How long have you been using these strategies?
In the Neurology & Psychiatry Pharmacotherapy course I have been using this strategy for nearly a decade. I have been using this strategy in the Pharmacotherapy Lab since its inception, approximately six years ago.
What prompted you to learn about or start using these strategies?
Almost 15 years ago, a student who had recently completed my class very candidly told me “No one is learning anything in your class during the actual lectures. We’re just writing things down and have to go back and learn it all later!” That was very eye opening for me and prompted me to completely revamp my approach in the classroom to make it much more active and to instill regular opportunities for students to wrestle with information, apply it, and ask questions about it DURING the class session where I could provide feedback in the moment, clarify uncertainties and misconceptions, and overall, increase the actual learning taking place in the classroom.
What benefits have you seen from implementing these strategies?
Students report that they feel engaged throughout the entire class period. Alumni have told me that they feel like they have the best understanding of the information I teach. Our preceptors have also told me that our students are very strong in the areas I teach.
Who would benefit most from your session?
I think anyone who is willing to consider/reconsider their teaching approach would benefit. I wouldn’t be trying to say that my method is the only way of approaching teaching, but I think it’s good to see how different instructors make active learning happen in the classroom. My classes have around 60 students and incorporating active learning with that class size has been easier and more rewarding than I expected it to be.