Lessons from the Semester….

My semester is winding down.  It is funny the way that it does this; it has mostly ended but there are stray bits and pieces that seem to drag on interminably.  Despite this, as at the end of every semester, I’ve started my own process of self-assessment to figure out with my teaching what went right, what wrong, and what I can do to be more effective in the future.  Here are my current thoughts, with the hope that somebody, somewhere might find something in them a little useful:

1. Laptops and electronic devices:  I have known for some time about the research that argues that the use of laptops impede learning in class (see, e.g., here).  Yet I’ve always resisted banning them from my classes.  Over the past few years I’ve referred students to this research but let them make the choice – very few made the choice to close their laptops.  Laptops in class have undeniable benefits, allowing students to quickly access online readings and look up things that can contribute to the class.  And, remembering my own college days, I know that distraction can occur with or without a device.  This semester, however, I decided to try a “no-devices in class” policy.  I liked it – a lot.  Yes, some students were still distracted and once a while would even fall asleep (which always greatly bruises my ego).  But looking into faces and eyes, rather than the backs of screens, was great for me and for students who did not have to look past or over their own screens, not to mention the ten or fifteen others that might be somewhere in their peripheral vision, I think it made a real difference for the class atmosphere.  The engagement in this medium-sized class was far higher than it usually is and I think that some of this can be attributed to putting away the laptops, as well as the phones.  I will continue to use this policy in my classes.
2. Course materials:  When I began teaching, I used course packets, which were convenient but expensive.  Now everything is online – but here is the rub with the no devices policy.  Since we spend time in many classes actually looking at some of these materials, I ask them to print out the materials and bring them to class since they cannot refer to them online in class.  I know that many are hesitant about the money, but the alternative – course packets – costs more and the cost of the other required materials for my course are not high.  And yet, a significant number of students do not print out and bring the materials, causing real pedagogic problems.  In the future I think that I will go back to required course packets.
3. Peer reviews:  I had students do peer reviews for two of their papers; they each received four or five peer reviews (per paper) plus extensive notes from us (or, really, in this case, my TA) on these drafts.  I used to not grade these drafts but found that I needed to grade them at least a little so that students took them seriously.  They then revise and resubmit for a grade.  I design rubrics for the papers but it is hard to get students to give critical but constructive feedback to their peers; they tend to go very easy.  Yet while I am uncertain about the utility of these peer assessments, the students almost uniformly like the process and think that it improves their writing.  So I’ll continue to do this, but will also seek some ways to train students to be better peer reviewers.
4. Note cards: Over the past few years I have increasingly used “minute papers” on note cards.  Students write, at the end of class (really for five minutes) on a 3X5 index card (1) their major take-away and (2) a lingering question.  This is the first year that I’ve given a class that meets twice each week this assignment for every class meeting.  I am upfront with them that the primary reason that they do this is for them: they need to develop the skill of self-reflection.  A bonus, though, is that it gives me feedback after every class.  I follow up each class with individual emails to a few students whose questions or comments could benefit from it.  A second bonus is that I save and sort them so each student receives back all of his or her cards at the end of the course, and thus have a record of their own takeaways.  This seems to have worked well and I will integrate it into more of classes.
5. Personal Meetings: One of the things that I like most about my job is meeting students and getting to know them and watch them develop.  One of the things that I like least is waiting in my office pointlessly during office hours as few decide to visit and, when they do, it tends to be for transactional reasons (e.g., discussing a grade).  I have tried to address this by using Google Appointments.  I set aside blocks of time each week, moving them around from week to week, and tell students that they need to sign up in advance.  This has dramatically cut my time waiting pointlessly in my office but it has not increased the number of students who come to speak to me.  Next year I may require student conferences, but in the meantime I am grappling with figuring out if there are things that I can do (other than have office hours in coffee shops, etc., which have not been terribly successful) that would make me seem more approachable so that more seek out these meetings on their own.

Responses, as always, are welcome!