AHE 603 College and University Teaching
This course involves intensive study of the issues, policies, and principles associated with teaching in higher education. Topics include history and philosophy of college teaching, internal and external influences on instruction, faculty and students, instructional models and methods, documenting and assessing teaching, and instructional improvement. By the end of the course, students should be able to do the following:
- Incorporate learning principles relevant to planning learning experiences for college students.
- Realize both the value and the limitations of using student-learning outcomes.
- Consider differences in the diverse cultures represented by today’s college students and consider how you might best meet the needs of all students.
- Evaluate a variety of teaching strategies.
- Understand the importance of evaluation in the teaching/learning process.
- Plan evaluation activities to help students learn.
- Concentrate on important aspects of instruction when observing others teach or when viewing videos of your own teaching.
- Analyze the effects of instructional techniques or strategies when observing instructional situations.
- Identify your own strengths and weaknesses as a teacher and make effective decisions about how best to enhance and improve your teaching skills.
- Integrate technology with teaching pedagogy to effectively and efficiently facilitate student learning.
- Ascertain strategies for instructional improvement
- Locate resources related to teaching and teaching improvement
Student Comments About AHE 603
1) All of the readings and assignments were directly relevant to students, on a practical level. Of my time in graduate school, this class has been the most beneficial for my upcoming career. 2) Dr. Major is a perfect instructor, knowledgeable and kind. Has a respect for her students.
Class sessions were interesting and engaging. Dr. Major is the best professor I've had in the program (don't tell the others) The textbooks will be valuable resources for the future. The assignments were challenging and useful.
Dr. Major was engaged with us; she was entertaining; the class flew by, which says a lot considering it's an all-day Saturday course. She used many ways to get us to learn. Loved the course!
Great F2F communication
There was a ton of valuable information that we could take and apply to our classrooms (or plan how to apply it to our classrooms). Also, Dr. Major often sought our opinions on different aspects of class, so it felt like a collaborative learning experience rather than knowledge being rained down upon us to absorb.
Variety in assignments, and students have some choice in their assignments.
Dr. Major is well prepared for the classes and truly relatable. The assignments were helpful for would be teachers. I especially appreciate the opportunity to create an electronic portfolio.
I learned a lot about teaching in a college or university setting. I now want to get my College Teaching Certificate.
Positive and engaged professor. Professor connects with students individually to assess and provide direction as to help the student connect with the material.
Every faculty member should take at least a mini-version of this course.
I also appreciated the lectures as they didn't seem like lectures because they weren't weighed down with a bunch of Powerpoint slides & we applied everything we learned.
I really enjoyed this class and feel it's something of which more people should be made aware. Perhaps there can be some marketing done to the different PhD programs on campus (particularly those whose graduates become faculty); I know I wouldn't have known about the course if I hadn't been looking for another course this semester and going through any course listing that sounded remotely interesting. It was serendipitous that I found this course, and I'm grateful for that.
It may not come across in these comments, but this is the best class I've ever had, by the best professor I've ever had (and, I've had some pretty great professors in the past). This course has fundamentally changed how I will teach in the future, which is much appreciated. I truly believe, because of this class, I have improved as a teacher and a person, subsequently, having better prospects for the future.
An excellent instructor. I enjoyed her teaching style and have registered for another one of her classes for fall.
Excellent communicator. Does not patronize students but relates to them on a professional level.
She is a great instructor and I really liked being in her class.