http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/CIDResource.html The CIDResouce list is used to send out monthly email announcements about teaching and learning resources available at CIDR. Messages will typically feature brief summaries of 1-2 CIDR resources, with links to a more complete version of the announcement or resource on the CIDR web site. Featured resources might include: new issues of the CIDR Teaching and Learning Bulletin; timely reminders of CIDR services such as consulting on course design or arranging for midterm student feedback; CIDR web materials such as the "Syllabus Planning Guide", "Understanding and Using Your Student Ratings", and the "Threatening Classroom Situations" web guide; and upcoming CIDR events such as the Quarterly Forum and the Annual Teaching and Learning Symposium. Mon, 13 April 2009 14:33:00 PST en-US 30 This year's Teaching and Learning Symposium is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, 2:30-4:30 p.m. The Symposium will take place in the HUB Ballroom, and will provide you with opportunities to interact with UW instructors who are actively engaged in examining teaching and learning in their disciplines.

The Symposium will open with a keynote address on "Taking the Mystery Out of Learning for Your Students" by Mary Pat Wenderoth, UW Department of Biology. The keynote address will be followed by 51 concurrent poster sessions and presentations, featuring the innovative work of faculty, staff, and TAs on all three UW campuses. The full program can be viewed online at: http://depts.washington.edu/sotl/2009/ http://depts.washington.edu/sotl/2009/ Mon, 13 April 2009 14:32:00 PST CIDR surveyed UW instructors last quarter to learn what changes they are anticipating in their teaching as a result of next year’s budget. We heard from instructors in nearly 50 departments, representing a cross-section of schools and colleges across all three campuses.

Many survey respondents reported that they are anticipating larger classes, fewer sections, and less TA support, and they also expressed concern about how to maintain the best learning opportunities for their students after these changes are made.

In response, CIDR has developed a web site that links to teaching and learning resources related to the changes people are anticipating: http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/change/ http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/change/ Mon, 13 April 2009 14:31:00 PST CIDR will be open during Exam Week and Spring Break, and CIDR staff are available to consult with you as you prepare for Spring Quarter teaching and as you start planning ahead for next year. For more information or to arrange an appointment with a CIDR consultant, visit http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/ http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/ Fri, 6 March 2009 14:31:00 PST You are welcome to stop by CIDR’s Reading Room in 100 Gerberding Hall and browse our collection of books on teaching and learning in higher education. Some of our recent acquisitions include:
- Tools for Teaching (2nd Ed.), by Barbara Gross Davis
- Using Small Group Inquiry Activities to Engage Students in Large Classes (DVD), by Andrei Straumanis
- Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts in Graduate Education, by Karen Klomparens
- Teaching with Classroom Response Systems, by Derek Bruff

Materials are available for loan to UW faculty, staff, and graduate students. The CIDR Reading Room is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/readingroom.html Fri, 6 March 2009 14:30:00 PST The Midterm Class Interview is an opportunity for you to get student feedback by asking a CIDR consultant to visit your class (while you are not present) and talk with your students about their perceptions of your course. The CIDR consultant then meets with you soon after that to report the students’ feedback to you. Instructors frequently report to us that what they learn through the interview is extremely useful for helping them make decisions about their teaching during the remainder of the quarter. For more information about the process or to schedule a feedback session, see: http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/sgid.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/sgid.html Tue, 3 February 2009 16:51:00 PST CIDR’s Winter Quarterly Forum will feature Dr. Andrei Straumanis, Visiting Assistant Professor in the UW Department of Chemistry, who will describe his lecture-less approach to teaching organic chemistry to a class of nearly 300 students. In his classes, students work in self-managed teams to analyze data and draw their own conclusions, modeling the way a team might function in a research setting.

We hope you will be able to join us on Thursday, February 12, at 3:30 p.m. in the Walker Ames Room of Kane Hall. To help us plan for refreshments and handouts, please let us know if you plan to come by sending a message to rsvp@cidr.washington.edu

For more information and links to Professor Straumanis' course web site, see http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/events/quarterlyforum.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/events/quarterlyforum.html Tue, 3 February 2009 16:50:00 PST This CIDR Resource page links you to materials that CIDR has developed or collected on the use of students ratings, including:
- a brief guide to interpreting your ratings
- a web tutorial that offers a fuller explanation of understanding and using student ratings
- administrative guidelines and resources for evaluating teaching
- an overview of other sources of data for assessment of teaching

You are also welcome to bring your student ratings to CIDR and discuss them with a CIDR consultant. For more information, see: http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/ratingstools.html
http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/ratingstools.html Fri, 9 January 2009 10:01:00 PST CIDR, the UW Teaching Academy, and the Faculty Council on Instructional Quality would like to invite your participation in the Fifth Annual Teaching and Learning Symposium at the University of Washington, scheduled for April 21, 2009, 2:30-4:30 p.m., in the HUB Ballroom.

The University of Washington has many excellent teachers, leaders, advisors, and mentors who are actively engaged in examining how their work affects student learning. The Symposium will provide a forum where all who share this interest in improving student learning at the university can learn about the work their colleagues are doing. We invite our colleagues to present their work on teaching and learning at the Symposium. Presenters will be asked to represent their work in a poster session, and to be on hand during the session to talk with people who are interested in learning more about what they have done. To submit a proposal, or to view abstracts of sessions presented at the Symposium in previous years, visit http://depts.washington.edu/sotl/application.html.

Proposals must be received by March 16. Acceptance of proposals will be confirmed by March 30. Further inquiries about the Symposium can be directed to sotl@u.washington.edu. http://depts.washington.edu/sotl/announcement.html Fri, 9 January 2009 10:00:00 PST The form and content of a syllabus vary widely by discipline, department, course, and instructor. In all cases, however, the syllabus provides the instructor and students with a common reference point that sets the stage for learning throughout the course. This web site identifies components that are commonly included in a syllabus, and provides examples from courses taught by UW faculty and TAs. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/syllabus/ Mon, 15 December 2008 11:01:00 PST CIDR consults with hundreds of faculty and TAs every year on questions related to teaching and learning. To help us assess the value of our consulting, we recently surveyed a sample of faculty, TAs, and former TAs who had worked with CIDR during the preceding five years. This issue of the Bulletin identifies the primary benefits of consulting with CIDR that they identified. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/Benefits.html Mon, 15 December 2008 11:00:00 PST CIDR's Fall Quarterly Forum on Teaching and Learning - November 13 at 3:30 p.m.
Professor John Bean, Seattle University, will explore ways faculty in the majors at other universities have helped students' transition from first-year composition into disciplinarily specific ways of writing and thinking. Drawing on examples from finance, chemistry, and English at his own institution, Bean will describe how faculty in these departments used “backward design” to create courses that teach the questioning, thinking, writing, and research strategies needed for disciplinary expertise. For more information, see: http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/events/quarterlyforum.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/events/quarterlyforum.html Mon, 10 November 2008 10:01:00 PST Fostering genuine discussion among students - whether in class or online - can be a powerful tool for encouraging student learning. And while good discussions rarely happen by accident, a well-planned discussion can increase students' interest in and understanding of course materials. See CIDR's collection of resources on using discussion for teaching and learning: http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/discussiontools.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/discussiontools.html Mon, 10 November 2008 10:00:00 PST You are always getting feedback from your students -- through the questions students ask, the looks on students’ faces, and the coursework students do -- but it can be difficult to interpret these indirect forms of feedback or to use them as a basis for decisions about teaching. Systematically collecting feedback during a course can help you see the course as students see it and help you identify ways to support student learning more effectively. This CIDR web resource links you to examples of ways you can collect useful information from your students in a short amount of time, and offers further resources to help you think about interpreting and responding to the feedback you receive. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/studentfeedback.html Thu, 16 October 2008 15:01:00 PST Discussing controversial material can stimulate critical thinking about complex issues, present students with a diversity of perspectives, and challenge their unexamined assumptions. Occasionally, however, these discussions can provoke intense reactions that might hinder students from engaging in a constructive exploration of the issues. This Bulletin identifies ways to keep these discussions engaging, substantive, and focused on learning. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/Controversial.html Thu, 16 October 2008 15:00:00 PST The first day of class is more than a time to review the syllabus. It is an opportunity to establish your expectations and set the tone for the entire quarter. It's also a time for addressing students' questions about what they can expect from you and the course, and a time for you to start learning about your students. To view CIDR’s collection of resources on ways to make the most of your first day of class, see http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/firstdaytools.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/firstdaytools.html Mon, 22 September 2008 11:01:00 PST Faculty and TAs who work together must coordinate any number of details, ranging from grading and office hours to section content and assignment design. Depending on the type of class and the experience of the TAs involved, supervising professors may choose to take on the role of manager, model, or mentor for their TAs.
Because of this variety of potential roles and expectations, it is important for all involved to establish clear expectations and lines of communication early on. Based on our experiences consulting with UW faculty and TAs, we suggest the following questions for faculty members and TAs to discuss when they are working together on a course: http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/FacultyTAGuide.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/FacultyTAGuide.html Mon, 22 September 2008 11:00:00 PST A Teaching Portfolio is a powerful means to reflect on and document your teaching philosophy and your classroom practices. Teaching portfolios can help you examine the development of your teaching over time, and can also be used to represent your teaching to others as you apply for jobs, grants, awards, promotion, or tenure. For resources to help you develop your teaching portfolio, see http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/portfoliotools.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/portfoliotools.html Tue, 17 June 2008 14:45:00 PST CIDR is moving to our new offices on the first floor of Gerberding Hall during Summer 2008. When we're not packing or unpacking, CIDR consultants are available to consult on teaching questions throughout the summer. Call or email to arrange an appointment, drop by 422 Sieg Hall (through June 27), or visit our new office (as of July 1): 100 Gerberding Hall http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/about/directions.html Tue, 17 June 2008 14:44:00 PST At CIDR we have had many opportunities to consult with instructors about their teaching, observe their classes, and in many cases, interview their students. Each situation is unique, but in more than 20 years of consultations and observations, we have observed some common factors at work in a wide variety of classes. This issue of the CIDR Bulletin identifies some of these factors, illustrated by comments from UW students on ways their instructors have helped them learn successfully at UW. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/Learning.html Fri, 16 May 2008 10:45:00 PST We initiated the CIDResource list in September 2007, and we'd like to find out if this has been a helpful resource for you. Can we ask you to take 2-3 minutes to respond to a brief online survey about the usefulness of this resource and ways we might be able to improve it? https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/cidrweb/55605 Fri, 16 May 2008 10:44:00 PST The 4th Annual UW Teaching and Learning Symposium will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 2:30-4:30 p.m., in the HUB Ballroom. The Symposium will open with a keynote address by Professor Tom Hinckley, UW College of Forest Resources, speaking on the topic, "Expanding Learning Inside and Outside of the Classroom: Issues of culture, pedagogy, and technology". Tom's keynote address will be followed by 41 concurrent poster sessions featuring the work of UW faculty, staff, and TAs who are actively engaged in examining teaching and learning in their disciplines. Come and see what your colleagues have been discovering about teaching and learning! http://depts.washington.edu/sotl/2008/ Tue, 22 April 2008 15:00:00 PST This issue of the CIDR Bulletin provides principles for teaching students who are not native speakers of English. Non-native English speakers at UW are a diverse group – including international students, immigrants, and students born and raised in the U.S. – and few generalizations broadly apply. Although strategies identified here are particularly relevant for students whose previous education was not conducted primarily in English, students from any background will benefit from these efforts to support their learning. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/Non-NativeSpeakers.html Tue, 22 April 2008 15:00:00 PST Fostering genuine discussion among students - whether in class or online - can be a powerful tool for encouraging student learning. And while good discussions rarely happen by accident, a well-planned discussion can increase students' interest in and understanding of course materials. For links to a wide range of resources and tools to help you think through planning for effective class discussions, see http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/discussiontools.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/discussiontools.html Wed, 26 March 2008 9:00:00 PST At CIDR we can help you design your course, assignments, and class activities in ways that incorporate inclusive teaching practices. We are available to consult with you on working with diverse student populations and developing approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment that support the goal of creating a more inclusive classroom. For more information, see http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/diversity.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/diversity.html Wed, 26 March 2008 9:00:00 PST "Mentoring the Undergraduate Research Experience" - A collaboration between CIDR and the Undergraduate Research Program (URP), offers guidelines for faculty on how to make an undergraduate research experience successful for both students and their mentors. "Using 'Clickers' to Promote Student Learning" - This Bulletin presents principles for using Portable Response Systems (‘clickers’) to create more opportunities for student participation and to give students feedback on their understanding of the material presented in class. Both issues of the Bulletin can be accessed online at http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/ http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/ Mon, 11 February 2008 12:00:00 PST CIDR, the UW Teaching Academy, and the Faculty Council on Instructional Quality would like to invite your participation in the Fourth Annual Teaching and Learning Symposium at the University of Washington, scheduled for May 6, 2008, 2:30-4:30 p.m. The Symposium will take place in the HUB Ballroom. The University of Washington has many excellent teachers, leaders, advisors, and mentors who are actively engaged in examining how their work affects student learning. The Symposium will provide a forum where all who share this interest in improving student learning at the university can learn about the work their colleagues are doing. We invite our colleagues to present their work on teaching and learning at the Symposium. Presenters will be asked to represent their work in a poster session, and to be on hand during the session to talk with people who are interested in learning more about what they have done. To submit a proposal, or to view abstracts of sessions presented at the Symposium in previous years, visit http://depts.washington.edu/sotl/application.html. Proposals must be received by March 17. Acceptance of proposals will be confirmed by March 31. Further inquiries about the Symposium can be directed to sotl@u.washington.edu http://depts.washington.edu/sotl/application.html Mon, 11 February 2008 12:00:00 PST The Midterm Class Interview is an open-ended, midterm oral interview in which a CIDR consultant meets with your students (while you are not present) to discuss their perceptions of the effectiveness of a course, including both its strengths and potential areas for change. The CIDR consultant will then meet with you soon after the interview to report students’ perceptions to you. Instructors frequently report to us that what they learn through the interview is extremely useful for helping them make decisions about their teaching during the remainder of the quarter, and CIDR research indicates that students also appreciate this opportunity to provide anonymous formative feedback to the instructor while the course is still in session. If you think a Midterm Class Interview might be helpful for you, plan ahead now to reserve class time later in the quarter. For more information about the process or to schedule a session, see http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/sgid.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/sgid.html Tue, 8 January 2008 14:00:00 PST Instructors often use student ratings as one way to help document their teaching effectiveness. This issue of the CIDR Bulletin is designed to help UW faculty and TAs interpret the student ratings they have received and use them as a source of information about the quality of their teaching. See also CIDR's Web Guide, "Understanding and Using Your Student Ratings": http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/ratings/index.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/Ratings.html Tue, 8 January 2008 14:00:00 PST The first day of class is more than a time to review the syllabus. It is an opportunity to establish your expectations and set the tone for the entire quarter. It's also a time for addressing students' questions about what they can expect from you and the course, and a time for you to start learning about your students. To view CIDR’s collection of resources on ways to make the most of your first day of class next quarter, see http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/firstdaytools.html http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/firstdaytools.html Tue, 18 December 2007 11:01:00 PST CIDR will be open during winter break, and CIDR staff are available to consult with you as you review your Fall Quarter teaching and as you plan ahead for next quarter. For more information or to arrange an appointment with a CIDR consultant, visit http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/ Tue, 18 December 2007 11:01:00 PST Discussing controversial material can stimulate critical thinking about complex issues, present students with a diversity of perspectives, and challenge their unexamined assumptions. Occasionally, however, these discussions can provoke intense reactions that might hinder students from engaging in a constructive exploration of the issues. This Bulletin identifies ways to keep class discussions engaging, substantive, and focused on learning. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/Controversial.html Thu, 15 November 2007 11:01:00 PST CIDR’s Fall Quarterly Forum will be a panel presentation and discussion of faculty and TA questions on safety and our students. Panelists will include representatives of the Provost's Office, the Counseling Center, the UW Police, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life. For more information on the same topic, see the CIDR web guide, "Threatening Classroom Situations: Planning Guide for Faculty and TAs" http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/events/quarterlyforum.html Thu, 15 November 2007 11:01:00 PST You are always getting feedback from your students -- through the questions students ask, the looks on students’ faces, and the coursework students do -- but it can be difficult to interpret these indirect forms of feedback or to use them as a basis for decisions about teaching. Systematically collecting feedback during a course can help you see the course as students see it and help you identify ways to support student learning more effectively. This CIDR web resource provides examples of ways you can collect useful information from your students in a short amount of time, and offers further resources to help you think about interpreting and responding to the feedback you receive. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/consulting/studentfeedback.html Fri, 12 October 2007 14:01:00 PST PowerPoint can be a powerful way to outline the structure of a presentation, add visual emphasis, and make use of multimedia to show examples or illustrate a point. Students report that PowerPoint can be helpful, but that it can also be used in ways that distract them from what the instructor is saying or overwhelm them with a high-speed flow of information that leaves little time to think, reflect on their questions, or learn. This issue of the CIDR Bulletin identifies considerations for making the best use of PowerPoint as a tool to support learning in your class. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/Bulletin/PowerPoint.html Fri, 12 October 2007 14:00:00 PST The form and content of a syllabus vary widely by discipline, department, course, and instructor. In all cases, however, the syllabus provides the instructor and students with a common reference point that sets the stage for learning throughout the course. This CIDR Web Guide identifies components that are commonly included in a syllabus, and provides examples from courses taught by UW faculty and TAs. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/syllabus/ Fri, 21 September 2007 16:40:00 PST Faculty and TAs who work together must coordinate any number of details, ranging from grading and office hours to section content and assignment design. Depending on the type of class and the experience of the TAs involved, supervising professors may choose to take on the role of manager, model, or mentor for their TAs. Because of this variety or potential roles and expectations, it is important for all involved to establish clear expectations and lines of communication early on. Based on our experiences consulting with UW faculty and TAs, we suggest the following questions for faculty members and TAs to discuss when they are working together on a course. http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/facultyta.html Fri, 21 September 2007 16:40:00 PST