Each of our stories offers specific solutions, or strategies, for the teaching challenges. On this page, we list all of the strategies found on this site, as well as links to the specific stories in which they are mentioned.

• When faced with an existing curriculum, it is important to take ownership of the class. This can be accomplished by understanding the existing course design, understanding your students, understanding your own goals and style, and then aligning the course materials to these factors.
  (Found in Teaching a previously designed course for the first time)

• The key to handling the hectic workload of engineering faculty is to prioritize activities and realistically schedule time to work on important teaching, research, service, and personal activities. These links may inspire and guide you in time management.
  (Found in I'm swamped!)

• The questions you ask in class can often determine how students respond. These sites explain how to frame questions that increase student involvement and student learning.
  (Found in My students look bored)

• Are your changes working? You can gauge their worth by assessing student learning with classroom assessment techniques (CATs).
  (Found in I was inspired by a teaching workshop, but now what do I do?)

• Using ungraded methods to gauge students’ knowledge and understanding of the course material can illuminate areas they are struggling in. Used throughout the term, classroom assessment techniques can help you identify what they don not understand and may help to avoid surprising exam performances.
  (Found in Why are my students performing so poorly?)

• New instructors often spend a lot of time preparing for their classes, perhaps more than necessary. These links offer guidance in balancing teaching, research, and service so that young professors can advance their career. Remember that the time to prepare a class with existing course materials can take as much time as creating new course materials.
  (Found in Teaching a previously designed course for the first time)

• To achieve success, engineering faculty member must balance all the roles of the academy: teaching, research, and service. Success can be boosted through mentoring and networking. These links offer advice on achieving balance and finding support as new faculty.
  (Found in I'm swamped!)

• Though student ratings are one way to assess whether students found the course effective, they occur so late in the term that changes can only affect subsequent classes. Classroom assessment techniques are quick and easy methods that can be implemented any day of the course to assess how well the students are learning.
  (Found in Faculty facing low student ratings)

• Though student ratings are one way to assess whether students found the course effective, they occur so late in the term that changes can only affect subsequent classes. Classroom assessment techniques are quick and easy methods that can be implemented any day of the course to assess how well the students are learning.
  (Found in How do I effectively work with TAs?)

• To create an engaging and inclusive learning environment, the instructor should keep the discussion open to all students. However, it takes skill to manage productive, inclusive discussions when a few vocal students dominate. These links may help you get balanced student contributions and provide your students the increased learning that discussions offer.
  (Found in This student is driving me nuts!)

• The first step to improving teaching is seeking students’ opinions during the term, and not at the end of the course. These links guide educators in gathering data on teaching quality.
  (Found in Why are my students performing so poorly?)

• When multiple people will be grading the efforts of your students, you need to work together to ensure consistency and fairness.
  (Found in How do I effectively work with TAs?)

• Students working in small groups for a project that lasts a class period, several class periods, or even an entire term is known as cooperative learning. These sites offer tips for incorporating cooperative learning activities into your course and for preparing students for group work.
  (Found in Faculty facing low student ratings)

• Sometimes addressing possible underlying reasons for an outspoken student does not alleviate disruptions. Direct, assertive responses to behavior that disturbs other students may be necessary, and the following links may help you to appropriately confront disruptive students.
  (Found in This student is driving me nuts!)

• Most undergraduate students are used to the lecture format and the role of instructor as purveyor of truth. Educators should help students understand the benefits of active learning and help them take on this greater responsibility for their learning.
  (Found in I was inspired by a teaching workshop, but now what do I do?)

• Many students are used to being passive receivers of knowledge in a lecture format but will benefit from taking a more active role in their learning. The links below, along with the previous strategies, may help educators guide students to take more responsibility for their learning.
  (Found in My students look bored)

• Research has shown that students in a classroom using active learning techniques learn more than those in a traditional lecture format. In active learning, students perform tasks which call upon their current knowledge and spur exploration of new concepts.
  (Found in I was inspired by a teaching workshop, but now what do I do?)

• Since TAs vary in their levels of teaching experience, faculty can help them become effective teachers. These links may help you and your TAs to provide your students a positive learning experience.
  (Found in How do I effectively work with TAs?)

• Breaking up a lecture with questions and other activities will help keep students alert, interested, and learning while forcing students to think more deeply about the concepts and leading students to take more responsibility for their own learning.
  (Found in My students look bored)

• Teaching can take up a lot of time if allowed, so teaching activities should be limited for faculty to manage other responsibilities. Efficiency in teaching activities such as course preparation and grading is the key to striking the right balance.
  (Found in I'm swamped!)

• Some faculty find student ratings difficult to interpret objectively and constructively. The links below offer suggestions for finding useful information within student evaluations.
  (Found in Faculty facing low student ratings)

• Faculty and students in the American higher education system are quite diverse, with responsibilities and attitudes that may differ greatly from the academic culture of other nations. The following links help to explain American academic culture and the importance of considering your students as well as your own cultural assumptions.
  (Found in International faculty adjusting to the US)

• Changing from a lecture format to a more interactive format can be both challenging and rewarding and is best accomplished gradually.
  (Found in I was inspired by a teaching workshop, but now what do I do?)

• When the learning objectives are set to high standards, teaching methods and activities should be selected that most effectively engage students in higher-order thinking. These links explain research-based teaching methods that could help students achieve the learning goals.
  (Found in Why are my students performing so poorly?)

• Revising a class #1: Effective course design begins with understanding the students, then understanding the courses goals and objectives. Revising a class can mean incorporating feedback from previous classes.
  (Found in Faculty facing low student ratings)


• Revising a class #2: Many factors can prompt an engineering educator to revise a class: new ideas for teaching material, obtaining feedback from students, external factors such as departmental curricular changes, or a commitment to more interactive and engaging teaching methods. These links may guide you through making those improvements. Remember that revising a course is an iterative process best done in small, incremental steps.
  (Found in Why are my students performing so poorly?)

• Many international students obtain teaching assistantships and must also work around language difficulties. The following link may help non-native speakers who are concerned their accent will confuse American students.
  (Found in How do I effectively work with TAs?)

• Even with existing materials, new educators can confront common teaching challenges. The following sites offer useful advice for beginning teachers, giving an overview of designing a class, helping new teachers become more student-centered, and offering techniques for managing the classroom.
  (Found in Teaching a previously designed course for the first time)

• Adult learners, i.e., returning students in their late 20s or older, have different expectations from traditional students. For example, they expect their experience and knowledge will be used in their courses and that course material will be relevant to their profession. These links may help engineering educators understand adult learners’ expectations and behaviors.
  (Found in This student is driving me nuts!)

• American students often relate to faculty in ways that are unfamiliar to international educators. In addition, American students often have complex lives, many with jobs and family obligations. The following sites can help bridge cultural gaps by explaining American students to international TAs and instructors.
  (Found in International faculty adjusting to the US)

• Learning objectives are like a set of blueprints or a flowchart. They provide a framework by which instructors can focus on the essentials and streamline their courses. These sites will help you to evaluate, refine, or develop strong learning objectives.
  (Found in Teaching a previously designed course for the first time)

• Since students generally learn best when they can relate new knowledge to old, provide learning activities that use your students’ prior experience. Also, adult learners often expect instructors to acknowledge and use their life experience in learning activities. These links suggest teaching methods that can tap into students’ experience.
  (Found in This student is driving me nuts!)

• Since the National Science Foundation is a major funding source for many engineering faculty members, the following links may assist those writing grant proposals and articulating the broader impacts of a research activity.
  (Found in International faculty adjusting to the US)