Centre for Academic and Instructional Development - Teaching Tips

If you have any concerns or questions about any of the following areas, click on the link and you can benefit from the advice of others who have learned how to be more effective in the classroom.

General Topics

Communicating

Large Classes

Writing Tips

Student Evaluation of Teaching

GENERAL

Effective and Efficient Grading with Rubrics (PDF)

Advice for New Faculty Members (PPT)

Course Outline: Brief Guide (McGill) (PDF)

Effective Teaching Principles and Practices

Good teaching: the top ten requirements

Teaching Tips (University of Hawaii)

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COMMUNICATING WITH COLLEAGUES AND STUDENTS

Tips To Improve Interaction Among The Generations Traditionalists, boomers, X'ers And Nexters

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LARGE CLASSES:

Large Classes: Limiting the Chaos (PDF)

Meeting the Challenges of Larger Classes (PDF)

Preparing to Teach the Large Lecture Course

Survival Handbook for Teaching Large Classes

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WRITING TIPS FROM THE LITERACY COUNCIL

Developing Writers: Show them how!  (PDF)

Encouraging Writing in Large Classes (PDF)

Low Scores on Student Evaluation Forms?

The following headings are the ones that are found on the student evaluation forms at SMU. If you find that your evaluation scores are low in a particular area, or you just want to see what others are doing to improve their teaching, you may find some of these links very helpful.

• LEARNING:

Activities for Large Classes (PDF)

Learning & Academic Value (PDF)

The “Change Up” in Lectures

Twenty Ways to Make Lectures More Participatory (PDF)

Using Student Centered Learning Strategies

• INDIVIDUAL RAPPORT:

Classroom Management: Creating an Inclusive Environment (PDF)

Guide for Pronouncing Asian Names

Individual Rapport (PDF)

Learning Student Names

Managing Hot Moments in the Classroom (PDF)

• ENTHUSIASM:

Instructor Enthusiasm (PDF)

Improving Students Perceptions of Teaching Quality

Motivating Students: Creating an Inspiring Environment (PDF)

Polishing your Delivery Skills (PDF)

Teaching a Course You Feel Unprepared to Teach

Varying Your Teaching Activities (PDF)

• EVALUATIONS:

Asking Questions: Six Types (PDF)

Developing Rubrics

Effective Assessment

Fast and Equitable Grading (PDF)

Grading Papers (PDF)

Multiple Choice Item Construction

Question Strategies (PDF)

Rating Scale for Evaluating an Essay

Receiving and Giving Effective Feedback (PDF)

Writing Effective Multiple-Choice Exams         

Writing True-False Questions

• ORGANIZATION:

Managing Class Time Effectively

Organization & Clarity (PDF)

Strategies for Organizing Classroom Procedures: Time Management

• BREADTH:

Breadth of Coverage (PDF)

Improving Student Learning in Lectures

• GROUP INTERACTIONS:

Collaborative Learning

Collaborative Learning and Group Work

Generating Discussion

Group Interaction (PDF)

Group work in class and study groups

Orchestrating Classroom Discussions

Using Small Group Learning Effectively

• ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignments & Readings (PDF)

Exams & Graded Material (PDF)

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