Topic outline

  • Effective Teaching in Higher Education Programme

    Course Aims

    On successful completion of the Effective Teaching in Higher Education Programme, participants will be able to:

    • design, implement and evaluate courses which meet the needs of learners,
    • select and implement teaching and learning strategies appropriate to a given tertiary education context,
    • design, analyse and assess learning outcomes,
    • select, justify and employ a range of approaches to evaluation and assessment,
    • select, justify and employ a wide range of digital technologies and media of appropriate to a given tertiary education context,
    • engage in reflection and formulate plans of action for continuous improvement in teaching and learning,
    • construct an evidence-based Professional Development Record that demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement in tertiary teaching and learning.

    The course consists of five compulsory modules, which provide an overview of key aspects of teaching and learning in higher education, and one elective module chosen by each participants.

    Each module consists of a workshop, a preparatory task, pre-workshop readings and a formative assignment. A document in recognition of accomplishment for the Effetive Teaching in Higher Education Programme will be awarded to those who complete:

    • Modules 1-5
    • One of modules 6, 7 or a workshop from the current issues series
    • The Professional Development Report Assignment

  • Module 1: Effective Interactive Teaching

    Description

    What strategies can I use to increase student participation? What are the potential advantages for student learning? How can we encourage students to take a more active role in class? Why should we?

    Increasing our use of interactive, learning‐centred teaching strategies is an effective way to keep students’ attention, provide opportunities for critical thinking and promote long‐term retention. We will examine a series of novel interactive teaching strategies, suitable for use with mid-sized or large groups. Studies on the impact of such approaches and concrete tips to effectively manage the activities will also be presented.

    Learning outcomes

    At the completion of this module participants will be able to:

    1. explain the importance of using interactive teaching strategies;
    2. select appropriate teaching strategies to achieve learning outcomes;
    3. construct effective interactive teaching scenarios.

  • Module 2: Effective Lecturing

    Description

    This module covers the essential elements to consider for effective lecturing and lecture planning. Being a good lecturer is an achievement, not an innate gift.

    • What style of lecturer are you?
    • How to optimize your speaker skills?
    • What do you need to prepare prior to the lecture?
    • Which support material to choose and which to discard?

    Learning outcomes

    At the completion of this module participants will be able to:

    1. Identify and improve your potential as a speaker and lecturer.
    2. Develop and maintain a relation with your students.
    3. Use and choose appropriate AV support material.
    4. Plan in advance without wasting your time.
    5. Reflect upon your teaching integrating the feedback of other participants.
    6. Keep your spontaneity and pleasure in teaching.
    • Assignment 2: Lecture observation and feedback

      Observation is perhaps the single most effective exercise for any lecturer.

      Ask a colleague or one of the EPFL Teaching Advisors to attend and observe one or more of your lectures. Someone from the same department can help with content-related questions but will be less likely to focus on the lecture style, while someone from another field who is not familiar with your discipline can focus more on teaching methods and strategies.

      Prior to the observation the lecturer and observer must meet to discuss the criteria.

      A Lecture Observation Guide is provided in Appendix 1 to facilitate the exercise.

      Afterwards the lecturer and observer meet to discuss the feedback.

  • Module 3: Planifier son enseignement pour atteindre des objectifs - Course design

    Description

    Un cours n’est pas qu’une transmission de connaissance d’un expert à des étudiants. C’est un processus complexe, règlementé, intégré dans un contexte qui va amener les étudiants d’un état initial de connaissances et compétences à un état final adéquat et qu’il convient de planifier correctement.

     

    Learning outcomes

    At the completion of this module participants will be able to:

    1. Concevoir son enseignement dans une démarche cohérente et bouclée d’ingénieurie pédagogique
    2. Caractériser et définir chacune des étapes de cette démarche
    3. Formuler et utiliser des acquis d’apprentissage pour construire son enseignement
    4. Choisir et mettre en oeuvre des méthodes et une organisation de son enseignement de manière à favoriser les acquis d’apprentissage des étudiants
    5. Adapter son enseignement à son contexte (besoin de formation, plan d’étude, ressources, crédits…)
    • Assignment 3

      Nous  vous demandons de reconsidérer votre travail de préparation d’analyse d’un de vos cours en développant les marges d’améliorations que vous avez identifiées pendant l’atelier et en tirant profit des lectures conseillées.

  • Module 4: Assessment Matters

    Description

    This module will consider different types of assessment (norm / criterion referenced, summative / formative) and their validity / reliability. A format for setting an assignment will be considered. In addition illustrative examples of effective and ineffective assessment questions and feedback to students will be presented and discussed.

     

    Learning outcomes

    At the completion of this moduleparticipants will be able to:

     

    1. Construct valid and reliable assessment within a reasonable workload/ timeframe
    2. Describe and explain the different assessment types as well as their strengths and weaknesses
    3. Experience peer assessment as a means to help student learning
    4. Use feedback and assessment to improve student learning
    5. Reflect upon your assessment practices integrating the feedback of other participants.

    Get to know and take into consideration the practices / rules concerning students assessment at EPFL.

    • Assignment 4

      Identify an aspect of assessment that you would like to develop/ improve (e.g. advance guidance to students, validity of assessment, quality of feedback etc.).  Then (a) discuss your area of concern with at least 1 colleague, and (b) identify what literature would describe as good practice in this area.  Write a brief summary of your conclusions from (a) and (b) then, informed by these different sources of information, describe what specific changes to your  practice you will now make. 

       

      If time allows, evaluate the impact of the changes using a student in depth evaluation.

  • Module 5: Using ICT effectively in your teaching

    Description

    Educational technologies are pervasive in today’s learning environments. Various technologies enhance different components of a course, such as enrollement management, content delivery, collection and grading of assignements, as well as knowledge assessment through quizzes and exams. This module addresses the role of Learning Management Systems (e.g. Moodle), web2.0 tools (e.g. Goodle Documents, Dropbox, etc), in supporting teachers and students alike. We will aslo discuss new trends such as MOOCs.

    Learning outcomes

     

    At the completion of this module you will be able to:

    1. Analyse the learning environment by identifying its components
    2. Understand which tools and techniques correspond to the components
    3. Design the use of technological support by matching tools and components (analyse, design, plan, do, evaluate)

    Build and deploy digital teaching and learning resources available at EPFL

    • Elective Modules

    • Assignment 5

      Design or choose, plan and implement an ICT component that enriches your current teaching practice and addresses one of the needs that you identified on the preparation of the workshop. Write a short review (strengths and weaknesses, feasibility) of the different tools that you evaluated to fullfill the job and describe  the implementation plan.

  • Module 6: Renforcer la formation par des Labos & TP. Effective TP & Labs

    Description

    Des activités de laboratoires et de travaux pratiques complètent les cours dans de nombreuses disciplines. Dans ces activités, ce sont les étudiants qui sont à l’œuvre et doivent confronter leur savoir et leur savoir-faire à un dispositif expérimental. Quels sont les enjeux et les gains pour leur formation ? Jusqu’où  guider les étudiants mais pas trop ? Comment évaluer leurs acquis ?

     

    Learning outcomes

    At the completion of this module you will be able to:

    1. Identifier les variantes et la typologie des Labos -TP
    2. Clarifier et définir les acquis de formation spécifiques aux Labos - TP
    3. Concevoir et organiser des Labos - TP pour favoriser les acquis de formation visés
    4. Articuler les Labos – TP avec les cours ou notions théoriques impliquées
    5. Mettre en œuvre un système de rendu et d’évaluation propice aux acquisitions visées.
    • Assignment 6

      Nous  vous demandons de reconsidérer le labo-TP que vous aviez décrit et analysé en préparation,  en développant les marges d’améliorations que vous avez identifiées pendant l’atelier et en tirant profit des lectures conseillées.

  • Module 7: Effective Exercise sessions

    Description

    Exercise sessions provide students with an opportunity to apply the things they have learned in lectures, to deepen their understanding, to clarify problems and to monitor their own learning. This module will look at the place of exercise sessions in as part of a learning cycle of (a) seeing new information/ approaches, (b) working with them in a supported environment (c)  developing independent fluency and (d) moving on to new information/ approaches.  It will explore how exercises can be organised to best support such a learning cycle. 

     

    Learning outcomes

    At the completion of this module you will be able to:

    1. Tailor exercise sessions that best suit students to learn and deepen their understanding
    2. Get to know a variety of approaches used to monitor student progress
    3. Structure and organize exercise sessions that maximize student time on task.
    4. Lead and supervise exercise sessions
    5. Provide effective constructive feedback in a manageable way.
    • Asssignment 7 Assignment

      Identify an aspect of exercise sessions that you would like to develop/ improve (e.g. nature of tasks set, organization of supervision, feedback to students etc.).  Then (a) discuss your area of concern with at least 1 colleague, and (b) identify what literature would describe as good practice in this area.  Write a brief summary of your conclusions from (a) and (b) then , informed by these different sources of information, describe what specific changes to your  practice you will now make. 

      If time allows, evaluate the impact of the changes using a student in depth evaluation.