Effective Teaching

Pedagogical Theory

The sources below discuss the basic building blocks that underlie effective pedagogical strategies.

• How People Learn (National Academy of Sciences)

• Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Domains (original and revised)

• Understanding By Design (e-book, accessible on campus or through VPN)

• Carol Gilligan, In a Different Voice (do female students process information differently?)

 

 

Using Technology to Enhance Teaching & Learning

Technology provides numerous tools that teachers can use in and out of the classroom to enhance student learning. 

Faculty members should consult SMU's office of Academic Technology Services, which provides many kinds of support, including hands-on training in using classroom technology. (Click here for classroom-specific information about the setup in many campus buildings). SMU's Student Technology Assistant in Residence Program(STAR) is also available to help with short-term instructional technology projects.

 

Resources for Using Technology in the Classroom

Click here to find resources on a range of teaching technology available to you, including help with creating captivating and organized presentations, information on using tablets, assigning podcasts, and more!

 

 

 

Three Minute Teaching Tips

SMU professors share some ways they engage students in critical thinking.

Listen to podcast	In this podcast, Sheri Kunovich highlights how she uses visual sociology projects in her upper level courses by requiring students to go beyond quick observations of social life.	Listen to podcast	David Son shares an in-class activity called "Think, Pair, Share," that helps promote students’ active engagement and provides more opportunities for students to think and engage in the classroom.
Listen to podcast	Robert Krout shares an assignment from his Survey of Music Psychology course where he challenges students to transfer and apply terms and concepts being learned in class.	Listen to podcast	Lynn Stokes shares a "Warm Up" assignment from her Introduction to Statistics Course. In this assignment, students discuss statistical concepts without using numbers. This process helps Lynn assess their understanding of the applications discussed in class.