what to assign in an undergraduate lecture course

by Nichole Watsica DDS 8 min read

How accurately do new instructors assign reading?

is one of the most basic questions teachers ask when designing and revising their courses. Yet it is also one of the most difficult to answer. To help instructors better calibrate their expectations, we've created a course workload estimator that incorporates the most important insights from the literature on how students learn.

What happens when the amount of reading you’ve assigned mirrors the coursework?

Below is a list of nine common types of virtual assignments instructors generally assign in online classes. 1. Read or watch, then respond: This type of assignment closely mirrors the face-to …

What makes a good assigned reading or video?

out of one hundred points for the course, fifty are for the midterm, final, and oral participation; the other fifty are for the term project and break down into eight stages: paper proposal (2 full pages) new critical paper (5 full pages) annotated bibliography (10 sources) outline written in complete sentences and including research …

What are the best assignments to do in online classes?

Applying for a Second Bachelor’s Degree. Undergraduate Degree Services assists students who apply for their second bachelor’s degree and diploma and verifies that all degree requirements have been met. The Application for Bachelor’s Degree and Diploma initiates the graduation process, participation in Commencement and receipt of the diploma.

How do you structure an undergraduate lecture?

Structure the lecture clearlyBe transparent. ... Make explicit transitions between topics with mini-summaries. ... Cover only a few main points in each lecture. ... Avoid merely repeating the course readings. ... Be flexible when following your notes.

How do I choose a course content?

Selecting ContentFit with your course learning goals.Have importance in the discipline.Be based on or related to research.Appeal to student interests.Not overlap excessively with student past experience or knowledge.Be multi-functional (help teach more than one concept, skill, or problem)Stimulate search for meaning.More items...

What are the parts of a well prepared lecture?

This process can be broken into four parts:Defining and Limiting the Topic. The topic of the lecture may be assigned or left to your discretion. ... Structure and Clarity. Structure is your friend, because it can significantly increase your overall clarity. ... Other Elements of Preplanning. ... Use of Teaching Aids.

How can I make my lecture more interesting?

5 Ways to Make Your Lecture More Interactive and EngagingEncourage conversation. ... Give teachers real-time analytics about their teaching. ... Introduce low-stakes polls, quizzes and surveys. ... Flip, and 'flop', your lecture. ... Include off-campus learners in the lecture. ... Some Final Thoughts on BETT 2017.Feb 15, 2017

What factors must one consider in choosing a college course?

To help you select the right course and college, here are some things you should consider.Start with your interests. ... Know your strengths and skills. ... Check the course content. ... Look at a program's earning potential. ... Available programs. ... Location, Location, Location. ... Costs and financial aid. ... On-campus facilities and amenities.More items...•Nov 20, 2021

What is your main reason in choosing your course?

Discuss your career goals Discuss your career aspirations, and talk about how the course aligns with your career goals. Be specific when discussing how you hope this specific course prepares you for your career. Share specific career milestones you hope to achieve, and discuss why you chose this specific career.Apr 1, 2021

How do you teach university effectively?

Six Things That Make College Teachers SuccessfulStudy the knowledge base of teaching and learning. ... Accept all who enter the classroom door. ... Plan for instructional management. ... Teach with a variety of strategies. ... Use assessment to inform students of their achievement. ... Keep the passion.

What are the three components of a lecture?

An effective lecture is composed of three components, an Introduction, Body and Conclusion,designed to promote and support learning.

What are the characteristics of a good lecturer?

Results: According to the results the most important characteristics of a good university lecturer included rhetoric, efficient teaching skills, age, scientific expertise, interest in teaching, critical acceptance, and using information technology.

How do you engage students in lectures?

8 Ways to Keep Students Engaged During LecturesMake presentation interactive.Encourage smartphone use.Focus on “Why”Add in some humor.Take student interest into account.Work on your public speaking skills.Evaluate.Gather feedback.Jan 27, 2022

How do you actively learn in a lecture?

5 Ways to Actively Learn During ClassAsk questions. In college, especially in very large lecture-based courses, you might not have the luxury of being able to ask questions whenever you're unclear on the subject material. ... Give yourself small mental breaks. ... Get up and move briefly. ... Move at your desk. ... Try doodling!Nov 10, 2017

What is lecture teaching strategy?

Lecture is an instructional strategy that allows the instructor to transmit information to a large group. Lecture is often the method college instructors use most because it is an efficient way to get across a large amount of information.Sep 18, 2013

What is the best way to do a face to face lecture?

1. Read or watch, then respond: This type of assignment closely mirrors the face-to-face lecture. Instructors provide video lectures, articles or book chapters and assign students a set of questions. Students can read or watch the material at their own pace, so long as they meet the deadline for their responses. 2.

What is journal assignment?

Journals: The journal assignment is usually a private way for online students to communicate with the instructor. Sometimes, journal topics are prescribed and formal, but usually these assignments allow students to express ideas, opinions, concerns and questions about course material. 7.

Is a research paper a class assignment?

Research papers: Formal research papers remain a popular assignment in online classes. Writing about research is a required skill for many graduate degrees, and publishing original research is a measure of expertise in many disciplines. There is little difference in completing research papers for online versus on-ground classes.

Can you have one instructor for a virtual course?

There may not be one instructor for the course, but a team of facilitators is generally available in real time. The takeaway: While these types of virtual assignments don't represent the total list of possibilities, they are among the most common.

How to determine academic standing?

The GPA is calculated by dividing the number of grade points earned in courses that assign letter grades by the number of units attempted. Courses in which grades of CR, NC, I and W are assigned are not used in GPA calculation. A student’s academic status takes …

How many units of work do you need to get an honors degree at CSUN?

To receive Honors at graduation, a second bachelor’s student must: Complete a minimum of 45 units of work in letter-graded courses at CSUN. Earn a GPA of 3.50 or above in all work taken at CSUN. Earn the following GPA in all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate courses, including transfer work.

What is the disqualification of undergraduate students?

Disqualification of Undergraduate Students First Disqualification Any student whose cumulative GPA is below a 1.0 will be disqualified immediately without first being placed on probation. In addition, students who were on probation the previous semester are placed in disqualified status if at the end of the next semester either their cumulative total or CSUN GPA falls …

What is the Dean's List?

Dean’s List (Undergraduate) Students who carry a minimum of 12 graded semester units (CR/NC courses do not apply) and who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or better are awarded Dean’s List standing for that semester .

What is undergraduate degree services?

Undergraduate Degree Services assists students who apply for their bachelor ’s degree and diploma and verifies that all degree requirements have been met. The student’s Application for a Bachelor’s Degree and Diploma initiates the graduation evaluation process, participation in Commencement and receipt of the diploma. Students may apply for graduation once they have completed 90 units (including work …

How many units are required to graduate from CSUN?

At CSUN, all students who have met the lower division writing requirement, completed 56 units or more, and intend to graduate with a baccalaureate or master’s degree are required to demonstrate their writing proficiency in one of two ways. Students may pass …

How many units are required for Basic Skills Policy?

Basic Skills Policy (Undergraduate) All four sections of GE Basic Skills coursework must be completed by students within their first 60 units. Students must earn a “C-” or better grade in all four courses in order to satisfy the GE Basic Skills requirement.

What is the ability to continue learning after graduation?

In order to be successful, one must be able to adapt to new concepts that advance the basic principles and “fir st laws” taught in the typical undergraduate experience.

What is a seminar course?

Seminar courses are common in universities across the United States and can be designed in a variety of ways. Seminar formats can range from a “passive” participant (e.g. lecture series) to a more active role (e.g. learning community or research group). In lecture-based seminar courses, the goal may be to expand student interest or exposure to an emerging technology or relevant issue within the field. The learning community model is often designed to serve as the “seed” to encourage further learning in areas that interest the participants, while simultaneously allowing students to engage with the topic in more depth. Assessing lifelong learning in lecture seminar courses can be confounded by the need to impose more structure in order to assess the effectiveness of the learning community and may not inspire lifelong learning.

What is the purpose of a seminar?

The intent is to develop an opportunity for students to plan, resource, rehearse, execute, and reflect upon a lesson that will require them to link “baseline” knowledge with advanced and current concepts. The lifelong learning skills should grow from the leading of a learning group to reinforce the understanding of these concepts and then link them to new applications.

How is peer guided learning assessed?

Assessment of peer-guided learning was conducted via feedback from each student throughout the 4 phases of execution and an overall course assessment. Student feedback included observations from the faculty mentor and student self-reflection. Mentors graded the peer instructors in two phases. The first was the planning and preparation, where the mentor was available for assistance and received a full rehearsal of the lesson that the students would peer-teach. The mentor based this grade on the amount of prior preparation the students completed before the initial meeting, and their ability to make effective alterations to the plan based on the mentor’s feedback. After the rehearsal, the mentor made final recommendations. In the second graded portion, the mentor witnessed the students’ peer-guided learning lesson and conducted a final assessment based on their final period of instruction and the implementation of earlier recommendations. Included in the mentor’s second evaluation was assessment of a short reflection paper (Phase IV) where the leaders of the peer-guided learning lesson reflected on the lesson they taught, how well it went, and the role it would play in their future careers.

What is lifelong learning?

Lifelong learning is a required academic and developmental goal of many universities and for all ABET accredited engineering programs (ABET Student Outcome i: a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in lifelong learning).9 However, of all of the goals and outcomes of an academic curriculum, lifelong learning is one of the most difficult to evaluate and a metric for assessment is in high demand. In EV400, Environmental Engineering Seminar, the faculty at West Point developed a technique to both assess, evaluate and inspire student lifelong learning in a one-credit seminar course.

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