Founded in 1943, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner. Our 175,000 members in 119 countries are professional educators from all levels and subject areas--superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, and school board members.
Passivity still seems to be the norm for most college courses: students passively try to learn information from teachers who unwittingly cultivate a passive attitude in their learners. As the subject matter experts, many faculty are reluctant to give up some control. We know the material, there's a lot to cover, and let's face it, going the lecture route is often just plain easier for everyone. We "get through" the material, and students aren't pressed to do anything more than sit back and take notes. Teacher and student thus become complicit in creating a passive learning environment.
I don't believe teachers should abdicate their roles as rule-setters, formal leaders of the classroom pack. Especially new teachers, who haven't yet established an authoritative, authentic teacher-persona.
This study explored student-led facilitation strategies used to overcome the
challenges of instructor-dominated facilitation, enhance the sense of learning
community, and encourage student participation in online discussions...
Regarding holding chat sessions in an online class, "Feedback indicates that students appreciate that Hall takes the time to conduct them. 'My being there and being able to make contact seems to have more value than I would have guessed. Students feel like they get a sense of who I am in these chat rooms.'"
Tools to help teachers assess student learning, such as using rubrics, designing effective test questions, and utilizing self-assessment and peer-assessment techniques.
ABSTRACT: The increasing importance of constructivism in higher education has brought
about a shift in pedagogy from a focus on the teacher to a focus on the student. This has
important implications for teaching and assessment. A student-centred pedagogy implies a different role for the teacher...
"One instructional strategy, termed "bridging," has been successful in helping students overcome persistent misconceptions (Brown, 1992; Brown and Clement, 1989; Clement, 1993). The bridging strategy attempts to bridge from students' correct beliefs (called anchoring conceptions) to their misconceptions through a series of intermediate analogous situations."
"The more connections and engagement they have, the
better they will learn new information. Studies have
shown that more student ownership of the course and
its content result in better retention and better
application of information after the course"
"Recent studies of the online learning environment have noted the involvement of 'social presence,' better known as a feeling of community and connection among learners, has contributed positively to learning outcomes and learner satisfaction with online course."