Synopses & Reviews
This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Barbara Gross Davis's classic book Tools for Teaching presents the very latest in ideas and strategies for college teaching: hundreds of tools, tips, and methods, all grounded in research and best practices of faculty. Topics from the bestselling first edition have been extensively updated, and new sections have been added to reflect recent developments in classroom and online technology.
Praise for the Second Edition of Tools for Teaching
"Teachers, from novices to veterans, will find Davis's new work the indispensable toolbox for constructing, remodeling, or fixing almost anything related to teaching. Chock-full of practical description and complete with citations for finding further information, this is the book that every serious teacher will turn to again and again."
K. Patricia Cross, David Gardner Professor of Higher Education, emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, and coauthor, Classroom Assessment Techniques and Collaborative Learning Techniques
"Teaching is in part an art, but even great artists need good tools. The second edition of Tools for Teaching is even better than the first. It builds on the strengths of the earlier edition and covers many new topics that teachers in the age of PowerPoint, laptops, and Web 2.0 need to master. Every teacher deserves a resource like Tools for Teaching; institutions that care about teaching and learning should make sure each one of them gets a copy."
Peter Landsberger, former chancellor, Los Angeles Community Colleges
"Using the latest research on teaching and learning as a foundation, this book summarizes the wisdom of teaching effectiveness. I will have this book on my desk, not my shelf, when I teach."
Larry Braskamp, distinguished alumni professor, Central College, and coauthor, Putting Students First
Review
"Her advice is well grounded in research and consistently reflects best practices. Whereas some books in this area reflect the author's experiences or received wisdom, Davis draws on recent scholarship of teaching and learning to support her assertions.
There are many strengths to this book. First, it is helpfully organized as a reference guide. Readers can consult chapters as needed and do not have to read it from cover to cover. It is easy to find targeted suggestions to enhance performance or remedy a problem in a specific area. Moreover, Davis writes concisely and in very practical terms. Second, Tools for Teaching is applicable to a wide range of audiences across disciplines and experience levels.
In sum, this updated edition of Tools for Teaching is a thorough compendium of effective teaching practices. If I were to select only one book to give to a colleague or graduate student to help him or her teach, it would be this text."
--American Psychological Association PsycCritiques Vol 54, Release 43, Article 9 (October 28, 2009)
Synopsis
This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Barbara Gross Davis’s classic book Tools for Teaching presents the very latest in ideas and strategies for college teaching: thousands of tools, tips, and methods, all grounded in research and best practices of faculty. Topics from the bestselling first edition have been extensively updated, and new sections have been added to reflect recent developments in classroom and online technology.
Synopsis
This is the long-awaited update on the bestselling book that offers a practical, accessible reference manual for faculty in any discipline. This new edition contains up-to-date information on technology as well as expanding on the ideas and strategies presented in the first edition. It includes more than sixty-one chapters designed to improve the teaching of beginning, mid-career, or senior faculty members. The topics cover both traditional tasks of teaching as well as broader concerns, such as diversity and inclusion in the classroom and technology in educational settings.
About the Author
Barbara Gross Davis is assistant vice provost for undergraduate education at the University of California at Berkeley. Her areas of interest include teaching, learning, and evaluation in higher education.
Table of Contents
Preface.
Credits.
The Author.
PART I: GETTING UNDER WAY.
1. Designing or Revising a Course.
2. The Comprehensive Course Syllabus.
3. The First Days of Class.
4. Classroom Conduct and Decorum.
PART II: RESPONDING TO A CHANGING STUDENT BODY.
5. Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom.
6. Students with Disabilities.
7. Reentry and Transfer Students.
8. Teaching Academically Diverse Students.
PART III: DISCUSSION STRATEGIES.
9. Leading a Discussion.
10. Encouraging Student Participation in Discussion.
11. Online Discussions.
12. Asking Questions.
13. Fielding Students’ Questions.
PART IV: THE LARGE-ENROLLMENT COURSE.
14. Preparing to Teach the Large-Enrollment Course.
15. Delivering a Lecture.
16. Explaining Clearly.
17. Personalizing the Large-Enrollment Course.
18. Encouraging Student Participation in the Large-Enrollment Course.
19. Maintaining Instructional Quality with Limited Resources.
PART V: ALTERNATIVES AND SUPPLEMENTS TO LECTURES AND DISCUSSION.
20. Web 2.0.
21. Learning in Groups.
22. Informal Group Learning Activities.
23. Formal Group Learning Activities.
24. Case Studies.
25. Simulations. Role Playing, Games, and Virtual Worlds.
26. Service Learning and Civic Engagement.
27. Undergraduate Research.
28. Guest Speakers.
PART VI: ENHANCING STUDENTS’ LEARNING AND MOTIVATION.
29. Helping Students Learn.
30. Learning Styles and Preferences.
31. Motivating Students.
32. Informally Assessing Students’ Learning.
33. Mobile Learning.
PART VII: STRENGTHENING STUDENTS’ WRITING AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS.
34. Helping Students Write Better in All Courses.
35. Designing Effective Writing Assignments.
36. Evaluating Students’ Written Work.
37. Homework Problem Sets.
PART VIII: TESTING AND GRADING.
38. Promoting Academic Honesty.
39. Quizzes, Tests, and Exams.
40. Allaying Students’ Anxieties about Tests.
41. Multiple-Choice and Matching Tests.
42. Short-Answer and Essay Tests.
43. Grading Practices.
44. Calculating and Assigning Grades.
PART IX: PRESENTATION TECHNOLOGIES.
45. Flipcharts.
46. Chalkboards and Whiteboards.
47. Interactive Whiteboards.
48. Overhead Projection.
49. Slide Shows.
50. Video Recordings and Clips.
51. PowerPoint Presentations.
PART X: EVALUATION TO IMPROVE TEACHING.
52. Early Feedback to Improve Teaching and Learning.
53. Video Recordings and Classroom Observations.
54. The Teaching Portfolio.
PART XI: TEACHING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
55. Holding Office Hours.
56. E-mail, Text Messages, and Instant Messages.
57. Academic Advising and Mentoring Undergraduates.
58. Guiding, Training, Supervising, and Mentoring Graduate Student Instructors.
PART XII: FINISHING UP.
59. The Last Days of Class.
60. Student Rating Forms.
61. Writing Letters of Recommendation for Students.
Index.