I'll share something I've done in previous years - I've always considered it risky so I only do it in my upper level (if there is such a thing in my institution) courses like the development courses. Actually, I've only done it in my child development courses. And I don't usually do it in my classes that only meet one day per week.
This is a collaborative learning exercise. I break the class into groups of 5 - and they keep the groups throughout the term. (I let them self-select using a couple of in-class ice-breaker exercises designed to help them create a group that will have similar goals) Then for each testing section, for example, middle childhood, each group is responsible for creating 5, multiple-section essay questions that they will collaborate on, as a group, in order to answer (they are worth 20 points each). The expectation is that each question should be sophisticated enough as to require a 2-page, double-spaced, typed response. (I usually provide a sort of scaffolding for that process) I grade each 5-question project as a team effort so all team members sign their names to each question and they share the grade - thereby accepting the responsibility for good/poor work. They must agree to work with each other with regard to quality of work. Wondering about the discussion part? Well, on the day that would have been used for the exam. Each group puts up their question on the board. And group, by group, answers are read aloud - in a sense, students are "teaching" each other (but I never use the word "presentation," ever!), and reactions are discussed among the whole class. It has received unbelievably positive responses from the students, and they really do learn a variety of topics in depth (levels of processing theory at work). So I lecture for a couple of weeks as they compile their stuff. The we go in depth on up to 25 topics of their choice (I don't allow for replication) during a class period. The neat thing is, you can really feel the interest in the class, they literally get electrified. It really looks like learning for the sake of it for awhile. Nope, there are no traditional multiple-choice tests in this class. That's the risky part. But the effort and depth of leaning on the part of the students is amazing. I've had students approach me a couple of years later and tell me that they couldn't believe how much they learned and how they still remember it (that's the gratifying part). I'm really not sure that It would work in intro - or maybe it would be too intimidating for me because, during the discussions I need to be sufficiently well-versed in the topics they discuss (I encourage them to choose topics that I haven't lectured on) and it's a bit harder in a survey course like intro. Haydee Gelpi Broward Community College Florida --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
