Teaching in the Age of Technology:Strategies of an Obsolete Professor

Mitch Handelsman, Ph.D.University of Colorado Denver

September 25, 2008

OUTLINE

1. Being Obsolete2. Engagement3. Thoughts and Principles4. Strategies5. Acting Learning Activities

“I (will) teach because …”

“I (will) teach in order to …”

OUTLINE

1. Being Obsolete2. Engagement3. Thoughts and Principles4. Strategies5. Acting Learning Activities

OUTLINE

1. Being Obsolete2. Engagement3. Thoughts and Principles4. Strategies5. Acting Learning Activities

2. Engagement

Skills Participation/Interaction Emotional Performance

(Handelsman, Briggs, Sullivan, & Towler, 2005)

3. Thoughts and Principles

Multifaceted engagement Students are NOT worse than they

used to be Power

4. Strategies

Enthusiasm Accessibility Relationships Pedagogy Technology Active Learning

5. Active Learning Exercises

Designing an experiment Making up test questions Telling stories Teaching each other Telling stories about SELF Kelly exercise Personality descriptions Two diagnoses Case discussion

Me: Clairol ExecutiveYou: Research Consultants

“Blonds have more fun!”

WHO WANTS TO BE A WHO WANTS TO BE A HEALTH HEALTH

PSYCHOLOGISTPSYCHOLOGIST??

PROCEDURE• Team A and Team B• Within teams, get into groups • Each group: construct 1 multiple-choice and 1

short answer test question Module 41• Team A – from first half of Module (pp. 549-557)• Team B – from second half

• No questions from Study Guide!• Get question approved, then put it on a

transparency• Write “Team A or Team B” on top of transparency• Write answer at bottom of transparency

• Sponge Activities: • Study the other half of the module• Write more questions

Procedure

Get into groups of four Count off (1, 2, 3, 4) 1 & 2: First half of Module 8 (133-136) 3 & 4: Second half (136-end) Read and take notes

Key terms, definitions in your own words, examples, memory aids, drawing

Teaching Each Other

CLOSE YOUR BOOKS! Teacher: take five minutes to convey what

you’ve learned Students: Ask questions to sharpen your

understanding. SPONGE ACTIVITY: Make up test questions.

““Hello, I’m __________. Hello, I’m __________. I’m 73 years old. Let me I’m 73 years old. Let me

tell you a little about tell you a little about myself and my life.”myself and my life.”

What to Write?What to Write?

Anything that will help you Anything that will help you remember what’s in the Module!remember what’s in the Module!

What you are like at 73.What you are like at 73. How you’ve changed over the years.How you’ve changed over the years. How you are THE SAME as, or How you are THE SAME as, or

DIFFERENT from, others.DIFFERENT from, others. When in doubt, DON’T be an exception!When in doubt, DON’T be an exception!

Areas to CoverAreas to Cover

Physical State and CapabilitiesPhysical State and Capabilities Cognitive/IntelligenceCognitive/Intelligence Social IssuesSocial Issues

E.g., marriage(s), career(s)E.g., marriage(s), career(s) Well-beingWell-being How you fit societal trendsHow you fit societal trends

Kelly Exercise

How are two of these three concepts similar to each other and different from the third?

Bipolar constructs Poles can be opposite or contrasting

(Handelsman, 1985)

Sample Concepts Orange Banana Asparagus

Id Ego Superego

Homer Simpson Marge Simpson Jerry Seinfeld

Scapegoating Social Facilitation Social Loafing

Distance University for the United States

D.U.F.U.S.

D.U.F.U.S. - Finalists

Hillary Clinton

George W. Bush

Task Get into groups. Look over all the disorders listed on the

handout. Develop a 2-3 sentence description of a

person who has TWO of these disorders.

Make the descriptions… … hard enough so other groups are stumped … clear enough so that the behaviors only fit the

two disorders you had in mind

References

Handelsman, M. M. (1985). Abstract and relational thinking via personal constructs. Teaching of Psychology, 12, 100-101. [Reprinted in M. E. Ware & D. E. Johnson (Eds). (1996). Handbook of demonstrations and activities in the teaching of psychology (vol. 3, pp. 30-31). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Also in 2nd edition, 2000, pp. 28-29.]

Handelsman, M. M., Briggs, W. L., Sullivan, N., & Towler, A. (2005). A measure of college student course engagement. Journal of Educational Research, 98, 184-191.

Handelsman, M. M., & Friedlander, B. L. (1984). The use of an experiential exercise to teach about assertiveness. Teaching of Psychology, 11, 54-56. [Reprinted in M. E. Ware & D. E. Johnson (Eds). (1996). Handbook of demonstrations and activities in the teaching of psychology (vol. 3, pp. 187-190). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.]