Each faculty member is keeping a portfolio of seminar experiences, including everything from student e-mail messages to notes on teaching problems and solutions. The success of the program will be assessed through the portfolios. Continuing a new way of teaching Just as Verosub hopes that honors students will bring active learning to the remainder of their scholastic careers, he expects that the faculty will promote more active learning in their regular classes. I expect more out of students because I've suddenly realized students can do a lot more than I give them credit for. Seasoned instructors are learning to step back and let the students teach each other through teams.
Some students find the freedom difficult.
Seminar instructors were encouraged to choose topics out of their specialty. Assistant pomology professor Daniel Potter taught a class on endangered species, deliberately selecting a topic not too close to his research. I held back from doing it. Students had a say in how they were graded, which included evaluations by themselves, their peers and Potter. Peer evaluation, which resulted in 25 percent of the grade, was the most threatening, Potter said.