One professor said he is a strong proponent of the use of Power Point software to present diagrams, key questions and photographs. Some said they are cautious about getting too caught up in the technology and losing track of the students. A Ph.D. candidate said that as a student, she is frustrated by lectures that rely on Power Point. Assign creative projects. Whether used as extra credit opportunities, key components in the course or an option to the final exam, some faculty believe student projects help personalize the class, particularly when the process requires students to submit proposals or receive feedback periodically from the instructor.
Students anonymously ask questions related to the course.
One instructor prepares responses outside of class and answers questions at the beginning of each lecture. Presented to students near the end of class, the questions relate to a topic just covered, one soon to be covered or something related generally to the class. One professor said students' written answers provide her with a barometer of whether what she thinks she said is what they learned, student prejudices about a topic coming up, or insight into how to approach a puzzling or difficult topic. Pair students to help both learn better. It requires a time commitment, but both in the pair typically perform better in class.