John Bantham, MQM
It is typical for instructors to articulate a set of expectations for their students. However, it is not so typical for instructors to document expectations for themselves. This session describes the process that the presenter uses in his classes to establish a set of shared expectations and then to measure collective performance against those objectives. The process is embraced by students and yields desirable behavioral and performance outcomes. Examples of student comments on performance relative to expectations will be included.
Marie Labonville, Music
In recent semesters, I have taught honors music appreciation, a general education course with an enrollment of 25. My teaching evaluations revealed that, although the students appreciated my enthusiasm, they did not find the material relevant to their interests. This semester, therefore, I decided to ask the students what musical topics they wanted to learn about and then shape the class around their interests. Most of topics that intrigued them fell into two general categories: Music and the Media and Music and Technology. Because a large percentage of these students are studying to be teachers, I let them design the rubrics, guidelines, and course requirements. I asked the students to immerse themselves in their chosen topics and then make a group or individual presentation. (Each student would present twice during the semester.) Following each presentation, classmates would provide informal, confidential written feedback. Finally, quiz questions would be written by the students themselves, based on their own presentations. I am impressed with these students’ enthusiasm and responsiveness and with the quality and creativity of their work. I believe this can be a viable method of teaching general education courses to honors students in other disciplines as well.
