March 2019 Tuesday Tips

5 March 2019:

Last Saturday, President Trump announced that he intends to sign an executive order to cut federal research money to universities that fail to protect free speech (article here(opens in new window)). This presents an opportunity to reflect on freedom of speech at Chico State with a few questions for you to consider and post a response to on the FDEV Blog(opens in new window)…

1. Does Chico State do enough to protect freedom of speech for you and your students?
2. Does Chico State do enough to protect vulnerable groups from speech that is offensive but not illegal?
3. Do campaigns promoted by Chico State such as “I don’t say”(opens in new window)  or “Cultures are not Costumes”(opens in new window) infringe on freedom of speech or expression?
   1.  Are these campaigns effective in helping marginalized groups?
4. In your classroom, how do you empower students to exercise freedom of speech, particularly when they have a dissenting opinion?

Speech that is not protected by the first amendment includes defamation, harassment, true threats, and inciting imminent violence. In his book “Free Speech on Campus(opens in new window)”, Erwin Chemerinsky argues that campuses should not treat the expression of ides as a threat to the learning environment. He acknowledges the tension between “the desire to protect the learning experience of all students and the desire to safeguard freedom of expression.” How do you balance these two aspects in your classroom?

Post your comments to the FDEV Blog(opens in new window)!

12 March 2019:

“Millennials are lazy”

“Black men do poorly in college”

“Blondes are ditzy”

“White men can’t jump”

What other stereotypes have you heard (or said) in class? Perpetuating stereotypes can lead to a widely studied phenomenon called “Stereotype Threat.” This occurs when a person feels at risk of being perceived as confirming a negative stereotype about a “group” they belong to. In a classroom, the anxiety of substantiating a negative stereotype has been shown to lower test performance(opens in new window), reduce memory capacity(opens in new window), decrease focus(opens in new window), and cause students to resist learning activities(opens in new window).

To minimize Stereotype Threat, you can…

• Be aware of your own biases for or against groups of people
• Avoid language that perpetuates negative stereotypes
• Most Importantly, teach with a belief that ALL students can learn and be successful in your class regardless of stereotypes about them

Post your comments to the FDEV Blog(opens in new window)!

19 March 2019:

Defining a learning objective is challenging. Accurately measuring a learning objective is even more challenging and requires familiarity with a number of assessment strategies. In 500 Tips on Assessment, best practices include exploring a variety of strategies such as peer and self assessment, portfolios, and practical work that are “authentic” and “redeemable” (i.e. opportunities to redeem failure when things go wrong). 

If you’d like to take a closer look at your course assessment plan in a supportive environment and earn a Certificate in “Measuring Student Learning and Success”, join us in a series of three workshops on April 5, 12, and 19 in MLIB 252 from 11-12:30. Earning the certificate involves attending all three workshops that offer a comprehensive look at different stages of a course assessment plan. While you are welcome to attend as many workshops as your schedule allows, earning the Certificate requires full attendance at all three workshops. 

Workshop Topics

April 5: Create and implement a course assessment plan (by Ben Seipel)

April 12: Interpret assessment data and close the loop (by Ben Seipel)

April 19: Create assessment-based evidence for your RTP dossier (by Chiara Ferrari)

If you’re interested, please complete this brief questionnaire(opens in new window).

Contact Chiara Ferrari(opens in new window) for questions.

Workshops are offered by the Office of Faculty Development in collaboration with the Academic Assessment Council.

Post your comments to the FDEV Blog(opens in new window)!