by Gina Merys, Associate Director, Reinert Center In a recent article, "The Road to a Project-Based Classroom," Gintaras Duda explains how he has moved from lecture to projects in his quantum mechanics course. The course he describes is one that has gone through three iterations as it has evolved into the wholly project-based class that… Continue reading Taking Another Look at the Project-Based Class
Reinert Center's Winter Institute Explores "Teaching Today's Learners in Multiple Formats"
Over 75 Saint Louis University faculty members and graduate students braved the cold on January 8, 2015 to take part in the Reinert Center’s annual Winter Institute, which focused this year on “Teaching Today’s Students in Multiple Formats.” Rita-Marie Conrad, of The UC-Berkeley Center for Teaching and Learning, was this year’s keynote speaker. Conrad has… Continue reading Reinert Center's Winter Institute Explores "Teaching Today's Learners in Multiple Formats"
Learner-Centered Pedagogy: The Fear of Losing Control
by Kenneth L. Parker, Steber Professor in Theological Studies In the spring of 1991, I returned to teaching after more than five years as a Benedictine monk. The monastery had been founded in China in the 1920s, and when exiled after the Chinese Revolution, the community had relocated to the Mojave Desert in California. During my… Continue reading Learner-Centered Pedagogy: The Fear of Losing Control
Teaching Today's Students: The Conversations Continue
by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center This spring, we’re continuing to focus on our theme for the year, Teaching Today’s Students. The theme provides an opportunity to highlight the most important element of context – our students – and to explore the many aspects of who “today’s students” are and what is needed to “teach”… Continue reading Teaching Today's Students: The Conversations Continue
Broader Identity as Change Agents
by Jerod Quinn, Instructional Developer, Reinert Center Like many of you, I spent some of my time this semester preparing a workshop for a conference. This was the primary professional conference for faculty developers from all over North America. It’s one of those conferences where you are surrounded by hundreds of colleagues and yet you… Continue reading Broader Identity as Change Agents
Seeking “the Gray”: Further Thoughts on Teaching in a Time of Crisis
by Debie Lohe, Director, Reinert Center In a blog post earlier this semester, I offered some thoughts on the important distinction between reaction and response when teaching in times of crisis. Since then, the need for response (versus reaction) has only grown stronger. We’ve had continuing protests (on campus, in the St. Louis region, and… Continue reading Seeking “the Gray”: Further Thoughts on Teaching in a Time of Crisis
Congratulations Fall 2014 Certificate in University Teaching Skills Recipients!
The Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning will honor three Certificate in University Teaching Skills recipients and four Foundations Certificate in University Teaching Skills recipients at our Fall Ceremony on Friday, December 5, 2014 from 3:30-5:00 in the Pere Marquette Gallery (second floor, DuBourg Hall). Long-time board member and professor in the Department of… Continue reading Congratulations Fall 2014 Certificate in University Teaching Skills Recipients!
Teaching Students to Think like Experts
by Kelly McEnerny, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center An expert guitarist might hear Tom Petty’s “Free Falling” and be able to discern patterns related to a chromatic scale and relate those patterns to other songs – I recently learned from a colleague and professional musician that The Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie” shares the same pattern as “Free… Continue reading Teaching Students to Think like Experts
Fostering Critical Thinking through the Socratic Method
by Dipti Subramanium, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Reinert Center As one of the oldest styles of teaching, the Socratic method is an open-ended, inquiry-based model that prompts the students with questions as opposed to providing answers. It is an effective technique for those interested in fostering and promoting critical thinking in the classroom. Often, the biggest misconception… Continue reading Fostering Critical Thinking through the Socratic Method
Moving from “Why Aren’t They Reading?” to Creating a Culture of Reading
by Elisabeth Hedrick-Moser, Graduate Assistant, Reinert Center Skeptical that your students did the reading? Chances are you’re probably right to be. Studies show that on any given day, about 1/3 of the students will have read the assignment (Hobson 2). Eric Hobson’s IDEA paper*, “Getting Students to Read: Fourteen Tips,” offers a diagnosis of student… Continue reading Moving from “Why Aren’t They Reading?” to Creating a Culture of Reading
The Notebook 