Course Code: Edu 300 Roll Number: 20-FA-04163

Date: 12-04-2021

Course Name:Foundation of education Reg no:SUIT-20-01-145-2291

Name: Shahab Noor Father Name:Noor Ullah

Degree Name: B.ED

Marks Obtained:

Answer:1 (a)

12 Characteristics of an Effective Teacher

1. Prepared
The most effective teachers come to class each day ready to teach.

• It is easy to learn in their classes because they are ready for the day.

• They don’t waste instructional time. They start class on time. They teach for the entire class period.

• Time flies in their classes.

2. Positive
The most effective teachers have optimistic attitudes about teaching and their students. They always:

• Look on the positive side of every situation.

• Communicate with students about their progress.

• Give praise and recognition.

• Help students act positively toward one another.

3. Hold High Expectations

The most effective teachers set no limits on students and believe everyone can be successful. They:

• Hold the highest standards.

• Consistently challenge their students to do their best.

• Build students’ confidence and teach them to believe in themselves.

4. Creative
The most effective teachers are resourceful and inventive in how they teach their classes. They:

• Wear a clown suit if the class reaches its academic goal.

• Agree to participate in the school talent show.

• Use technology effectively in the classroom.

5. Fair
The most effective teachers handle students and grading fairly. They:

• Allow all students equal opportunities and privileges.

• Provide clear requirements.

• Recognize that “fair” means giving every student an opportunity to succeed.

• Understand that not all students learn in the same way and at the same rate.

6. Display a Personal Touch

The most effective teachers are approachable. They:

• Connect with students personally.

• Take a personal interest in students and find out as much as possible about them.

• Visit the students’ world. For instance, they sit with them in the cafeteria; they attend sporting events, plays, and

other events outside normal school hours.

7. Cultivate a Sense of Belonging

The most effective teachers have a way of making students feel welcome and comfortable in their classrooms.

• Students repeatedly mentioned that they felt as though they belonged in classrooms taught by effective

teachers.

• The students knew their teacher loved teaching and preferred it to other occupations.

8. Compassionate
The most effective teachers are concerned about students’ personal problems and can relate to them. Numerous stories
established how the sensitivity and compassion of caring teachers affected them in profound and lasting ways.
9. Have a Sense of Humor
The most effective teachers do not take everything seriously and make learning fun. They:

• Use humor to break the ice in difficult situations.

• Bring humor into the everyday classroom.

• Laugh with the class but never at the expense of any particular student.

10. Respect Students

The most effective teachers do not deliberately embarrass students. Teachers who give the highest respect get the
highest respect. They:

• Respect students’ privacy when returning test papers.

• Speak to students in private concerning grades or conduct.

• Consistently avoid situations that unnecessarily embarrass students.

11. Forgiving
The most effective teachers do not hold grudges. They:

• Forgive the students.

• Start each day with a clean slate.

 • Understand that disruptive or antisocial behavior can quickly turn a teacher against a student, but that refusing

to give up on difficult students can produce success.

12. Admit Mistakes

The most effective teachers are quick to admit being wrong. They:

• Apologize to mistakenly accused students.

• Make adjustments when students point out errors and oversights.

ANS 1(b)

There is a direct relationship between the kind of learning environment teachers create in their classrooms and student achievement.
Here are 10 specific strategies for developing the optimal classroom climate and culture.

1. Address Student Needs

Remember that students, like adults, have not only physical needs but also important psychological needs for security and order, love
and belonging, personal power and competence, freedom and novelty, and fun. Students are driven to meet all of these needs all the
time, not just two or three of them. When teachers intentionally address these needs in the classroom, students are happier to be there,
behavior incidents occur far less frequently, and student engagement and learning increases.
2. Create a Sense of Order
All students need structure and want to know that their teacher not only knows his content area, but also knows how to manage his
classroom. It is the teacher’s responsibility to provide clear behavioral and academic expectations right from the beginning—students
should know what is expected of them all the time. Another important way to create a sense of order is by teaching students effective
procedures for the many practical tasks that are performed in the classroom. For example, teach students how to:
▪ Enter the classroom and become immediately engaged in a learning activity
▪ Distribute and collect materials
▪ Find out about missed assignments due to absence and how to make them up
▪ Get the teacher’s attention without disrupting the class
▪ Arrange their desks quickly and quietly for various purposes: in rows facing the front for direct instruction, in pairs for
collaborative learning, in groups of four for cooperative learning, and in a large circle for class discussions
3. Greet Students at the Door Every Day
As students enter your classroom, greet each one at the door. Explain that you want students to make eye contact with you, give you a
verbal greeting, and—depending on the age of the students—a high five, fist bump, or handshake. This way, every student has had
positive human contact at least once that day. It also shows students that you care about them as individuals. If a student was
disruptive or uncooperative the day before, it gives you an opportunity to check in, explain your “every day is a clean slate”
philosophy, and express optimism for that class (“Let’s have a great day today”).
4. Let Students Get to Know You
Students come in to the classroom with preconceived perceptions of teachers. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it can be an obstacle. I
wanted my students to perceive me as a trustworthy, three-dimensional human being rather than as the two-dimensional perception of
an “English teacher” that they may already have. Since the only way to impact people’s perceptions is to provide them with new
information or new experiences, I would give students a quiz about me during the first week of school. (Of course, it didn’t count.)
I’d have them take out a piece of paper, number it from 1 to 10, and answer questions about me. Things like: Do I have children of
my own? Where did I grow up? What is something I value? What is something I do for fun? What other jobs have I had besides
teaching?
After the quiz, we would go over the answers as a class while I shared a slideshow of pictures of my children, my hometown, and
representations of things that are important to me, like family, education, a strong work ethic, fairness, and so on. (I would even get a
laugh out of some of their answers.) Students enjoy learning about their teachers, and the quiz gave me an opportunity to share who I
am, what I value, and what experiences I bring to teaching.

If the “first week quiz” isn’t something you’re comfortable with, think of other ways you can share with your students:

▪ Who you are

▪ What you stand for
▪ What you will do for students and what you won’t do for them
▪ What you will ask of your students and what you won’t ask of them
5. Get to Know Your Students
The more you know about your students’ cultures, interests, extracurricular activities, personalities, learning styles, goals, and
mindsets, the better you can reach them and teach them. Some ways of getting to know your students:
▪ Educate yourself about their cultures
▪ Talk to them
▪ Assign journal prompts and read and respond to them
▪ Attend extracurricular events
▪ Have students complete interest inventories or surveys
▪ Have students complete learning style and personality assessments
▪ Hold regular class meetings
▪ Play team-building games with students
6. Avoid Rewarding to Control
Over 50 years of research has shown that incentives, gold stars, stickers, monetary rewards, A’s, and other bribes only serve to
undermine students’ intrinsic motivation, create relationship problems, and lead to students doing nothing without a promised reward.
The human brain has its own rewards system. When students succeed at a challenging task, whether it’s academic (a class
presentation) or behavioral (getting through a class without blurting out), their brains get a shot of endorphins. Instead of devaluing
their successes with stickers or tokens, talk to students about how it feels to achieve proficiency and praise the effort, strategies, and
processes that led them to those successes. Then talk about what they learned this time that will help them achieve their next
successes.
7. Avoid Judging
When students feel like they are being judged, pigeonholed, and/or labeled, they distrust the person judging them. It’s hard not to
judge a student who just sits there doing no schoolwork after you’ve done everything you can to motivate her. It’s easy to see how we
might call such students lazy. And it’s easy to label the student who is constantly provoking and threatening peers as a bully. But
judging and labeling students is not only a way of shirking our responsibility to teach them (“There’s nothing I can do with Jonny.
He’s simply incorrigible.”), but it also completely avoids the underlying problem. Instead of judging students, be curious. Ask why.
(Where is this fear or hostility coming from?) Once you uncover the underlying reason for the behavior, that issue can be dealt with
directly, avoiding all the time and energy it takes to cajole, coerce, and give consequences to students.

Answer 2 ; (a)

• Email

As a self employed mother of a toddler, I fully understand the value of planning. My busy
life puts me in the position where daily and weekly planning are essential to create enough
time to spend with my son while still succeeding in my home based business. I plan my
days and weeks carefully to include time for my family, business and health concerns. This
allows me to create a clear path for myself that maintains a healthy balance of work and
play. In this article I will share with you the reasons why daily and weekly planning is so
important and I will also give you some of the strategies that I use for achieving my goals.

The following points demonstrate why planning is so critical to success.

• Planning can greatly reduce your stress quotient. Proper planning gives you the peace of mind of
knowing that you have formulated a feasible plan of action and that your goals are attainable.
• Planning also helps you to be prepared for obstacles because part of the planning process is
creating a contingency pan for unexpected problems.
• Planning serves as a way to evaluate your progress as you work. Planning your daily and weekly
activities will clearly illustrate whether or not you are staying on schedule.
• The first step to planning is to clearly define your goals. Taking a few minutes to put your goals
into writing will be very beneficial in helping you to plan for your success.
• Once you have defined your goal, it is time to brainstorm on the tasks that are required to
complete your project. Ordering all of the necessary tasks into a logical order and assigning an
estimated time for completion to each goal will be beneficial when you begin scheduling these
activities.
• Next it is useful to define the roles that you will take in fulfilling your goal as well as the roles of
any others who will be assisting you. This is important because you can use this time to
determine who will handle certain tasks to avoid redundancy.
• Once you have determined your goal, the tasks required, the key players and the tasks they will
complete, it is finally time to start your scheduling. When scheduling it is important to plan a
weekly schedule as well as a daily schedule. The weekly schedule is important for the overall
success of the project but it is the daily planning that will help you to track your progress and
determine whether or not you are on schedule. Try using significant project milestones in your
weekly planning but for daily planning break each milestone down into the necessary
components and plan the completion of those components on a daily basis.
• As the project progresses, continually evaluate your performance to determine whether you are
on track or need to adjust your schedule. This is where daily planning becomes so important.
Take a few minutes at the middle of the day and at the conclusion of the day to evaluate your
progress and make adjustments as necessary.
• Finally once you have successfully completed your project review your planning process to
determine how successful it was. This will help you by illustrating whether or not you have
 achieved an optimal planning system or whether you need to more carefully plan subsequent
projects.
In my life, I can clearly see how planning is beneficial to my success. When I have a plan to
follow I am able to track my progress against the plan to determine whether or not, I am on the
path to success or not.

Ans2(B)

The Basic Principles of the Scientific Method

Two key concepts in the scientific approach are theory and hypothesis. A theory is used to make
predictions about future observations. A hypothesis is a testable prediction that is arrived at logically
from a theory.

Several types of studies exist within the scientific method— experiments, descriptive studies, case
studies, surveys, and non-descriptive studies. In an experiment a researcher manipulates certain
variables and measures their effect on other variables in a controlled environment. Descriptive studies
describe the nature of the relationship between the intended variables, without looking at cause or
effect. A case study covers one specific example in which something unusual has occurred. This is
often done in extreme or rare cases, usually with a single subject. Surveys are used with large groups
of people who answer questions about specific subjects. Non-descriptive studies use correlational
methods to predict the relationship between two (or more ) intended variables.

Verifiability means that an experiment must be replicable by another researcher. To achieve verifiability,
researchers must make sure to document their methods and clearly explain how their experiment is
structured and why it produces certain results.

Predictability in a scientific theory implies that the theory should enable us to make predictions about
future events. The precision of these predictions is a measure of the strength of the theory.

Falsifiability refers to whether a hypothesis can disproved. For a hypothesis to be falsifiable, it must be
logically possible to make an observation or do a physical experiment that would show that there is no
support for the hypothesis. Even when a hypothesis cannot be shown to be false, that does not
necessarily mean it is not valid. Future testing may disprove the hypothesis. This does not mean that a
hypothesis has to be shown to be false, just that it can be tested.

To determine whether a hypothesis is supported or not supported, psychological researchers must

conduct hypothesis testing using statistics. Hypothesis testing is a type of statistics that determines the
probability of a hypothesis being true or false. If hypothesis testing reveals that results were “statistically
significant,” this means that there was support for the hypothesis and that the researchers can be
reasonably confident that their result was not due to random chance. If the results are not statistically
significant, this means that the researchers’ hypothesis was not supported.

Fairness implies that all data must be considered when evaluating a hypothesis. A researcher cannot
pick and choose what data to keep and what to discard or focus specifically on data that support or do
not support a particular hypothesis. All data must be accounted for, even if they invalidate the
hypothesis.

The Basic Steps of the Scientific Method

The basic steps in the scientific method are:

• Observe a natural phenomenon and define a question about it

• Make a hypothesis, or potential solution to the question
• Test the hypothesis
• If the hypothesis is true, find more evidence or find counter-evidence
 • If the hypothesis is false, create a new hypothesis or try again
• Draw conclusions and repeat–the scientific method is never-ending, and no result is ever
considered perfect

In order to ask an important question that may improve our understanding of the world, a researcher
must first observe natural phenomena. By making observations, a researcher can define a useful
question. After finding a question to answer, the researcher can then make a prediction (a hypothesis)
about what he or she thinks the answer will be. This prediction is usually a statement about the
relationship between two or more variables. After making a hypothesis, the researcher will then design
an experiment to test his or her hypothesis and evaluate the data gathered. These data will either
support or refute the hypothesis. Based on the conclusions drawn from the data, the researcher will
then find more evidence to support the hypothesis, look for counter-evidence to further strengthen the
hypothesis, revise the hypothesis and create a new experiment, or continue to incorporate the
information gathered to answer the research question.

Example of the Scientific Method

To better understand the process of the scientific method, take a look at the following example:

• Observation: My toaster doesn’t work.

• Question: Is something wrong with my electrical outlet?
• Hypothesis: If something is wrong with the outlet, my coffeemaker also won’t work when plugged
into it.
• Experiment: I plug my coffeemaker into the outlet.
• Result: My coffeemaker works!
• Conclusion: My electrical outlet works, but my toaster still won’t toast my bread.
• Refine the hypothesis: My toaster is broken.

From this point, the process would be repeated with a refined hypothesis.

Why the Scientific Method Is Important for Psychology

The use of the scientific method is one of the main features that separates modern psychology from
earlier philosophical inquiries about the mind. Compared to chemistry, physics, and other “natural
sciences,” psychology has long been considered one of the “social sciences” because of the subjective
nature of the things it seeks to study. Many of the concepts that psychologists are interested in—such
as aspects of the human mind, behavior, and emotions—are subjective and cannot be directly
measured. Psychologists often rely instead on behavioral observations and self-reported data, which
are considered by some to be illegitimate or lacking in methodological rigor. Applying the scientific
method to psychology, therefore, helps to standardize the approach to understanding its very different
types of information.

The scientific method allows psychological data to be replicated and confirmed in many instances,
under different circumstances, and by a variety of researchers. Through replication of experiments, new
generations of psychologists can reduce errors and broaden the applicability of theories. It also allows
theories to be tested and validated instead of simply being conjectures that could never be verified or
falsified. All of this allows psychologists to gain a stronger understanding of how the human mind works.

Scientific articles published in journals and psychology papers written in the style of the American
Psychological Association (i.e., in “APA style”) are structured around the scientific method. These
papers include an Introduction, which introduces the background information and outlines the
hypotheses; a Methods section, which outlines the specifics of how the experiment was conducted to
test the hypothesis; a Results section, which includes the statistics that tested the hypothesis and state
whether it was supported or not supported, and a Discussion and Conclusion, which state the
implications of finding support for, or no support for, the hypothesis. Writing articles and papers that
 adhere to the scientific method makes it easy for future researchers to repeat the study and attempt to
replicate the results.

Answer 3(a)
As the name suggest Activity based learning is gaining knowledge by doing activities. In this methodology students
rather than attending the classes given by teachers, they use their creative dynamism to guide them through the activity
based material. There is strong lobby supporting either learning channel. People who support traditional ways of
learning strongly feels that it worked for them, for their parents, similarly it will work well for their child as well.
Another section of society feels otherwise and strongly advocates for activity based learning. Let’s see what are the
general advantages and disadvantages we have come across:

▪ Each child has its own speed to grasp things, activity based learning allows kid to learn fundamentals at their own
speed.
▪ Horizon of learning is pretty wise, it facilitates learning in groups, and mutual learning. Also it has a place for self-
learning.
▪ It allows teacher’s to devote time to individual student needs.
▪ Since its activity based and kid is involved in the process – their participation allows them to pick fundamentals
fast.
▪ There is no concept of unit test etc, Evaluation is inbuilt in the system which makes it quite child friendly.
▪ On completing the activity, child has a feeling of sense of accomplishment which boosts child’s confidence.
▪ Games are needless to say create more buzz among children.
▪ Creative and communicative skills are bound to groom in this way of learning.
▪ There is feeling of interaction between teacher and the child, it helps in reducing the barrier between the two.
Now let’s look at some disadvantages which is not allowing activity based learning mushroom it to the huge extent.

▪ It’s important to learn facts right. If fundamentals and facts are not known, it doesn’t help in arguments and
debates.
▪ Same goes for learning any foreign language.
There are not many disadvantages however shortcomings are big enough which makes traditional learning and activity
based learning system as complementary mechanism, rather than substituting them completely. If judiciously both the
techniques are blended and child is taught it can do wonder

Student Led
An activity-based curriculum is led by students. This creates responsibility for the students, holding
them accountable for seeing the lesson through in a meaningful way. Students help plan, organize
and execute the lesson plan from start to finish. Performing the material rather than just listening to
it helps many students retain the information in a meaningful and lasting way.

Student Creativity
The freedom of an activity-based curriculum creates an openness and spirit for experimentation in
the classroom. Students tap into physical, mental and emotional knowledge as they explore the
material through physical tasks. Students are asked to look at basic mathematics, language arts,
social studies and science lessons from several perspectives, both creative and practical. A student
who has a hard time learning in a traditional fashion may see an improvement through active
learning.

Planning Time
An activity-based curriculum takes more time to plan and organize than a lecture. To plan an active
lesson, teachers must master the art of making a basic structure for the lesson while simultaneously
allowing room for student ideas and other deviations from the original plan. This requires thinking
through possible setbacks, which proves difficult prior to having experience making and performing
active lessons. As a teacher tests out her methods for making active lesson plans, they will continue
to improve and become more effective.
Lesson Fulfillment
It’s possible that an activity-based lesson won’t be fulfilled the first time around, especially if the
teacher setting it up has no prior experience. This learning and experimentation curve for the teacher
wastes a certain amount of class time. The teacher must gauge whether the potential time lost will
be worth the benefits in the long run. This is impossible to know without trial and error.

Ans3(B)
Introduction
Audio Visual Aids are also called instructional material. Audio literally means “hearing” and “visual” means that which is found by
seeing. So all such aids, which endeavor to make the knowledge clear to us through our sense are called “Audio Visual Aids” or
Instructional Material. All these learning material make the learning situations as real as possible and give us firsthand knowledge
through the organs of hearing and seeing. Therefore, any device which can be used to make the learning experience more concrete
and effective, more realistic and dynamic can be considered audio visual material.
We learn through our sense organs. Senses are the ways of knowledge. All the sense organs help us in understanding the
environment. Most of the knowledge, which we acquire from the school, comes through our ears and eyes.

Audio Visual Aids Definition

According to Burton. These are sensory objectives and images which stimulate and emphasis on learning process. Carter V.
Good. It is a trainable (motivation, classification and stimulation) process of learning.
Objectives of Teaching Aids
1. To enhance teachers skills which help to make teaching-learning process effective
2. Make learners active in the classroom
3. Communicate them according to their capabilities
4. Develop lesson plan and build interest
5. To make students good observer
6. Develop easy and understandable learning material
7. Follow child cornered learning process
8. Involve intimation in objectives
9. To create interest in different groups
10. To make teaching process more effective
Types
It can be classified simply on the bases of sensory experience. Because human beings derive their experiences mainly through direct
sensory contact. Keeping this in view, it can be classified in to three main groups:

1. Audio Aids examples are Radio, Tape-recorder, Gramophone, Linguaphone, Audio cassette player, Language laboratory
2. Visual Aids examples are Chart, Black and while board, Maps, Pictures, Models, Text-books, Slide projector, Transparency,
Flash-cards, Print materials etc.
3. Audiovisual Aids examples are LCD project, Film projector, TV, Computer, VCD player, Virtual Classroom, Multimedia
etc.
Advantages
1. Its helps to make learning process more effective and conceptual.
2. Its helps to grab the attention of students
3. It builds interest and motivation teaching students learning process
4. It enhance the energy level of teaching and students
5. It is even better for over burden classrooms
6. It provides students a realistic approach and experience
Disadvantages
1. Technical Problems
2. Students Distractions
3. Expensive
4. Time consuming
5. Need Space
6. Convenience
Characteristics
1. Relevancy
2. Useful and purposeful teaching
3. Accuracy
4. Interest
5. Minimize verbalism
6. Comprehensibility
7. Motivation
8. Realism
Who can take benefit from Visual Aids
Though every children can take benefit while using visual aids for learning. But it is more helpful for those students:
 ▪ Having Language Disorder
▪ Autism Spectrum Disorder
▪ Down Syndrome
▪ Those who have Learning Disabilities
▪ Student who have English as a secondary Language
▪ Those having Oppositional Defiant Disorder
▪ Personality Development Delay
▪ Have the problem of Hearing Impairment
▪ Have the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD

Answer 4(A)

Talking with Students about Evaluations

To motivate students to complete end-of-course evaluations and to provide useful feedback through
those evaluations, the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching recommends instructors talk with their
students about the importance of course evaluations and how those evaluations are used.

• Designate time in class for students to complete evaluations, and let your students know why and
when. (See below for more on this advice.)
• Tell your students that you value their honest and constructive feedback, and that you use student
feedback to make improvements to your courses. If possible, share examples of how you have changed
your courses as a result of student feedback.
• Let your students know that you are interested in both positive and negative feedback on the
course. What aspects of the course and/or instruction helped them learn? What aspects might be changed
to help future students learn more effectively?
• Describe the kind of feedback you find most useful. In most cases, specific feedback with examples is
more useful than general statements. See the handout “Providing Helpful Feedback to Your Instructions”
from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan for examples of
specific, constructive feedback.
• Remind students that evaluations are designed to be completely anonymous and that you will not be
able to see any of their evaluations until after final grades have been submitted. Many students don’t
realize these facts.
• Let students know that you are the primary audience for their feedback, but that others will
potentially read their evaluations, including department and school administrators. Course evaluations
play a role in personnel evaluations and in curriculum planning.
• Consider including language in your syllabus that addresses student evaluations. This alerts the
students to the fact that they should also pay attention to their learning experiences throughout the
semester and makes them more mindful of their responses in the course evaluations. Possible examples.
Vanderbilt’s Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey, Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, was interviewed in
2003 about student course evaluations. She was asked if she thought her students took course
evaluations seriously. Her answer:

Yes, I do think my students take them very seriously. I think they do in part because I tell them that
I take them seriously. I schedule a time when we’ll do the evaluation form; I tell students in advance
that I consider it to be very important, and tell them that I really want them all to be present to
evaluate the course. I tell them that I read every comment and find the comments extremely useful
in thinking about and improving my own teaching. When I give the evaluations forms out I repeat
all of those things, and add, “You can never write too much; I value all of the feedback I get, I do
read it and it is very important to me.” And then I follow all of the university guidelines (like getting
quickly out of the classroom after identifying who’s going to collect and return them to the
department office.)

So yes, I get very substantive feedback, which I really value. In many courses, perhaps especially
large ones, there is likely to be at least someone who’s not particularly happy with the course. Their
feedback can be very, very helpful to thinking about what I might do differently in the course. I
think emphasizing that we take student comments very seriously, and find them very helpful, simply
increases the likelihood of getting very useful feedback from all students.

Why is it better to include time in class for student evaluations?

By setting aside 20 minutes during class for students to complete course evaluations, just like the
custom when evaluations were done with pencil and paper, instructors are not only increasing the
overall student response rates, but they are also increasing the likelihood that students have time to
think through their responses. As a result, students will have the opportunity to produce less rushed,
more thoughtful feedback, especially if this strategy is combined with the other recommended
strategies below. Using class time thus may be a way for instructors to differentiate the type of
serious, considered input appropriate for course evaluations from common brief and off-the-cuff
input on social media, customer feedback, and other online forums. Finally, setting aside class time
communicates to students the importance of evaluations in the teaching mission of the university.

It should also be noted that when setting aside time in class for students to complete course
evaluations, instructors should leave the room to help ensure that students feel free to provide
authentic responses.

Making Sense of Student Evaluation Feedback

Adapted from “Some Guidelines and Principles to Consider In Making Sense of Evaluation
Feedback” by Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey, Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, Vanderbilt
University.

Along with the fresh start of the new year, many instructors will receive an opportunity to assess
their teaching skills when they receive student evaluations of their Fall courses. Making sense of
student feedback can be challenging so we offer the following tips for examining evaluations.

When considering student evaluations:

• Pick a good time to do so, when you will have enough time to digest at least some of the information,
have privacy, and can give yourself some mental ‘space’ to analyze the information.
• Track quantitative results. Consider how the summary rating received for each item fits with your own
teaching goals and your department’s expectations for teaching.
• Look for patterns in students’ comments—identify trends, note what you have done well and what needs
improvement.
• Take your experience into account. If you are new to teaching, the school, or even the course, you may
still be learning about various aspects of being a professor, such as course design, teaching skills, student
interaction, and departmental expectations.
• Take the context and characteristics of your course into account. Research shows that student evaluations
often are more positive in courses that are smaller rather than larger, and elective rather than required.
Also, evaluations are usually more positive in courses in which students tend to do well.

When dealing with negative student feedback:

• Know that almost all faculty members receive negative feedback at some point in their careers, including
those who are senior and highly successful.
• Allow yourself to acknowledge that it can feel hurtful or make you angry, but also provides a pointer
toward important areas for your continued development.

When deciding how to further your development as a teacher:

• Bear in mind the most frequently mentioned areas for teaching improvement in analysis of student
evaluations within and across universities: 1) clearer, more specific in-class communication; and 2)
clearer, more explicit organization of course content.
• Consider scheduling an appointment at the Center for Teaching for a consultation to help you interpret
your evaluations. Research suggests that teachers who consult with someone about their evaluations are
more likely to score higher on the next set of evaluations than others who do not discuss them with
anyone. To schedule a consultation on student evaluations, call the Center for Teaching at 322-7290.
When planning steps to improve the feedback you receive in evaluations, consider the following
options:

• Use one minute evaluations at the end of selected class sessions, asking students to note the main idea
they learned that class, or two ideas about a major construct considered, or a question about content, and
so forth.
• Give a “midterm evaluation” of the course, using the official university form or one you have created, to
check how the class is progressing while you can use the information to make changes.
• Talk with the class about their interim feedback, and explicitly put into practice one of their suggestions.
• Before the final course evaluation, explain to the class the importance you place on their input.

Mid-Semester Student Feedback and Other Strategies

Course evaluations can be and should be thought of as a part of a larger classroom narrative, one
that focuses on improving students’ learning experiences from beginning to end along two
intertwined paths: student feedback and improving teaching.

Gathering Student Feedback

There are multiple opportunities to solicit student feedback throughout the semester. The feedback
students provide about your teaching on their end-of-semester course evaluations is the most
identifiable form of feedback and can be valuable in helping you improve and refine your teaching.
Soliciting mid-semester student feedback has the additional benefit of allowing you to hear your
students’ concerns while there is still time in the semester to make appropriate changes.

The CFT offers a service called a Small Group Analysis, which is a method of gathering
anonymous feedback from students about what is helping them learn and what is not, in a course.
This completely confidential service is an excellent way to assess students’ response to your
teaching mid-semester. See the CFT website for more information on our SGA service.

If you’re interested in gathering feedback from your students on your own, please see our
“Gathering Feedback from Students” teaching guide for ideas and tools.

Lastly, for soliciting informal feedback from students on their learning throughout the semester,
consider adapting some classroom assessment techniques (CATs) from our CATs teaching
guide that best fit your classroom. One example of a CAT is the minute paper, during which time
students take one minute to write a response to a question or statement prompt. This can be
especially illuminating if the prompt is intended to collect feedback on their learning experiences in
the course.

Other Mechanisms for Improving Teaching

The process of incorporating student feedback towards the improvement of your teaching can
sometimes seem like a daunting process. The CFT can serve as a support system for you in this
process through the following:

CFT individual consultations. We are available for consultations on any teaching questions or
topics you might like to discuss.

• Observations. The CFT offers classroom observations as a mechanism for instructors to get
individualized feedback for a particular class.
• Syllabus review. A CFT staff member can work with you to review your syllabus and consider how well
your course design is accomplishing your goals.
• Topic-specific consultations. CFT staff members can also consult with you around particular teaching
questions, such as effective discussion approaches or assessment options.
• Pedagogy-specific consultations. If you are interested in adopting particular pedagogies, such as case-
based learning, service-learning, or team-based learning, the CFT can work with you to adapt that
approach to your class.

The CFT hosts the Open Classroom each fall, a multi-day teaching visit event, featuring
opportunities to observe and discussion teaching practices around campus.

The CFT also hosts learning communities on various teaching topics. These communities provide
Vanderbilt educators opportunities to learn from and with each other as they develop their teaching
skills.

Outside the CFT, peer evaluations are another way to get valuable feedback from colleagues and to
potentially create a community of teachers in your department. For more information, please see
our guide on the Peer Review of Teaching.

Resources on Interpreting Student Evaluations

“Student Rating Forms”, a chapter from the book Tools for Teaching by Barbara Gross Davis.
Interpreting and Working with Your Course Evaluations, a resource from the Center for
Teaching and Learning at Stanford University, featuring suggestions for improving one’s scores on
particular student evaluation questions.

Evaluating and Improving Undergraduate Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics, an on-line book published by the National Research Council (2003).]

The following articles can be found in the journal, New Directions for Teaching and Learning,
Volume 2001, Issue 87, Special Issue: Techniques and Strategies for Interpreting Student
Evaluations . Issue Edited by Karron G. Lewis.

• Faculty Thoughts and Concerns about Student Ratings, by John C. Ory, Office of Instructional
Resources at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Although student ratings of instruction are
used to determine whether a person is teaching effectively, many people who use them are not aware of
the extensive research base for them.”
• Encouraging Your Students to Give Feedback, by Marilla D. Svinicki, Center for Teaching
Effectiveness at the University of Texas at Austin. “Giving feedback is a skill that can be learned. What
are the conditions that foster that learning and the later use of that skill for feedback to instructors?”
• Making Sense of Student Written Comments, by Karron G. Lewis, Center for Teaching Effectiveness
at the University of Texas at Austin. “Most student evaluation instruments include a place for student
comments, yet the comments are often difficult to interpret. This article illustrates these comments and
uses the information for improving teaching and students’ learning.”
• Using Midsemester Student Feedback and Responding to It, by Karron G. Lewis, Center for Teaching
Effectiveness at the University of Texas at Austin. “Getting midsemester feedback from your students can
help you make changes before it’s too late.”
• Interpreting the Numbers: Using a Narrative to Help Others Read Student Evaluations of Your
Teaching Accurately, by Jennifer Franklin, Center for Teaching and Learning at California State
University, Dominguez Hills. “Student ratings are one of the most widely used measures in teaching
today. All users should understand what the numbers mean and how they should and should not be used.”

Ans4(b)

Cooperative Learning
Working together in a group can be a great experience for some people and a terrible one for others.
You've probably realized by now that working in a group is pretty common in education. However,
every group is not created equal and some groups function better than others. That's part of the
reason why many teachers promote cooperative learning, instead.
In cooperative learning, students work together in small groups to complete a structured task or
goal. It is more than just working in a group, as group work alone does not guarantee cooperative
learning. As you may have experienced, when students are simply required to work together, they
are usually rewarded based on the success of the entire group. It is all too often the case that only
some members of the group do all of the work. It cannot be said that all of the members are actually
learning. On the other hand, in cooperative learning, members of the group are not only rewarded
based on the success of the entire group but are also individually accountable for their own work.
The task or activity is structured in a way that requires the input and participation of every group
member. As a result, all of the group members learn from each other. Cooperative learning is often
confused with collaborative learning, but they are not the same thing. We'll discuss collaborative
learning later in this lesson.
An example of a very popular cooperative learning activity that teachers use is jigsaw, where each
student is required to research one section of the material and then teach it to the other members of
the group. Just like a jigsaw puzzle, each piece or section is put together at the end, and only then
does the entire picture make sense.
For example, imagine you've been placed in a group that has been tasked with researching the life of
Dr. Seuss. In jigsaw, you and the members of your group would each be responsible for researching
certain periods of his life. Let's say there are four members of your group. You are responsible for
researching his childhood, and the other members of your group are responsible for other periods of
his life. When you are finished with your individual research, you report what you've learned to the
other members of your group. Once everyone is finished with their reports, you have a complete
picture of his entire life.
In this way, jigsaw activities are specifically structured so that the only access any member has to
all of the information is through the work of other members. So, if you don't listen to someone in
your group, you won't know the information and won't do well on the test that follows.
As a cooperative learning activity, jigsaw provides a very efficient way for students to learn.
Cooperative learning also has a number of other advantages. For example, as they work together,
students learn how to socialize, solve problems, and handle conflict. Additionally, learning to
cooperate with others is vital for success later in life. Almost every company that a student will
work for is likely to require them to work in a group at some point.

Elements of Cooperative Learning

As we discussed before, simply working in a group does not guarantee cooperative learning. There
are five elements that define true cooperative learning in groups:

1. Face-to-face interaction
2. Positive interdependence
3. Individual accountability
4. Collaborative skills
5. Group processing

Face-to-face interaction is a bit counter-intuitive because it doesn't necessarily mean face-to-face

as in 'in-person'. It actually just refers to direct interaction. So, it can be literally face-to-face, or it
could be over the phone, on chat, via Skype, through email, etc. It's just referring to the fact that
group members have to actually interact in order to cooperate.
The second element is positive interdependence, which means that the group members rely on
each other and can only succeed together. This goes hand-in-hand with the third element, which
is individual accountability. As an interdependent group, each individual is responsible for his or
her own work and can be held accountable for that work.
Answer 5(a)

Making an effective lesson plan takes time, dedication, and an understanding of students' abilities and
goals. In the field of education, every teacher strives to motivate students to retain as much as possible
during the course of the class and apply it.

The educator conducts the lesson as outlined in the plan in order to achieve the goal of the course. The
measurement of a successful lesson plan is often proven through the use of worksheets, homework, or a
test.

How to Make a Lesson Plan

• Know your students. Understand who you are going to educate. Anticipate various learning styles
(visual, auditory, tactile or a combination). Tailor your lesson plan to incorporate all learning styles
through independent and group exercises. If you are familiar with the students' group dynamics you
may choose to plan ahead of time to increase engagement and interaction. Keep in mind that you may
alter any activity to be done independently, in pairs, or in small groups. Depending on the amount of
time and size of the class you can be selective or mix it up and use all of these techniques.
• Set learning objectives. A learning objective is a statement that provides a detailed description of what
students will be able to do upon completing a course. The statement should be simple and to the point.
It is the teacher's role to help students understand how to use the information they will learn during the
lesson in a practical way.
• Write the objective for the lesson. Outline the main topics or ideas you wish to cover during the lesson.
The overview will function as the foundation upon which the lesson will be built.
• Plan your timeline. The curriculum you wish to cover may be too much for the time allotted. If this is the
case, simply break your lesson plan into sections. This allows you to speed up or slow down depending
on the amount of time remaining. Learning is dynamic. As you engage with students, encourage them
to question and share ideas during the course of the class but be mindful of the time and the lesson plan.
The lesson plan is your guide to ensure the learning goals you've set for your students are met in the
time allowed
Ans (B)

There have been a number of different proposed theories to explain intrinsic motivation and
how it works. Some experts believe that all behavior is driven by external reward, such as
money, status, or food. In intrinsically motivated behaviors, the reward is the activity itself.

The most recognized theory of intrinsic motivation was first based on people’s needs and
drives. Hunger, thirst, and sex are biological needs that we’re driven to pursue in order to live
and be healthy.

Just like these biological needs, people also have psychological needs that must be satisfied in
order to develop and thrive. These include the need for competence, autonomy, and
relatedness.

Along with satisfying these underlying psychological needs, intrinsic motivation also involves
seeking out and engaging in activities that we find challenging, interesting, and internally
rewarding without the prospect of any external reward.

Intrinsic motivation vs. extrinsic

motivation
Intrinsic motivation comes from within, while extrinsic motivation arises from outside. When
you’re intrinsically motivated, you engage in an activity solely because you enjoy it and get
personal satisfaction from it.

When you’re extrinsically motivated, you do something in order to gain an external reward.
This can mean getting something in return, such as money, or avoiding getting into trouble,
such as losing your job.

Intrinsic motivation examples

You’ve likely experienced examples of intrinsic motivation throughout your entire life without
giving it much thought.

Some examples of intrinsic motivation are:

• participating in a sport because it’s fun and you enjoy it rather than doing it to win an
award
• learning a new language because you like experiencing new things, not because your
job requires it
• spending time with someone because you enjoy their company and not because they
can further your social standing
• cleaning because you enjoy a tidy space rather than doing it to avoid making your
spouse angry
• playing cards because you enjoy the challenge instead of playing to win money
• exercising because you enjoy physically challenging your body instead of doing it to
lose weight or fit into an outfit
• volunteering because you feel content and fulfilled rather than needing it to meet a
school or work requirement
• going for a run because you find it relaxing or are trying to beat a personal record, not
to win a competition
• taking on more responsibility at work because you enjoy being challenged and feeling
accomplished, rather than to get a raise or promotion
• painting a picture because you feel calm and happy when you paint rather than selling
your art to make money

Intrinsic motivation factors

Everyone’s different and that includes what motivates us and our perspectives of rewards.
Some people are more intrinsically motivated by a task while another person sees the same
activity extrinsically.

Both can be effective, but research suggests that extrinsic rewards should be used sparingly
because of the overjustification effect. Extrinsic rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation
when used in certain situations or used too often. The rewards may lose their value when you
reward behavior that was already intrinsically motivating. Some people also perceive extrinsic
reinforcement as coercion or bribery.

The overjustification effect has inspired an entire field of study that focuses on students and
how to help them reach their full potential. Though experts are divided on whether extrinsic
rewards have a beneficial or negative effect on intrinsic motivation, a recent study showed that
rewards may actually encourage intrinsic motivation when given early in a task.

Researchers examined how reward timing influenced intrinsic motivation. They found that
giving an immediate bonus for working on a task, rather than waiting until the task was
completed, increased interest and enjoyment in it. Getting an earlier bonus increased
motivation and persistence in the activity that continued even after the award was removed.

Understanding the factors that promote intrinsic motivation can help you see how it works and
why it can be beneficial. These factors include:

• Curiosity. Curiosity pushes us to explore and learn for the sole pleasure of learning
and mastering.
• Challenge. Being challenged helps us work at a continuously optimal level work toward
meaningful goals.
• Control. This comes from our basic desire to control what happens and make decisions
that affect the outcome.
• Recognition. We have an innate need to be appreciated and satisfaction when our
efforts are recognized and appreciated by others.
• Cooperation. Cooperating with others satisfies our need for belonging. We also feel
personal satisfaction when we help others and work together to achieve a shared goal.
• Competition. Competition poses a challenge and increases the importance we place
on doing well.
• Fantasy. Fantasy involves using mental or virtual images to stimulate your behavior. An
example is a virtual game that requires you to answer a question or solve a problem to
move to the next level. Some motivation apps use a similar approach.
How to practice better intrinsic
motivation
The following are some things you can do to help you practice better intrinsic motivation:

• Look for the fun in work and other activities or find ways to make tasks engaging for
yourself.
• Find meaning by focusing on your value, the purpose of a task, and how it helps others.
• Keep challenging yourself by setting attainable goals that focus on mastering a skill, not
on external gains.
• Help someone in need, whether it’s a friend who could use a hand at home or lending a
hand at a soup kitchen.
• Create a list of things you genuinely love to do or have always wanted to do and
choose something on the list to do whenever you have time or are feeling uninspired.
• Participate in a competition and focus on the camaraderie and how well you perform
instead of on winning.
• Before starting a task, visualize a time that you felt proud and accomplished and focus
on those feelings as you work to conquer the task.

Intrinsic motivation in parenting

There are things that you can do to help foster intrinsic motivation in your children. Parents
often use external rewards or pressure to try to get their children to perform certain tasks, such
as doing homework or cleaning their room.

The following are ways that may help foster intrinsic motivation in your child.

• Give them choices instead of making an activity a requirement. Having a say makes
them more intrinsically motivated.
• Encourage independent thinking by giving them space to work on a task alone and
reporting back to you when they’re satisfied with the result.
• Make activities fun by turning tasks like reading or picking up their toys into a game.
• Present opportunities for your child to feel successful by assigning a developmentally
appropriate skill for them to fine-tune.
• Encourage them to focus on the internal benefits of activities, such as how good it
makes them feel instead of what they can get for doing it.
Takeaway
Intrinsic motivation can be applied to all aspects of your life and has been shown to be an
effective way to improve performance. By changing the focus to the internal rewards of a task,
such as satisfaction and enjoyment, you can better motivate yourself and others.

The End.