CWSEI News

SEI Video page

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:31:15 -0900

New webpage with the videos produced by the CU-SEI and CWSEI. Currently has videos on why to use clickers and using clickers in upper division classes. More videos on various topics are in production.

Update of Departmental activities

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:34:50 -0900

The web pages for the department CWSEI programs have been updated to show the current activities and progress.

CWSEI End-of-Year Event materials

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:27:25 -0900

The CWSEI End-of-Year event on April 29, 2009 featured 3 talks, about 40 posters, and 3 workshops. Most of the materials from this event are available online, and include details on what what’s happening in the Earth & Ocean Sciences, Physics & Astronomy, Computer Science, Life Sciences, Chemistry, Statistics, and Mathematics CWSEI programs.

UBC Reports Article on the EOS-SEI Program

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:57:18 -0900

The Joy of Teaching: EOS Profs Find New Ways to Enrich the Classroom Experience — a story on the Earth & Ocean Sciences Dept. CWSEI program, where about 70% of tenure track faculty members are currently engaged in some form of pedagogical reform.

Clicker Resources Page added

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:07:29 -0900

New Clicker Resources page includes video, SEI clicker guide, links to collections of clicker questions, and other useful links and articles. Clickers are wireless personal response systems that can be used in a classroom to anonymously and rapidly collect an answer to a question from every student. Clickers are useful when the questions are designed to increase student engagement with the material. This web page contains resources to help instructors use clickers effectively in a classroom.

CU-SEI paper published in Science: Why Peer Discussion Improves Student Performance on In-Class Concept Questions

Sat, 3 Jan 2009 04:53:25 -0900

When students answer an in-class conceptual question individually using clickers, discuss it with their neighbors, and then revote on the same question, the percentage of correct answers typically increases. This outcome could result from gains in understanding during discussion, or simply from peer influence of knowledgeable students on their neighbors. To distinguish between these alternatives in an undergraduate genetics course, we followed the above exercise with a second, similar (isomorphic) question on the same concept that students answered individually. Our results indicate that peer discussion enhances understanding, even when none of the students in a discussion group originally knows the correct answer.

CU-Boulder Researchers Show Why Peer Discussion Improves Student Performance on 'Clicker' Questions

Fri, 2 Jan 2009 13:55:43 -0900

A news item from the University of Colorado on the CU-SEI research on peer discussion.

New additions to CWSEI Instructor Guidance

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:20:50 -0900

Recently added to the CWSEI Instructor Guidance page:

Assessments That Support Student Learning -- 2 pager
Link to handbook: How to Prepare Better Multiple-Choice Test Items: Guidelines for University Faculty
First Day of Class – Recommendations for Instructors

Earth & Ocean Sciences EOS-SEI Newsletters

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 20:18:21 -0900

The monthly newsletter aims to keep all faculty, staff and students up to date with our work. Topics relating to results of research into learning in our courses, pointers for "best practices", observations about curriculum or pedagogy will be covered.

Life Sciences LS-CWSEI Newsletters

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 13:57:23 -0900

We have started a monthly newsletter for faculty and staff in the Life Sciences Departments to give updates on LS-CWSEI's progress, upcoming events, and various tips for teaching