Tools and Resources

This document was created to provide you with a source of options for gathering data on teamwork assignments and projects. You may choose to adopt one of the examples as is, combine elements from several of the examples, or use the examples to identify characteristics that correspond to particular aspects of your assigned work, course content, or student population.

This document describes a specific strategy that provides a collaborative learning experience for students.

In-depth discussion of planning and writing a case study. Key steps discussed include identifying the reason for using a case study; drafting the case; and piloting and revising it.

Brief explanation of several easy-to-use Classroom Assessment Techniques, with examples.

This document provides an example of a test blueprint, which can be used to help guide test development and ensure that the test questions appropriately reflect the learning objectives of the unit that the test is designed to assess. It can also help students when they study for the test.

A handout that provides information and exercises on how to plan an effective class session.

This document, excerpted from the Penn State Teacher II, includes strategies for planning, implementing, and grading collaborative projects (aka team work or group work). It includes a discussion of group conflicts.

Three-page overview of the steps in documenting one's teaching through a portfolio.

This essay, written by Penn State's Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, John Lowe, describes several useful strategies for collecting course-level assessment about students' study habits and learning, which can be used to improve student learning.

This worksheet can be used to help instructors develop classroom activities that align learning objectives with assessments and course activities.

Penn State Teacher II 1997. Compendium of teaching tips and advice from seasoned faculty and graduate students. Includes sections on Course design, matching teaching methods with learning objectives, teaching large courses, evaluating student learning, collecting feedback, sample syllabi, feedback questionaires, grading standards, plagiarism, teaching philosophies.
Authored by D. Enerson, R. Neill Johnson, Susannah Milner, and Kathryn M. Plank.

This file describes the characteristics of adult learners and strategies for instructors who teach them.

This document describes a strategy for getting students involved with the content by having them pair with other students to discuss the answer to an instructor-posed problem. The pairs then share their answers with the class.

This PowerPoint presentation describes how to us item analysis to determine the efficacy of multiple choice questions.