Upon reviewing the thoughtful practices of fellow colleagues within this community, I have been inspired to share some additional teaching and learning strategies. Each approach should advance course objectives and learner engagement. These applications can be exercised in both graduate and undergraduate programs.

Discuss Current Events

Discussing current events during our lectures is a great approach to supplementing textbook material and class assignments. This is a teaching strategy that brings awareness to abstract concepts or theories. We should utilize news agencies like Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, or other reputable publications as desired. These organizations offer free online connections which can be accessed by our instructor computers stations and viewed via overhead classroom projectors. This approach bolsters pivotal events and worldviews by way of substantive illustration. The articles must ultimately align with weekly lesson plans for optimum realization.

Encourage Healthy Debate  

Encouraging healthy debate is an important aspect of our educational responsibilities. One of the best teaching strategies is to leverage diverse opinions and individual experiences. We should be mindful though of extended one-on-one debates with students as they might lead to narrow exchanges. Wiliam (2018) stated that debates must be more like a classroom basketball game rather than a tennis match between student and teacher. This approach provides authentic opportunities for contrast and inclusive contributions. The goal is to explore subject matter through collective thought and objective reason.

Industry Specific Signature Assignments

Every class should host a signature assignment that reflects the student’s ability to demonstrate their cumulative proficiency. This teaching strategy synthesizes many aspects of course content and pragmatic expectations. We should commission signature assignments like Business Plans, SWOT Analysis, and other research-based literacies for career erudition. These industry specific analytics impart undertakings that are highly sought-after by potential employers. The projects can be administered individually or by group assembly. A detailed assignment outline is essential for student-faculty success.

References

Wiliam, D. (2018). Embedding Formative Assessment to Enhance Learning. Faculty Development Workshop at Touro College, New York.