Summary |
The book is actually a prototype seminar outline suitable for adaptation to many instructional settings. From cases, explanatory materials, and readings, seminar leaders may construct learning experience- from brief workshops to full-length, formal teaching seminars-applicable to almost any discipline or subject matter. The outline begins with materials that stimulate thought about the fundamental premises and practices that characterize interactive teaching and learning. It also presents cases and readings that promote reflection on the many roles of the discussion leader, the intricacies of the teaching and learning contract (which include unconscious, behavioral elements as well as familiar, explicit elements that comprise a syllabus), and the subtle but powerful difference between guidance and control. It points out the nature of the dual competency- command of both content and process- that distinguishes great teaching and suggests practical ways to acquire it, and discusses in detail such practical skills as questioning, listening and responding in class. Its final section collects materials that address some of the more sensitive, but important, sociopolitical challenges of teaching- including issues like racial and ethnic prejudice, cultural diversity, gender, and academic freedom
|
