Committee on Teaching and Learning

CTL Members: Jodi Simpson (Sci./Tech.), Mimi Muroaka (Health Tech.), Pat Chavez-Nunez (For. Lang./ESL), Pamela Guenther (Math), Jerry Pike (LSS), Gerry Lewin (Chair), David Kiley (Library), Susan Broderick (Acad. Sup.), Mary Lawson (Acad. Sen. Liaison), Jody Millward (Eng.). Not shown: Pamela Zwehle-Burke (Art), Curtis Solberg (Soc. Sci.), Jack Ullom (Admin. Liaison)

Guidelines for Seeking Academic Assistance

Dr. Jody Millward, English, gives her students the following guidelines as a model to follow in preparation for teacher-student conferences or tutorial sessions.

Resources: Classmates; Study Groups; Classroom assistants; CAP Mentors; Tutors; Faculty

As the handout on how we learn and retain information reveals, the most effective learning strategies include discussing information with others and teaching information to others—that is why it is important to seek outside assistance. You are all busy, however, as are your resources. The key is to manage your time and make effective use of your resources' time.

If possible, make an appointment or attend an office hour (but budget for the possibility of another student getting there before you).

Ineffective Strategies

1. Wasting time with general blame strategies; for example:
• my instructor’s confusing (or directly to the instructor, “The assignment’s not clear”)
• my last instructor didn’t prepare me; or my last instructor was clearer
• I’m not very good at this subject
2. Wasting time with a general plea for help, for example:
• read this paper and tell me what you think
• I don’t understand the last chapter
• Could you look at my homework and see if it’s okay?
3. Having the resource do your work for you; for example,
• finish the math problems that have you stumped
• rewrite portions of your essays or fix your grammar
• correct your lab reports
All that this proves is that the resource can do what you yourself need to learn in order to pass that particular class.
• Resist the urge to ask for such help;
• Resist the urge to accept such help from a resource who may get
carried away with the amount of assistance s/he offers.

Effective Strategies

Preparation for the Meeting

1. Review the language of the assignment.
• Underline the key words (see handout on key terms)
• If the assignment suggests steps to follow, number those steps
2. Review your own work
• Identify which steps you have fulfilled
• Identify places where you made decisions and indicate why you made the choices you did
• If there is a section or a turning point where you feel particularly unconfident or where you are stumped, take a few minutes and write as specifically as possible what stumped you, where you are unclear—in the margins; use a different color pen to draw your attention to problem areas
3. Prepare what areas you intend to cover in the meeting
• write a brief summary of what you understand and the progress you’ve made
• specifically identify your area of confusion and try to form questions about that material
• try to determine if you are having difficulty with understanding the directions, understanding a concept, or understanding specific content

The Meeting

1. Organize your materials before you walk into the meeting. Make sure you take the following:
• A copy of the assignment
• A pen and paper to take notes (try color coding pens—your meeting pen should be in a different color)
• A copy of you work thus far
• Questions prepared on your area of concern
2. Take control of the meeting.
• Briefly summarize what you have done well thus far
• Present the questions you would like to ask
• Take notes while the resource is helping you; if possible, write on the “shared” paper, rather than on a separate sheet

Post Meeting

1. Take a few minutes to summarize or to note the most critical points discussed so that you will not forget them
2. Before completing the assignment, review what you achieved in conference
3. Apply what you have learned to completing the assignment

To access another great resource from Jody Millward, click here. This is an error analysis learning object for essay writing and research papers, published in Gyrus. A similar one for the math area, adapted by Dr. Elizabeth Hodes, is available by clicking here.

CTL Teaching Tips Archives Searchable Database CTL Minutes Websites on Teaching and Learning Highlights from Articles Preview of Fall 2002 (under construction) Spring 2002 Issue Contents: Guidelines for Seeking Academic Assistance, Dr. Jody Millward Faculty Teaching and Learning Seminar, Dr. Jack Ullom Student Hub and Syllabus Maker, Mark Ferrer and Jerry Pike CTL's Weekly Teaching Tip Project Graphic Organizers, Pat Chavez-Nunez Archives: Fall 2001 Issue, with the following contents: Student Motivation, Joe White Student Health Survey on Risk Factors, Susan Broderick SBCC's Transfer Rates, Dr. Andreea Serban Email messages are welcome! Send in your ideas, suggestions, articles, questions and responses for possible posting on this page.	Santa Barbara City College Committee on Teaching and Learning "Creating a dialogue on learning and teaching..." Spring 2002
		CTL's Functions and Responsibilities 1. Identifies and facilitates the incorporation of strategies that enhance student success in the classroom and through campus learning support services (Library and LRC). 2. Works closely with instructional faculty and Student Services to integrate student success initiatives campus-wide. 3. Serves as liaison between faculty and Library staff on policies affecting utilization of the library, its resources and other faculty matters. 4. Serves as liaison between faculty and LSS staff on policies affecting utilization of the LSS, its resources and other faculty matters. 5. Provides oversight and general direction on tutorial allocations, and policies for operation of the LSS (Library/LRC).	CTL Members: Jodi Simpson (Sci./Tech.), Mimi Muroaka (Health Tech.), Pat Chavez-Nunez (For. Lang./ESL), Pamela Guenther (Math), Jerry Pike (LSS), Gerry Lewin (Chair), David Kiley (Library), Susan Broderick (Acad. Sup.), Mary Lawson (Acad. Sen. Liaison), Jody Millward (Eng.). Not shown: Pamela Zwehle-Burke (Art), Curtis Solberg (Soc. Sci.), Jack Ullom (Admin. Liaison) Guidelines for Seeking Academic Assistance Dr. Jody Millward, English, gives her students the following guidelines as a model to follow in preparation for teacher-student conferences or tutorial sessions. Resources: Classmates; Study Groups; Classroom assistants; CAP Mentors; Tutors; Faculty As the handout on how we learn and retain information reveals, the most effective learning strategies include discussing information with others and teaching information to others—that is why it is important to seek outside assistance. You are all busy, however, as are your resources. The key is to manage your time and make effective use of your resources' time. If possible, make an appointment or attend an office hour (but budget for the possibility of another student getting there before you). Ineffective Strategies 1. Wasting time with general blame strategies; for example: • my instructor’s confusing (or directly to the instructor, “The assignment’s not clear”) • my last instructor didn’t prepare me; or my last instructor was clearer • I’m not very good at this subject 2. Wasting time with a general plea for help, for example: • read this paper and tell me what you think • I don’t understand the last chapter • Could you look at my homework and see if it’s okay? 3. Having the resource do your work for you; for example, • finish the math problems that have you stumped • rewrite portions of your essays or fix your grammar • correct your lab reports All that this proves is that the resource can do what you yourself need to learn in order to pass that particular class. • Resist the urge to ask for such help; • Resist the urge to accept such help from a resource who may get carried away with the amount of assistance s/he offers. Effective Strategies Preparation for the Meeting 1. Review the language of the assignment. • Underline the key words (see handout on key terms) • If the assignment suggests steps to follow, number those steps 2. Review your own work • Identify which steps you have fulfilled • Identify places where you made decisions and indicate why you made the choices you did • If there is a section or a turning point where you feel particularly unconfident or where you are stumped, take a few minutes and write as specifically as possible what stumped you, where you are unclear—in the margins; use a different color pen to draw your attention to problem areas 3. Prepare what areas you intend to cover in the meeting • write a brief summary of what you understand and the progress you’ve made • specifically identify your area of confusion and try to form questions about that material • try to determine if you are having difficulty with understanding the directions, understanding a concept, or understanding specific content The Meeting 1. Organize your materials before you walk into the meeting. Make sure you take the following: • A copy of the assignment • A pen and paper to take notes (try color coding pens—your meeting pen should be in a different color) • A copy of you work thus far • Questions prepared on your area of concern 2. Take control of the meeting. • Briefly summarize what you have done well thus far • Present the questions you would like to ask • Take notes while the resource is helping you; if possible, write on the “shared” paper, rather than on a separate sheet Post Meeting 1. Take a few minutes to summarize or to note the most critical points discussed so that you will not forget them 2. Before completing the assignment, review what you achieved in conference 3. Apply what you have learned to completing the assignment To access another great resource from Jody Millward, click here. This is an error analysis learning object for essay writing and research papers, published in Gyrus. A similar one for the math area, adapted by Dr. Elizabeth Hodes, is available by clicking here.
		SBCC's Faculty Seminar on Teaching and Learning Dr. Jack Ullom is offering SBCC faculty the opportunity to participate in "face-to-face" seminars, which will elaborate on the online Faculty Teaching and Learning Seminar course. An outline of each month's topics is available (by clicking below). The online seminar is becoming the major mode of training faculty in non-technological pedagogical methods. Please click here to enter the site. The user name is "faculty" and the password is "seminar". This site is constantly being refined and improved. It also connects with Riverside College's online training course for teachers. SBCC's Syllabus Maker for Faculty and Student Hub Mark Ferrer, Director of the Faculty Resource Center, and Dr. Jerry Pike, Director of Learning Support Services (pictured below), have been working non-stop on expanding the excellent tools and resources for faculty and students. SBCC's Student Hub, offers re-sources for students, i.e., a link to a course syllabus, assignments, a task analysis and research tool. The Syllabus Maker was designed for teachers, with learning theory and methods offered for those who wish to consider such things, CA Cuisine style, a la Ferrer. (The Syllabus Maker is under renewal at the moment.) CTL's Weekly Teaching Tip Project Spring 2002 marks the beginning of the Committee on Teaching and Learning's weekly Teaching Tip project. Both members of the committee and interested subscribers are sharing something of value related to teaching and learning with others in the email group. Each contribution is universal enough in scope to apply in most disciplines; at the same time, recipients are enriched by a diversity of styles and perspectives arising from the distinctive backgrounds of the contributors. Pedagogy is increasingly being respected as a field in itself, one which is relevant to all college faculty. This is well portrayed in Disciplinary Styles in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Exploring Common Ground, a book by Mary Taylor Huber and Sherwyn P. Morreale, from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (to read an introduction, click here.) CTL isn't endorsing a particular product or point of view, but offers this resource to provide one perspective on the evolving field of teaching and learning in college communities today. Guidelines A Teaching Tip can be a valued teaching method, a bit of theory, a quote, a mini-story, information, or research related to teaching and learning. The limit is 250 words. Please email the CTL if you are interested in joining the weekly email group, if you would like to contribute a Teaching Tip, or if you have ideas, requests and suggestions for the CTL webpage. Please see example below. Graphic Organizers By Patricia Chavez Nunez May 13, 2002 ESL students are not only expected to learn another language, they are also expected to retain enormous amounts of information in that new language. In order to help students organize and retain information, I have begun to use graphic organizers to help students sort through information and learn to recognize which information is the most important for them to know. The process of deciding which information is the most important has been extremely helpful to students. Organizing information so that it's manageable has increased students' retention of information as demonstrated on tests and class discussions. Comparison/ Contrast charts, Spider graphs, etc. have helped students focus on the key elements of a lesson. Once the lesson has been taught, students review information and work cooperatively to fill in the graph/chart together. When the students have completed working together to fill in the chart/graph, the instructor goes over the information on an overhead with the whole class to ensure that they have included all relevant information. Students use the synthesized information on the graphic organizers to study for the exam. ESL students are not the only students who need to learn how to synthesize information. I also do graphic organizers for my Education 101 classes to help them organize and retain information in each chapter. I also feel that it is very important for students to think for themselves and begin to formulate their own ideas about what we discuss in class. I have developed journal writings for each chapter in the book, where they have to write down their own ideas and thoughts. They discuss their journal responses in class in small groups and then hand them in to me for my response. CTL Minutes /CTL Weblinks/FRC/ LSS/Library/Student Support /SBCC