Engaging Students in Large Classes
Nancy Carpenter
Dept: Chemistry
College: Morris
Campus: Morris
Campus Address: 600 E. 4th St.
Morris, MN 56267
Phone: 320-589-6337
Email: carpenne@mrs.umn.edu
Website: http://www.mrs.umn.edu/
~carpenne/ochem
Description: “I have taught a large (120) class of organic chemistry and am
comfortable with in-class group learning activities and other active learning strategies.” (NC)
Terry Cooper
Dept: Soil Water Climate
College: COAFES
Campus: St. Paul
Campus Address: 439 Borlaug Hall
Phone: 612-625-7747
Email: tcooper@soils.umn.edu
Description: “Using lecture dyads to have student input during lecture.” (TC)
Jay Hatch
Dept: General College
Campus: MPLS
Campus Address: 382 Appleby Hall
Phone: 612-625-9346
Email: hatch001@umn.edu
Description: “Bookends lecture approach; quick-write ideas; guiding question approach.” (JH)
Dan Kelliher
Dept: Political Science
College: CLA
Campus: TC
Campus Address: 1414 Social Sciences
Phone: 612-624-1671
Email: kelliher@umn.edu
Description: “I’ve done a lot on techniques for helping students to speak up in
classes of around 100 - 120, and to do it even on fairly sensitive subjects.” (DK)
Ken Leopold
Dept: Chemistry
College: IT
Campus: UofM, Twin Cities
Campus Address: 139 Smith Hall
Phone: 612-625-6072
Email: leopo001@umn.edu
Website:
http://www.chem.umn.edu/
directory/faculty.lasso?serial=439
Description: “I have a reasonable amount of experience teaching large, introductory lecture
classes. My style is, in some sense, fairly traditional, but I think I've been able to make it work
reasonably well.”
Richard Lichty
Dept: UMD Economics
College: Labovitz School of Business and Economics
Campus: UofMN, Duluth
Campus Address: SBE 177
Phone: 218-726-7342
Email: rlichty@d.umn.edu
Description: “I teach sections of Principles of Economics with approximately
150 students.” (RL)
Donald Liu
Dept: Applied Economics
College: CFANS
Campus: UofMN, Twin Cities
Campus Address: 231 ClaOff
Phone: 612-625-6765
Email: liu@umn.edu
Website:
http://www.apec.umn.edu/
Donald_Liu.html
Description: “I have used the personal response (clicker) system in my large classes for five years. The technology has evolved a lot and has become quite versatile. I now use the technology to conduct in-class quizzes, to engage Jeopardy type games for reviewing concepts, to administer exams (obtaining results right away), and to conduct classroom experiments in which students get instant feedbacks. ”
Jim Perry
Dept: Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology
College: Natural Resources
Campus: St. Paul
Campus Address: 200 Hodson
Phone: 5-4717
Email: Jperry@umn.edu
Website: http://www.cnr.umn.edu/wq/
Description: “My classes have gotten smaller (now 35-55) but I use a wide range of
techniques that are evolving all the time. Examples include Jig Saws, ‘The Stump,’ Text
review (where they post reviews on the web and we discuss them in class), guest speakers with
SWOT (So What papers and discussions).” (JP)
Lou Pignolet
Dept: Chemistry
College: IT
Campus: MPLS
Campus Address: 241 Smith Hall
Phone: 612-625-0837
Email: pignolet@chem.umn.edu
Website: www.chem.umn.edu
(follow faculty link)
and also for my course (Chem 1021, Fall 03) which is in WebCT. It is possible to visit
this course site as a student guest using the ID: pigno001 and the password: guest01.
Description: “Using interactive teaching methods that are interfaced with WebCT
quizzing and discussions. Using classroom demonstrations, group problem solving, “concept”
tests where students vote, discuss, revote on a conceptual question choice. Less lecturing and
more active interaction with students to encourage more thinking and less note taking in class.” (LP)
Nelson L. Rhodus
Dept: Oral medicine
College: Dentistry
Campus: TC
Campus Address: 7536 Moos
Phone: 5-0693
Email: rhodu001@umn.edu
Description: “Similar to my presentation at the last (2003) ADT Symposium ‘Excellence
in Teaching at a Research University.’ Using problem-based case studies in large classes.” (NR)
Lawrence Rudnick
Dept: Astronomy
College: IT
Campus: TC
Campus Address: 383 Ph
Phone: 612-624-3396
Email: larry@umn.edu
Website:
http://www.astro.umn.edu/~larry
Description: “I can do a 1.5-2 hour workshop focussed on nitty-gritty techniques,
most of them rather straight forward, for getting/keeping students engaged in large
lectures. I have also done customized workshops in a number of departments where I
include a ‘mini-lesson’ in that content area, so participants can see directly
how to apply the various techniques. I would also be available, occasionally, to visit a
lecture of an individual faculty member and provide some specific suggestions.” (LR)
Leslie Schiff
Dept: Microbiology
College: Medicine/College of Biological Sciences
Campus: TC
Campus Address: 1435 Mayo Building
Phone: 624-9933
Email: schiff@mail.ahc.umn.edu
Description: “I use daily writing, an interactive WebCT site and small group
activities in a class that serves ~ 65.” (LS)
Joel Weinsheimer
Dept: English
College: Liberal Arts
Campus: MPLS
Campus Address: 16 Lind Hall, UofMN, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 5-3503
Fax: 612-624-8228
Description: “I’d be glad to consult on teaching large classes.” (JW)
Roland Guyotte
Dept: History
College: Morris
Campus: Morris
Campus Address: 600 E. 4th St./Morris, MN 56267
Phone: 320-589-6185
Email: guyottrl@mrs.umn.edu
Description: “I have substantial experience with large classes and am happy to consult. I have some thoughts about effective lecturing.” (RG)