Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom

Despite your best efforts, it’s likely that you will need to deal with students who violate classroom policies or otherwise interfere with the learning process. In general, these types of situations should be handled firmly and fairly when neither party is highly emotional. Depending on the situation, you may wish to deal with the student outside of class. For example, if a student is asking off-topic questions or monopolizing class discussion, a few words at the time of occurrence may be enough to prevent recurrence. On the other hand, some problems, such as sleeping during class, consistently arriving late or leaving early, or not participating, may be better addressed in private. While they might appear to be simple behavior problems, there can be other, more personal, causes.

For concerns that involve violence or threats of violence, behavior that may indicate psychological problems, or violations of student code of conduct follow the procedures outlined in the (adjunct) faculty handbook under Security.

These sites have excellent suggestions for establishing a constructive classroom environment and addressing specific classroom issues.

Difficult Behaviors in the Classroom, Honolulu Community College

Specific issues and suggested resolutions

Strategies for Dealing with Troublesome Behaviors in the Classroom

Civility in the Classroom: An Annotated Link List

Some Classroom Management Techniques

Setting the Tone

Starting a class on the right foot is one aspect of establishing a positive learning environment. A previous blog entry provided strategies and links on that topic. Maintaining a positive learning environment does not end with the first day or even the first week – it’s an on-going process. There are some simple things that sustain the good beginning.

• Show students respect from the first day of class and throughout the semester.
• Set the tone for active learning from the first day.
• Involve students as often as possible in making course decisions, especially when establishing expectations and setting course policies.
  • Incorporate students’ suggestions when possible.
  • Provide an explanation when their ideas are impossible to implement.
• Throughout the semester – even throughout a class period – ask for comments from students: Is the lesson moving too fast? Too slow?
• Pay attention to body language – do students look alert and engaged or drowsy and bored? Adjust class accordingly:
  • If students seem attentive, keep going as planned.
  • If students seem uninterested, involve students in an activity or ask them for guidance.
• As much as possible, be available to students outside of class.
• Explain to students why the course topics are important – when will the knowledge be used, how will it help them in future classes and their careers, or why educated individuals should be familiar with it.

Keeping students engaged

Maintaining students’ interest can seem daunting at times; but there are a few simple strategies that can both engage students and enhance their learning. Read about them in previous blog posts –

Ten Ways to Engage Students in Class

Getting Students to Prepare for Class: Some Ideas

Simple Spot Assessments

Copyright Basics for Educators, pt. 2

written by Karen Rege, Library Director

WHAT IS THE TEACH ACT?
The Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act was passed in 2002 to allow distance education classes to use copyrighted materials online in the same manner as copyrighted materials are used in a traditional classroom.

The institution must be accredited and must develop and disseminate a copyright policy to faculty and students.

Technology must be in place to limit the use of materials to only students enrolled in the course.

Technology must, in as much as possible, restrict retention and further dissemination of the copyrighted material.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE TEACH ACT?
In most cases, it is not necessary to seek permission for use or to pay royalties to the copyright owner.

Use may be limited by the amount, the length of time available, and other restrictions.

The concept of “mediated instructional activities” still applies. That is, copyrighted material is used online in the same manner as in a traditional classroom.

This rule includes both websites and course management software like WebStudy, WebCT, or Blackboard.

WHAT IS ALLOWED TO BE PUT ONLINE WITH TEACH?
Performance of non-dramatic literary works. (e.g. audio sample of a poetry reading)

Performance of non-dramatic musical works. (e.g. an audio recording of a Beethoven symphony)

Performance of all others (including dramatic and audio works) in “reasonable and limited portions” (e.g. a video clip of a portion of a scene from an opera or play)

Any work “in an amount comparable to that which is typically displayed in the course of a live classroom session.”

WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED?
Scanning and uploading a lengthy work to a faculty or institutional website. It is better to use a hyperlink to the full work.

Works that are available and marketed for distance education courses. This includes portions of the textbooks and accompanying multimedia.

Whole works gathered through a commercial online database. Place a persistent link to the article instead.

Illegally copied material.

Consumable work. (e.g. pages from a workbook)

FOR MORE INFORMATION…
Books available in the library
Crews, Kenneth. Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators: Creative Strategies and Practical Solutions. Chicago: ALA, 2006.

Lipinski, Thomas. Copyright Law and the Distance Education Classroom. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005.

Websites:
Copyright Management Center. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

University of California-Berkeley. Frequently Asked Film and Video Copyright Questions.

Rubrics

Rubrics are carefully designed tools intended to assist both students and faculty with the assessment process. Rubrics clearly detail assessment criteria and levels of acceptable and unacceptable performance. Typically they are constructed and distributed to students in conjunction with the assessment task itself. Rubrics can be beneficial instruments for both students and faculty.

When rubrics are used, students know exactly how they will be evaluated before beginning an assignment; this allows them to focus on the most important aspects of the task. They can promote self-assessment of work as students compare their product to the standards on the rubric. Furthermore, rubrics can facilitate a more explicit communication of the quality of work back to the student.

At the same time, rubrics give faculty uniform standards by which to judge student work. Perhaps more importantly, they provide an opportunity for instructors to consider the goals of an assignment and standards for assessment before planning learning activities. Understanding the desired outcomes can foster the development of effective, relevant instructional strategies that prepare students for the assigned task.

Creating a rubric can seem like a daunting task, but there are really only a few simple steps to follow. Below are some general guidelines, but see the links under “More Information” for detailed instructions.

• Identify unique, measureable objectives – these objectives needn’t be quantifiable, but should be distinguishable.
• Establish levels of achievement – use any number that is reasonable and manageable; commonly, 3-5 levels are used.
• Describe characteristics of achievement levels for each objective – what does “excellent” or “inadequate” work look like?
• Assign a numerical value to each achievement level for each objective – use the total number of points for the assignment to distribute points among objectives and achievement levels.
• Test and revise – have colleagues and/or students review the rubric and consider their comments; apply the rubric to assignments and make improvements for future use.

Want to learn more?
Contact the Center for personalized assistance or visit these web sites -

Scoring Rubrics: What, When and How?

Grading with Rubrics: Developing a Fair and Efficient Assessment Tool

Rubrics

Sample rubrics

Graded Assessments

While the previous post presented a brief overview of classroom assessment techniques (CATs), this entry will offer a general outline of planning graded evaluations. For students, these evaluations are frequently stressful and decidedly unpleasant. For faculty, evaluations are often given and forgotten rather than used as an opportunity for increasing learning. Fink (2003) refers to evaluations designed to foster learning as “educative” and offers guidelines for implementing such a learning-centered strategy.

The first consideration when planning to assess student learning is to determine what you want the students to learn – the principal goals of the course. One way to identify course goals is by answering this question: What should students remember from my course in 5 years?

Next, one needs to determine how students will show that they have met the course goal. Fink suggests that faculty consider using “forward-looking assessments” which are similar to authentic assessments. Both refer to assessment practices which mirror real-world activities that uses the type of knowledge learned in the course. For example, instead of asking students to write an essay detailing the psychological development of toddlers, have students plan appropriate play and learning activities for children at different developmental stages. The type of forward-looking or authentic assessment allows students to understand the types of tasks required in the field and use the knowledge gained in a creative manner. These types of assessment strategies also provide students a variety of methods to demonstrate their learning.

During the weeks before a graded assessment, students should have ample opportunity to practice what they are learning in a manner similar to the way they will be assessed. Thus a multiple choice test would not be the best option for a class of students who have been engaged in collaborative projects, class discussions, and other active learning techniques. Similarly, if students are not given opportunities to think critically about issues and receive appropriate critique, they should not encounter a critical thinking exercise on an exam.

Once an assessment technique has been determined, students need to know how their work will be evaluated. Criteria for their work should be clear to them, achievable given the instruction they’ve received, and fair for all students. Rubrics can help with the assessment process – both for the students and instructors. They will be the topic of the next post.

Want to learn more?
Contact the Center for personalized assistance or visit these web sites -

Tips on Teaching: Evaluation Issues

Allaying Students’ Anxieties About Tests

9 Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning

Authentic Assessment Toolbox

Simple Spot Assessments

Sometimes it’s difficult to know if students really comprehend what they are doing in class. Don’t you wish there were an easy way to determine if students truly understand the content? There is! Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs), popularized by Thomas Angelo and Patricia Cross, are simple, nonthreatening strategies instructors can use to gauge students’ knowledge.

At their most basic level, CATs simply ask students to tell you what they know. They are typically anonymous, formative, and fairly easy to complete and evaluate. Despite their simplicity, they are powerful tools to enhance student learning.

Why use CATs?
Classroom assessment techniques
• Allow instructors to adjust lessons to meet students’ needs
• Give students a voice in class
• Require student engagement (aka active learning)
• Facilitate metacognition and self-monitoring in students

Some examples
• minute paper – before ending class, ask students to spend one minute summarizing the main points of the lesson and explaining what is still unclear to them
• muddiest point – ask students to briefly state the most confusing concept discussed in class and offer suggestions for helping them understand
• suggestion box – offer students a way to anonymously provide feedback on teaching methods or other classroom issues
• application card – ask students to generate one real-world application for a concept covered in class

Want to learn more?
Contact the Center for personalized assistance or visit these web sites -
National Teaching & Learning Forum
Vanderbilt Center for Teaching
Honolulu Community College
More examples from Honolulu
Iowa State University Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Getting Off to a Good Start

Teaching Tips, Honolulu Community College
101 Things You Can Do the First Three Weeks of Class

Teaching Tips, Honolulu Community College
The Most Important Day: Starting Well

Tools for Teaching, Barbara Gross Davis
The First Day of Class

Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota
Quick before It Dries: Setting the Pattern for Active Participation from Day One

Want to learn more?
Contact the Center for personalized assistance.

Copyright Basics for Educators, pt. 1

written by Karen Rege, Library Director

WHAT MATERIALS ARE PROTECTED?
Works that are original and in a “tangible medium of expression.”

This includes, literary works, musical works, dramatic works, pantomimes and choreographic works, pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works, motional pictures, audiovisual works/multimedia, sound recordings, architectural works, non-fiction, and websites.

It is no longer necessary to register a work to get copyright; copyright is assigned automatically when the work is fixed on a tangible medium.

HOW IS THE MATERIAL PROTECTED?
The copyright owner has the exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, prepare derivatives, publicly display or perform works.

Works created between 1923-1978 have 95 years of copyright protection. Works created after 1978 are protected for 70 years after the death of the author.

Some works are considered “public domain” and do not have copyright restrictions.

Registering works with the U.S. Copyright Office entitles the author to legal benefits in the event of a lawsuit.

WHAT IS FAIR USE?
Fair use allows copyrighted materials to be used without requiring permission from the copyright owner if the materials are used in an educational setting.

Not all use of materials is covered by fair use; other laws may take precedence.

Test for fair use:

1. Purpose of the use
2. Nature of the copyrighted work
3. Amount of the work used
4. Effect on the potential market or value of the original work.

Getting Students to Prepare for Class: Some Ideas

Students’ lack of completing assigned readings or preparing for classroom activities is a common complaint of faculty members everywhere. Here are a few suggestions for improving students’ readiness for learning.

• Explain how specific readings relate to course competencies.
• Make the course content – including assigned readings and out-of-class readings – relevant to students’ lives and futures.
• Students may not know how to read a textbook effectively. Model reading techniques in class and provide information about tutoring and other campus resources to assist them.
• Provide direction for reading assignments: tell students what to look for, what questions to answer, what they should learn from the reading.
• Assign a one page outline for each reading assignment and collect before beginning the class. One exam day, redistribute the outlines for students to use on their tests.
• Have students email you with questions about the reading prior to class. Count the messages as part of their class participation grade.
• Post a question about the reading to a discussion board that students need to reply to before class. Use the online conversation as a basis for in-class discussion. Again, count messages as part of their class participation grade.
• Vary course materials – include chapters from the text, but also journal, magazine, and newspaper articles; essays; movies; and tv shows.
• Use the assigned readings in class – make explicit references to the text during class presentations, but don’t simply restate the content.
• Most sources indicate that if the professor teaches as though students have read, students will quickly realize that coming to class prepared is essential.

Want to learn more?
Contact the Center for personalized assistance or visit these web sites -
Pop Quizzes Students Like
Getting Students to Read: Fourteen Tips
The Dog Ate My Homework: How to Deal with Unprepared Students
Reading Questions: Encouraging Students to Read the Text before Coming to Class
Changing Student Learning Behavior Outside of Class

Professional Development by Appointment

The Center offers a number of opportunities for individualized professional development sessions. Topics range from accommodating students with disabilities to web page development to course design.

As always, the Center is open to suggestions for other workshops.