Narrative
My goals as an instructor are to support my students, generate interest in the course by presenting material in a variety of ways, and make meaningful connections between the course content and students’ interests. Putting these practices into play allows me to provide my students with the most engaging environment possible. Continue reading and use the links provided for detailed examples of how I apply these goals in the classroom.
Supporting Students
Syllabus. The syllabus is the very first glimpse that a student receives about a class and an instructor. With that in mind, I structure my syllabus (click to open current syllabus) to be as clear and organized as possible; assignment descriptions, course grading methods, and student expectations are presented in a straightforward manner. At the end of my syllabus, students will find a detailed course calendar that lists the topics to be covered, assigned readings, and deadlines for every class meeting. My goal is for a student to be able to read the syllabus and feel confident that he or she knows exactly what is expected of them and how to succeed in class. To complement my syllabus, I post my Powerpoint slides in Canvas in the same order and with corresponding names as in the syllabus to avoid any confusion. I recently had my current Psychology of Aging students leave feedback in my “Mid-Semester Suggestion Box,” and the following is a comment about the syllabus I received:
“I am a freshman and I was very nervous to take a 4000 level class but as soon as I saw your syllabus, I was excited for class. I love the organization of your syllabus and your schedule is so useful and easy to see what we are doing in class on any day.”
Suggestion box. Since I am always looking for ways to create the best classroom experience I can, I offer my current students a “Mid-Semester Suggestion Box.” I provide students with a list of topics that I am seeking feedback on (e.g., What do you like/dislike about the class so far? What would you change about the class? Did you find Exam 1 to be fair, based on the lessons and exam review?), and they are instructed to anonymously write down their suggestions and drop them in the Suggestion Box. The anonymity of the Suggestion Box provides students with a safe way to express their likes and dislikes about the course so far and helps me understand how I can better address their needs. My current class shared that they enjoy the supplemental videos and class discussions, so I will keep incorporating these in our upcoming classes.
Exams and Exam Review days. I believe that traditional, “closed book” exams relying on memorization are not the most accurate way to gauge a student’s progress throughout a course. I prefer online, open-note exams because they emphasize information-seeking skills that are necessary in the modern workplace. Instead of cramming, which often results in poor exam performance, students are encouraged to use the information they have available in their notes and think critically about the correct answer(s) to a question. However, students are still required to put forth some study effort; the time limit on exams makes them challenging to complete if a student is unprepared and unfamiliar with the material. Although online exams run the risk of compromising academic integrity, I strive to prevent this by using large test question banks, so that probability of students receiving similar exams is lowered.
During an exam week, Monday is an in-class review where we play Exam Review Jeopardy. Setting up the game takes time on my part, but the enthusiasm and excitement that it brings to the classroom makes it well worth it, and I can tell that my students are having fun and learning at the same time. After the review, students can choose to take their exam at any time between Monday evening and Wednesday evening. I do not schedule class meetings on Wednesdays during an exam week, because in the event that students cannot block out of a portion of their schedule for the exam, they can use our allotted class time to complete it.
Diverse Course Material
PowerPoint slides. Lecture slides are the backbone of each lesson and provide students with an outline of the main concepts that are further expanded on during class. My lecture slides are concise, organized, and present the course material in an informative and aesthetically pleasing way. I use the same layout and fonts in all my lecture slides for consistency, highlight important concepts and terms in an accent color, create figures to illustrate abstract concepts, and include colorful pictures and informative graphs to reinforce the concepts. These components enable to me to address the different learning styles so that all my students can understand the lecture topic.
The lecture slides reduce the amount of note-taking required for students, but the bullet points’ brevity requires students to supplement them with their own note-taking. Short bullet points also prevent me from falling into the trap of reading from the slides. Instead, I use the bullet points to guide me through a conversational-style lecture without straying from the topic, which is appreciated by students.
“Your Powerpoints are not only straightforward and breakdown the information in a concise and easy way, but you don’t just read from them which is great.” – 2018 Mid-Semester Suggestion Box
Videos. In my official and informal evaluations, students regularly mention that they enjoy the supplemental videos I show during the lecture. Like the visual aids included in my PowerPoint slides, videos can also provide an example of an abstract idea or reinforce a challenging concept. I include a diverse range of videos (preferably five minutes or less in duration so that students do not get distracted) including TED Talks, news reports, and movie clips that demonstrate a particular behavior or disease. Although it can be difficult to find enjoyable yet educational videos that students will find interesting, I notice that these capture my students’ attention and often lead to questions or discussions.
Two of the most recent videos I included in my Psychology of Aging class that were well-received by students are a TED Talk called How the Food You Eat Affects Your Brain, which thoroughly yet simply explains the complex interactions between our diet, nutrition, and the brain, and an episode from the “Kids Meet…” series, called Kids Meet a Woman with Alzheimer’s, which shows children of different ages meeting a woman with the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and learning about the disease.
Simulations. It can be challenging to create hands-on activities about aging, so I find that simulations can be an effective alternative. My students regularly say that the most eye-opening simulation in their opinion is the Alzheimer’s Disease and Genetic Testing activity. As students arrive to this lecture, they are asked to reach into a box and pick one folded piece of paper and instructed not to open their paper yet. Each of these folded pieces of paper has an allele pair for the APOE gene - a gene strongly implicated in Alzheimer's Disease - printed on it. Using information from the National Institutes of Health on the distribution of these allele pairs in the human population, I calculate the number of each pair that would be proportional to the class size, and print the appropriate number of each allele pair.
After a discussion about genetic testing and its utility with diseases such as Alzheimer's, students can choose whether they would like to "take a genetic test" to learn their hypothetical APOE allele pair. By a show of hands, we go down the list of possible allele combinations, giving students a visual demonstration of what the distribution these alleles across the human population looks like. Finally, they are encouraged to share their reasons for either “taking the genetic test” or choosing not to, both in class and in the written portion of the activity. This simulation tends to provoke thoughtful feedback from students – some selected comments from my Spring 2017 class can be read here.
Making Connections
Lifespan perspective. I always strive to make learning relevant to students’ everyday lives and interests, which can be a challenge when teaching undergraduates about aging and the experiences of older adults. Students often wonder, “Why should I care about aging right now?” To help them understand the relevance of aging, I present the course material according to the lifespan perspective, which emphasizes the importance of earlier life experiences when understanding a person’s current status. This perspective helps students understand that events, choices, and lifestyle behaviors from their past and present will directly impact their future. Students enjoy learning that certain lifestyle behaviors that they regularly engage in – like exercising and socializing – are important predictors of better mental and physical health and will provide them with an improved quality of life as they get older. They also gain an awareness of the kinds of behaviors that are risk factors for poor later life outcomes and the importance of avoiding them.
Real-world applications. Course material becomes truly meaningful when students can apply it to their own lives and the lives of others. Learning about the real-world applications of the aging process gives students an appreciation for the issues that are relevant to aging family members and friends. This makes the concepts more meaningful and thus easier to remember, according to students.
“I enjoy when you use real world applications to explain concepts, it helps me retain information.” – 2018 Mid-Semester Suggestion Box
Aside from watching relevant videos and participating in simulation activities, our class discussions frequently center on real-life applications. My lecture on age-related changes in appearance and their psychological implications includes facts about the anti-aging industry, and I ask students to comment on why they think it is so successful. We also discuss how the anti-aging industry is beginning to target young adults by marketing Botox as a preventative measure, and how the “anti-age” label is appearing on an increasing number of cosmetic products. This topic sparks an intense discussion on how our culture strongly values a youthful appearance and the lengths people are willing to go, regardless of their age, to remain “young and beautiful.” Students are also passionate about discussing the concept of emerging adulthood, a newly-defined phase of the lifespan, and what it really means to be an adult. This discussion highlights changing social norms and common experiences for young adults aged 18-25, such as being an adult while still relying on Mom and Dad for support.
Conclusion
Through a variety of teaching methods and real-world applications, my goal is for students to finish my class with an appreciation of the complexities of aging and psychology, and how it affects each and every one of us in our daily lives. As their instructor, I am motivated to continue learning as much as I can about the course concepts and searching for exciting new examples that I can share with my students. Most importantly, I strive to create an environment that is comfortable and fun to learn in, where students understand that I am an approachable and supportive instructor, and are always encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas.