by Jennifer Powell, Molecular and Cell Biology To address my goal of encouraging the students to take the quizzes seriously so they would be useful to everyone as a tool to evaluate their progress in the course, I developed a quiz strategy for my discussion section...Rather than just telling them the [quiz] answers, I asked volunteers to come up to the chalkboard and write their answers for the rest of the class.
by Alexander Kauffman, Integrative Biology As the semester progressed, a larger and more general issue became clear to me: different students learn in different ways. This idea applies not just to students with learning disabilities, but to all students...Presenting the same information in different ways...allows for better teaching...[and] allows students with diverse learning abilities to access and understand what you are trying to teach.
Students learn best when actively engaged in learning tasks, and there are many ways to incorporate active learning techniques into your class.
By Anna Scharnagl, Integrative Biology Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2025 It is not commonplace for the position of GSI to be involved in curriculum redesign or other changes to a course’s structure, but I have been fortunate enough to be able to teach courses here at UC Berkeley…
By Kirsten Landsiedel, Biostatistics Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2024 If you have ever taken a math class before, you likely have a readily available answer to the question: “Do you consider yourself a math person”? Perhaps someone answered this question for you, you labeled yourself one way or another, or…
By Yicheng Zhu, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2024 How can we enhance student engagement and cultivate genuine interest? I asked myself this question before serving as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) for EE 113/213A: Power Electronics, an upper-division/graduate-level course centered around circuit analysis and design.
By Nicolette Puskar, Chemistry Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2024 The reality that humans can only see the world at the milliscale level is an unfortunate tragedy for chemists who long to witness the nanoscale building blocks of matter they aim to study. Relegated to using theoretical models and molecule building…
For continuing GSIs, fundamentals about good teaching such as active learning, student inclusion, and providing timely and productive feedback on learning are in place. We now point you to a checklist and resources you can use as you prepare for translating those skills to the online environment.
by Jade Fostvedt, Chemistry Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2020 “Does anyone know the d-electron count for this iron complex?” My question was met with nervous stares and silence from the 30 students in the lecture hall. “Anyone?” No response. “Anyone?” After a painful few minutes, I answered my own question…
by Kevin Lin, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Teaching Effectiveness Award Essay, 2019 Students learn computer science (CS) by doing. In CS 61A, a highly-rated introductory CS course at UC Berkeley, students are introduced to new concepts in lecture, go hands-on to learn the solution process in lab and discussion…