Teaching Methods: Best Practices

Research over the past few decades into teaching methods, classroom environments, and assessment practices that facilitate teaching and learning has led to increased knowledge about what constitutes “best practice” in the contemporary college classroom. The articles below offer guidelines and specific research-based strategies for improving the quality of higher education courses and supporting faculty efforts to achieve teaching excellence.

“A Brief Summary of the Best Practices in Teaching,” Tom Drummond, North Seattle Community College, 1994, 2002.
A compilation of “practices that constitute excellence in college teaching,” with explanations and examples of each item under twelve general categories such as Lecture Practices, Active Learning, Group Discussion Triggers, etc. Footnoted references cite the research base for each teaching method.
Link: http://webshare.northseattle.edu/eceprogram/bestprac.htm

Indiana University SOTL Bibliography.
A selected annotated bibliography of research, scholarship, and current thinking on excellence in teaching. Divided into five areas—absolute essentials, fundamentals of good teaching, student heterogeneity, curricular reform, and online resources. Original bibliography compiled by Craig Nelson, Indiana University.
Link: http://www.indiana.edu/%7Esotl/selectbib.html

“Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education,” Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson, AAHE Bulletin, 1987, 39 (7), 3-7.
A classic article detailing seven research-based principles for effective undergraduate education.
Link: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/7princip.htm

“Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever,” Arthur W. Chickering and Stephen C. Ehrmann, AAHE Bulletin, 1996, 49 (2) 3-6.
This article explores ways to apply Chickering and Gamson’s original seven principles through technology with the use of computers, videos, and new telecommunication technologies.
Link: http://www.tltgroup.org/programs/seven.html

Teacher Behaviors Inventory, Harry G. Murray, University of Western Ontario.
An inventory for students to assess an instructor’s specific classroom behaviors in the following categories: clarity, enthusiasm, interaction, organization, pacing, disclosure, speech, and rapport. Offers faculty an opportunity to gather information about students’ responses to their own teaching practices.
Link: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/getfeedback/teachingbehav.pdf