College Teaching (original) (raw)
The study of teaching and learning has been a core concern in psychology for over a century, dating back to such distinguished educators and researchers as G. Stanley Hall (1911), William James (1899), John Dewey (1910), and Edward L. Thorndike (1913). Their faith in their field as a source of principles and practices was expressed, unreservedly, by Thorndike in the first issue of the Journal of Educational Psychology when he wrote “psychology contributes to a better understanding of the aims of education by defining them, making them clearer; by limiting them, showing us what can be done and what cannot; and by suggesting new features that should be made parts of them” (p. 5).
In the book College Teaching: Practical Insights from the Science of Teaching and Learning, I drew on theory and research in psychology to offer insights into ten key aspects of college-level teaching: identifying purposes, course planning, student engagement, lecturing, assessment, grading, classroom management, using technology, course evaluation, and developing a portfolio. When I turned the book over to the publisher, my editor got back to me and explained, delicately, that the manuscript was too long–and asked me to cut it down by about 20%. Apparently I had more things to say about teaching and learning than I originally thought: hence, this blog.
Links to reviews
PsycCritiques: P Marek & A. L. Williamson