Below is a brief description of each topic. You may also click at the bottom of each summary to read the 1-2 page article for a more in-depth reading of the article.

All collegial conversations will be facilitated by: Barbara Stachniewicz, Faculty Fellow of the Teaching & Learning Center.

Enhancing Learning—and More!—Through Cooperative Learning: Wednesday, 10/1/08 (Haverhill Campus, B-136, 12-1)

An article by Barbara J. Millis, U. S. Air Force Academy

“Some of higher education’s most challenging goals include enhancing critical thinking, promoting “deep” (as opposed to superficial) learning,encouraging both self-esteem and the acceptance of others, and improving interpersonal effectiveness (with an emphasis on team skills). This paper describes cooperative learning, an instructional approach
designed especially with these objectives in mind. Click here to read the entire article.

Assessing Students and Yourself Using the One Minute Paper and Observing Students Working Collaboratively: Wednesday, 10/29/08 (Haverhill Campus, B-136, 12-1)

Article by Dr. Theodore Panitz and Patricia Panitz

“Standardized tests using multiple choice, true false, fill in the blanks or essay questions provide a limited basis for understanding and evaluating student performance...What is needed in addition to these historic assessment techniques are methods for understanding students' affective learning skills and a variety of student learning styles.” We will discuss how the "One Minute Paper" (developed by Weaver and Cottrell) and the “observation of students in cooperative groups provide two excellent additions to our repertoire of assessment techniques.” Click here to read the entire article.

Peer Assessment: Wednesday, 11/12/08 (Haverhill Campus, B-136, 12-1)

Article by Paul Rogat Loeb, featured in Tomorrow's Professor

"Increasingly, peer-assessment is being used to involve students more closely in their learning and its evaluation, and help to enable students to really understand what is required of them.” From an article in Tomorrow’s Professor, we will discuss the benefits of peer assessment and, while it can be a significant in learning resource, it is “not to be regarded as a short-cut to tutors wishing to lighten their assessment burden." Click here to read the entire article.