Learning to be a Better Teacher

This page is still under construction, in fact it will never be complete. From time to time, I will post material that I have used to improve my own teaching ability and that I think others will find helpful.  I’ll start by introducing the  Kahoot! Audience Response System (ARS) because it is free, easy to use and harnesses the testing effect to improve learning. Information on Poll Everywhere is also included. Next is an introduction to drawing for those who cannot draw, i.e. people like me. Having students draw takes advantage of the generation effect.

Using the Kahoot! ARS

  1. Sign up for Kahoot! here.
  2. Use this document to help you get started.
  3. Want to try taking a Kahoot! quiz before commiting to learning Kahoot!? Go to your mobile device’s app store and download the Kahoot app. Then open xracomix. com on your device, tap the 3 horizontal lines toward the upper right hand corner and scroll down to reach the link to the “Learning to be a Better Teacher” page. Tap on “Learning to be a Better Teacher”, after the page loads, tap here and enjoy. If you want to see what a Kahoot! with pictures looks like, tap here, but only from your mobile device after loading the Kahoot! app.
  4. Click here for the NBME guide to writing test questions.
  5. Click here for a video that lays out the case for using the testing effect to teach. (Thanks to Petra Lewis of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center!)
  6. Click here for a video that explains how to write effective multiple choice questions. (Thanks again Petra!)
  7. Click here for a short video that explains “Linearity”
  8. Click here for a short video that explains the “Cover Test”.

Using the Poll Everywhere ARS

  1. Sign up for Poll Everywhere here.
  2. The UCSF guide to Poll Everywhere can be found here.

How to use drawings for teaching, especially if you cannot draw

  1. Click here for 1 page of easy and encouraging text.
  2. Click here for examples in PowerPoint that illustrate the text.
  3. Click here for a video that lays out the case for using comics/drawings to teach.
  4. Click here for a PLOS article with more useful advice.
  5. Click here for an example of drawings that illustrate a concept (screening).

Other helpful resources

  1. Brain friendly teaching (long). (Thanks again Petra!)
  2. Brain friendly teaching (short). (Thanks again Petra!)
  3. Click here for an article on the generation effect.
  4. Click here for an article that shows that simple diagrams are better than complex drawings for novice learners.
  5. Click here for an article on simple rules for using drawings/comics to teach science.

PowerPoint Tutorials: How to draw and animate a baseball and a subdural hematoma

  1. PowerPoint template for the tutorial
  2. Video 1
  3. Video2
  4. Video3
  5. Video 4

Pre-, during and post- class plans for Dr. Spicer’s Teaching class:

  1. Drawing Workshop
  2. Testing Workshop