Discussion - Sept 15

• The author states that getting students to read their textbooks can be easy if the teacher asks the students to write a one minute paper at the beginning of the class period. What if the students are still not reading? What does a good teacher do in this situation?
• What is more important to learning material, coming to class or reading a textbook, and should tests reflect more information from lecture or from the book?
• The author comments that you should use quizzes to ensure students are reading and hope that they develop intrinsic motivation, that silly. If we want students to develop intrinsic motivation behaviorism teaches us that external reinforcement won't work. Shouldn't we base our teaching strategies on research based methods, the most recent up todate information? Isn't it our job to be up to date on what methods are shown to work best and utilize those?
• I noticed the author's information that texts are the superior learning tool is from studies in the 1960's. With the price of texts these days, and easy access to other teaching tools, is this still relevant? Especially for an intro class, it seems information more connected to everday life of the students would be more appropriate, and a text could supplement the basic concepts.
• Do you think that it would/could be realistic for a professor to teach an intro Psych class using no textbook at all? (using handouts, supplemental readings, web, etc.)
  • Our author makes a note of the fact that many instructors are foregoing the use of the textbook, and instead relying on different materials, such as collections of journal articles. Personally, I like this method, but it seems to be something that might be more useful in upper division classes. Are there any circumstances where introduction students might benefit from this type of alternative readings, or should textbooks always be used at the lower division level?
• Can quizzes on reading material bring about an intrinsic motivation for students to read on their own?
• McKeachie suggests quizzes (at least initially) as a way to "encourage" reading. Is it practical or even feasible to use Web CT as a tool for quizzes in a large class?
• The author suggest using some kind of assignment to make sure that the students are reading the materials. Do you believe it is necessary to include these types of assignments in an intro class, or even at the college level? If so, should they be on a weekly or daily basis?
• How concerned should we be with making sure students are reading the text? It seems to me, if the text is an important part of our course, we should set up our curriculum so that it lends itself to reading. Am I naive in thinking this way?
• How much energy should professors devote to teaching students how to read? Would some helpful pointers on the syllabus be sufficient?