The Craft of College Teaching - (Skills for Scholars) by Robert DiYanni & Anton Borst (Paperback)

About the Book

"Robert DiYanni and Anton Borst's Classroom Confidential provides a clear, compact guide to the basics of college teaching. Grounded in the authors' classroom experience, their pedagogical coaching at NYU's Center for the Advancement of Teaching, and their examination of the latest learning science research, it explains how to teach in the college classroom from a learner's perspective-what methods, principles, and activities achieve the best learning outcomes. Chapters address major topics from course and syllabus design to discussion-based teaching, critical reading, and assessment, while brief "interludes" cover various pedagogical elements and applications-including what to do on the first and last days of class and how to incorporate service and experiential learning into curricula. Throughout, the authors provide practical suggestions and strategies, while explaining the underlying pedagogical principles. They also address recent topics that promise to remain fixtures of the educational landscape, such as teaching with technology and teaching in a global context. They steer a middle course on technology, suggesting ways to maximize its benefits while minimizing its distractions. The book coheres around a philosophy of active learning and student engagement. DiYanni and Borst argue that teaching practices should challenge students to think and learn, requiring them to do things with newly acquired knowledge-create models, conduct experiments, debate issues, and more. The authors enlist reliable scholarly research to demonstrate that active learning, of the kind they advocate, achieves results: students learn more and better, and their learning is deeper and longer lasting. The authors' pedagogy echoes their epistemology, as they demonstrate how learning and teaching are inextricably intertwined, organic rather than mechanical activities"--

Book Synopsis

The essential how-to guide to successful college teaching and learning

The college classroom is a place where students have the opportunity to be transformed and inspired through learning--but teachers need to understand how students actually learn. Robert DiYanni and Anton Borst provide an accessible, hands-on guide to the craft of college teaching, giving instructors the practical tools they need to help students achieve not only academic success but also meaningful learning to last a lifetime.

The Craft of College Teaching explains what to teach--emphasizing concepts and their relationships, not just isolated facts--as well as how to teach using active learning strategies that engage students through problems, case studies and scenarios, and practice reinforced by constructive feedback. The book tells how to motivate students, run productive discussions, create engaging lectures, use technology effectively, and much more. Interludes between chapters illustrate common challenges, including what to do on the first and last days of class and how to deal with student embarrassment, manage group work, and mentor students effectively. There are also plenty of questions and activities at the end of each chapter.

Blending the latest research with practical techniques that really work, this easy-to-use guide draws on DiYanni and Borst's experience as professors, faculty consultants, and workshop leaders. Proven in the classroom and the workshop arena, The Craft of College Teaching is an essential resource for new instructors and seasoned pros alike.

About the Author

Robert DiYanni is adjunct professor of humanities and instructional consultant with the Center for Faculty Advancement at New York University. Anton Borst is instructional consultant with the Teaching and Learning with Technology group at New York University. They are the editors of Critical Reading across the Curriculum.