open classroom: two days of teaching visits 2016 full descriptions (archived)
this event took place on september 27 and 28, 2016
in 2016, we offered a new spin on our typical teaching visits program by organizing two intensive days of teaching visits. on september 27th and 28th 2016, thirty-eight classes taught by some of the most well-respected and awarded teachers across vanderbilt’s many disciplines opened their classroom doors to faculty and graduate students. from “the sociology of religion” to “systems physiology,” from “existential fictions” to the “politics of public policy,” a wide range of engaging courses were opened to help instructors think about different methods of teaching.
we held an open classroom reception on wednesday, september 28th, from 3:30pm to 4:30pm in the heard library community room. there the hosts and visitors had an opportunity to reflect on their teaching and celebrate vanderbilt’s pedagogical community.
click on a tab for class details for each day.
course: educ 1220: society, the school, and the teacher
department: teaching and learning
instructor: catherine mctamaney, senior lecturer & director of undergraduate studies
time: 8:10 am – 9:25 am
location: mayborn hall 204
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course: bme 3100-01: systems of physiology
department: biomedical engineering
instructor: cynthia b. paschal, ph.d., associate professor, associate dean
time: 9:35 am – 10:50 am
location: stevenson center 5, sci & engr building, 306
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course: ees 3250: earth materials
department: earth & environmental sciences
instructor: guilherme gualda, associate professor
time: 9:35 am – 10:50 am
location: stevenson center 5, 7th floor, 5722
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course: hist 2540/5540: race and nation in latin america
department: history
instructor: marshall c. eakin, professor of history
time: 9:35 am – 10:50 am
location: calhoun hall 117
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course: phil 3617: philosophy of language
department: philosophy
instructor: jeffrey tlumak, associate professor of philosophy
time: 9:35 am – 10:50 am
location: furman hall 132
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course: chem 2100: introduction to analytical chemistry
department: chemistry
instructor: dr. susan verberne-sutton, senior lecturer
time: 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
location: stevenson center 2, molecular biology building, 2nd floor, 212
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course: ened 2200: exploring literature for children
department: teaching & learning
instructor: ann neely, associate professor of the practice of education
time: 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
location: wyatt center 050-3
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course: hart 2325: great masters of the italian renaissance
department: history of art
instructor: dr. sheri shaneyfelt, director of undergraduate studies, principal senior lecturer
time: 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
location: cohen hall 324
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course: hist 2570/5570: caribbean history, 1492-1983
department: history
instructor: richard blackett, professor of history
time: 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
location: buttrick hall 305
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course: psci 2259: political strategy and game theory
department: political science
instructor: alan e. wiseman, professor of political science
time: 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
location: commons center 335
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course: bsci 1510l: intro to biological sciences laboratory
department: biological sciences
instructor: steven j. baskauf, ph.d., senior lecturer
time: 1:10 pm – 4:00 pm
location: stevenson 2, molec. biology building basement, 122
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course: span 4640/5640: don quixote
department: spanish & portuguese
instructor: edward h. friedman, gertrude conaway vanderbilt professor of spanish
time: 1:10 pm – 2:25 pm
location: wilson hall 121
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course: soc 3222/div 7240: the sociology of religion
department: sociology
instructor: richard pitt, associate professor of sociology
time: 1:10 pm – 2:25 pm
location: buttrick hall 306
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course: hart 2325: great masters of the italian renaissance
department: history of art
instructor: dr. sheri shaneyfelt, director of undergraduate studies, principal senior lecturer
time: 2:35 pm – 3:50 pm
location: cohen hall 324
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course: lpo 7860: research design and data analysis i
department: leadership, policy, & org
instructor: xiu cravens, associate professor of the practice in ed policy
time: 2:35 pm – 3:50 pm
location: wyatt center 132
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course: hea 6020: the nature and function of american higher education
department: leadership, policy, & org
instructor: christopher p. loss, associate professor
time: 3:10 pm – 6:00 pm (there will be a break at the halfway point at which time visitors may leave.)
location: home economics 107, gpc
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course: hod 2500: systematic inquiry
department: human & organizational development
instructor: dr. andy van schaack, principal senior lecturer
time: 8:45 am – 10:00 am
location: mayborn hall 204
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course: cs 3892: special topics – computing, environment & energy
department: electrical engineering & computer science
instructor: douglas h fisher, associate professor of computer science
time: 9:10 am – 10:00 am
location: featheringill hall 136
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course: engl 1111: first-year writing seminar – fys: existential fictions
department: english
instructor: mark schoenfield, professor
time: 9:10 am – 10:00 am
location: benson hall 200
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course: astr 1010: introductory astronomy: stars and galaxies
department: physics & astronomy
instructor: david weintraub, professor of astronomy
time: 9:10 am – 10:00 am
location: stevenson center 4, (lecture hall) 327
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course: eece 2116: digital logic
department: electrical engineering & computer science
instructor: william h. robinson, associate professor of electrical engineering
time: 10:10 am – 11:00 am
location: stevenson center 5, sci & engr building, 326
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course: math 4620/6620: linear optimization
department: mathematics
instructor: mark ellingham, professor of mathematics
time: 10:10 am – 11:00 am
location: stevenson center 1, math building, 432
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course: psci 1100: introduction to american government and politics
department: political science
instructor: suzanne globetti, assistant professor of political science
time: 10:10 am – 11:00 am
location: buttrick 101
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course: ees 4550/5550: transport processes in earth and environmental systems
department: earth & environmental sci
instructor: david jon furbish, professor of earth and environmental sciences
time: 11:10 am – 12:00 pm
location: stevenson center 5, sci & engr building, 722
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course: engl 2200: foundations of literary study
department: english
instructor: mark schoenfield, professor
time: 11:10 am
location: moore college a117
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course: hod 3890: special topics in human and organizational development – intro to data science
department: leadership, policy, & org
instructor: william doyle, associate professor of higher education
time: 11:10 am – 12:25 pm
location: payne 112
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course: me 3234: systems dynamics
department: mechanical engineering
instructor: kenneth frampton, associate professor of the practice
time: 11:10 am – 12:00 pm
location: featheringill hall 134
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course: psci 2256: politics of public policy
department: political science
instructor: alan e. wiseman, professor of political science
time: 11:10 am – 12:00 pm
location: commons center 335
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course: ened 6380/3380: teaching writing and multimedia composition
department: teaching & learning
instructor: dr. melanie hundley, associate professor in department of teaching and learning
time: 11:10 am – 12:25 pm
location: wyatt center 121
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course: es 1401: introduction to engineering, module1, smart and sustainable cities
department: civil & env. engineering
instructor: douglas adams, professor, department chair of civil & environmental engineering
time: 12:10 pm – 1:00 pm
location: featheringill hall 306
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course: es 1402: introduction to engineering, module 2, biomedical engineering: laser vision correction
department: biomedical engineering
instructor: duco jansen, professor and (interim) department chair biomedical engineering, associate dean for graduate studies
time: 12:10 pm – 1:00 pm
location: featheringill hall 110
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course: math 2820: introduction to probability and mathematical statistics
department: mathematics
instructor: derek bruff, senior lecturer of mathematics
time: 12:10 – 1:00
location: stevenson 5, science & engineering building, 211
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course: span 4425: spanish american literature 1900-present
department: spanish & portuguese
instructor: chalene helmuth, senior lecturer
time: 12:10 pm – 1:00 pm
location: furman hall 007
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course: ened 6080: advanced study of literature for children and adolescents
department: teaching & learning
instructor: ann neely, associate professor of the practice of education
time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
location: wyatt center 101
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course: bsci 3965: undergraduate seminar – living in symbiosis
department: biological sciences
instructor: seth bordenstein, associate professor
time: 1:10 pm – 3:00 pm
location: medical research building iii, u7202
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course: ssed 3260/6240: human geography
department: teaching & learning
instructor: andrew hostetler, assistant professor of the practice
time: 1:10 pm – 4:00 pm
location: wyatt center 201
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course: law 7180: evidence
department: law school
instructor: edward k. cheng, professor of law
time: 1:10 pm – 2:20 pm
location: law school, renaissance room
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course: enve 5705/4705: physical hydrology
department: civil & env. engineering
instructor: george hornberger, professor
time: 2:10 pm – 3:25 pm
location: featheringill hall 313
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course: hart 1400: u.s. icons and monuments
department: history of art
instructor: vivien green fryd, professor of history of art
time: 2:10 pm – 3:00 pm
location: cohen 324
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course: hdc 6130: developmental counseling psychology
department: human & organizational development
instructor: andrew j. finch, ph.d., associate professor of the practice of human and organizational development
time: 4:10 pm – 7:00 pm (visitors may choose to leave at 5:30.)
location: payne 007
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the teaching visits program is intended to be an occasion to support pedagogical community at vanderbilt, and to encourage intentionality and reflection on teaching choices and contexts. these observations are not intended as critiques of teachers, nor are they meant to be a way for teachers to gather feedback about their performance. instead, these classroom observations provide an opportunity for real-world observations about the pedagogical choices we make as teachers. teaching, rather than class content, should be the focus of the observation.
visitors, please observe the following guidelines
- please arrive 5-10 minutes early for the class so as to be as unobtrusive as possible.
- please sit in the back so as to not disrupt the classroom seating or conversation.
- please turn off or mute all cell phones and laptops.
- please do not participate in the classroom discussion unless directed to do so by the teacher.
- many teachers choose to explain briefly the observers’ presence, but this is not required.
- if the teacher asks you to leave the room for any reason, please do so.
different ways to observe
observe the teaching context
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- how many students are in the class?
- what level are the students, or other characteristics of the learners?
- what are the goals of the course, as far as you know?
- how is the classroom arranged and how does this influence teaching and learning in this space/time?
observe the teacher’s techniques
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- what has the teacher done to prepare, as far as you can observe?
- how does the teacher discuss learning goals or process?
- how does the instructor use content expertise? (selection of relevant knowledge, citations, context, divergent views, etc.)
- how is the class organized and paced?
- what methods of engagement are used?
- how are the elements of presentation you observe? (voice, intonation, clarity, non-verbal cues like eye contact, active listening, humor, etc.)
- what types of questions does the teacher ask, and when?
- how does the teacher use classroom media? (boards, overheads, slides, etc.)
- how does the teacher motivate students, and how do they respond?
- is the teacher responsive to student questions, needs?
- how does the teacher summarize or transition from subject to subject?
what are the teacher-student interactions?
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- what identities might the teacher and students share or not have in common? how might these affect classroom interactions?
- how are students engaged? (active or passive listening, speaking, writing, note-taking, disengaged, etc.)
- map the conversation patterns. (student-student? student-teacher? many or few voices?)
- does student behavior change throughout the class period?
- what sorts of concerns or questions do the students seem to have?
- what is the affective dimension to the room? (curious, reflective, elevated, sad, agitated, etc.)
- what kinds of assessment are occurring? (discussion prompts, writing, reflection on process, quizzes, exams, etc.)