We all love the days when class goes really well, students are engaged, asking questions, and they seem to “get it”. Of course there are also those days that are not as rosy. Often we randomly try new things and hope things will get better. We reword assignments. We jazz up our presentations.
To be really effective it is best to be intentional and systematic in implementing change and measuring the effects of the changes. It is also important to take some time to dig into the pedagogical literature.
The good news is that all educators have great models to guide the quest for better student learning. You may want to call it Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) but do not get bogged down in the quagmire of definitions. The energy taken to examine your teaching and make improvements to optimize student learning is well worth it (no matter what you call it). In fact, instead of “doing research on my students”, I systematically assess my teaching.
The subpages of this link are designed to help your own efforts. Know of a resource I missed? Have tips to share? Join the conversation off my Facebook page or blog (PedagogicalPundit).