IV. Teaching Methodology
In what follows I explain my teaching methodologies in detail. I discuss my approach to course design, lectures, classroom discussions, writing assignments and assessment of student learning and grading.
1. Course Design
When I design a course, I provide a clear structure that assists students’ mastery of the course. For example, I structured the “Contemporary European Political Philosophy” course at Roanoke College into three sections, each section representing one of the three Continental political philosophy traditions I taught (German, French, Italian). I then divided each of the three main sections into another three sub-sections. In the first two sub-sections we discussed primary literature, and in the third, secondary literature. This structure fit nicely into the ten three-hour sessions.
When I design a syllabus, I keep the level of the students in mind, in terms of both the complexity and the length of the texts that I assign. For example, I design the courses I teach at Roanoke College for students who have no prior knowledge of the subject matter. Although we discuss challenging thinkers, I select the more tangible texts of these thinkers. In general, in both my graduate and undergraduate classes, I aim at a thorough understanding of fewer texts, which is another central aspect of European teaching - less quantity and more quality.
2. Lectures
I believe that classroom discussions are often more productive than lecturing, because they actively engage students and reinforce active learning skills such as close textual reading, raising and answering questions, making and defending arguments, and creatively engaging with the course material. However, there are instances when carefully prepared lectures are an important teaching methodology, such as in large classrooms and in situations where students are less familiar with the course material.
In the courses I taught at Cooper Union, for instance, where my audience consisted largely of students with little prior knowledge of political and social thought, I used lectures to introduce, explain, and contextualize the reading material. In my “Alternative Models of Political Theorizing” course at the University of Chicago, I used short lectures to even out students’ different theoretical and philosophical backgrounds. Rather than a formal lecture, in these shorter lectures I weave in and out of discussion and lecture format.
One of my central concerns is active involvement of students during my lectures. I ask them to prepare questions prior to the lecture and to interrupt me whenever they do not understand or have questions. I also ask them to listen carefully and make notes during my lectures. Moreover, each lecture is followed by a question and discussion period in which students raise questions and concerns in relation to the lecture. I also encourage student participation by calling directly upon them during and after my lectures. I make my lectures as lucid and well-structured as possible and hope they provide—along with my own writing examples, which I use in the syllabus—a model of how to understand, critically analyze, and creatively take up a thinker’s central arguments for contemporary political and social concerns.
3. Discussion Format
I use a series of teaching techniques that ensure students’ participation in the course and to draw the more passive students gradually into the discussion. At the “Marginalization in the Sciences: Gender, Class and Race” course at the University of Vienna, I asked students to prepare brief analytical group presentations (from two to four students) of the assigned readings. I asked them to engage the reading material with each other and prepare questions for classroom discussions. I found that actively engaged presentation groups have a stronger grasp on the material, feel more secure, and provide better presentations.
This especially helps the more passive students. Once they are formally allotted time to speak in a classroom about a material they have already discussed with their peers, they are more likely to raise their voice again and contribute to classroom discussions. For example, one of my female minority students at the University of Chicago—who was rather quiet in the beginning—once she presented, the ice was broken, and from then on, she was one of the most active discussion participants. I also strengthen students by treating student presenters as the authorities on the subject matter.
I also make sure that students accord each other respect by asking those students who do not present to actively listen to their peers’ presentations and take careful notes. At the “Political Ideas” course at Dartmouth College, I experimented with an interactive approach in smaller groups of students. The students worked together in pairs to answer a specific question or a set of questions. A student speaking in a smaller group makes it more likely that s/he also participates in the larger classroom discussions.
I devote extra time and energy to drawing in those students who, despite my efforts in the classroom to engage them, are still not participating. I ask those students to see me in my office time or make an appointment with me. Once I establish a personal basis and intellectually engage with a student, she or he feels more comfortable participating in classroom discussions. I also draw students into the classroom discussions by introducing their paper topics and arguments whenever they enrich our discussions.
4. Writing Assignments
In general I prefer smaller papers than one large paper at the end of the course. At my “Feminist Political Theory” course at Roanoke College, I asked students to write three short papers (up to 7 pages) at the end of each of the three alternative models we discussed. In short papers, students have to make (and defend) an argument in less space and thus have to focus more than in a longer paper. Also, it provides me with the opportunity to get to know the students on a deeper level via their writings than does the engagement in the class and office hours alone.
Moreover, three short papers distributed throughout the whole course allows me to get an insight into the students writing skills from early on. This provides enough time to work with students who have problems. Students in general feel safe approaching me and will tell me if they have difficulties with writing papers. I provide such students with constructive critique of their papers and hands-on advice regarding what they can do to improve their writing. The three-short-paper model is again productive here.
Although students with writing difficulties might get a lower grade on their first paper, I make sure that they improve their papers and as a result their grades. This leaves students with a sense of accomplishment and mastery of the course material. At a graduate level, I generally do not tell students what paper topic to choose. At an undergraduate level, I provide carefully structured writing assignments, which gives them the necessary framework to creatively engage a topic.
In the course I taught at the University of Vienna, I also experimented with smaller writing assignments. I asked students to write brief written responses to the assigned readings, which I collected at the end of each session. These response papers allowed me to draw more quiet students into classroom discussions. Since they have their responses already written down they feel more secure to speak in the classroom. I also encourage them to draw on their written statements during our discussions.
5. Assessment of Student Learning and Grading
I continuously assess students’ learning via written assignments and classroom participation. I find short response papers helpful to assess students’ grasp of the reading material and their level of engagement with the material. Also, the shorter papers allow me to assess a student’s learning and improvement during the course of a class. Since one of my goals is to have a lively classroom atmosphere where all students participate, individual student contributions also provide me with insights into how well students have grasped the material.
I am careful to keep track of each student’s individual learning by making notes during and after each class and when reading student papers. These notes provide me with insight into a student’s individual learning tempo and style. In general, I give grades based on clearly communicated criteria for grades and deadlines. I explain these criteria and the grade-breakdown on the syllabus and in the beginning of each course. However, I aim for flexibility and give acknowledgement to a student’s individual progress.
I also work with students who have difficulties with the course requirements. Although I ask students to make an effort to keep deadlines, I adjust my policies for students who have difficulties in keeping them. At Roanoke College, for example, I worked out a special arrangement for a student who was unable to keep up with official deadlines because of a family tragedy. I also work together with the students’ primary advisors to find solutions for students with difficulties.