Dear Angie

Here we are with the second edition of Dear Angie. Thanks to everyone who emailed compliments and an even bigger thanks to everyone who sent suggestions, tips, or questions. We have amazing teachers out there! Please share your ideas and tips with the rest of us by emailing angela.downey@uleth.ca.

Dear Angie:
I teach a course using cases. I would like my students to present the cases, but cannot afford the necessary class time. What should I do?
Perplexed in PEI

Dear Perplexed in PEI:
Joan Conrod provided this great suggestion. It lets students’ present case solutions to the class while ensuring that presentations are of high quality and class time is used efficiently.

Joan picks a case and designates an evening — outside of class time — where several groups present the case consecutively. Students must listen to at least two presentations after their own (they usually stay for all), but cannot sit in on a case presentation before their own.

The winning group presents the case at the next class, usually for full marks. All groups are graded on their presentations. A group dissatisfied with its grade may enter another competition (but cannot have the last scheduled slot, which discourages procrastination).

The downside of this process is your extra night working. However, marking the cases as they are presented reduces marking time. The presentations are fun without the pressure of the clock ticking in class.

Dear Angie:
How can I get my students to work individually on problems while in class? They seem to look around, talk, and wait for the answer on the blackboard.
FB in Ottawa

Dear FB in Ottawa:
You need to create a class environment in which your students must present answers to the problems. Therefore, they can’t just sit back and wait for the answers. I like to let my students work in their established groups when we do assignments in class. I encourage them to discuss the problems and help each other as they work them through. This helps develop group cohesion, while letting the sharper students guide some of the others. Students can learn an amazing amount from each other. Working on a problem in my class is a noisy affair!

Dear Angie:
We are trying to collect student data. We want to profile our students from day one in university until after they graduate. Have any universities developed successful ways to collect this type of student data?
Wondering in Alberta

Dear Wondering in Alberta:
François in Ottawa has developed a Student Information Questionnaire that he uses at the beginning of each class. This helps him develop profiles for placement in group projects. However, this question is much broader.

At Lethbridge, we now realize that we don’t gather enough information from graduating students. Does anyone have a sound process for gathering data from graduating students as well as for collecting ongoing information as the graduates advance through their careers?

In our last column, Longing to know in London asked for help in conveying the cash flow statement to introductory students.

Dear Longing to know in London:
Here is a two-step suggestion from Joan Conrod:

To help students do them:
Take a transparency of a balance sheet from a question and walk through it line by line to get to the cash flow statement. I draft the CFS on a second transparency as I go along. I don’t use PowerPoint presentations or pre-prepared slides — just one step, one line at a time.
To help students understand them:
I take a “real” one at every class on the CFS and ask the students interpret it. Once again, I put a transparency on the screen. I ask them to discuss it with the person next to them and write down five things they notice or questions about the activities. I then ask for the “groups” to report.

Dear Angie:
I am a relatively new instructor. I am having difficulty dealing with classes where students differ in their abilities. This usually happens in introductory classes. Do I teach to the lowest common denominator, let the students who know the material leave the class, or what? They must all stay enrolled in the class. What can I do in this situation?
Troubled in Toronto

Dear Troubled in Toronto:
I’ll throw this one back to our readers. Any suggestions out there for handling this situation?

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