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Resources

SLATE Materials

Latest Teaching News

• Belluck, Pam. "To Really Learn, Quit Studying and Take a Test." New York Times, January 20, 2011.

Past SLATE Faculty Teaching Seminar Handouts

Using CAs and TFs Effectively (October 19, 2010)

• Effective Use of Course Assistants and Teaching Fellows- A Tips Sheet (PDF)

Teaching the New Millennials: Using Technology, Websites, and Video in the Classroom (October 5, 2010)

• DePaul Teaching Commons- Teaching Millennial Students
• Pew Research Center- The Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.
• EDUCAUSE- Boomers, GenXers & Millennials: Understanding the "New Students" (PDF)

First Faculty Teaching Seminar Fall 2010 (September 21, 2010)

• VIDEO- First Faculty Teaching Seminar (login required)
• Teaching and Assessing Leadership Courses at the John F. Kennedy School of Government (login required) 
• Teaching Seminar Comments- Richard Zeckhauser (PDF)
• Discussion Problems of the Day- Richard Zeckhauser (PDF)
• Case Study Guide- Ronald Heifetz (PDF)
• Leadership Competencies- Ronald Heifetz (PDF)
• MLD-201A Exercising Leadership: The Politics of Change syllabus- Ronald Heifetz (PDF)
• MLD-201A Study Group Questionnaire- Ronald Heifetz (PDF)

Teaching Large Classes (March 4, 2010)

• University of Washington Center for Instructional Development & Research - Assigning & Assessing Writing in Large Classes
• University of Washington Center for Instructional Development & Research - Planning & Assessing Assignments in Large Classes
• University of Michigan Center for Research on Teaching and Learning - Strategies for Engaging Students in Large Classes (PDF)

Experiential/Public Service Learning (February 19, 2010)

• Using Client-Driven Projects in the Classroom (PDF)

Syllabus Development (November 17, 2009)

• Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Syllabus Planning
• Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Components of a Syllabus
• Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Course Design Tip Sheet
• One-page overview of syllabus development written by Terry Aladjem, Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Syllabus Development

Faculty-driven assessment tools (October 30, 2009)

• Lee Warren's Handout - Methods for Assessing Student Learning & Engagement

Teaching Courses with Multiple Populations (September 22, 2009)

• Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Classroom Dynamics
• Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Tips for Dealing with Hot Moments
• Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Tips for Classroom Contracts
• Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Diversity

The Value (or Not) of Student Evaluations (April 27, 2009)

• Richard Light's Handouts – Questions (PDF) and Discussion Responses (PDF) about Teaching Ratings
• Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Interpreting Evaluations
• University of Michigan Center for Research on Teaching and Learning - Guidelines for Evaluating Teaching
• University of Michigan Center for Research on Teaching and Learning - Questions Frequently Asked About Student Ratings 
• Vanderbilt Center for Teaching - Student Evaluations 

Making Lectures Interactive (March 30, 2009)

• Stanford University Newsletter on Teaching - Active Learning: Getting Students to Work and Think in the Classroom (PDF)
• Illinois State University Center for Teaching, Learning, & Technology - Write-up on Active Learning
• Indiana University Bloomington Office of Instructional Consulting - Active Learning Techniques (PDF)

Collaborative Group Projects and Grading (February 23, 2009)

• Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning - Working in Groups: A note to faculty and a quick guide for students

SLATE Research

During the winter of 2008-2009, SLATE hired Josh Bookin to research best practices in professional pedagogy.  Josh earned a masters degree in teaching and learning from HSGE, has taught economics and math in high school, college and graduate school, and has taken and/or audited a number of Harvard Kennedy School classes.  The following documents summarize his findings.
     Summary Presentation (PDF)
     Appendices Document (PDF)

HKS Faculty Meeting - March 10, 2009

     SLATE Presentation (PDF)
     SLATE Handout (PDF)

Tip Sheets

     Access to HKS & HBS Cases (PDF)
     Case Method Teaching (PDF)
     Class Discussions (PDF)
     Clickers 
     Professional Pedagogy 
     Teams
     Effectively Using CAs and TFs (PDF) and Appendices (PDF)

Contributed Case Documents

You may choose individual topics, or the last document "Contributed Case Packet" contains all of the topics in one PDF.

• Case Publishing Guidelines (PDF)
• Case Submission Checklist (PDF)
• Case Topic Tips (PDF)
• Case Writing Tips (PDF)
• Faculty Overview (PDF)
• Video Tools (PDF)
• Working with Case Writers (PDF)
• Contributed Case Packet (all the topics above in one document) (PDF)

 

Funding Opportunities

The Harvard University Office of the Provost offers a variety of funding sources for efforts that support enhancing teaching and learning.

Limited funding for the development of case studies, curricular materials, and teaching notes is available through SLATE and various centers.

Additionally, SLATE staff can assist you in preparing applications for grants related to enhancing teaching and learning. Please contact slate@hks.harvard.edu to request more information. 

Other Teaching & Learning Centers

C. Roland Christensen Center for Teaching and Learning
Harvard Business School

Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning
Harvard University

Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence
Carnegie Mellon University

Vanderbilt Center for Teaching
Vanderbilt University

The Center for Teaching & Learning
University of Chicago

Center for Teaching Effectiveness
University of Texas: Austin 

The Center for Teaching and Learning
Stanford University

The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching 
University of Michigan

Office of Educational Development
University of California: Berkeley

Ken Bain's Talk at the HKS Faculty Meeting- October 2009

On October 20, 2009, SLATE hosted Ken Bain as a guest speaker at the HKS faculty meeting. The topic of his discussion was "What research says about effective teaching and learning."  Click here to view Ken's talk (login required, RT approx one hour).