Teaching Small Seminars:  Making it Informative, Interactive, and Fun for Both the Students and You

Dennis Proffitt, Commonwealth Professor of Psychology

In Spring 2004, I taught the most successful advanced undergraduate seminar of my career.  In this teaching workshop, I will talk about what worked and why, including the following topics:

• Selecting the topics to be covered, books, and readings
• Structuring student assignments and class presentations
• Nurturing conversation and debate during class
• Writing exams
• Giving students the opportunity to teach me something

The seminar was titled, “Light, Life, and Vision.”  It was also frequently called, “The Joy of Finding Stuff Out.”

Sponsored by the TRC University Teaching Fellows Program.