The Inspiring Teacher in Computing

1. The Inspiring Teacher in Computing Alastair Irons & Siobhan Devlin Computing, Engineering and Technology University of Sunderland 1st Annual Conference on Aiming for Excellence in STEM Learning and Teaching 12-13 April 2012

2. Objectives of Session • To consider • Why do we want to/need to inspire students, and is it a STEM issue or is it sector-wide? • What is an inspiring teacher? • Do students and staff have common views? • What’s the impact? • Outcomes • Discussed different perspectives & common themes • characteristics & activities that inspire • Identified priorities for developing inspiring teaching

3. Why bother? KPIs • Retention / attrition – student engagement • Student Performance • NSS Questions • specifically about “The teaching on my course” • And… not on KIS data • enjoyment for students and for teaching staff

4. Is it a STEM issue?

5. So, let’s explore the concept of the Inspiring Teacher If you wanted to leave your students uninspired, what would you do? We asked our staff this question recently. Do you think their answers tallied with our students answers?

6. What our students find uninspiring • Lectures. Endless amounts of facts being dictated for long periods of time. Just reading from slides. • Someone who is unprepared and uninspired by the subject they’re teaching. • Monotone, too many detailed slides, when the teacher is not interested in either the subject or the students’ understanding. • Lack of help or feedback. When we get told about the bad things without them being explained properly. • Boring. • Teachers who talk down to you and treat you like you’re back in secondary school. • Too much information for 1 hour and we leave without complete understanding. • When the teacher doesn’t want to be there.

7. What our students find inspiring • Whenever someone gets up and is enthusiastic about what they’re trying to teach you. • When a teacher is comfortable enough about a subject to use examples of when they got it horribly wrong to help understanding. • Yes – they’re very knowledgeable and willing to help all of the time. • They make jokes or use funny real life situations. • Use of stories or comparisons to help us learn. • Their outlook and way of talking about things – friendly and approachable. • Instead of just throwing information at you they got you involved in the subject. • Passionate. • They enjoy what they do. • The way they delivered it – asked questions rather than giving answers. • Their ability to make the subject relevant. • They broke down information into smaller more manageable sections.

8. Emerging Common Opinions • Enthusiasm • Passion • Adaptability • Empathy • Friendliness • Enjoyment • Knowledge/subject mastery/background • Being prepared • Breaks down information • Contextualise/make relevant • Involving students, interacting • Hands on, practical work • Leaving students with a sense of accomplishment Personality/authenticity Experience Approaches/methods used

9. Emerging Common Opinions • (long, non-interactive) lectures aren’t inspiring • Staff who don’t love their subject aren’t inspiring

10. Emerging Divergent Opinions Students • ‘humour’ • ‘being interesting’ • ‘being a good listener’, respect • No mention • No mention Staff • No mention of humour • ‘thought provoking’, ‘challenging’ • No mention of listening, respect • Involving ex-students • Clear links with industry

11. How could teaching could be more inspiring? Agreement: • Less reading – more interacting. Use a variety of materials. • It’s obvious when a teacher is prepared for a lecture and when they enjoy the subject. • Getting more involved with individual students. • More hands on, practical work, with engaging tasks. Relate to modern culture. • Engage students more. • Break info down to allow more to be remembered. Students alone say: • Don’t treat us like children. • People skills and approachability go a long way in helping understanding and building confidence.  • If the lecturers actually thought about the students. • Fun • Relaxed, more banter.

12. The impact of being inspired Before • “I begin to feel more the enjoyment of learning as opposed to the subject necessarily”. “You like turning up to lessons.” • “Because it makes me arrive early, stay late, ask questions/engage, try hard to impress e.g. in the assignment.” During • “When something you’ve been struggling to grasp suddenly clicks and makes sense.” “Made me think about the topic from a different point of view.” • “When a lecturer increases my confidence.” “When you’re willing to make an extra effort for that teacher/in that class.” • “Mind doesn’t wander and I do the work faster.” After • “When you leave a lecture or tutorial and you’re keen to go and try out whatever you’ve been learning.”“Makes you feel positive and want to do something after being taught.” • “Makes you willing to go the extra mile to do the work.”

13. The impact of not being inspiring/inspired

14. What next for us? • Further data collection and analysis • Until saturation; use of interviews/focus groups • Staff development/communication plan • Consider current practice • Consider various components of LTA wherein to inspire students • Classroom; one-to-one/personal contact; assessments; labs/seminars; groupwork; etc • Consider: • methods, • what you ‘bring to the table’/ experience, • positive outlook • Student development/communication plan • Dissemination