U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H Spe c

Classr ial
oo
Issue m

Center for Instructional Development

& Distance Education

Vol. XI, Nº 3 A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching & learning at the University of Pittsburgh March 2006

Keys To Conducting a Vital Class

I
n this issue of the Teaching Times, Lu-in
Wang, Law; Kim Needy, Engineering; Ed-
ward Stricker, Neuroscience; and Melanie
Dreyer-Lude, Theatre Arts (pictured here
with her class), share strategies and tech-
niques they employ to help students learn
in the classroom. As a springboard for their
articles, they considered “How Do They
Conduct Class?” a chapter from Ken Bain’s
What the Best College Teachers Do. This chapter
presents seven challenges to the college
instructor:
1. Create a natural critical learning
environment
2. Get student attention and keep it
3. Start with students rather than the

Photos by Jason Blair, CIDDE

discipline
4. Seek commitments
5. Help students learn outside of class
6. Engage students in disciplinary
thinking
7. Create diverse learning experiences
Pointing out that Bain’s examples “col-
lectively describe an environment in which
students and teacher engage in a joint
undertaking, recognizing and even relishing
their mutual responsibility for and contribu-
tions to its success,” Wang elaborates on the
concept of “hosting” her law classes. This
involves “focusing on the students the way
one ideally focuses on companions around
the table: being attentive, responsive, sponta-
neous, and flexible.”
Dreyer-Lude describes her classes as
taking place in a collaborative environment
An introductory activity in an advanced acting class taught by Melanie Dreyer-Lude, Theatre Arts, uses a prop (string) to
reinforce the ideas of ensemble and collaboration.
where “teamwork and resource sharing
become a habitual part of the students’
process.” She believes that interactive
learning promotes “the acquisition of new
information and ideas without sacrificing
an independent point of view.”
Stricker emphasizes the importance
of arousing student curiosity to capture
student attention and keep it. He does
this by selecting topics that illustrate basic
principles of the field. He engages students
by asking questions to model scientific
inquiry, sharing anecdotes that illustrate
concepts in concrete ways, and encourag-
ing students to generate their own ques-
tions.
Needy explains how she uses classroom
discussions to explore contemporary issues
and real-world applications. Discussions,
along with other varied activities, help
students to appreciate the lifelong learning
that is implicit in the field of engineering.

Inside Help Students Teach IT Updates:

This Learn in the Classroom: Your Own Foreign Language
Professorsʼ Strategies Summer Class Content in Blackboard
Issue and Techniques for the First Time + CIDDEʼs New mCasts!
 Dear Faculty,

Center for Instructional Development Are you planning to develop

& Distance Education (CIDDE) a new course or revise an exi
Center for Instructional Dev sting one? The
Alumni Hall elopment & Distance Educat
services to faculty in suppor ion (CIDDE) provides
4227 Fifth Avenue t of University teaching and
Development services includ learning. Instructional
Pittsburgh, PA 15260 e assisting instructors as the
courses, learning activities, y develop and revise
course materials, and techni
learning. A CIDDE instructio que s to assess student
Phone: 412-624-6596 nal designer will work direct
to your schedule, to help you ly with you, according
Fax: 412-624-7220 create the basic component
reengineer an existing one, s of a new course or to
E-mail: dearment@cidde.pitt.edu using current and effective
strategies. In the past year teaching and learning
Web: www.pitt.edu/~ciddeweb/teachingtimes alone, CIDDE provided these
100 faculty members. support services to over
Editorial Staff
Editor: Carol DeArment To get more information or
Graphic Design & Illustrations: Alec A. Sarkas
to schedule an appointment,
412-624-7372 or nicoll@pit please contact me at
Copy Editor: Tim Kyle
t.edu.
Photography: CIDDE, Photography & Electronic Imaging
All the best,
The TeachingTimes, a newsletter devoted to the Joanne Nicoll
support of teaching and learning, is distributed to Associate Director of Instru
ctional Design
every faculty member and teaching assistant at and Faculty Development
the University of Pittsburgh. It features interviews CIDDE
with faculty who share teaching experiences,
strategies, and techniques that can be applied in
classrooms across the University.

The TeachingTimes welcomes letters and articles

from faculty and staff about any topic affecting
University teaching and learning.

The TeachingTimes is published by the Center for 2005 Teaching Awards Omissions
Instructional Development & Distance Education
(CIDDE), which provides a wide range of services The following School of Medicine teaching
to faculty in support of University teaching and awards for 2005 were inadvertently omitted
learning. The central mission of CIDDE is to
from the November 2005 issue of the Teach-
support excellence in University instruction.
ing Times:
CIDDE also is responsible for maximizing the
effective use of instructional technologies to meet
the University’s academic goals and priorities. School of Medicine
Donald S. Fraley Award
Diane Davis, Director Stephen L. Phillips
djdavis@pitt.edu Sheldon Adler Award
Peter F. Drain
Joanne M. Nicoll, Associate Director CIDDE Photography Mary E. Choifor
for Instructional Design and Faculty Development & Electronic Imaging Services Award for Excellence in Clinical Precepting
nicoll@pitt.edu provides full-service location and studio
Michael Wusylko
photography in digital and film formats as
well as a full range of photo lab services. Bruce I. Hyde
Nick Laudato, Associate Director, Instructional For further information, contact Jim Burke Marc J. Schneiderman
Technology by telephone, 412-648-9870, or e-mail,
laudato@pitt.edu jburke@pitt.edu.

2

Classroom Conversation: Key To Engaging Students
By Lu-in Wang, School of Law
B
ain’s seven principles (see Page 1) col-
lectively describe an environment in
which students and teacher engage in
a joint undertaking, recognizing and even
relishing their mutual responsibility for
and contributions to its success. Essential
to that success is the teacher’s use of what
Bain calls “good talk.” As Bain tells it, to
use good talk is to approach communica-
tion both within and outside of the class-
room as a “conversation” (which is not to
suggest that it is not also a performance).
Susan Wiltshire, a successful teacher cited
by Bain, notes that it is “not unlike inviting
students into exchanges around the dinner
table” (p. 119). That comparison describes
my classroom approach—I try to act not
simply as the leader of the class, but also
as its host.
Hosting the class involves focusing on
the students the way one ideally focuses on
“Hosting the class involves focusing on the
students the way one ideally focuses on oneʼs
companions around the table: being attentive,
responsive, spontaneous, and flexible.”
one’s companions around
the table: being attentive,
responsive, spontaneous,
and flexible. It means
drawing each student into
the discussion by eliciting
questions and comments
Photo by Joseph Kapelewski, CIDDE
from a wide range of
students, remembering
and using the students’
contributions to further
discussion, and adjust-
ing the pace and focus of
discussion to the cues from
students’ words, facial
expressions, and body language. It means
recognizing and appreciating the various
ways individual students can contribute
to the conversation. It also entails some
risk—not every student responds positively
to the invitation to participate, and the op-
portunity for embarrassment (the teacher’s
and the student’s) is always present.
Some students make this conversa-
tion easy: They are engaged and eager to
speak, and they provide focused comments
and questions that naturally move discus-
sion forward or help to illuminate points
already made. But even those students
who are more retiring or less focused can
make positive contributions if the teacher
is alert to opportunities to involve them
and to channel and situate their com-
ments. Sometimes nonverbal behavior—
fidgeting, shifting in his seat, changing
facial expressions—signals that a student is
Special Classroom Issue March 2006
struggling with the question of whether to
raise his hand. I try to be attentive to those
cues, and might even point them out when
I call on that student. This usually pays
off: the student says something valuable
and is glad that he did. Even comments
or questions that seem irrelevant can be
helpful, for they provide an opportunity
to step back from the particular point and
remind the class of the overall themes of
the course—for example, to explain how
the question or comment is relevant to
another topic and how that topic relates
(or doesn’t) to the current discussion.
Far less comfortable, but no less es-
sential, is acknowledging and responding
to a student whose comment, question, or
nonverbal expression suggests boredom,
confusion, frustration, or even anger.
Engaging this student presents greater risk,
both pedagogical and social, but often is
worth the rewards. I have learned not to
assume that I know what lies behind a
student’s negative appearance, for ap-
pearances can be deceiving, and often the
student welcomes an invitation into the
discussion. Even when the student truly
is confused, bored, frustrated, or angry,
engaging her can be an opportunity for
me to learn of a problem with the class
that other, less expressive students share.
It also can open constructive, substantive
dialogue by raising objections to basic
concepts, principles, or assumptions that
no one else (including me) had thought to
question.
3
 Collaboration Fosters Learning Skills and Independent Thought
By Melanie Dreyer-Lude, Theater Arts
T
he collaborative environment that I
nurture throughout the semester is an
important component of the teach-
ing dynamic in my classes. For example,
in my directing courses, teamwork and
resource sharing become a habitual part
of the students’ process, and this behav-
ior often continues once the semester is
over and they work on outside projects
together. As directors, I hope they’ve
learned that they can be open to the
acquisition of new information and ideas
without sacrificing an independent point
of view.
One of my greatest obstacles in
teaching directing to undergraduates is
helping them to assimilate a practical skill
set (learning to follow some rules about
directing) while maintaining an inde-
pendent point of view (having an artistic
opinion). There are theatrical customs
and audience expectations that create
a set of standards by which we view
theatrical production. But art fails to hold
interest if it lacks a passionate point of
view. I regularly wrestle with the tension
between imparting a set of guidelines for
execution while encouraging as much free
thinking as possible.
One of my strategies for dealing with
this tension is to reverse the introduction
of ideas in activities based on collabora-
4
Photo by Jason Blair, CIDDE
tive teamwork. Rather than beginning
the semester with a series of skill building
exercises, I begin by having my students
direct without telling them how to do it.
During the first three days of class, they
are asked to work as a team to stage a
children’s story. Together we consider
what the director’s job might be, but they
must decide which steps to take. While
they work together, they have the oppor-
tunity to recognize the value of various
artistic opinions; they see multiple ways to
solve a problem; they learn how to work
in a team—how to support their col-
leagues and how to find compromise in
moments of disagreement.
Once the directors have begun to
establish their own methods of problem
solving, I begin to introduce skill sets. As
we examine the individual components
in the craft of directing, I encourage
students to share their expertise with one
another. Some are gifted at text analysis,
while others easily work with abstraction
and image association. Some under-
stand how to think spatially and how to
compose stage pictures. Each new skill we
encounter offers an opportunity for the
students to demonstrate existing exper-
tise as well as to work together to learn
something new.
Student collaboration is also a core
“I regularly wrestle with
the tension between
imparting a set of guide-
lines for execution while
encouraging as much free
thinking as possible. One
of my strategies for deal-
ing with this tension is to
reverse the introduction
of ideas in activities based
on collaborative team-
work.”
component of feedback and evaluation.
When grading my directing students, I
use the articulation of their ideas as the
benchmark for their work. Do we see
what she described? Has he been clear
about telling his story? Are there mo-
ments where she is actually contradicting
what she intended to say? This negotia-
tion gives the students ownership over the
grades they receive at the end of the se-
mester. Few quibble with the marks I give
them, having already recognized where
they’ve succeeded and failed. All of the
students in class must track one another’s
goals and accept the various interpreta-
tions presented in order to offer useful
feedback for final presentations. The task
is not to contradict what they see but to
identify each director’s successes and fail-
ures in communicating their ideas.

Discussion and Contemporary Issues Promote Appreciation for Lifelong Learning
By Kim LaScola Needy, Industrial Engineering
Left to right: Kim LaScola Needy with Doug Rabeneck and Mandy Kaszycki, students, Engineering Management class
E
ngineering is a highly technical field
with a rapid turnover of the body of
knowledge. So in addition to seek-
ing the students’ mastery of the course
material, another primary objective is to
instill in the students an appreciation for
lifelong learning.
Lifelong learning is emphasized
throughout Engineering Management, a
required course for industrial engineer-
ing seniors, covering modern engineer-
ing management theory as it applies to
technical organizations. Because this
course contains a significant amount of
discussion, students are asked to make a
commitment to attend class and partici-
pate in the discussion by sharing their
related experiences.
For example, during the discussion
on planning, we study how organizations
develop a vision, mission, objectives,
goals, strategies, and projects to support
their strategic plan. In class we examine
the strategic plans of several organiza-
tions and then, for a homework assign-
ment, the students select a company of
interest and analyze its strategic plan. As
an extension to this exercise, students are
challenged to reflect upon how strategic
Special Classroom Issue March 2006
“…By carefully design-
ing the course homework
assignments, projects,
in-class exercises, discus-
sions, and case studies
we not only provide an
Photo by Jason Blair, CIDDE
effective learning environ-
ment, but also convey the
importance of lifelong
learning…”
planning is critical for them personally.
Specifically, students are asked to develop
a personal mission statement and a five- almost acts as our laboratory for explora-
year strategic plan. Their strategic plans tion of the course material, and the stu-
must contain not only career-based, but dents learn that engineering management
also personal-based objectives and goals. can be applied in any number of settings.
This assignment requires students to ask For example, in the fall 2005 semester, we
themselves questions such as, “How will discussed the engineering management
I maintain my technical skills and keep and project management aspects associ-
abreast of changing technology if I wish ated with the rebuilding efforts to the
to advance in my career?” Assessment U.S. Gulf Coast region after Hurricane
of this assignment examines the depth, Katrina. This exercise also provokes the
breadth, and, specifically, attention to engineering students to consider the im-
lifelong learning of each student’s plan. pact of engineering solutions in a societal
Lifelong learning is also discussed context.
explicitly in one of the class sessions on In summary, by carefully designing the
achieving effectiveness as an engineer. A group, course homework assignments, projects,
in-class exercise asks students to brain- in-class exercises, discussions, and case
storm how they will stay technically com- studies we not only provide an effective
petent in engineering and the importance learning environment, but also convey
of active professional society involvement. the importance of lifelong learning along
Another approach used to show with consideration of societal implica-
the importance of lifelong learning is tions and contemporary issues critical for
incorporating contemporary issues into solving complex engineering problems.
the classroom. Contemporary issues are As educators, if we can provide our
introduced from the trade press such as graduates with the foundation and tools
the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and for lifelong learning, then we can help
the local newspaper. From an engineer- to ensure that they will have bright and
ing management perspective, the world rewarding careers.
5
 Curiosity Drives Learning In and Out of Class
By Edward Stricker, Neuroscience

“I believe that questions drive learning.

Therefore, in addition to describing the re-
search questions that stimulated experiments,
I encourage students to ask questions…”

imagine that many home which housed patients who could

students similarly still
believe that scientific
information comes
from books. Instead,
I want them to ap-
preciate that it was
obtained from experi-
Photo by Jason Blair, CIDDE
not move was set afire. Patients with
spinal damage perished, but patients with
Parkinson’s disease fled to safety only to
become akinetic (unable to move) again
when they reached the streets. Few stu-
dents have heard this story, and it makes
them curious about the biological bases

ments, that those ex- for the observed difference between the
periments generated patients. More familiar phenomena can
new theories, and be presented as questions without elabo-
that those theories rate anecdotes. For example, why do we
were evaluated in get hungry? How can we see in color? I
subsequent experi- begin each class with a story or ques-
ments. tion of this sort, intended to capture the

I
have taught Introduction to Neuro-
science for many years. As the title
implies, the general goal of the course
is to introduce students to the science
of the nervous system. Because it is a
prerequisite for all other courses in the
neuroscience major, I must prepare
students for more advanced courses.
However, I tell them that the course is
less oriented around the product than the
process of neuroscience. By that I mean
that I will be less interested in whether
they learn numerous facts (although they
certainly will do so) than whether they
learn how to understand scientific infor-
mation. When I was growing up in the
Bronx, I thought that food came from
stores, and I remember being surprised
to learn about farms and orchards. I can
This research-oriented course is fairly
large (120 enrolled students) and is taught
exclusively in a lecture format. In one
semester I cannot provide a comprehen-
sive introduction to the entire discipline
of neuroscience; so, instead, I select
topics that will illustrate its basic prin-
ciples. I have found these topics to be of
considerable interest to the students and,
just as important, to me. Thus, I know a
lot about this material, and I can speak
about it knowledgeably and enthusiasti-
cally.
There are many phenomena with
explanations that can provide insights
into the nervous system. Some can be
presented as anecdotes. For example,
when London was being firebombed
during World War II, a wooden nursing
students’ attention and spark their curios-
ity, and then I describe the experimental
evidence that allowed an understanding
of the phenomenon.
I believe that questions drive learn-
ing. Therefore, in addition to describing
the research questions that stimulated
experiments, I encourage students to ask
questions both in and out of class (via
electronic messages). I am pleased to say
that I am bombarded with such questions
every day, and I post the questions and
my answers on the course Web page so
that all students can participate in this
virtual discussion. That is a hidden agen-
da of the course, to have students think
at all times (not just while they are in my
class), in all courses (not just in mine),
and in all settings (not just in courses).

6

Preparing To Teach Your Own Summer Class
for the First Time
By Yadviga Semikolenova,
CIDDE TA Services
A
lthough the initial responsibility of
teaching assistants is to assist fac-
ulty, many graduate student teachers
at the University of Pittsburgh subsequently
have an opportunity to teach courses inde-
pendently for the first time in the summer.
We at CIDDE’s TA Services are available to
assist with this process. In addition, help-
ful information is available from the Devel-
oping and Teaching a Course section of
CIDDE’s Web site1 and from CIDDE’s TA
Handbook.2 In this article I share general
suggestions on how to plan a successful
summer course, with an emphasis on how
to develop a course from scratch.
This first-time teaching usually involves
one of three types of situations for a TA:
1. A class that she has previously instructed
as a TA.
2. A class that she has no experience
with but that is one of the core courses
required by the department (e.g., an
introductory course).
3. A new course that needs to be developed
from scratch.
Obviously, planning a course takes time,
and condensing a course into six weeks
during the summer presents unique chal-
lenges; therefore, begin your preparations
as soon as possible. In my experience, it is
useful to think about the following stages in
developing a successful course:
1. Formulate the learning objectives, or
outcomes, of the course and understand
the characteristics of students who are
most likely to take the class.
2. Select a textbook and/or reading
materials targeted at the expected
audience.
1
Developing and Teaching a Course: www.pitt.edu/~ciddeweb/FACULTY-DEVELOPMENT/FDS/fss2.html
2
CIDDE’s TA Handbook: www.pitt.edu/~ciddeweb/FACULTY-DEVELOPMENT/TA_HANDBOOK/index.htm
3. Develop a structure that helps to achieve
the learning objectives.
4. Develop a syllabus.
5. Develop lesson plans.
Obviously, when you are assigned to teach
a course for which you have led recitations
or labs, you are already familiar with the pur-
pose and structure of the course, the learning
materials, and the typical or average student
who takes the course. On the other hand,
when you are assigned to teach an unfamiliar
course, identifying course objectives and the
targeted audience is more challenging. If it is
one of the basic classes offered each semes-
ter, you should discuss the goals and structure
with professors and/or
other graduate stu-
dent instructors who “Condensing a course into six weeks
have already taught
the class. Ask to look during the summer presents unique
at others’ syllabi and
class materials, dis- challenges; therefore, begin your
cuss the academic
backgrounds of typi- preparations as soon as possible.”
cal students, consider
possible challenges, and ask for textbook
suggestions.
In developing a course from scratch, your
first challenge is to identify the course objec-
tives and the prior knowledge and skills of the
students. To identify the objectives, or out-
comes, of the class, first, think of what you
want the students to be able to do, in terms
of knowledge and skills, by the end of the
course. If this class has been offered before,
read its description, usually available through
the department. Note prerequisites—this will
help you to get an idea of the background
of the students you will teach. Again, try to
Special Classroom Issue March 2006
Photo by Jason Blair, CIDDE
discuss your ideas with professors and fel-
low graduate students. In addition, a Web
search may provide ideas on how this class
is taught in other schools and textbooks
others have found to be useful.
A word of caution: Do not pick the first
textbook colleagues suggest! Shop around
to get a comprehensive perspective of the
options, keeping the level of the students in
mind. Most publishers will ship a desk copy
free of charge when you fill in a request
form on their Web sites.
Once you have identified the objectives,
the targeted audience, and the textbook,
the next step is to develop the course struc-
ture. There are many possible organiza-
tional structures, and your decision will be
determined by the discipline, subject mat-
ter, and learning objectives. Remember,
summer courses are intense; therefore, it is
important to break the course content into
sequential concepts. Using the textbook
and the course learning outcomes, list the
topics you want to cover, aligning them with
the course objectives. You may choose to
closely follow the textbook, or supplement
the course with additional readings if you
think that some of the topics are not ad-
equately covered in the textbook.
Then, again based on learning objec-
tives, think about how you are going to
teach, or follow, that structure. Because of
the intensity of summer courses—a regu-
See ‘Teach Your Own Summer Class’ on Page 10
7
 Blackboard Allows Consistent Foreign Language Content
By Cindy Lu, CIDDE Instructional Technologist
Figure 1: Pull-down menu of lanugages available
M
ultilanguage support in recent
versions of Blackboard allows
faculty to offer consistent online
content in any of seven languages. In
addition to English, the default language
for menu buttons, Blackboard allows
instructors to convert menu buttons to
German, French, Italian, Portuguese,
Dutch, or Spanish (see Figs. 1 and 2).
East Asian and other languages will
be supported in Blackboard 7, to be
adopted by the University in the future.
This tool is useful to faculty who enrich
their online course content and who
do not allow English to be written or
spoken in their courses.
Explaining the usefulness of this tool,
teaching fellow Rob Mucklo, Hispanic
Languages and Literatures, comments,
“The proficiency of my Spanish 1 and
2 students in the language is somewhat
limited, and even more so when it
comes to technology. I translate the
buttons for several reasons: (1) to provide
further exposure to the language (2) to
provide a real context for vocabulary (3)
to use student knowledge of standard
CourseWeb button arrangement and
cognation of terms to aid in learning.
“On my course evaluations students
have commented that they like the way
I speak to them entirely in Spanish and
use Spanish wherever possible. They’ve
also mentioned that they like having
CourseWeb available to them for the
course. I post all of the day’s activities,
8
Figure 2: English and Dutch buttons
handouts, and homework on CourseWeb
(all in Spanish); so if they’re absent, they
have it all at their fingertips.”
Lina Insana, French and Italian
Languages and Literatures, comments,
“We in the Italian program have made a
very strong commitment to maintaining
the target language in all of our
courses. This means that, when possible,
instructors’ out of class interactions
with our students take place in Italian,
whether we’re at a departmentally
sponsored event like the ‘Tavola Italiana’
(weekly conversation hour) or in more
casual settings like the hallways of the
Cathedral of Learning.
“Recently, our instructional
activities have begun to spill out of
the classroom space in more and more
interesting ways: not just into physical
corridors, but into virtual spaces like
CourseWeb, as well. It is important
that this commitment to an Italian-
only experience be exclusive and total,
and details like the ability to change
the language (or ‘Locale’) of our
CourseWeb settings contribute to this
goal. In this way, students entering
a course’s CourseWeb site can feel
that they are still in an Italian-only
space. This function also makes for a
smoother management of the course
within traditional walls: if I know that
my students know the Italian terms for
‘Syllabus’ and ‘Digital Drop Box,’ I
can use them in the classroom to direct
Photo by Joseph Kapelewski, CIDDE
my students’ usage of the CourseWeb
site. Students have reacted very well
to this standardization and appreciate
the acquisition of new and important
vocabulary in such a contextualized,
practical way.”
To change menu buttons to a
language other than English, instructors
should go to the Control Panel and
select “Settings,” then “Set Locale.”
(As with any Blackboard application,
faculty can delete and add buttons to
suit their content.) Instructors should be
aware that when a “locale” is selected in
Blackboard, the entire control panel text
changes to the language of that locale.
In addition to setting the locale,
there are other ways to include non-
English content in CourseWeb. For
example, text typed in any language in
a Microsoft Word document can be cut
and pasted into Blackboard. To use a
particular language in Microsoft Word,
instructors may select “Control Panel,”
then “Regional and Language Options.”
Click the icon that appears in the lower
right side of the screen to activate text
to be typed in the desired language.
European language keyboards are
similar to those of the United States,
with the addition of certain characters
and accents. On a U.S. keyboard, other
characters can be inserted by clicking
on “Start,” then “All Programs,”
“Accessories,” “System Tools,” and
“Character Map.”

CIDDEʼs New mCasts!
By Nick Laudato, CIDDE Associate Director
CIDDE has initiated a new series of multimedia Web casts aimed at
addressing several goals: to provide faculty with useful information
about instructional technologies being deployed at Pitt; to gain direct
experience using new multimedia technologies; and to serve as ex-
amples of such use.
Y
ears ago I was explaining a technol-
ogy solution to a colleague. The
solution addressed several different
problems simultaneously; so I remarked
that it “killed multiple birds with one
stone.” She got a kick out of the expres-
sion, and I’ve found occasion to use it
many times since. With our hectic work
schedules, we’re delighted when we can
solve more than one problem with a
single effort. That is what we sought to
achieve when we began what we are call-
ing the mCasts.
We use the term “mCast” to refer to a
multiple multimedia Web cast. The essen-
tial idea was to record the many compo-
nents of a presentation with one effort,
and then make several varied forms of
that presentation available over the Web.
The one recording effort would be done
using Mediasite technology, enabling the
simultaneous recording of video, audio,
and the presenter’s computer display,
complete with any written annotations
on the display. The inaugural mCast,
available as “ITmCast000” on the site
https://cidde-web.cidde.pitt.edu/mcast,
explains the original concept. It’s called
an “ITmCast” because it focuses on in-
structional technologies. We also plan to
begin a “BbmCast” that will focus on the
Blackboard course management system
(CourseWeb).
We are implementing the mCasts as
live events. The ITmCast is broadcast live
at noon every Thursday and the Bbm-
Cast is planned for noon Wednesdays.
The live event can be viewed by follow-
ing the appropriate link on the mCast
Special Classroom Issue March 2006
Photo by Jim Burke, CIDDE
homepage, https://cidde-web.cidde.pitt. • Rich Media Recordings: The
edu/mcast. The target length for each Mediasite recording of the event is
broadcast is about 15 minutes. The live available both live and archived. The
broadcast includes the ability to send a Mediasite version is also available in
question in the form of a text message to Flash format.
the presenter. The presenter will address • Documents: The recordings are also
any questions at the end of the broadcast. available in transcribed form, both as
Of course, an archive of the broadcast plain text and as an Adobe Acrobat
will be available on Mediasite immedi- (PDF) document. Ironically, this non-
ately after the event. mediated form will take the longest
time to prepare and post.
The outputs from an mCast recording
session include: mCast Output Types
• Audio Recordings: The
presentation audio is available in
the form of an mpeg fi le that can
be downloaded and played on a
computer or transferred to a portable
playback device such as an iPod. The
audio version will be available the day
after the live presentation.
• Video Recordings: The
presentation video is available in
several different formats, including
the Apple-friendly MOV format, the
Windows-friendly WMV format (both
streaming and downloadable), and
the popular Flash format (SWF). The
MP4 version can play in iTunes or in
Apple’s new portable ipod. The video
version will be available two working
days after the live presentation.
• Video Recordings with Slides:
A second video version is available
in all the same formats. This version
intersperses the images from the
presenter’s computer display into the
video, showing the PowerPoint slides
See CIDDE’s New mCasts! Page 10
with written annotations.
9
 Continued from previous page

CIDDEʼs New mCasts!

The audio (MP3 and M4A/B) and
video (MP4) versions of the presentation
are also available as “podcasts.” Podcasts
are multimedia files that are distributed
via subscription. To subscribe to a pod-
cast, you first install a software package
called an aggregator on your computer.
CSSD recommends iTunes for both the
PC and Macintosh platforms, available
at the electronic software distribution
site http://software.pitt.edu or directly
from Apple at www.apple.com. Once
the aggregator is installed, subscribing
to a podcast is easy (see directions on
the sidebar at https://cidde-web.cidde.
pitt.edu/mcast). Once subscribed, new
editions of the mCast will be automati-
cally downloaded to your computer for
playback in iTunes or for transfer to your
portable mp3 player, if you have one.
Dan Hummon’s presentation in ITm-
Cast003, available at https://cidde-web.
cidde.pitt.edu/mcast, explains podcasting
in more detail.
As is often the case with new technolo-
gies, the original approach was obsolete
before we started publishing the results.
For example, we began to make multiple
simultaneous recordings of the presenta-
tion in order to optimize recording qual-
ity and reduce the amount of postproduc-
tion effort required to create all of the
outputs listed above. We also began mix-
ing the slides into a version of the video
in real time. We expect our techniques to
continually evolve and hope to soon offer
these services to the University commu-
nity.
With all due apologies to ornitholo-
gists and bird lovers, I think we are
achieving our goal of killing multiple
birds with one stone. The ITmCast series
will help familiarize faculty with the
many and varied instructional technolo-
gies available to them at the University,
and the BbmCast series will provide a
useful library of short Blackboard train-
ing modules on both general and special
topics. At the same time, the CIDDE
technical staff is gaining valuable insights
into these emerging technologies and
generating some useful examples for
potential users. Hope you all tune in and
let us know what you think.

Continued from Page 7

Teach Your Own Summer Class

lar 15-week course is often taught in only six
weeks—it is important to vary activities and
provide ample time for practice and feedback.
For example, you might employ class discus-
sions, role plays, demonstrations, and group
work.
Once the structure is mapped, develop
a tentative timeline for the class, using the
academic calendar of the University available
at www.pitt.edu/calendars.html. Keeping this
calendar in mind, list the topics that will be
covered in each class or week and identify
in-class activities and readings for each topic.
A timeline will help you to stay organized and
on target for learning outcomes. An important
consideration is how you will assess and
evaluate the students’ progress based on the
course learning objectives. Plan the number
and frequency of homework assignments,
quizzes, and exams and how each will be
evaluated.
Once you are satisfied with your structure,
you may choose to make it available to your
students as a part of the syllabus. Besides
the tentative structure, your syllabus should
contain a course description along with the
objectives you have identified and how you
plan to reach them; course prerequisites;
textbook information; assignments and dead-
lines; exams; grading rubric; attendance and
other policies (e.g., on plagiarism); as well as
your office hours; location of your office; and
your e-mail.
Finally, remember the necessary admin-
istrative tasks that must be completed: You
will need to order the textbook (ask your de-
partment secretary how to do it online, and
try to do it early) as well as put materials on
reserve in the library if you use supplemen-
tary readings. If you decide to use media
(e.g., laptop or VCR) in the classroom, make
arrangements with CIDDE’s Media Services
at www.education.pitt.edu/technology/media-
services.

The Faculty Development Resource Library at the Center for Instructional Development & Distance Education
(CIDDE) provides University faculty and teaching assistants with a wealth of books, periodicals, and multi-
media on a variety of subjects dealing with education and new strategies for teaching and learning, such as:

Problem-based Learning • Instructional Design • Faculty Evaluation & Development

Active Learning • Teaching with Technology • Diversity in the Classroom & Curriculum

The library is located on the 6th floor of Alumni Hall, 4227 Fifth Avenue.
To visit the library or borrow a book, please contact Michelle Lane, 412-383-9729 or lane@cidde.pitt.edu.

10
 Special Classroom Issue March 2006

Summer Instructional Development Institute

for Faculty
The annual Summer Instructional Development Institute (SIDI) provides University of Pittsburgh fac-
ulty with learning opportunities designed to promote effective teaching. Presented in collaboration
with the Office of the Provost and the Provost’s Advisory Council on Instructional Excellence (ACIE), the following initiatives
are planned for 2006.

Summer Institute: Part I

Beyond the Classroom: Fostering Long-term Retention and Transfer of Learning
Friday, May 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

What is involved in teaching for long-term retention and transfer of learning? Join faculty from various disciplines as they discuss
and share effective ways to promote retention and transfer, and learn how to incorporate these activities into your courses. By the
end of the program, you will have new ideas and possibilities to consider as you plan for your fall semester courses.

Summer Institute: Part II

Course Design
May 1 through August 15

This opportunity provides individual course development support for those who wish to develop or revise a course. A CIDDE instruc-
tional designer will work directly with you, according to your summer schedule, to help you meet your course design goals. CIDDE
can help you to locate course-specific teaching materials and assist you in developing the most effective teaching activities, tests,
projects, and assignments.

Summer Institute: Part III

Course Development Using Blackboard
Monday through Thursday, June 19–22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This Summer Institute provides hands-on instruction in using Blackboard. This seminar helps you to learn and apply instructional
design principles and knowledge of Bb authoring, communication, and management tools. You should expect to have a significant
portion of your online course components complete by the end of this week of instruction.

To enroll or for more information, please contact Michelle Lane at lane@cidde.pitt.edu or 412-383-9729.

11
Faculty Book Discussions
Plan to Join Your Colleagues for Fall’s Faculty Book Discussions

The Art of Changing the Brain

Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning
By James E. Zull,
© 2002 Stylus Publishing LLC

James E. Zull invites teachers in higher education to accompany him in his exploration
of what scientists can tell us about the brain and to discover how this knowledge can
influence the practice of teaching. The Art of Changing the Brain is based on the
premise that biology can enrich our understanding of the “good practices that cognitive
science and education research have given us.” Zull’s approach is grounded in the
challenges of creating effective opportunities for deep and lasting learning, and of
dealing with students as unique learners. Author James E. Zull is a professor of biology
and director of the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education at Case
Western Reserve University.

“A necessary part of any collection of important literature on teaching and learning.”

—Michael Theall,
National Teaching and Learning Forum

“This is the best book I have read about the brain and learning. His perspective forms the
foundation for a teaching approach that can dramatically improve human learning.”
—David A. Kolb,
Dept. of Organizational Behavior,
CWRU

Dates will be announced in the fall.

To enroll and receive a free copy of the book, contact Michelle Lane,
Center for Instructional Development & Distance Education (CIDDE),
lane@cidde.pitt.edu or phone 412-383-9729.

Center for Instructional Development

& Distance Education

TeachingTimes
University of Pittsburgh
Center for Instructional Development & Distance Education
4227 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: 412-624-6596, Fax: 412-624-7220
Editorial staff: Carol DeArment, Editor; dearment@cidde.pitt.edu
Alec A. Sarkas, Graphic Design & Illustrations; sarkas@cidde.pitt.edu