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Author Archives: Bok Center
Paper Structure Exercise
The following exercise is a sample from ABLConnect, an online active learning resource database recently established by Assistant Professor Dustin Tingley and Ph.D. student Leslie Finger. ABLConnect seeks to create an accessible, searchable repository of active learning activities that Harvard instructors can contribute to and draw from. *** Paper Structure Exercise In the revision stage of paper writing, Jerusha Achterberg … Continue reading »
Use Skype in the Classroom
by Alexis Harrison One way to bring material alive in a section discussion is to invite a guest speaker to talk directly with students about the material you are covering. In practice, it is hard to arrange for “experts” to visit classes in person, but many people are willing to take the time to talk to … Continue reading »
Conversations@FAS: David Malan on Active Learning
In this video, shot a few years ago by the Bok Center, Professor David Malan emphasizes the importance of encouraging active participation in lectures. – David J. Malan is a Senior Lecturer on Computer Science at Harvard University. He teaches the popular computer science course CS50. Continue reading »
Have you visited ABLConnect?
ABLConnect is an online active learning resource database. It was started in early 2012 by Assistant Professor Dustin Tingley and Ph.D. student Leslie Finger as part of the Program on Experience Based Learning that Tingley directs at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science here at Harvard. Tingley and Finger, both ex-high school teachers, are associated with the Department of Government … Continue reading »
Rebekah Maggor on Speaking and Learning
Rebekah Maggor speaks about speaking with authority by incorporating presentation skills. — Rebekah is the former director of the program for speaking in learning at the Bok Center. Continue reading »
Jill Lepore Reflects on Speaking, Teaching, and Learning
Have a student that doesn’t speak up in class very often? You might be teaching the next Jill Lepore. Watch this video of Professor Jill Lepore reflecting on public speaking, intellectual authority, and capturing an audience. — Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard College. She is also the … Continue reading »
Bok Center Quick Tip: Think, Pair, Share
Here’s a quick teaching tip by Aubry Threlkeld for encouraging class discussion. Aubrey is the Bok Center’s Departmental Teaching Fellow for Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Continue reading »
Suffering Fools Gladly?
by Pamela Pollock I’ve been thinking a lot about this David Brooks editorial I read last month. In the piece, Brooks discusses the dilemmas inherent in communicating with people we find foolish. He argues that it is not really a compliment to say that one doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and in fact it takes great … Continue reading »
Mid-Semester Surveys!
As the College moves out of midterm season and into the second half of the semester, now is an important time for professors and teaching fellows to reflect on how the class is going. I assure you, students are definitely doing so. Putting up a brief midterm course survey on the iSite (or handing it out in … Continue reading »
