Prof James Kwok
I use the web a lot for my teaching. It is always useful to put information on-line. For large class especially, it is particularly important to communicate everything because the number of students being affected is large."
Suggestions for Your First Large
Assessment is very important to students therefore you should make use of the course web site to deliver important information such as marking scheme, examples of project course outline and notes, etc. to clarify expectations of the course.
During lectures, sometimes using the name list to call out students for answers could enhance communication in class and check understanding. Moreover it is important to build credibility and rapport. Once student have confidence in you, everything goes more smoothly.
Department of Information and Systems Management
Course:
ISMT232 Internet Application Development (over 100 students)
Format of Weekly Meetings:
- Two 1.5-hour lectures
- One 50-minute tutorial session (optional)
Preparing Materials
Before any course starts, he creates a course web site which contains elements like structure of course, assessment information, lesson notes, source code for programs, lab schedule, assignment information such as requirements and examples of program,etc. He updates the site on a regular basis, provides a download area in the site so that students can get hold of the necessary application tools more easily.
Arranging TAs' Work
He communicates frequently with TAs, lets them know in advance what topics to cover. Primarily he wants TAs to maintain the course web site, and the other tasks include preparing handouts and setting up for demonstration in lecture.
Teaching Strategies
At the beginning, he pushes the students a little bit to help them get started, but he wants them to be self-directed in the long run. He believes it is the best way to help students learn. For example, when preparing tasks for assignments, he tries to provide workable examples and encourages students to use their creativity, e.g. students have high autonomy to design their own games. By doing so, they gain satisfaction and confidence in the process.
Communication
He creates newsgroups in the course web site to foster communication between the faculty and the students as well as among the students. At times, he broadcasts message to remind students of the project and assignment deadlines to avoid forgetfulness. He not only makes the best use of his course web site to reach students but also encourages them to make face-to-face appointments with him.
Assessment
Project assignment is one of the important assessments in this course. The grades for these assignments come from him, the TAs, and the peer evaluation. On project presentation, he lets student groups take turn to demonstrate the highlights of their programs in class for peers to evaluate and also post their programs online for in depth evaluation.
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