Small changes to college teaching practices can make a big difference in building and maintaining successful relationships with students. Author and professor James M. Lang has authored two editions of Small Teaching, in which he delivers "practical guidance on implementing the latest cognitive and educational research in the form of small, manageable and actionable changes to [learning spaces]" (2021).
Small teaching, however, was not a new idea and Lang wrote a series of short articles during the 2015-2016 academic year, briefly describing some of these small changes that college teachers could make to improve student engagement and, in the long run, student learning.
To access the entire collection of Lang's Small Teaching articles for The Chronicle of Higher Education, click HERE.
If you prefer to access specific content from the series, select one or more of the following links, which will take you directly to The Chronicle archives.
- Small Changes in Teaching: The Minutes Before Class
3 simple ways you can set up the day's learning before the metaphorical bell rings - Small Changes in Teaching: The First 5 Minutes of Class
4 quick ways to shift students' attention from life's distractions to your course content - Small Changes in Teaching: Making Connections
3 ways that faculty members can help students link course content to the world around them - Small Changes in Teaching: Giving Them a Say
3 ways to improve learning by giving students a measure of control - Small Changes in Teaching: Space It Out
The essential ingredient of learning is time - Small Changes or Big Revolutions?
A new book says the higher-education model is too broken to be fixed piecemeal
Teaching faculty can implement small changes for potentially big impact as a course is being taught. Larger, more substantive changes, such as revising course learning objectives, modifying assessment methods, or introducing new assistive learning technologies, require more thought and time to ensure that our intentions match the desired function for students. UCITE is available to work with you to help improve student engagement and deepen student learning. Contact us for more information and to schedule a time to meet: ucite@case.edu.