II - Ideas About Teaching for Understanding

• Have students compare notes. After 15 minutes of class, ask students to work in pairs for a couple of minutes to make sure they have the necessary information and that they understand it.
• Ask for questions. After such breaks and at other times during the class, ask for questions because they are one of the surest indications of where students are having problems.
• Wait for questions. There's a great deal of research indicating that it's important to wait for a few seconds after asking for questions, as well as after asking a question. Give students a chance to get their thoughts together. If you go on too quickly, students get the message that you really weren't interested in their questions or answers.
• Ask for comments. At the end of class give students a few minutes to fill out an index card where they can tell you what they liked best about the class, what they didn't understand, what they could use more time on.
• Make a concept map. This can help students to see how ideas relate to each other and can also help them see which ideas are major and which are subordinate.
• Explain the "why" of what you do. Discuss why you consider a particular concept especially important, why you give a specific assignment, why you present material in a certain way. Let students know that you think about what you are doing and that you expect the same from them.
• Encourage critical thinking about the course material. Ask questions that require analysis, synthesis, or comparison. Push for students to evaluate ideas and to reason out their opinions. The habit of thinking critically will enable students to understand concepts more deeply and will help them to see when their understanding is faulty, making it more likely that they will ask for help before, rather than after, an exam.
• Introduce the idea of meta-cognition. This means thinking about thinking, for example, being aware of how you work out a problem. As students become more aware of their own thought processes they can then make more effective use of critical thinking skills.
• Provide guides to assigned readings. This will help students appreciate the level of understanding you expect of them.
• Give short written assignments during class. Even a paragraph can tell you a great deal about how students are dealing with the course material or with a reading assignment.
• Use effective assessments. If you are not happy with test results, make sure that the problem is not with the test; make sure that it is effectively assessing what you want it to assess.
• Relate concepts to each other. Help students to see how ideas fit together; this makes concepts easier to understand.

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