teaching tips

Authors: James M. Emig, Ph.D., CPA, Villanova University; Robert P. Derstine, Ph.D., CPA, West Chester University and Thomas J. Grant, Sr., M.B.A., CMA, Kutztown University To help students truly understand (rather than memorize), we have used our combined 100+ years of teaching experience to develop some “tricks and techniques” for the Variable Costing topic in Managerial Accounting courses. We have found it effective to initially present material in a “simplified manner,” along with some visual props, designed to help students understand the concepts and proceed from that basis to the more difficult material later in the course. This article is Read More…

By now, you know that all students are unique and have their own learning preferences and strengths. You can adapt your teaching strategies to meet these needs, including the needs of students with learning disabilities. It’s vital for all instructors to become familiar with the types of learning disabilities in order to help facilitate a positive learning experience. Try these tips for expanding your teaching methods to be inclusive of all learning types.

Approach each student as an individual

Students with learning disabilities are the largest group of students with disabilities. Some of the many disabilities include difficulty in writing or reading, Read More…

Although it can be a challenge to convince college students to complete their reading assignments, just reading them isn’t enough. To really get the benefit of reading, students need to employ critical thinking skills. We cannot expect that all of our students possess these skills and know how and when to use them. Reading requires skills that have to be learned, and college-level reading requires additional skills to create student success. Here are some teaching tips to help your college students improve their critical thinking skills.

Reading textbooks

What exactly is reading, and what does it mean to read a Read More…

Even when students choose to write on a topic that interests them, they may still experience the frustration of writer’s block. They may deal with the frustration by spending too much time researching and then run out of time when it comes to writing and revising their work. As instructors with advanced degrees, we’ve written more papers than we care to count. It’s easy to forget that our students are still neophytes when it comes to academic writing. What can we do to help students complete their writing assignments more effectively?

Reasons for writer’s block

Some people are procrastinators by Read More…

As a college student, you quickly learn that there are good habits and bad ones. Unfortunately, sometimes you may need help learning how to translate tips for success into your study habits. Read on for help setting priorities along with other tactics to improve your college experience.

Good habits for college students

When setting priorities, there are three main things all college students should remember: Don’t put yourself in an impossible situation. Prioritize which classes are most important, use your time wisely to create success, and plan for two hours of studying for every hour of class.
Be sure to define priorities. Read More…

Do you work toward facilitating active learning strategies in your college lectures? College students may feel disengaged in a large lecture hall, so rather than lose your audience, consider using active learning methods, which are more effective in helping students retain material than straight lectures. Here are some tips for college and university lecturers to keep students engaged.

Use active learning during lectures

Active learning helps develop problem solving, motivation for learning, and attitude for learning. According to Wilbert J. McKeachie and Marilla Svinicki in the book McKeachie’s Teaching Tips, 14th Edition: “The way students process verbal material Read More…

It’s the end of another year, and from STEM education to augmented reality, we’ve had the pleasure of covering a lot of great topics! Now we’re taking time to look back at 2016’s most-read, most-shared, and most-discussed posts at the Cengage blog. As you wind down from fall semester, see what trended the best this year:

Highlights of 2016 from the Cengage blog

1. Great Icebreakers for the College Classroom

We asked Cengage’s Faculty Partners: “What’s your favorite ‘icebreaker’ and how do you use it in class?” Whether you teach in a classroom or in the online environment, we believe you’ll find Read More…

When you’re creating a course, how do you determine the goals for your college students to reach by the end of the semester? Creating learning outcomes gives you a tool by which to tailor your student assessment, measuring their aptitude against the initial purpose of the course. Writing student learning outcomes can be a challenge, and there are several different ways to look at this tool. Consider some of these ideas as you evaluate your students’ learning.

Assessment and learning outcomes

Assessment of college student academic performance can be easily summed up as you determine if your students have learned Read More…

College students are increasingly part of a digital world, and moving some of the traditional course requirements into an online environment can be a benefit to your class. One of the options for a digital adaptation of a traditional project is the online presentation. Additional guidelines are necessary when considering how to take a traditional presentation from the in-person to the digital sphere. To add this type of project to your teaching strategies, consider the following tips.

Challenges to online presentations

According to Ryan Watkins and Michael Corry in E-Learning Companion: A Student’s Guide to Online Success, fourth edition, Read More…

Time management is your ability to plan and control how you spend the hours in your day to accomplish your goals. It helps to have strategies to be successful in managing one’s time. The strategies that worked well for students in high school may, however, fall short in meeting the obligations of college life. Classes, group work, study, and jobs now compete for the limited hours in a semester. The sooner that college students learn to adjust their time management skills, the better their chances of success.

Understanding college students’ challenges

In the spring of 2015 Cengage issued its Read More…