No Seminar

Understanding Intellectual Growth: Applying Perry’s Scheme to Support Metacognition
(Subhadip Chowdhury, UChicago)

Abstract: As educators, we understand that guiding students' intellectual growth goes beyond delivering content—it involves nurturing their ability to reflect on how they learn. Yet, metacognition doesn’t come naturally for many students, especially when they hold unspoken beliefs about knowledge and their roles in the classroom that limit their engagement. Perry’s scheme of intellectual development offers a framework for identifying these beliefs, which helps us pinpoint students’ positions in their learning journey. In this seminar, we will discuss how recognizing these stages can inform our teaching strategies and enable us to foster metacognitive growth more effectively. We’ll conclude with an interactive classification of effective classroom practices, aligning them with different levels of Perry's scheme!

Exam Workshop
(facilitated by Sarah Ziesler and Beniada Shabani)

Abstract: This workshop is geared in particular to instructors designing exams for a course for the first time, such as fourth-year GSLs teaching in the 150s and Dickson instructors. How do you come up with questions? How do you know what the right length is? What are common pitfalls? We will discuss all aspects of exam writing and will also have some sample exams for the Math 150s, 160, 180s and Math 203.

How I designed my teaching model to align with my teaching objectives and personal values
(Kale Davies, UChicago)

Abstract: *show black and white clip of traditional lecturing with uninterested students* Has this ever happened to you? If so, then this is an opportunity that you won't want to miss! In this seminar, I'm going to share never-before-seen secrets that will impress your supervisors and skyrocket your student evaluations to heights you never thought possible (*they* want you to believe that 5 is the highest score, don't be fooled). But don't take my word for it, consider this testimony from a former student: "Yeah, he's okay I guess". Coming to this *free* session will give you access to my online course where I share a detailed 5-step process for success, which you'll be able to attend for the low cost of $49.99 a session! But that's not all, one lucky attendee will win themselves a free set of steak knives, so be sure not to miss out on this one-time opportunity.

No Seminar

The effectiveness of multiple-choice questions as an assessment tool
(Beniada Shabani, UChicago)

Abstract: Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are widely used as an assessment tool due to their efficiency in testing knowledge and ease of grading at scale. However, their ability to assess critical thinking, problem solving, and proper understanding of the material remains a point of debate. In the first of two talks, we will explore the benefits, limitations, and the memorial consequences of MCQs, by reviewing a number of studies designed to compare them to constructed response questions. At the end, we will include a discussion on how math anxiety and perfectionism might affect students' performance on MC examinations. In the second talk, we will focus on how to successfully use MCQs in undergraduate mathematics courses.

Multiple-choice questions in undergraduate mathematics classes
(Beniada Shabani, UChicago)

Abstract: This talk is intended as a workshop on how to write multiple-choice questions (MCQs) that effectively assess students' learning in undergraduate math classes. We will first start by introducing a taxonomy for assessment in these classes, which identifies seven components ordered by cognitive level, as well as the nature of mathematical tasks associated with each component. After discussing which components can be successfully assessed using MCQs, we will analyze a number of ill-formulated MCQs, and provide suggestions on how they can be improved. The participants are encouraged to bring examples of MCQs that they have used in their own classes, and share their experiences with this assessment format.

Rethinking grades: How we got here and where we might go next
(Kiki Zissimopoulos, Northwestern University)

Abstract: In this interactive brown-bag session, I will first provide a brief history of grades. We will discuss the purpose of grades and interrogate the effectiveness of current grading systems in achieving those goals. I will share my current approach to grading and elicit ideas from the group on how we all might create more effective grading practices in our courses.

No Seminar