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University of Wyoming
Jim McClurg and students

GRAD 5910:  Course in College Teaching
 

This course will encourage you to think deeply about your own views on teaching and learning.  The course will provide opportunities for you to learn more about students (we hope your own students!) as well as investigate current teaching and learning issues in your discipline.
 


In an effort to help you become more knowledgeable about learning and
more effective as an instructor, we will provide opportunities to
investigate questions such as

  • How do students learn?

  • What implications do learning theories have for your teaching?

  • What instructional skills and strategies might you need in your repertoire?

  • How can you improve your teaching?

  • What do you need to know about course development and daily planning?

The course is offered by the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning and the Graduate School.  It is taught fall and spring semesters and is listed in the registrar's online catalog in the "Other Programs" category.  This class is scheduled Mondays from 4:10 - 7:00 p.m. and is a three-credit S/U only course.  Enrollment is capped at 25.  The fall 2008 course is held in Engineering 2105.

View the Course Description

View Teaching Resources Submitted by Students of GRAD 5910

Instructors for the course are award-winning University of Wyoming faculty from a variety of disciplines.  Joe Stepans and Ron Beiswenger teach the course in fall 2008.  Ben Roth teaches in spring 2009.  Joe, Ron, and Ben are all recipients of the John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award.
 

Course Instructors - Fall 2008 and Spring 2009

Joe Stepans, Co-Instructor,
Fall 2008

 Joe Stepans is co-teaching the class with Ron Beiswenger.  He earned his B.S. in Physics, M.S. in Physics, and Ph.D. in Science Education.  Joe taught mathematics, physics, chemistry, and physical science to 7-12 graders in Pinedale Wyoming before joining UW as a science and math educator in 1981.  His professional interests include student misconceptions in science and math, professional development for teachers and administrators, and effective instructional strategies. 

Ron Beiswenger, Co-Instructor,
Fall 2008

 Ron Beiswenger, who recently retired from the University of Wyoming’s Department of Geography, is co-teaching the course with Joe Stepans.  Ron taught biology for five years at Muskegon Community College in Michigan before returning to the University of Michigan to earn a PhD in Zoology.  While in grad school he was a teaching assistant in general biology, ecology and biology for teachers.  During his 36 years as a faculty member at UW he served two terms as director of the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center and taught courses in conservation of natural resources, environmental education and science education.

Ben Roth, Instructor,
Spring 2009

 Ben Roth is the class instructor in spring 2009. His life sentence to the University of Wyoming began in 1969. His crimes include subverting traditional forms of instruction, publishing without certified expertise, refusing to wear a tie, and preferring fake news to the real thing. He is currently on parole from UW (via retirement from the Department of Mathematics), but anxious to relapse into his former ways.
 

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