Division of Student Affairs

Observation Report by Gang Liu

Describe the academic setting that you observed. Include the professional's role in this setting. What were the goals for this class or laboratory? Were the goals accomplished?

I observed a Civil Engineering class on Oct. 27. The goal of the class is to continue the study at Analysis of stress and strain, one part of this course. The professional's role in this setting is to introduce the new concept and answer the questions about the content at the last class. The goals were accomplished completely.

Describe the instructional strategies that enhanced the class or laboratory that you observed. Consider the degree of involvement and interaction that the students had with each other and the professional.

I summarize nine points of instructional strategies that enhanced the class.

1. The instructor reminded students the content of the last class, so that they can remember the materials thoroughly.
2. The instructor encouraged students to ask questions.
3. Introduce the materials from easy to hard and explain why we should know the result and the function of maximum stress.
4. The instructor went into details about how to get the maximum and minimum value of stress
5. The instructor gave some examples of how to get the solution so that the students can understand clearly and easily.
6. The instructor gave some figures to help the students to have an imagine of what they have learned.
7. Comparing the results from mathematical method and graphical method can give deep impression on how powerful of graphical method, which is more easily to carry on.
8. The instructor gave a sheet of summary of the lecture. It is a great strategy to help the study.
9. Finally, being a professional teacher, Dr. X gave some stress on the point where the students should concentrate on.

Discuss what you have learned from this observation that you would like to include in your own repertoire of instructional strategies.

I will use as many strategies as Dr. X's in my own repertoire of instructional strategies. I can use the strategies I mentioned before to visualize the conclusion and help the student to understand how and why we should do.

Open-ended response - please use this question to add information not covered in the other three questions.

I learned a lot of things from this observation and I am sure that all these things will benefit me in the future TA's periods. Most of all, I knew that student's reaction to different method and we must change our method all the way to keep attract them such as hearing, seeing and understanding.