Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors

by Linda B. Nilson and Linda B Nilson

Book Overview

Teaching at Its Best This third edition of the best-selling handbook offers faculty at all levels an essential toolbox of hundreds of practical teaching techniques, formats, classroom activities, and exercises, all of which can be implemented immediately. This thoroughly revised edition includes the newest portrait of the Millennial student; current research from cognitive psychology; a focus on outcomes maps; the latest legal options on copyright issues; and how to best use new technology including wikis, blogs, podcasts, vodcasts, and clickers. Entirely new chapters include subjects such as matching teaching methods with learning outcomes, inquiry-guided learning, and using visuals to teach, and new sections address Felder and Silverman's Index of Learning Styles, SCALE-UP classrooms, multiple true-false test items, and much more. Praise for the Third Edition of Teaching at Its BestEveryone--veterans as well as novices--will profit from reading Teaching at Its Best, for it provides both theory and practical suggestions for handling all of the problems one encounters in teaching classes varying in size, ability, and motivation."--Wilbert McKeachie, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, and coauthor, McKeachie's Teaching TipsThis new edition of Dr. Nilson's book, with its completely updated material and several new topics, is an even more powerful collection of ideas and tools than the last. What a great resource, especially for beginning teachers but also for us veterans "--L. Dee Fink, author, Creating Significant Learning ExperiencesThis third edition of Teaching at Its Best is successful at weaving the latest research on teaching and learning into what was already a thorough exploration of each topic. New information on how we learn, how students develop, and innovations in instructional strategies complement the solid foundation established in the first two editions."--Marilla D. Svinicki, Department of Psychology, The University of Texas, Austin, and coauthor, McKeachie's Teaching Tips

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470401044
• ISBN13: 9780470401040
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 375 Pages
• Weight: 2.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.4" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Don't Teach Without It!

Dr. Linda B. Nilson has spent a good part of her professional career in higher education speaking, writing, and teaching about how to be an effective college instructor. Her latest contribution to that effort, Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors, 2nd Edition, may be the most comprehensive work to date on the subject. This is a "real world" book about teaching at the college level. Written in a comfortable 2nd person style, it takes a would-be instructor through all the steps from preparing to teach to evaluating how effective the instruction has been. The discussion on understanding different learning styles and using appropriate teaching strategies to reach diverse learners is straight forward and easy to understand. In her preface to the book, Nilson says that "Like the first edition, this revision is designed primarily for use in colleges and universities with high standards of instructional excellence". Believe it - and don't teach without it!

teaching at the college level

If you are teaching at the college-level or higher, this book is full of great ideas on everything from setting the tone in the first class to assessing students. Making your classes ones they look forward to attending.

A must-have!

This is a must-have book for college faculty. I use it to assist new faculty in developing their teaching abilities and I found many good ideas to improve my syllabus, enhance classroom interactions and help in creating an effective program for evaluating teacher effectiveness. My only complaint is that it is hard to get--too bad that such a valuable resource can't come via overnight express!

Outstanding collection of practical tips and techniques

Linda has done an excellent job of compiling and explaining some of the best available techniques for teaching and survival as a professor in the modern university environment. The text is highly readable and extremely practical. I have taught for 24 years in a variety of colleges and each time I open the book I find something new to try.

Great, useful book for teachers.

This book is a great resource for teachers in general and college profs in particular. It presents solid, innovative pedagogical ideas in a practical context. My copy is becoming worn out from nearly constant use.