Faculty of Science and Information Technology > Software Engineering

Great Teaching Is Like an Onion

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Nazia Nishat:
I must admit, my comparison of great teaching to an onion was inspired by a quote from the movie Shrek (2001). Shrek told Donkey that “Ogres are like onions.” Now, the math-minded reader might quickly come to the conclusion that, based on the transitive property of equality (if a = b and b = c, then a = c), great teachers are like Ogres, but that is not my point. Rather, my point is that great teaching, like Shrek's personality, has many layers.

One layer of great teaching, and the one that usually comes to mind first, is that great teachers implement best, research-based teaching practices to enhance student learning. One example of a successful, research-based teaching practice is the use of active learning. Active learning transforms students from passive to active learners. As captured by the quote from Chickering and Gamson (1987), “Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just sitting in class listening to teachers, memorizing pre-packaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves” [italics added].
link:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1541-4329.12109/full

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