‘Don’t Be Scary,’ Higher Ed Teacher Urges Professors in His New Book
Joshua Eyler, Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Rice University, has some advice for teachers: “Don’t Be scary.” Eyler in his soon-to-be-published book, “How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories Behind Effective College Teaching,” uses scientific insights to give nuanced teaching tips. A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education highlights five takeaways from Eyler’s book, including: “Don’t Be Scary,” or encouraging professors to be more approachable to facilitate learning; “Use Group Work Wisely,” or putting students into groups of five to encourage collaborative learning; and “Don’t Lecture Too Long,” or finding opportunities to use short lectures and more engaging activities to draw students into the material. Eyler commented on the latter in a recent Inside Higher Ed op-ed.
