I hope that this inaugural issue of Considering Teaching & Learning finds you well.  As I indicated in my email earlier this week, I will be sending you weekly updates throughout the school year with two purposes: 1)  to share some of the most thoughtful research and best-practices from the education communities and 2) to create a shared space for communication about teaching and learning at Yale.  This week, I’ve attached what I hope is a provocative article by Kirschner & Merrienboer (2013) entitled, “Do learners really know best?  Urban legends in education.”  I imagine it might challenge some of what you thought you knew about college students’ learning - it certainly challenged my thinking.

Please do not feel as though you need to respond to me. These issues and their content are for you to use as you see fit. You might also see someone on the distribution list whom you might want to contact; as a new Yale community member myself, I am always grateful when I recognize someone or have the opportunity to get to know someone’s work better.

That said, do not hesitate to contact me about the information I send via this mechanism or about any matter regarding teaching and learning.  The art and science of teaching remains the most difficult and rewarding endeavor in which I participate.  I am delighted to have such dedicated colleagues join me in that work and in the President’s ongoing goal of making Yale the research university most committed to teaching and learning.  

With warm regards,

Nancy

Nancy S. Niemi, Ph.D.
Director, Faculty Teaching Initiatives