Small Teaching

Small Teaching provides research-based strategies for implementing minor changes in college teaching that can create substantial learning gains. The book focuses on interventions that require minimal preparation and can be integrated into existing course structures. Lang organizes the concepts into three main categories: knowledge, understanding, and inspiration. Each chapter introduces cognitive principles and teaching techniques through real classroom examples and practical applications. The text draws from cognitive psychology, learning science, and classroom studies to demonstrate how small modifications to teaching practices can impact student retention and engagement. Examples span multiple disciplines and contexts within higher education. The book argues that transformative educational change need not require complete course overhauls or massive pedagogical shifts. Through incremental adjustments and evidence-based techniques, faculty can enhance learning outcomes while maintaining their core teaching approaches.

Readers describe Small Teaching as a practical guide for implementing small, research-based changes to teaching practices. The book's bite-sized techniques appeal to busy educators who want actionable steps rather than theoretical frameworks. Likes: - Clear examples and case studies - Research citations support each technique - Quick implementation strategies - Useful for both new and experienced teachers - Concrete ways to measure impact Dislikes: - Some techniques feel obvious or commonsense - Higher education focus limits K-12 applicability - Repetitive explanations in places - Research citations can interrupt flow Ratings: Goodreads: 4.17/5 (1,489 ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (438 ratings) Notable reader comments: "Offers real changes I could make the next day in class" - Goodreads reviewer "Could have been condensed into a shorter book" - Amazon reviewer "The research backing makes this more credible than typical teaching advice" - Goodreads reviewer

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📖 James M. Lang developed many of his teaching strategies while working with faculty at Assumption College, where he directed the Center for Teaching Excellence 🎓 The term "small teaching" was inspired by the "small ball" strategy in baseball, where teams focus on incremental advances rather than dramatic plays 🧠 The book's core principles are supported by cognitive psychology research, particularly studies on how the brain processes and retains new information ✏️ Lang wrote the book after realizing that many professors couldn't implement complete course overhauls, but needed practical techniques they could use immediately 🏆 The book spawned a series, including "Small Teaching Online" by Flower Darby and "Small Teaching with Technology" by Michelle D. Miller, extending Lang's principles to different learning environments