Taming the Content Monster - how to reduce content coverage and make space for student learning in our courses

After participating in this workshop, you will be able to:
Base your decisions about what and how to teach on current research evidence of best practices in higher education
Connect course learning goals to core concepts in your field (also called big ideas, threshold concepts, or enduring understandings) and consider critical skills you want students to take away from your course
Utilize techniques such as backwards planning to reduce the amount of content in your syllabus and ensure the course assessment is aligned with learning goals
Create teaching activities which activate students in their learning

Sara Petchey - PhD

Topic	Credit	Lectors
1. First day: What SHOULD students learn in my course? What is a "content monster" and what does science education research suggest we do about it? Big ideas, core concepts and skills you want students to learn. Backwards design. Desired results of learning. Students' independent work. Instructional approaches to improve students' learning: conceptual change in science	8	Sara Petchey
2. Second day: What ARE students learning in my course? Importance of starting course revisions with the exam. Sorting the semester by time into units of learning inside and outside of class: Keep or chuck content to fit those finite spaces. Constructive alignment. How to ensure students learn sufficiently outside of the classroom (sharing of best practices from participants and outside experts). What instructional approaches improve students' learning? Active learning strategies: Systematic teaching with analogies and why this is not only important but a good way to develop student critical thinking	8	Sara Petchey

The course is free of charge for academics of the University of Tartu, please indicate the University of Tartu as the payer when registering.

Tartu linn Ülikooli 18A, big classroom

Studies and teaching takes place in appropriate classrooms, which have the required teaching equipment and meet the health and safety requirements.

The training will take place on 17.-18.09.2025, both days from 9.15-16.45.

The training will be held in English and is delivered by Dr. Sara Petchey from the University of Zurich. More information about the lecturer can be found here:
https://www.ife.uzh.ch/de/research/niebert/mitarbeitende/petcheysara.html

In order to obtain the certificate, the participant must take part in the learning sessions.

no assessment

Certificate of attendance

16.09.2025

Kaire Uiboleht, kaire.uiboleht@ut.ee, +372 5243435