Digital Commons Network^™

From Sgid And Gift To Bbq: Streamlining Midterm Student Evaluations To Improve Teaching And Learning, Margaret K. Snooks, Sue E. Neeley, Kathleen M. Williamson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Faculty members want feedback about ways to improve learning. Midterm assessments are more useful than end-of-term student evaluations. Not all institutions provide faculty development consultants. This chapter presents an innovative process appropriate for institutions currently without teaching enhancement centers. The Bare Bones Questions (BBQ) process consists of empathic trained colleagues facilitating students’ evaluative discussions. Students and faculty members are overwhelmingly positive about the process piloted for the past three years. Students’ suggestions can include simple changes in classroom environment or enhanced sensitivity to cultural diversity. BBQ may build intra-institutional collegiality by reducing the isolation of teaching.

Problem–Based Service–Learning: Rewards And Challenges With Undergraduates, Kenneth France

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Students in three Abnormal Psychology sections participated in problem-based service learning (PBSL). Desired learning outcomes included humanizing persons diagnosed with mental health disorders and more fully appreciating challenges experienced by such individuals. Students completing the PBSL projects evidenced decreased negative feelings and increased positive feelings toward consumers of mental health services. According to the community partners, students made valuable contributions to both the organizations and the mental health consumers served by those organizations. Students saw the activity as being challenging and rewarding.

Making Adjunct Faculty Part Of The Academic Community, Karen R. Krupar

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Hundreds of adjunct faculty in four-year colleges and universities teach over 45% of the courses, especially in the general education programs, but few institutions have chosen to construct adjunct faculty development programs that integrate these faculty into the instructional community. Metropolitan State College of Denver, recipient ofa Title III grant to build an adjunct development program received a TIA-CREF Hesburgh Award of Excellence in 2001 for its innovative adjunct support activities. This chapter articulates the features of this successful program and its effect on the adjunct faculty cohort at the college.

Bibliography, Volume 22 (2004)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Bibliography for volume 22 (2004) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

doi: 10.3998/tia.17063888.0022.023

About The Authors, Volume 23 (2004)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

About the authors of articles in volume 23 (2004) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Leading Change: Creating A Culture Of Assessment, Patricia M. Dwyer

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In Leading Change, John Kotter (1996) outlines an eight-step process to effect major organizational change. At Shepherd College, the assessment process that evolved into a culture of assessment mirrors the sttps that Kotter describes. In 1998, Shepherd College found itself in a predicament that many colleges and universities can relate to: slated for an accreditation visit in 2002 with campus assessment efforts stalled at every turn. A new director organized an assessment task force, established a template for assessment plans and reports, and began grassroots education about assessment. Over the four years, a vision that aligned assessment with improving student …

Evidence Of The Transformational Dimensions Of The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning: Faculty Development Through The Eyes Of Sotl Scholars, Connie M. Schroeder

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This analysis began ftom two unlikely starting points: a favorite Marcel Proust quote below that has nothing to do with faculty development, but could, and Pat Hutchings (2000) descriptive quote, “The scholarship of teaching and learning [SoTL]is characterized by a transformational agenda” (p. 8). Do SoTL faculty development programs faster transformation? Is there evidence of a transformational process and transformative learning? The project summaries of eight SoTL scholars were analyzed for evidence of transformation. The evidence for transformation of landscapes of learning, teaching, scholarship, and self are explored ftom SoTL scholars’ perspectives in a faculty development program, providing insight into …

The Roles Of Teaching And Learning Centers, Alan C. Frantz, Steven A. Beebe, Virginia S. Horvath, Joann Canales, David E. Swee

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter shares findings from a survey of teaching and learning centers on college and university campuses in the United States. Topics addressed include organizational infrastructure, assessment and accountability, factors/challenges contributing to successful implementation, and a list of functions and program offerings found in teaching and learning centers across the country.

Looking At Ourselves: The Quality Of Life Of Faculty Development Professionals, Kathleen T. Brinko, Sally S. Atkins, Marian E. Miller

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Responses to a questionnaire revealed that faculty development professionals typically juggle several roles—which they find to be energizing—and typically balance multiple challenges and stressors—which they feel they handle well. These faculty developers are enthusiastic about and, in many cases, sustained by their work because they find opportunities for lifelong learning, professional growth, and meaningful work.

The Hue And Cry Of Campus Climate: Faculty Strategies For Creating Equitable Work Environments, Christine M. Cress, Jennifer L. Hart

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Quantitative and qualitative data from faculty at a large public research university provide contrasting work lift experiences for faculty of color and white faculty. Significant differences are evident regarding teaching and research, institutional priorities, individual goals, job satisfaction, and sources of stress. Specific faculty strategies for creating equitable environments are highlighted.

Exploring The Inner Landscape Of Teaching: A Program For Faculty Renewal, Libby Falk Jones

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

To improve the quality of faculty lift, Berea College developed a yearlong program exploring teaching as a vocation. Sixteen faculty from different departments participated in the series of seven experiential, dialogic sessions. Participants reported experiencing increased empathy and patience, deeper engagement with their work, a stronger sense of community, and encouragement to meet the challenges of being educators.

Achieving A Campus Consensus On Learning–Centered Teaching: Process And Outcomes, Phyllis Blumberg, Everett Justin

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Fifty faculty and staff members attended a consensus conference on learning-centered teaching. Within small groups, participants agreed that 1) this approach develops student responsibility for their learning; 2) a consistently implemented philosophy yields a culture of learning-centered teaching, and 3) graduates of such programs become lifelong learners, self-directing, self-initiating leaders. Not all participants agreed that they could fully implement this method. They emphasized that support by administrators is a prerequisite to making changes in teaching approaches. However, the conference effectively determined levels of agreement and stimulated discussion. Results were consistent with the literature on learning-centered teaching.

Teaching Partners: Improving Teaching And Learning By Cultivating A Community Of Practice, Richard A. Holmgren

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The Teaching Partners Program and its follow-up activities demonstrate that a carefully designed faculty tkvelopment program can shift a campus culture to derive significant, measurable benefits for faculty and students. The program seeks to transform the imtitutional culture from one in which teaching is sequestered behind closed doors to one that supports substantive conversations about both the learning-teaching process and the methods by which that process might best be facilitated. Following Shulman’s (1993) lead, the program opens the doors of the classroom, reenvisions teaching as community property, and nurtures informed and sustaining discussion of teaching.

Whispers And Sighs: The Unwritten Challenges Of Service–Learning, Rona J. Karasik

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Documentation of the benefits of service-learning abound, and published case studies of successful service-learning programs may be found for a variety of disciplines. Faculty new to service-learning, however, are likely to find themselves facing a variety of unexpected challenges. While these challenges are neither insurmountable nor unknown to experienced service-karning practitioners, they can make starting a service-learning program remarkably time-consumingand unnecessarily frustrating. Unfortunately. pitfalls and program flops are rarely published. This chapter forewarns some of the challenges associated with service-learning and offers realistic approaches to dealing with them successfully.

Assessing The Academic And Professional Development Needs Of Graduate Students, Laurie Bellows, Ellen Weissinger

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This article describes the results of a survey that assessed the self-perceived career goals and academic and professional development needs of master’s and doctoral-level graduate students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Both graduate students (n = 440) and graduate program coordinators (n = 23) were surveyed to provide an empirical basis for developing a strategic plan for graduate student academic and professional development activities. Results suggested that doctoral and master’s students express different developmental needs, and that doctoral students’ needs differed at different stages of their academic career. Implications for practice inherent in the survey findings are discussed, and the …

Entertaining Strangers: Providing For The Development Needs Of Part–Time Faculty, Patricia Hanrahan Valley

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

For institutions of higher education that have increasingly relied upon part-time faculty members to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society, the challenge has been to provide adequate preparation and development opportunities for these instructors, many of whom have never taught before. This study investigated the characteristics of the part-time faculty. the extent to which they believed they had been oriented by the institution to assume their teaching roles, and their reported need for selected professional development activities at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Extended Campus, an institution employing more than 2,800 adjuncts. The data provided by the needs assessment were …

Promoting A Sound Process For Teaching Awards Programs: Appropriate Work For Faculty Development Centers, Nancy Van Note Chism

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Examination of a sample of teaching awards programs at colleges and universities in the United States shows that the selection process for most is not based on explicit criteria, evidence that matches the criteria, and announced standards for making judgments about the candidates. If teaching awards programs are to be effective on any level, whether serving as a symbol of institutional commitment, affirming good teachers, or inspiring others to teach well, the quality of their selection process must be credible. This chapter provides recommendations for how faculty development centers can help their institutions to craft a selection process that will …

Color–Coded Course Design: Educating And Engaging Faculty To Educate And Engage Students, Marlene M. Preston

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In a weeklong seminar, “Course Design to Foster Student Engagement and Learning,” faculty created course charts to reflect their various plans for an upcoming semester. With colorful Post-it Notes, they applied theoretical principles of course design. Participating in the kind of active environment they might want to create for students, faculty constructed their charts, rearranged the components to achieve balance across the semester, and discussed the plans with their colleagues. This case study includes the rationale for and description of “Color-Coded Course Design,” a process that allows faculty to recognize and experience the power of an active classroom.

Fostering Diversity In A Faculty Development Organization, Mathew L. Ouellett, Christine A. Stanley

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Since 1994, the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education (POD) has articulated a goal of becoming a more multicultural organization. In support of this goal, POD sponsors two key initiatives: travel and internship grants. This chapter offers an historical overview of the first nine years of these programs, selected perspectives from participants on the individual and organizational benefits of these initiatives, and a context within which to explore how POD is evolving as a multicultural organization and how it may benefit from increased attention to diversity related issues in the future.

A Systematic, Hands–On, Reflective, And Effective (Shore) Approach To Faculty Development For New And Seasoned Faculty, Scott E. Hampton, Craig D. Morrow, Asleah Bechtel, Marjorie H. Carroll

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The purpose of the faculty development program for teaching Introduction to Psychology in this study is to further develop skills for new and seasoned faculty to enable them to teach and inspire students more effectively. This Systematic, Hands-On, Reflective, and Effective (SHORE) approach provides a forum to practice teaching skills, gain familiarity with course material, incorporate classroom management techniques, evaluate teaching effectiveness, and build a cohesive teaching team. Evaluative feedback indicates the approach positively affects both the faculty and 1,100 students annually. Implications for faculty development programs and research are also discussed.

Evaluating The Return On Investment Of Faculty Development, Timothy W. Bothell, Tom Henderson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

How can the return on investment of faculty development be determined? One way to do this is through the application of a highly replicated and reported return on investment (ROI) process. This chapter reviews briefly an ROI process used by organizations throughout the world, a process that has been the basis for over 100 published studies and is the most validated and reported ROI process used for determining the monetary impact of learning. The process utilizes a five-level framework and a step-by-step ROI process model. These components are reviewed in this chapter and an example of return on investment based …

Beyond Bean Counting: Making Faculty Development Needs Assessment More Meaningful, Pamela M. Milloy, Corly Brooke

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Faculty development centers face many challenges including shrinking resources while providing an increasing array of programs and services to enhance learning. Needs assessment can be seen as a valuable tool to help centers focus efforts to meet the most salient needs relevant to the institutional mission. This chapter describes a faculty development needs assessment project that was implemented at a large public institution. Data collected was used to focus programming and guide decision-making. Based upon a presentation at the 2002 POD conference, selected needs assessment findings and their programmatic implications for the center are presented.

The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning: Past Lessons, Current Challenges, And Future Visions, Kathleen Mckinney

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter reviews the complex history of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) including SoTL as a social movement and various conceptualizations of the term. Based on extant work, I also discuss past lessons, current challenges, and future directions for SoTL. Additional theorizing and research are needed in many areas. Suggestions related to faculty and organizational development and change are imbedded in this discussion.

A Faculty Development Program To Promote Engaged Classroom Dialogue: The Oral Communication Institute, Kim M. Mooney, Traci Fordham, Valerie D. Lehr

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The St. Lawrence University faculty development program in oral communication promotes and enhances teaching strategies and philosophies for productive and civil classroom discourse. Started in January 2002, the Oral Communication Institute (OCI) provides a sustained forum in which faculty explore the relationship among oral communication, critical thinking, and deep learning. In addition to creating discourse communities, the OCI affords participants opportunities to develop strategies for interactive, reflective student learning. This chapter addresses the essential components for developing an oral communication institute: clear teaching and learning goals, a deliberate format and curriculum, experiential pedagogy, and opportunities for faculty dialogue and reflection.

Graduate Student Mentors: Meeting The Challenges Of The Ongoing Development Of Graduate Student Instructors, Chris O'Neal, Jennifer Karlin

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Training and mentoring Graduate Student Instructors (GS Instructors) at large institutions presents three challenges to instructional developers: 1) training numerous GS Instructors from multiple departments, 2) the vast array of duties GS Instructors need training in, and 3) the continual sophistication of GS Instructors. Here we describe how the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan has met these challenges through the use of Graduate Student Mentors (GS Mentors). GS Mentors are experienced GS Instructors who are trained to mentor and advise their peers. We discuss how the GS Mentors are selected, trained, and supervised, and how they have …

The Taylor County High School Prom Of 2003, Edward Howard

Perspectives In Learning

Deep in Georgia's agricultural heartland sits the small town of Butler. This town of only 1,900 residents is the county seat for Taylor County, which has a population of only 8,800. Butler appears as the classic example of a rural county seat in the South. Surrounding that are a few dozen pre-war brick buildings that comprise most of the businesses in town. A few pick-up trucks parked at the curb, and some people walking about at a leisurely pace complete the picture of a town where time seems to stand still. Some would say the atmosphere reminds them of the …

Guidance And Counseling Issues In South Africa's Non-Racial Schools, Joyce Hickson, Donna Pascoe

Perspectives In Learning

Guidance teachers and school counselors in non-racial schools in South Africa need to assess the relevance of their services for individuals from different cultures. The importance of providing relevant crosscultural guidance and counseling in school settings has been underscored by numerous empirical studies which indicate that traditional psychotherapy and counseling are often inappropriate for meeting the needs of culturally different clients. Atkinson, Morten, and Sue (1993) assert that despite recognition that cultural diversity requires multicultural rather than monocultural counseling practices, the systematic study of cross-cultural communication only took root in the late twentieth century. Only recently has the term “counseling” …

United Nations: A Social Studies And Literature Simulation, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

So much of education is about inspiration. As teachers and learners, all things poetic, justified, important and meaningful inspire us to be the best people we can be, active and fair in a world changing at awesome speeds and in sometimes, unimaginable ways. This curriculum for gifted learners' grade 5-8, was designed out of a sense of authentic inspiration around just the conceptual magnitude of the phrase, United Nations. Also written about, around, and in response to the events of September 11, 2001, this curriculum reflects only one of the ways in which the field of education has responded to …

The Effect Of Using A Read Aloud Nonfiction Picture Book To Strengthen Fifth Grade Students' Comprehension Of Science Content, Jana Robertson Hammond

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a read- aloud nonfiction picture books would increase fifth grade students' science comprehension as measured by a criterion reference test.

Four questions guided the research in this study:

1. What are the benefits of reading aloud to fifth grade students?

2. According to the Fry Readability graph, what is the readability of the Harcourt textbook used in fifth grade and the readability of the nonfiction picture books chosen for this study?

3. Does the use of a read aloud nonfiction picture book increase fifth grade students' comprehension versus a round-robin instruction …

Ec04-468 When Words Are Used As Weapons: Verbal Abuse (Part 1 Of A Four Part Series), Kathy Bosch

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." Do you remember hearing or saying this when you were a child? How much wiser people become as they mature into adulthood and realize that words can indeed be weapons; words can hurt very much. Why would someone who supposedly loves another say things to make a partner feel sick inside, betrayed and confused? Those who are verbally abused often think they may have caused the abuse or are at fault. Some even believe the terrible things said about them may be true. But they're not. The …