Education Commons^™

Section I: Reconceptualizing The Practice Of Faculty Development

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In his keynote speech at the 1994 POD Conference, William Plater declared that faculty development professionals "by bearing in mind the incredible organizational, social, economic, and technological upheaval that is occurring right now ... have unprecedented opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individual faculty and the viability of whole institutions.'' The authors of the articles in this section provide different perspectives on the practice of faculty development, past, present, and future, and suggest ways that we might adapt our approaches to the changing environment of higher education.

Academic Syndromes Revisited, Robert R. Dove

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This article describes a workshop designed for students and faculty that is based on Herman Blake's research on Academic Syndromes of Minority Students. Blake presented the results of his research at the 1980 POD Conference and what he had to say then has even broader applications now. The workshop explores the roles of Ultimate Doom, Getting Over and Alienation in the lives of our students. The author suggests that this workshop could be an integral part of an effective retention effort for many schools.

Improving Students' Critical Thinking Outcomes: An Process-Learning Strategy In Eight Steps, S. Kay A. Thornhill, Melissa Wafer

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This article describes an eight-step strategy through which students learn to critically analyze situations that they have encountered in their clinical practice. The method was derived from Stephen Brookfield's four components of critical thinking and his suggestions for themes that relate to nursing culturalization. The approach used to develop this model has implications for educators in all fields because it illustrates a method for integrating the learning of critical thinking processes with their real-world applications.

Faculty Development Programs At Research Universities: Implications For Senior Faculty Renewal, Arthur L. Crawley

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This article examines the research findings from that portion of the National Survey on Senior Faculty Renewal which pertains to the faculty development programs available to senior faculty at research universities in support of their career development and renewal. Survey respondents were coordinators and directors of faculty development programs and selected academic affairs administrators with faculty development responsibilities at their respective institutions. In general, the findings reveal a high level of support for the traditional approaches to faculty development for senior faculty in the context of their teaching and research. However, the findings suggest that faculty development approaches that are …

A Special Colloquium On Teaching Excellence To Foster Collegiality And Enhance Teaching At A Research University, James K. Wangberg, Jane V. Nelson, Thomas G. Dunn

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This article describes an annual three-day colloquium on teaching sponsored by the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at the University of Wyoming. Deans and directors nominate participants for the colloquium. Plenary and concurrent sessions are led by a mix of external and internal speakers and panelists. Participants find the greatest benefit to be the collegiality fostered by the event. Consistent support from the president, provost, and deans makes the colloquium highly visible and helps to enhance teaching throughout the university.

Improving Teaching Through Reflective Partnerships, Roy Killen

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The purpose of this paper is to explain how both experienced and inexperienced faculty can improve their teaching and their students' learning through a systematic process of reflecting on their day-to-day teaching by collaborating with a "reflective partner." The suggestions are based on the author's experiences as a teacher, teacher educator and faculty developer, and on the belief that good teachers are those who help students to learn and to achieve their full potential as individuals. The reflective teaching techniques in this paper have a strong focus on the technical aspects of teaching. However, the techniques also provide faculty with …

Teaching And Learning In The Diverse Classroom: A Faculty And Ta Partnership Program, Matthew L. Ouellett, Mary Deane Sorcinelli

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

On most campuses, diversity education and faculty development are separate initiatives. This article describes a new program that successfully combines the two functions by building on methods and practices from both. The program has had beneficial outcomes for individual teachers as well as for their departments.

Reflecting Critically On Our Efforts To Improve Teaching And Learning, Ronald A. Smith

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Donald Schoen, in The Reflective Practitioner, describes how professionals act to solve the problems they have set for themselves. Peter Senge, in The Fifth Discipline, introduces the ideas of "mental models" and "learning horizons" to describe learning in organizations. These ideas form the basis of a critical analysis of efforts to improve the quality of teaching and learning in higher education over the last 25 years. (An earlier version of this paper was presented at the University of North Carolina Conference on Faculty Professional Development: Faculty Vitality Through Faculty Development. Chapel Hill, NC. June 1992)

Family Portrait: Impressions Of A Nurturing Organization, Jon Travis, Lisa Cohen, Dan Hursh, Barbara Lounsberry

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

National conferences and conventions are intended to provide individual development and multiple opportunities to share. The POD Conference offers yet another important feature not common to national educational organizations, instant affiliation.

Teaching Improvement: Disciplinary Differences In Faculty Opinions, Lynnda J. Emery

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Improving teaching and learning at universities where faculty are rewarded primarily for research and scholarly activity is difficult. Faculty opinions about participating in teaching improvement activities at a research university were surveyed. This article presents survey results by college. Faculty opinions about incentives for participating in teaching improvement activities, promotion and tenure criteria, faculty development interests and outcomes for participating are included. Implications for faculty development are discussed

Exploring Student Ratings Through Computer Analysis: A Method To Assist Instructional Development, Robert Lewis

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This paper demonstrates how computer analysis of student ratings can assist professors in instructional development. Student ratings of three courses taught by the author were placed in computer databases and were then manipulated using BASIC programs. The needs of different client groups within a class were considered. Ratings of students who had different professional goals and differing preferences for learning goal structures were compared. The responses of students to nine different procedures within a class were analyzed to study the interaction between enjoyment, challenge, and learning on the class components. The author argues that computer analysis of the raw data …

Section Iv: New Practices

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Two of the current trends in higher education concern the use of technology in teaching and teaching critical thinking. Faculty developers must stay abreast of the applications of new technology in teaching and learning, as well as creative uses for existing technology, in order to help faculty members select and use technology effectively. The first two articles in this section address these issues and provide working examples of applications. The third article describes a method for teaching critical thinking using an eight-step process based on Stephen Brookfield's work.

Editorial Matter 1995

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Ordering Information

Permission to Copy

Instructions to Contributors for the 1996 Volume

Reviewers for the 1995 Volume

Foreword, by Ed Neal

Mission Statement

Membership

Conference and Programs

Contents

List of Contributors

About POD

Credibility: The Crux Of Faculty Development, Margaret M. Morgan, Patricia H. Phelps, Joan E. Pritchard

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Credibility, the quality through which leaders earn the trust and confidence of their constituents, underlies effective faculty development. Drawing upon the work of Kouzes and Posner (1993), this paper examines six practices, or disciplines, by which faculty developers can increase their credibility.

A Quantum Leap In Faculty Development: Beyond Reflective Practice, Donna Qualters

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Quantum theory has introduced a new perspective of looking at reality. This article reviews current theories of reflective practice, discussion, and transformative learning as they apply to faculty development and explores dialogue and quantum theory as the next step in faculty transformation.

Section Ii: Faculty Collaboration And Collegiality

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Several of the articles in the first section refer to the need for faculty developers to provide more opportunities for collegial activities for faculty members, and in his keynote speech William Plater identified collaboration as an important theme for higher education in the 21st century. The authors of the four articles in this section provide models of faculty collaboration to achieve particular development outcomes.

Section Iii: The Changing Student Constituency

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

William Plater suggests that 21st century college students will differ from traditional students in many ways-they will be more diverse in terms of class, race, gender, age, preparation, and expectations. These trends are already upon us, and the articles in this section address different implications of that diversity for faculty development programs.

The Case For Instructional Mentoring, Richard J. Nichols, Beverley T. Amick

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Mentoring to enhance instructor performance in the classroom is the focus of this article. It is directed toward faculty developers conducting or developing a mentoring program, and toward individuals about to enter a mentor-mentee relationship. The article provides a look at mentoring in general, concentrates on what is required of the mentor and the mentee in order to develop teaching talent, and makes a case for the importance of mentor training. A suggested mentor training seminar concludes the article.

Improving Teaching Across The Academy: Gleanings From Research, Ben Ward

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The field of faculty development is at least thirty years old, and although we have learned many things about improving teaching skills during that time, we have not developed many definitive answers to the larger questions of our craft; e.g., how do we raise the status and quality of teaching across an entire institution? This article surveys the research literature to ascertain what we do know about these questions, with the hope that it will stimulate a dialogue among faculty developers that will yield a fuller understanding of these broad issues.

Faculty Development And Changing Environments Of The Urban Campus, Debrah Jefferson, Susan Peverly

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Literature about the urban campus indicates that traditional, full-time faculty who teach and engage in scholarly, creative work, or research may need to shift to more applied and community-oriented service programs. Hence, the role of faculty development is changing because the issues facing the urban university are changing. These changes are prompted by the unique growth and development within the neighborhood of urban-based campuses. Pressure from the communities to make the campuses more community oriented, along with growing concern for the nature and quality of instruction, help foster change. Campus administration concerns about the institution becoming a "good" neighbor by …

Peers Coaching Teaching: Colleagues Supporting Professional Growth Across The Disciplines, Kate Kinsella

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Peer coaching is a highly effective way to encourage professors to talk about teaching in a purposeful manner and to venture from traditional academic practices. However, peer coaching is more complex than it appears at first glance. This article provides background on the coaching process, a description of two basic peer coaching models, and guidelines for selecting and training coaches.

Using Electronic Mail For Teaching And Learning, James M. Hassett, Charles M. Spuches, Sarah P. Webster

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Electronic mail (e-mail) can be a useful educational tool that can enhance learning in any curriculum. This article will provide instructors with a conceptual framework and several examples of how e-mail can be integrated into a variety of classroom and independent learning situations.

Afterword: The 1994 Pod Conference

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

No abstract provided.