Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

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.

Using Data To Enhance College Teaching: Course And Departmental Assessment Results As A Faculty Development Tool, Catherine M. Wehlburg

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This article highlights the need for using assessment of student learning outcomes data to guide reaching-related farolty development decision-making. Literature on the topic suggests that using assessment results to inform faculty development discussions makes better use of both the assessment data and the time spent in faculty development. Feedback and consultations regarding feedback seem to be important variables in determining if changes in teaching will occur. Types of assessment data that may especially inform reaching-related conversations are discussed.

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.

Documenting The Educational Innovations Of Faculty: A Win–Win Situation For Faculty And The Faculty Development Center, Phyllis Blumberg

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Compiling faculty members’ teaching innovations into an annual campus-specific publication allows others to learn about these ideas and adapt them. This chapter will describe 1) the process used to develop such a Document of Innovation, 2) the types of innovation abstracted, and 3) this document’s impact on an institution. A dissemination process including individual meetings with campus leaders provides greater visibility for the Teaching and Learning Center and the featured faculty. An analysis of time annual publications yield comprehensive data about the campus’ faculty, their innovative teaching trends, and describes the current teaching climate on the campus.

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 …

Playing Well With Others: Academic Development As A Team Sport, Nancy Van Note Chism

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

An important first step to attacking significant institutional problems is working across the organizational silos that encompass campus units. This chapter draws upon an experience in collaboration through which an academic development center chose to partner with a variety of campus units to address a vexing problem facing many campuses: unacceptable rates of first-year student retention. The chapter then goes beyond the case to identify the kinds of collaborations that can be created to treat other pressing academic issues and highlight characteristics of successful collaborations that academic development centers can initiate or join.

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 …

Mathematical Disabilities In Elementary School Children, Teresa Oettinger Montani Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A pilot study was conducted with the lowest performing sixth grade students in two classes in an urban environment. The nine students participating in this pilot study had been performing below grade level for at least two years despite the provision of supplemental services. With direct instruction, slower pace of instruction, mnemonics, math charts, manipulatives, and metacognitive strategies, gains were noted in the students’ performance. Pretest and posttest measure were administered and the results revealed modest gains in calculations and basic fraction knowledge with significant improvement noted with math fluency. The strategies used are known to both general and special …

Serving Students Through Multiple Learning Community Models, Howard N. Shapiro

Scholarly Publications

The learning communities program at Iowa State University began in the early 1990s as a localized effort of some faculty and staff and has grown into a thriving multiple-model program that enrolls approximately half of the first-year class. Currently, students are enrolled in a wide variety of learning communities, from those designed for specific academic majors to general residential programs. In the 2002-2003 academic year, 2,139 students participated in 46 communities organized into 119 teams. Assessments indicate that learning communities at Iowa State provide students with myriad academic and social benefits. All these communities hold in common an interest in …

Graduate Bulletin, 2004-2006 (2004), Minnesota State University Moorhead

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Book Review: From Disrupter To Achiever: Creating Successful Learning Environments For The Self-Control Classroom, Helen Senu-Oke Ed. S.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Levin and Shanken-Kaye have written a text, “From Disrupter to Achiever”, a major contribution to the literature focusing on how to provide positive intervention in a disruptive classroom. The book is presented to the reader as a new model that challenges traditional beliefs and approaches about behavior management in the classroom. The authors focused on how to create a successful learning environment by promoting positive behavior through respectable interaction between teacher and student with the aim of developing student responsibility.

The purpose of the new model introduced by Levin and Shanken-Kaye, is to inculcate in students, the importance of personal …

Multilevel Assessment And Nondiscriminatory Use Of Results In Planning Individual Education Placements And Plans For Learners With Disabilities, A. Sandy Parsons Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A multilevel approach to fair and accurate assessment and diagnosis of a learner’s disabilities and the use of this information for determining Individualized Educational Placements and the creation of effective Individualized Education Programs for children based upon diagnosis and assessment data will be presented. These assessment levels address the various areas of child ability, the individual’s performance across various situations and environments, and the use of multiple measures that vary in degree of formality, construct/content, and style of administration. Examples of this multilevel approach and their use will be provided for later discussion.

Nondiscriminatory methods for interpretation and use of …

Inclusion Literature: Ideas For Teachers And Teacher Educators, Sharon A. Hollander Psy. D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Inclusion is certainly a wonderful idea. Sadly, it does not happen by itself. In reality, teachers are responsible for making inclusion work in the classroom. Every day, inclusive educators are faced with the significant challenge of creating a classroom environment where all children are accepted. Children’s literature can play an important role in this effort.

Teachers' Reflective Perceptions On Professional Learning As Influenced By Leadership Practices, Debra Jo Sheard

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Historical Investigation Of Education Quality Based On Kuhn's Theory Of Paradigm Shifts, Thomas Wright

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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