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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 …

Engaging Students In The Agricultural Education Model: Factors Affecting Student Participation In The National Ffa Organization, B. Allen Talbert, Mark Balschweid

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of engagement of agricultural education students in the FFA, their agricultural education courses, their high school courses, and agriculture. This descriptive study using self-administered mailed questionnaires had a 52% useable response rate from FFA members and a 63% useable response rate from nonmembers. Members of the National FFA Organization more than non-members had a higher percentage that were current or former 4-H members, a higher percentage that had parents or siblings who were in agricultural education or 4-H, and a higher percentage self-reported that they lived on a farm. A …

Critical Geography And The Real World In First-Year Writing Classrooms, Matthew I. Feinberg

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

By helping students confront the ideologies that shape their physical and cultural experiences, critical geography in first year writing classrooms may be one means of collapsing the perceived distance between the classroom and the "real world."

Analyzing Dominant Cultural Narratives Of Religious Pluralism: A Study Of Oprah.Com, Patricia Webb, Zach Waggoner

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This essay analyzes Oprah.com, the website for multimedia mogul Oprah Winfrey, to examine the tensions between dominate religious ideologies and pluralism in America.

Connecting, Helen Walker, Joanne Katzmarek, Steven L. Vanderstaay, Irwin Ramirez Leopando, Christopher Sweet, Howard Wolf

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

JoAnne Katzmarek—Thoughts Like Flying Grouse

Steven L. VanderStaay—I'm With You, Huck

Irwin Ramirez Leopando—A Moment of Connections

Christopher Sweet—The Brightening Glance

Howard Wolf—Personal Teaching

Jaepl, Vol. 10, Winter 2004-2005, Kristie S. Fleckenstein, Linda T. Calendrillo

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Essays

Lynn Z. Bloom. The Seven Deadly Virtues.

The university stifles most creative writers except the most intrepid—even reckless, the good along with the bad—in the process of teaching them to write according to the conventions of the academy in general, and their specific disciplines in particular.

David L. Wallace. Shallow Literacy, Timid Teaching, and Cultural Impotence.

Any attempt to move to a deeper notion of literacy in our theory and pedagogy must—among other things—involve us facing our own self interest and expecting disruption in our own classrooms, departments, and universities.

Roben Torosyan. Listening: Beyond Telling to 'Being' …

The Seven Deadly Virtues, Lynn Z. Bloom

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

The university stifles most creative writers except the most intrepid—even reckless, the good along with the bad—in the process of teaching them to write according to the conventions of the academy in general, and their specific disciplines in particular.

Listening: Beyond Telling To “Being” What We Want To Teach, Roben Torosyan

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

In response to a culture of polarized argument, this paper shows a way to provide people with practice at deep listening and understanding. The author examines ways in which self-disclosure about problems of dialog may be an ideal means for teachers or leaders to show people alternate ways of being in the world of meaning making.

Image Into Word: Glimpses Of Mental Images In Writers Writing, Hildy Miller

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This essay uses thought samples and interviews to show ways writers use mental imagery in non-creative writing task.

Front Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Editors' Message

At Risk: Teaching and Writing Outside the Safety Zone

In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education released its damning indictment of American education. In the opening sentence of the report, the authors announce: "Our Nation is at risk." National prosperity, security, and civility are being "eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity" resulting from the failures of our schools and colleges.

Within this context "risk," defined by Webster's as "the possibility of suffering loss," is something to be avoided, or, if that is not possible, something to be managed. Thus, children struggling for success in school …

Critical Thinking Skills And Emotional-Response Discourse: Merging The Affective And Cognitive In Student-Authored Texts Through Taxonomy Usage, Ed Comber

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This essay discusses a taxonomy designed to help students identify emotive-response discourse in their evolving texts, a process that joins emotion and cognitive to foster critical thinking.

Shallow Literacy, Timid Teaching, And Cultural Impotence, David L. Wallace

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Any attempt to move to a deeper notion of literacy in our theory and pedagogy must—among other things—involve us facing our own self interest and expecting disruption in our own classrooms, departments, and universities.

Reviews, W. Keith Duffy, Elizabeth Vander Lei, Marian Maccurdy

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Reviews

W. Keith Duffy. Memoirs of Soul: Writing your Spiritual Autobiography. (Nan Phifer, 2002).

Elizabeth Vander Lei. A Communion of Friendship: Literacy, Spiritual Practice, and Women in Recovery. (Beth Daniel, 2003).

Marian MacCurdy. Writing To Save Your Life. (Michele Weldon, 2001).

Back Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

No abstract provided.

Triangulating Faculty Needs For The Assessment Of Student Learning, D. Lynn Sorenson, Timothy W. Bothell

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

To enhance assessment of student learning, the Brigham Young University (BYU) Faculty Center undertook a needs assessment to guide new initiatives. Researchers reviewed results from the National Survey of Student Engagement and an earlier BYU faculty survey. In addition, they conducted a qualitative study with faculty and administrators. The qualitative study can serve as a model for other faculty developers considering new initiatives. The findings raised thought-provoking issues for faculty development, particularly faculty readiness. As a result of this research, the center bolstered current services and developed new ones to support the assessment of student learning.

Foucault And The Practice Of Educational Development: Power And Surveillance In Individual Consultations, Peter Felten, Diandra Little, Allison Pingree

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

A common goal of educational development is to create a neutral, “safe” place for clients in individual consultations. Such an approach, while well intentioned, obscures the multifaceted web of power threading through and around our work. Using Michel Foucault’s theories of sovereign and disciplinary power, we trace the forms that power can take in specific types of consultations (small group instructional diagnosis, course evaluations, and videotape). While power is always “dangerous,” it is less likely to be damaging if we are conscious of its presence and impact—and of our own participation in its complexity.

Approaching Faculty Development Support From The Grassroots: Establishment Of An Innovative, Formal, Untenured Faculty Organization, Ellen N. Junn, Ellen Kottler, Jacqueline K. Coffman, Pamella H. Oliver, Fred Ramirez

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter describes an innovative faculty support program designed for untenured faculty and full-time lecturers. Working closely with members of the administration, untenured faculty and full-time lecturers established and created a voluntary, formal, cross-departmental faculty organization called the ULO (Untenured Faculty and Full-Time Lecturer Organization). The ULO has formal bylaws, elected officers and a mission that initiated activities all designed to support junior faculty and full-time lecturers within the college. Even within its initial year, this organization offered a significant variety of meaningful support activities with positive outcomes. The activities include formation of a Research Writing Workgroup, workshops on the …

Effective Peer Evaluation In Learning Teams, Debbie Williams, Doug Foster, Bo Green, Paul Lakey, Raye Lakey

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Evaluating student performance in learning teams is challenging. This chapter reviews the student learning team and peer evaluation literature. The authors share the results of their experience using four rubrics for peer evaluation in student learning teams. Student learning teams involve forming students into teams for the semester to enhance their active learning. A portion of the course grade is dedicated to team quizzes, activities, and projects. The authors conclude that peer evaluation data should be used both formatively and summatively to enhance team cohesion and accountability and provide their preferred rubric for the peer evaluation process. Usage of forced …

An International Perspective On Assessing Group Projects, Deborah Willis, Barbara J. Millis

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The value of group work for enhancing learning is well documented. However, to maximize the impact of group work on student learning, faculty should carefally consider course design and assessment. This chapter draws on research, policy, and practice from the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to emphasize the importance of adopting an integrated approach to group work through careful planning. Guidelines emphasize ways to provide for the responsive, responsible assessment of group projects.

The Hesburgh Certificate And Portland State University's Faculty Development Approach To Supporting Service Learning And Community–University Partnerships, Kevin Kecskes, Amy Spring, Devorah Lieberman

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Service learning now has a prominent home in hundreds of diverse campuses across the nation. Developing service-learning expertise and other community-campus partnership enhancement strategies for faculty requires innovation. Recently, Portland State University’s Center for Academic Excellence received the Theodore M. Hesburgh Certificate of Excellence for Community-University Partnerships. This chapter outlines the center’s three-tiered approach to supporting and sustaining civic engagement practices that are sensitive to individual needs on campus and in the community, while also working toward ongoing departmental and institutional transformation.

Preface, Volume 23 (2004), Sandra Chadwick-Blossey

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Preface to volume 23 (2004) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, by Sandra Chadwisk-Blossey of Rollins College.

Transforming The Environment For Learning: A Crisis Of Quality, Lion F. Gardiner

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter addresses academic leaders and summarizes research findings on the conditions needed to produce learning and student development in higher education at the level required by society, and our relative success in doing this. It attempts to make clear the urgency for change that exists in the way in which we conduct our educational affairs. It describes the causes of less-than-optimal learning, outlines 10 key elements for effectively managing learning in complex institutions, presents eight steps required to lead a successfull transformation in an institution or unit, and provides resources with detailed information and guidance.

The Institutional Change Agency: The Expanding Role Of Academic Support Centers, Robert M. Diamond

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Higher education is going through significant changes stimulated by the rapid growth of the internet, tht increasing globalization of hightr education, and the ever-pressing question of institutional quality. New modts of educational dtlivery through virtual networks art breaking the traditional mold of instructional provision. New players, new pedagogies, and new paradigms are redefining higher education. The rules art changing, and there is increased pressure on institutions of higher education to evolve, adapt, or desist.

Is The Thrill Gone? An Investigation Of Faculty Vitality Within The Context Of The Community College, Cathie J. Peterson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This single institutional case study investigated faculty vitality within the context of the community college by answering the following research questions: What are the characteristics of vital faculty within the community college? What effect does the environment have on faculty vitality? What do the vital faculty do to maintain their vitality? Qualitative research methods were employed to study the lives of the faculty within their naturalistic setting, thereby giving voice to the vital community college faculty.

A Vision Beyond Measurement: Creating An Integrated Data System For Teaching Centers, Kathryn M. Plank, Alan Kalish, Stephanie V. Rohdieck, Kathleen A. Harper

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Assessing the work of teaching and learning centers is crucial to maintain the support of our institutions; however, collecting and interpreting the right data can be a challenge. This chapter explores practical strategies for integrating assessment into daily work flow in order to generate information that accurately measures our impact, helps others understand and value our work, and enables us to improve what we do, without creating a major “add-on” task. We discuss ways to measure, track, and report work, and share means to use data for both summative and formative purposes that we hope will make the work of …

Junior Faculty Participation In Curricular Change, Judi Hetrick

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Participation in curriculum change can be both a necessity and a professional landmine for junior faculty members. They do not, however, have to choose between sitting on the sidelines or sacrificing young careers by working for large-scale change. This chapter presents the elements of successful curriculum change, roles junior faculty can play, and roles they should avoid—or accept with caution.

Faculty Development In Community Colleges: A Model For Part–Time Faculty, Mary Rose Grant

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Historically, part-time faculty have not received the same development opportunities as fall-time faculty. This study surveyed current practices in faculty development for both full-time and part-time faculty in 232 public two-year colleges throughout the United States. Over 90% reported that they had a formal faculty development program for both faculty cohorts, funded with 1%–5% of their operating budgets. About one half of the colleges designated a faculty development coordinator, used needs assessment to determine program content, and evaluated program outcomes. Results of this study were used to design a generic model for part-time faculty development.