Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Program Planning, Prioritizing, And Improvement: A Simple Heuristic, Peter Felten, Deandra Little, Leslie Ortquist-Ahrens, Michael Reder

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

As educational developers working with multiple constituencies and demands on our time, how can we efficiently and creatively improve our programming and prioritize our efforts? In this chapter, we offer a simple heuristic to prompt quick yet generative examination of our goals or programs in relationship to three key characteristics of effective educa tional development on three different institutional levels. We then describe uses and applications of the tool and reflective process, which allow developers to efficiently gain insight into their work and effectively frame priorities for planning and improvement.

A Consultations Tracking Database System For Improving Faculty Development Consultation Services, Jason Rhode, Murali Krishnamurthi

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The role of the facuity development center in supporting the academic environment of the institution often includes creating or sustaining a culture of teaching excellence, responding to individual faculty members’ needs, and advancing new initiatives in teaching and learning (Sorcinelli, Austin, Eddy, and Beach, 2006). The varied programs, resources, and services offered routinely result from efforts to meet the expressed needs of faculty. While workshops and seminars are effective for introducing new pedagogical approaches or emerging technologies, faculty often have unique questions within specialized contexts that cannot be fully addressed in a large group setting. In such instances, a more …

From Outsiders To Insiders: Graduate Assistant Development At State Comprehensive Universities, Kathleen M. Brennan, Laura Cruz, Freya B. Kinner

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

We assess graduate assistant competency in key skills that employers in and outside of academia value and examine whether these skills are developed in the context of the graduate assistantship (GA) at a specific state comprehensive university. The GAs in our sample rate themselves as competent or very competent on all skills and report their GA experience somewhat influenced or influenced their skill competencies. Furthermore, perception of how one’s graduate assistantship influenced skill compe tency was significantly associated with perceived skill competency level. Based on these findings, we qiscuss distinct gaps that could be addressed to facilitate GA development at …

Using Undergraduates To Prepare International Teaching Assistants For The American Classroom: Development Of Senior Faculty, Warren E. Christian, Brian J. Rybarczyk

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter describes how undergraduates may be used in the training of international teaching assistants (IT As) in three ways: as conversation partners, classroom consultants, and guest instructors. Increasing the contact between undergraduates and international graduate students before they meet in the classroom as students and instructors can benefit each group. After a brief review of the literature that explores the chal lenges IT As face in the American university classroom, we describe the roles that undergraduates may perform in training IT As, explain the benefits to both IT As and undergraduates, and provide a list of best practices for …

Tomorrow's Professor Today: Tracking Perceptions Of Preparation For Future Faculty Competencies, Michael S. Palmer, Deandra Little

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The University of Virginia’s Tomorrow’s Professor Today (TPT) pro gram is a broadly conceived graduate student professional development program designed to facilitate the transition from student to academic professional. Begun in 2005 in response to the recommendations of a number of national reform initiatives, TPT focuses on improving pre paredness in three key areas: teaching, research, and service. We describe the key elements of the program and ongoing assessment efforts. Pre- and postprogram participant surveys from the first eight years show that TPT is improving perceptions of preparedness in twenty-one competencies tracked; follow-up studies support long-term impact.

Student Consultants Of Color And Faculty Members Working Together Toward Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Alison Cook-Sather, Praise Agu

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Through positioning undergraduate students as pedagogical consultants to college faculty, Students as Learners and Teachers is a program that provides reconceptualized "counterspaces" for students and facuity members with whom they work. In our study of the experiences of consultants of color, we found that those students and their faculty partners used program counterspaces to explore links between their lived identities and pedagogical commitments and to share authority and responsibility in developing culturally sustaining pedagogy. In this chapter we report on participants’ experiences in these collaborations and how they legitimate the knowledge of students of color in faculty learning.

Measuring Student Learning To Document Faculty Teaching Effectiveness, Linda B. Nilson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Recent research has questioned the validity of student ratings as proxy measures for how much students learn, and this learning is a commonly accepted meaning of faculty teaching effectiveness. Student ratings capture student satisfaction more than anything else. Moreover, the overriding assessment criterion in accreditation and accountability-that applied to programs, schools, and institutions-is student learning, so it only makes sense to evaluate faculty by the same standard. This chapter explains and evaluates course-level measures of student learning based on data that are easy for facuity to collect and administrators to use.

Mobile App Learning Lounge: A Scalable And Sustainable Model For Twenty-First-Century Learning, Michael H. Truong

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Twenty-first-century learning is increasingly defined by the use of mobile devices and applications. Centers for teaching and learning can help facuity and students acquire greater familiarity and fluency with just-in-time learning using mobile apps by creating informal, inviting, and informative learning spaces on their campuses. This chapter features the Mobile App Learning Lounge (MALL), a low-cost, high impact initiative of a center for teaching and learning at a California research university. Beyond sharing how MALL works, this chapter offers practical suggestions and strategies for replicating a similar ini tiative at other institutions.

Determining Our Own Tempos: Exploring Slow Pedagogy, Curriculum, Assessment, And Professional Development, Peter A. Shaw, Jennifer L. Russell

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Key concepts and values in the Slow Living movement speak to many questions and tensions arising around calls for change in higher educa tion, porous work/life boundaries, rapid developments in technology, concerns about sustainability, and a desire to question assumptions and move beyond tips and tricks to more fundamental issues in curriculum and pedagogy. We propose a framework for Slow learning and teaching that incorporates various trends in curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment with implications for the role of technology and for professional development.

Pedagogical Gamification: Principles Of Video Games That Can Enhance Teaching, Kevin Yee

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Edutainment products have long tried to harness the "fun" quotient of games and video games for education, but the principles of gamification have only recently begun to be better understood and operationalized for business and education. The concepts that underpin successful games can be put to use in online as well as face-to-face classes, resulting in edu cational experiences that have the best of both worlds: a game-based overlay without becoming too technical. This chapter explains the con cepts involved in successful games and provides ideas for translating those principles into practice in the classroom (or online) environment.

The Reacting To The Past Pedagogy And Engaging The First–Year Student, Paula Kay Lazrus, Gretchen Kreahling Mckay

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter investigates the value of the Reacting to the Past pedagogy with regard to engaging first-year students. In recent years, calls to improve student engagement and active learning techniques have grown, and few have been as successful in producing the desired results as Reacting to the Past. This chapter investigates why Reacting is so suc cessful in meeting the goals of high-impact practices that increase student engagement and learning. We also examine how the Reacting pedagogy and first-year seminars encourage problem solving, critical thinking, and writing among students.

Formal And Informal Support For Pretenure Faculty: Recommendations For Administrators And Institutions, Gwendolyn Mettetal, Gail M. Mcguire

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

We analyze interviews from sixty-five faculty and administrators to understand the formal and informal types of support that pretenure faculty use to navigate their way to tenure. By understanding the different types of support that pretenure faculty need, institutions can better address the diverse issues that junior facuity confront when preparing for tenure and can ensure that all candidates receive some type of support. We conclude that institutions need to be intentional about offering both formal and informal support to pretenure faculty at various points in their careers.

Assessing The Long–Term Impact Of A Professional Development Program, Marcia M. Tennill, Margaret W. Cohen

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This study was designed to explore the long-term impact of a year-long facuity development program on participants. Three guiding questions focused the study: In what ways did the program influence the profes sional lives of participants five years after completion? How did the participants integrate those experiences into their professional lives? and What recommendations for best practices in the field of facuity devel opment can be drawn? Donald Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model was the template for this qualitative research. Results indicated that participants retained program learning over time.

Enhancing Vitality In Academic Medicine: Faculty Development And Productivity, Megan M. Palmer, Krista Longtin-Hoffmann, Tony Ribera, Mary E. Dankoski, Amy K. Ribera, Tom F. Nelson Laird

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The prevalence of low satisfaction and increased stress among faculty in academic medicine makes understanding facuity vitality in this field more important than ever before. To explore the contributors to and outcomes of faculty vitality, we conducted a multi-institutional study of faculty in academic medicine (N = 1,980, 42 percent response rate). Faculty were surveyed about climate and leadership, career and life management, satisfaction, engagement, productivity, and involvement in faculty development. Analysis reveals that controlling for other factors, academic medicine faculty who participate regularly in facuity development activ ities are significantly more satisfied, engaged, and productive.

Accessing The Inaccessible : Educational Development And Improvement Programme (Edip) An Extenstion Of The Diamir District Gilgit-Baltistan : A Case Study, Mola Dad Shafa, Haider Fancy

Professional Development Centre, Gilgit

No abstract provided.

Mobile Teaching And Learning In The Classroom And Online: Case Studies In K-12, Michael M. Grant, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

In this chapter, we describe two projects to integrate mobile teaching and learning into K-12 schooling. First, we consider the rationale for increased use of mobile devices with today’s students, and we describe a professional development program to deploy iPads to classroom teachers. Next, we discuss the growth of K-12 online learning, and we describe a project for students enrolled in an online Advanced Placement course was delivered through a mobile learning content management system. Lastly, we discuss some of the lessons learned from these pilot projects and some of the promise and challenges of mobile teaching and learning.

Youth Development And Education In Pakistan : Exploring The Relationship, Dilshad Ashraf, Takbir Ali, Anya Hosain

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper provides a critical examination of the inter-linkages between youth education, development, empowerment, and engagement in Pakistan. Currently, the majority of the population falls within the youth age bracket of 15-24 years. The country stands at a critical juncture, where it can capitalize on this demographic dividend for transformational and sustainable socioeconomic growth. However, this paper argues that there is inadequate intersection and convergence between Pakistan’s national and provincial Education and Youth policy frameworks. An indepth overview of current trends in terms of quality of education and access to and participation in various forms of education programmes indicates that …

In Search Of The Unpredictable: Complexifying The Classroom In The Age Of Globalization, Anne Dalke, Elizabeth Mccormack

Literatures in English Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Development And Validation Of A Domestic Violence Scale Administered To Ged Program Participants To Determine The Effect On Test Performance, Andres Muro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Overwhelming evidence shows that domestic violence is a very serious problem affecting women in the United States. Black et al. (2010) report that approximately 34 million women in the United States, or approximately 30%, have experienced some form of violence including rape, physical, violence, and/or stalking in their lifetimes. Twenty-two percent of the victims have experienced PTSD, 15% have been injured, and 8% have needed medical care. While these statistics show that domestic violence is a serious problem, there are virtually no statistics about the extent to which domestic violence is a barrier to the academic success of Latina immigrant …

Generation On A Tightrope: A Portrait Of Today’S College Student, Tim Arens

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

The Digital Women’S Project At Pepperdine University, Graduate School Of Education And Psychology, Kerri Cissna-Heath, Margaret J. Weber

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

In 2009, a research group was formed at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, to explore the competing narratives of women’s lives as they balance their work activities with the demands of marriage and motherhood. The ultimate goal of this project was to understand the work-life balance issues of women in the workforce. This work is now known as the Digital Women’s Project (Weber, 2011) and has collected over 180 interviews of women to explore themes around work-life balance. This phenomenological analysis utilizes a narrative life-course framework created by Giele (2008) to explore identity, relational style, drive and …

The Great Tradition Of Christian Thinking: A Student’S Guide, Matthew J. Graham, Polly A. Graham

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Cultivating The Spirit: How College Can Enhance Student’S Inner Lives, Jason Bertrand

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Exploring Spirituality As A Research Agenda, Paul Gleason

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The subject of spirituality in higher education is a difficult one to address. Highly diffuse, the term spirituality is attributed to a wide range of activities, beliefs and general dispositions such as humility or a strong sense of purpose (Winterowd, Harrist, Thomason, Worth, & Carlozzi, 2005). As a dependent variable, spirituality is difficult to measure effectively. Recent research has attempted to more carefully measure aspects of spirituality as a distinct construct separate from religiousness or religious activity (Astin, Astin, & Lindholm, 2011). Decades of research indicate that college affects a religious decline and disaffiliation with traditional religious practices. More nuanced …

Thriving In Leadership: Strategies For Making A Difference In Christian Higher Education, Paul Blezien

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Gender Dynamics At A Christian Liberal Arts College, Edee M. Schulze, Anne Becvar, Patricia Hansen, Dayna Taylor

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Research studies in recent decades have described the limiting effects of a “chilly climate” on women’s opportunities within higher educational settings. Additionally, much has been written about how gender role expectations within evangelical Christianity impact women. This study sought to understand the gender assumptions of faculty and students, to explore the impact these assumptions have on gender dynamics in the classroom, and to reveal the educational experiences and aspirations of female students at a Christian evangelical liberal arts college. Further, this study sought to explore whether female students feel they are thriving or merely surviving their college experience. This research …

How Our Students View Gender Roles, Annette Tomal

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Student views of the role of women in the family were compared with results from a National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH). Freshmen and seniors from an evangelical Christian college were surveyed with 498 responses. The college students were more likely to support traditional gender roles than the NSFH respondents. Freshmen (41%) were more supportive of traditional gender roles than seniors (22%). Senior females (71%) were least supportive of traditional gender roles, compared with freshman males (31%). Seniors (35%) were more likely than freshmen (24%) to approve of mothers of preschoolers working full-time. Senior females (43%) were most supportive …

Engaging The Culture, Changing The World: The Christian University In A Post-Christian World, Greg Veltman

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

What The Best College Students Do, Heidi W. Morris

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Nefdc Exchange, Volume 26, Fall 2013, New England Faculty Development Consortium

New England Faculty Development Consortium Exchange

Contents

President's message - Deborah J. Clark,

Peer-Instruction in your Classroom: A Balancing Act - Dorothy A. Osterholt and Sophie Lampard Dennis, Landmark College

Call for Proposals for the Spring 2014 Conference

Spring conference: June 6, 2014, “Moving from STEM to STEAM: What Really Works”

Build Tomorrow’s Problem Solvers Today: Develop Positive Deviants! - Genevieve E. Chandler, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Engaged Learning and the Art of Mindfulness in Higher Education - Yvonne Vissing, Salem State University and Michelle Solloway, Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System

What Can Evolutionary Psychology Teach Us about Pedagogy? - Randy Laist, Goodwin College

Board …