Transcript Goal of the Teaching College

OHIO STATE
Freshman Engineering Conference
Helping New Faculty Succeed
and
Using Course Revision for
Faculty Development
Bruce Litchfield
University of Illinois
April 20, 2001
Conclusions: The Illinois program has …
• progressed from a course about
teaching to a HR-style program
• benefited students and faculty
• earned broad support
• been personally rewarding
Premise: a disconnect exists
Effort to
recruit faculty
Expectations
of faculty
Support
for faculty
Proposed plan for the next 30 minutes …
• A brief description of new faculty
development, especially at Illinois
• A dialog about “senior” faculty
development:
Q: What can we do for senior faculty?
• Q & A (throughout)
The “Teaching College”
Our primary goal is to
help new faculty members
succeed and excel
in all aspects of their careers,
including executing efficient
and effective instruction
Characteristics of the Best New Faculty?
Q: What characteristics distinguish those new
faculty who excel?
write/pair/share, 4-5 minutes
Some Research: Common Characteristics of
New Faculty (Boice)
• equated good teaching with good content (cake
demonstration)
• practiced defensive teaching (to avoid student
complaints), primarily concerned that students would
complain about content errors
• received student evaluations that fell below their
expectations, and blamed results on external factors
(invalid rating systems, poor students, unfavorable
class times and sizes)
Common Characteristics, con’t., 2 of 3
• were slow to reach high levels of comfort,
efficiency, and student acceptance
• did not seek help
• experienced a sense of loneliness and lack
of collegial acceptance; had difficulty
establishing productive contacts with
supportive colleagues
Common Characteristics, con’t., 3 of 3
• had time management as a central problem
– admitted to being over prepared (more material
than could be covered)
– rushed to complete many classroom tasks, often
at the expense of student participation
– spent ~30 hours/week on class preparation
– spent far less time on scholarly writing (proposals
and papers) than needed for P&T
“Quick Starters”
Those new faculty (~5-10%) who
during their first 2-3 years …
• wrote enough proposals and papers
for strong progress toward P&T
• scored in top quartile of peer and
student ratings of teaching
• scored in top quartile of self ratings of
their enjoyment and comfort levels as
teachers
How did they do it?
Unlike the majority of new faculty, quick starters
• reduced time spent preparing courses (after
the first semester, averaged 1-1.5 hours of
preparation per hour of class time)
• spent more time on scholarly and grant
writing (3 hours or more per week)
• integrated their research into their
undergraduate classes
Quick starters, con’t., 2 of 3
• discussed teaching with their colleagues
• sought support from mentors and faculty
development programs, averaging 4 hours
per week on discussions of research and
teaching
• were satisfied with supportiveness and
competence of both their colleagues and
their students
Quick starters, con’t., 3 of 3
• lectured at a relaxed pace
• encouraged student participation
Summary: Quick starters were
effective, efficient, and satisfied.
Development Model
Adapted from Situational Leadership
Relationship
D3
D2
D4
D1
Information
Starting
Point
Instructional Goals
• Manage all aspects of an academic
career.
• Become a reflective and thoughtful
instructor.
• Plan, implement, and manage effective,
research-based instruction.
• Design evaluations of learning and
instruction.
TC/FAST Start Activities
• Group activities
– Stage 1: Workshop (5 days)
– Stage 2: Consultations (syllabi, lesson plans,
research proposals, mission statements and
development plans, etc)
– Stage 3: monthly seminars
» Class project: teaching seminar
» Excellent teacher visits (as group and individual)
• Personal development projects
• Mentoring and being mentored
• Paired observer assessments with videotaping
total ~ 60-70 hours
Teaching College Curriculum
Learning and Instruction
• Theories of Learning and Teaching
–
–
–
Applying behavioral, cognitive, and social views of
learning
Limits of attention, retention, and memory
Emphasizing content vs. learning
• Instructional Design
–
–
–
Identifying the “Must Know” content
Determining learning outcomes
Creating useful plans
Learning and Instruction
• Instructional Methods
–
–
–
–
Polishing your presentations
Checking for understanding
Leading discussions
Incorporating active learning strategies
• Assessment of Learning
–
–
–
Evaluating concepts
Developing tests
Assigning grades
Practice and Feedback
•
•
•
•
•
Student Evaluations
Reflective Teaching
Observation of Excellent Instructors
Classroom Observation and Feedback
Dean’s Seminar
Elements of Reflective Teaching1
• Simultaneous sessions demonstrate
alternative approaches
• Experiential learning is in a safe
environment
• Feedback is immediate
• Videotaping is done for later review
• Reflection is cultivated
1
Cruickshank, D. R., et al. (1981). Reflective teaching.
Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa. (From OSU!)
Elements of Observations
• Observers and participants are trained
• Engineering and Education specialists
observe
• Videotaping is encouraged
• Follow-up is included
• Confidentiality is ensured
• Collegial tone is present: assidere
Become a Successful Professor
•
•
•
•
•
•
Achieving Tenure
Developing Professional Networks
Grant Writing
Mentoring Students
Managing Students and Labs
Creating Personal Mission Statements
and Development Plans (PDP’s)
Outcomes: Course Evaluation Scores
4.2
4.1
4
TC, before
TC, during
TC, after
No TC
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.6
3.5
Effect'ness
of
Instructor
of
Course
Quotes from TC “graduates”
“It makes me much more efficient in preparing
lectures. My preparation time was reduced from
12-15 hours/lecture to 4-5 hours/lecture with
better feedback from students.”
Quotes, con’t.
“It gave me tools and confidence to take charge
of my curriculum and my class. It inspired me
to get off the ‘content treadmill’ and to enjoy
teaching and effectively educating others in my
field.”
Quotes, con’t.
“The opportunity to participate in an atmosphere
where issues related to teaching could be
discussed with others who have similar doubts,
fears, and successes was very beneficial.”
Quotes, con’t.
“I am more relaxed.”
“I feel more comfortable in the classroom.”
“My undergraduate advising has improved.”
Conclusions: Teaching College has …
• progressed from a course about
teaching to an individualized, HR-style
development program
• been beneficial to students and faculty
• earned support from individuals,
corporate sponsors, provost’s office,
and the college
• been personally rewarding to organize
and coordinate
Teaching Academies at Illinois
• 1994 – Engineering
• 1996 – ACES Teaching College
• 1996 – Provost’s Office: Campus Teaching
Advancement Board
• 1999 – LAS Teaching Academy
• 2000 – CBA, Education/Social Work, Vet Med
Teaching Academies at Illinois
The college-based teaching academies at
Illinois include some or all of the following:
• Workshops, seminars
• Community: support, camaraderie,
mentoring
• Classroom observations
There are also differences.
Program Support: What has helped us
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
A dedicated team of implementers
Dean and Associate Dean(s)
Department Heads
General Electric Fund
Campus/Provost’s teaching program
College of Education
Office of Instructional Resources
Keys to Your Success
Q: What do you see as the keys to a
successful faculty development program
at your campus?
Keys at Illinois
•
•
•
•
•
•
Encourage Long Term Commitment
Obtain Administrative Buy-In
Create a Learning Community
Promote a Philosophical Change
Emphasize Educational Research
Provide Multiple Opportunities for
Practice and Feedback
The National Teaching College
Start
Phase 3:
Implementation,
Networking, &
Support
Site visits
and regional
meetings
August
Now
Phase 1:
Goals and Models
Interactions with
other implementers
Phase 2:
Demonstration
Work at
your home
campus
Item #2: How to reach “older” faculty?
Q: What is our goal?
A?: To help ineffective instructors become effective.
• What have you tried (or know about)
that worked?
• What other ideas do you have?
ARC – Architecture for Change
• Select large, interdisciplinary courses
• Spend 1+ semester observing/learning
–
–
–
Student surveys and focus groups
Classroom observations
Course material reviews
• Work with teams of disciplinary experts,
education experts, change agents
–
–
–
Learn about pedagogy
Observe courses that work
Experiment with different approaches
History of Teaching College
• Deans’ Seminars for Teaching
Improvement
• Dean’s retreat (‘94)
–
–
–
experienced Ed Psych grad course at Purdue
identified need for new faculty at Illinois
developed “Teaching College” with faculty team
TC History, con’t 2 of 3
• TC enhanced by grant from GE (‘96)
shifted to HR-style development model
– added collaboration with HR Education
–
• AE3 created with expanded mission (‘97)
Overview: AE3 Projects
2000-01 Academic Year
Teaching College
Graduate Student Development
Writing in Engineering
Engineering Emotional Intelligence
Advising Workbench
Architecture for Change
Overview: AE3 Team
Co-directors:
Bruce Litchfield, Engineering Prof., Asst. Dean
Scott Johnson, Education Professor
Ray Price, Severns Chair for Human Behavior
Program Manager: Leslie Crowley
OIR Support: Laura Hahn, Sharon Scott
Graduate Students: Jared Barrett, Ray Richardson
UG student: Kelly Griswold
TC History, con’t 3 of 3
• Now in 7th year, ~ 100 participants (15/yr)
• Shifting to front-loaded program AY01-02