« Back to Conference Schedule | Concurrent Session VII »
Concurrent Session VI
Friday, June 13, 3:00–3:45 PM
Accreditation of Teacher-Training Programs
Ann-Sofie Henriksson & Karin Apelgren: Uppsala University, Sweden
Accreditation can serve both to make programs better and as quality control, depending on how the evaluation process is carried out. A study using peer reviews has tested a method for evaluation of teacher-training programs that focuses on enhancement, rather than control, but that could still be accepted as part of an official accreditation system. This session will present and discuss some reflections from one institution participating in the study. What is it like to be involved in this kind of evaluation? What can be gained from this process? Is it worth the time and effort?
Helping Faculty Develop Online Courses
S. Todd Stubbs: Brigham Young University, USA
Brigham Young University has built hundreds of online independent study courses serving thousands of students. A rigorous, yet faculty-friendly process makes these courses possible. What does the process entail? How can the process be both friendly and rigorous? Join us for a detailed look at the process of building independent-study and distance-education courses; plan to discuss what aspects of this model might work in your situation.
Beyond Conceptions: A ‘Practice-Turn’ in the Scholarship of Educational Development
Gayle Morris: Deakin University, Australia
The scholarship of teaching and learning, influential in educational development, is dominated by how teachers’ conceptions influence the quality of the learning experience. While providing a conceptual basis for professional development, it privileges a cognitive view of teaching enhancement and does not exploit the complexity of teaching as an embodied practice enacted in various disciplinary cultures. Practice theory provides a framework to advance our understanding of how professionals learn at, and through, their work. Through guided reflection and discussion, we will explore the possibilities and limits of a practice-based approach in advancing the scholarship of educational development.
Technology as an Opportunity, Not a Threat to Education
Scott W. Christley & John M. Call: Brigham Young University, USA
Technology is taking education to new frontiers. Students can now store a lifetime of work on a keychain-sized, $10 USB drive. Volumes of encyclopedias are on a single CD. And with a $40 mp3 player, students can carry with them up to 250 hours of audio books, their entire semester course load. Copyright is a central issue on this topic. Technology is changing the face of the world, and education must either harness it, or become harnessed by it.
Are There Any Questions? Student Questions and Discipline Mastery
Andrew P. Mills: Otterbein College, USA
Since the disciplines are distinguished (at least) by the different questions they ask, mastering a discipline requires being able to ask the questions distinctive of that discipline. Teaching students how to ask discipline-appropriate questions ‘decodes’ our disciplines for them and contextualizes our distinctive methodologies. Participants will learn about the connection between questions and expertise, examine the distinctive questions of various disciplines, and learn strategies for helping students ask better, more discipline-appropriate, questions.
Enhancing Teaching-and-Learning Practice through Peer-Supported Review
Sarah Maguire & Roisin Curran: University of Ulster, UK
In response to a scholarly and evidence-based review undertaken to examine the effectiveness of peer observation, the University of Ulster has introduced a developmental process aimed at engaging faculty in collegial discourse focused on peer-supported review and learning. Through engagement in this process, faculty can extend their pedagogic knowledge and skills and develop the confidence to try out new ideas, aiming ultimately to an enhancement of the student experience. This session will examine, through presenter input and structured discussion, the benefits of peer-supported review and the lessons learned from the pilot phase of its operation.
“Develop my career? That’s fantasy!” Professional Standards and Ethical Educational Development
Julie Hall: Roehampton University London, UK
Globally there has been an increased interest in professional standards for teaching in higher education. This session asks whether educational developers can encourage development ethically and supportively within a context of professional standards for teaching. During the academic year 2006 -2007 an action learning project was created based on issues around current experience of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), CPD needs, and the newly developed UK professional standards framework. This session shares some of the outcomes resulting actions in terms of the planned CPD, and the presenter’s reflections on the role of staff and educational developers in managing the sometimes-difficult process between development and standards. It also provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on these findings in relation to their institutions, how professionals learn, and their role at the interface between the worlds of ‘development’ and ‘standards’.
Engaging the Disciplines in the Discourse of Internationalizing the Curriculum
Valerie Clifford: Oxford Brookes University, UK
A study was carried out to explore the concept of internationalization of the curriculum (IoC) and ways academics might be encouraged to engage with the discourse. Staff at a multi-campus Australian University (including campuses in Malaysia and South Africa) were interviewed about their views on IOC. The interview tapes were transcribed and the scripts analyzed to determine disciplinary and geographical location differences in beliefs and attitudes towards IoC and motivations to engage in critique of disciplinary discourses. This workshop will discuss different disciplinary responses to IoC, the reasons for resistance to IoC and share ways to move forward.
Three Steps Towards Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Maria Larsson, Torgny Roxå, & Katarina Mårtensson: Lund University, Sweden
This session considers how a series of pedagogical courses can support academics in developing a scholarship of teaching and learning as part of an institutional strategy to develop the teaching-and-learning culture. The courses are characterized by a systematic approach that promotes not only the individual teacher’s professional development, but also the development of departments and faculties. The courses are organized as a three-level program that promotes inquiry of teaching-and-learning, the use of literature, and peer-review—all critical features of a scholarship of teaching-and-learning.
Using Fractal Traits of Learning as Design for Development
Ed Nuhfer: California State University at Channel Islands, USA
Both faculty development and teaching seek to nurture intellectual development. However, pedagogical and content knowledge are insufficient to produce success. The fractal model permits developers to meet additional faculty needs of self introspection, scaffolding students to higher levels of thinking, and promoting self-assessment in others. This requires attention to the often-neglected affective domain, which is bound with all learning. The fractal model is particularly useful to developers because it permits an individual to connect effectively with faculty and promote success at scales that range from learning in single-class lessons through providing degrees that have an institution’s signature qualities.