Place-Based Learning across the Disciplines: A Living Laboratory Approach to Pedagogy

Faculty participants in a fellowship designed to engage students at an urban commuter college of technology in their general education curriculum evaluated and redesigned their courses to include place-based learning (PBL) using the Living Laboratory model of pedagogy. Focused on faculty perception of the relationship between PBL and its influence on general education, the study illustrates how faculty from across disciplines apply PBL techniques to revitalize general education learning outcomes. Findings include the influence of the fellowship on the design of PBL activities and perceived levels of student engagement, especially when compared to more traditional classroom instruction.

Pedagogical Practices of Teaching Assistants in Polysynchronous Classrooms: The Role of Professional Autonomy

Polysynchronous learning involves the use of educational technologies to enable remote and face-to-face students to simultaneously participate in live classes. This article uses teaching observation and focus group data to explore the perspectives and instructional practices employed by teaching assistants tasked with facilitating polysynchronous classes. This study’s findings suggest that without a sufficient knowledge base, community, and structure to facilitate a teaching environment that extended beyond lecturing, the assistants adopted a knowledge transmission perspective. Based on these findings we discuss teaching practices that could be addressed to train and support instruction in polysynchronous environments.

How Age, Gender, and Class Format Relate to Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Effective Course Assessments

Students’ perceptions of assessment used within the learning environment greatly influence their approach to learning. Therefore, this study aims to explore whether various student or course characteristics (age, gender, course format) impact perceptions regarding effectiveness of assessment type (e.g., exam, participation, presentation) and question format. As faculty develop their courses they may wish to consider these perceptions in order to better facilitate learning and to clearly articulate to their students the benefits of the assessment types that the students see as less effective.

Mentoring International Teaching Assistants: A Case Study of Improving Teaching Practices

While there exists a considerable body of research focusing on international teaching assistants’ (ITAs’) linguistic, sociocultural, and instructional challenges, less is known about the successful developmental trajectories of this group of international educators of American students. This research aims to fulfill this research gap using a case study approach (Yin, 2003). The study involved ITAs from STEM majors in six collaborative mentoring sessions prior and upon video recording of three lessons taught by the ITAs to undergraduate students. The mentoring sessions were designed to facilitate ITAs’ reflections on their teaching with the use of structured protocols to help guide the discussions. All the collected data were analyzed using content analysis (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The results highlight the incidents of professional growth exhibited by the participating ITAs during their actual teaching. This study also tracks the ITAs’ reflections on teaching through the mediational dialogues (Vygotsky, 1978) with the mentor. Finally, the paper discusses lessons learned through launching a mentoring project with a group of ITAs.

Making Better Tests with the Rasch Measurement Model

This study had two aims. The first was to explain the process of using the Rasch measurement model to validate tests in an easy-to-understand way for those unfamiliar with the Rasch measurement model. The second was to validate two final exams with several shared items. The exams were given to two groups of students with slightly differing English listening proficiency. The two exams, a low-advanced and a high-advanced exam, were given to 76 and 45 Japanese university students, respectively. Each exam had 56 questions with 26 shared questions linking the two exams. After conducting a simple Rasch analysis, it was determined that up to 33 questions needed to be modified or deleted from subsequent versions of the exam. The unexpected number of recommended modifications and deletions suggests that, even for experienced teachers, the Rasch measurement model can be of tremendous value by offering greater precision in the assessment of students, as well as greater assistance in the validation of tests.

“Why did I get a C?”: Communicating Student Performance Using Standards-Based Grading

Standards-based grading, an alternative form of grading in which a student’s achievement is based on their performance on a clearly defined set of standards rather than on their performance on tests and assignments, is commonplace in K-12 education but has been slow to catch on in higher education. This article presents an example of how standards-based grading was implemented in two sections of an undergraduate course on assessment to add clarity to the meaning of students’ grades. The author reflects on lessons learned from implementation including the benefits and challenges posed by adopting the practice.

A Process and Outcome Evaluation of a One-Semester Faculty Learning Community: How Universities Can Help Faculty Implement High Impact Practices

This process and outcome qualitative study describes and critically assesses the experiences of the faculty who participated in the one-semester FLC addressing CLTs through a content analysis of individual narratives completed at the end and ten months after the FLC ended. The existence and contributions of four prerequisites for successful collaboration (Einbinder, Robertson, Garcia, Vuckovic & Patti, 2000) are introduced to explain this FLC’s success and then extended to suggest how future FLC initiatives can expand and improve on these accomplishments.

How Faculty Create Learning Environments for Diversity and Inclusion

The demographics of college campuses are changing and necessitate faculty provide a safe and inclusive environment for learning. The purpose of this study was to examine how faculty establish a sense of belonging in their classrooms, using focus group methodology to explore issues of power, privilege, and access at the postsecondary level. Faculty (N = 33) representing multiple identity groups discussed opportunities and challenges in effectively reaching diverse groups of students. Three thematic categories emerged illustrating how faculty prepare their courses for inclusive content, develop in-class instructional practices including methods regarding assessment, and believe in professional responsibility through persistent role modeling.

Engaging in Scholarly Teaching to Transform Practice: Encouragement for Reluctant Colleagues