The acceptance of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) as a legitimate form of scholarly investigation and the shape that it takes in post-secondary education are inherently discipline-specific. This paper examines how the character and heritage of public administration influence the acceptance of SoTL, and the form that it takes. It argues that the applied nature of public administration and its interdisciplinary character have influenced SoTL in the discipline. This study concludes systematic self-reflection by disciplines may be needed to identify potential factors that limit the acceptance and/or direction of SoTL in a discipline.
Tag: Volume 11 (2016)
Reaching Resisters in a Teaching Assistant Training Program
In the past decade, there has been limited longitudinal qualitative research examining the effects of training programs on graduate students’ teaching performance. One gap in this research is a discussion of Teaching Assistants (TAs) who resist such programs and an examination of strategies for overcoming this resistance. This action research study attempts to fill that gap by evaluating the relationship between TAs’ participation in one university’s Certificate in University Teaching (CUT) program and their resistance to its pedagogical strategies. The study defines the types of resistance and analyzes the reasons behind it. Findings address ways to more effectively reach resisting TAs and improve our own teaching practices.
“I Hate Group Work!”: Addressing Students’ Concerns About Small-Group Learning
This article identifies the strategies used by architecture professors and their undergraduate students to mitigate common issues that students raise about group work. Based on participant-observation, interviews with students and faculty, and analysis of instructional materials and student work, this IRB-approved ethnographic case study complicates the separation of collaborative, cooperative, and problem-based learning into distinct pedagogical models. Rather than viewing students’ concerns as a form of resistance that can be avoided with the right approach to small-group learning, this article explores how the hybrid model operating in design studio pedagogy confronts the problems inherent in any form of group work.
Teaching Small Group Communication: A Do Good Project
This paper focuses on the parameters of a semester-long project called the “Do Good” project, geared towards developing small group communication skills in undergraduate students. This project highlights participation in a social engagement project that allows students to bridge concepts learned in small group communication lectures (e.g., team dynamics, project management, conflict resolution, decision making, leadership) with community outreach. Included are an overview of the project, and examples for how each component both challenges students’ ability to communicate in groups and provides motivation that foster students’ ability to link in-class knowledge with practical, real world application.
The Role of Educators in Preparing the Confident Graduate Student
With large numbers of non-BSW graduates gravitating toward MSW programs of study, BSWs must demonstrate their ability to handle the rigor of graduate school in order to remain competitive in the classroom and field. This study utilized an online survey of MSW students (N=107) from four different universities to examine how well students believe their particular undergraduate degree program prepared them to meet the academic demands of the MSW programs. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed and results indicate BSW graduates feel more prepared than non-BSWs to complete their MSW program. The exception for BSWs was found in areas of research and statistics when compared specifically to those with psychology bachelor degrees.
Exit Tickets Open the Door to University Learning
Four instructors from a mid-western university implemented exit tickets in their university courses. The exit tickets were based on Marzano’s (2012) four types of exit tickets and were analyzed for patterns. Faculty completed a journal to reflect on what was learned examining the exit tickets. A survey was completed by both instructors and university students to determine the benefits of the use of exit tickets as a formative assessment at the university. Researchers share the processes used for implementing exit tickets and the results of the data collected along with implications for the use of exit tickets at the university.
Cross-Disciplinary Exploration and Application of Reflection as a High Impact Pedagogy
Reflection is a high-impact practice in education. This paper explores the premise, approach, and outcomes of a learning community centered on scholarly engagement with the literature of reflection. Using the reflection model operationalized by a national consortium, we developed, implemented, and assessed reflection activities designed to create opportunities for transfer of skills and conceptual change. Two case studies reveal commonalities in using reflection in a college setting. We explore the questions that emerged as a result of our experiences, and connect this work to the importance of engaging with colleagues in a community of learners.
Scholarly Teaching Through Action Research: A Narrative of One Professor’s Process
This article shares a first-hand account of an action research project conducted in a college-level early adolescent development course to better understand written and verbal reflection as learning tools, improve the author’s teaching effectiveness, and foster reflective habits in pre-service teachers. The article includes a brief overview of related literature and a description of several reflective activities and assignments used in the course before presenting and discussing the project’s results based on Ferrance’s (2000) 6-step action research process.