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2 Characterizing and Mobilizing Effective Undergraduate Teaching
Pages 25-39

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From page 25...
... Value will be placed on systematically exploring teaching issues anc3 researching experiments with new approaches anc3 conditions affecting student learning.
From page 26...
... Many in(livi(lual faculty and (lepartments are actively engaged in moving un(lergra(luate education from a facultycentered teaching mode} to a studentcentered learning mode} (Barr and Tagg, 19991. Moreover, numerous campuses in the United States and abroad are establishing teaching and learning centers.)
From page 27...
... They are engaging graduate students in programs that can better prepare them to become stimulating future faculty and encouraging faculty to present papers or posters on their teaching or research in education at professional meetings.2 These organizations also are publishing books, reports, and journal articles that address teaching and learning (e.g., Boyer Commission, 1998; Herron, 1996; Ireton et al., 1996; Landis et al., 2001; National Institute for Science Education, 200ic; NRC, 1991, 1995b, 1996b, 1997a, 1999a; Uno, 19971. The remainder of this chapter reviews the key characteristics of effective Examples are Microbiology Education, published by the American Society of MicrobiolOgy; foavrnal of Chemical Education, published by the Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society; and Physics Today, published by the American Institute of Physics.
From page 28...
... They shoul(1 enable students to move intellectually beyond the subject matter at han(l. Faculty who possess deep knowledge and understanding of subject matter demonstrate the following characteristics: · They can help students learn anti un(lerstan(1 the general principles of their (liscipline (e.g., the processes and limits of the scientific method)
From page 29...
... · They encourage discussion and promote active learning strategies (see Annex Box 1-l, Chapter 11. · They persistently monitor students' progress toward achieving learning 3"Contextually appropriate pedagogies" is also known in the research literature as "pedagogical content knowledge" (defined earlier in note)
From page 30...
... Skill in Using Appropriate Assessment Practices In part, proficiency in assessment involves a faculty member's skill in evaluating student learning. This skill is evident when teachers: · Assess learning in ways that are consistent with the objectives of a course and integrate stated course objectives with long-range curricular goals.
From page 31...
... · They address sensitive subjects or issues in ways that help students deal with them maturely. · They contribute to the ongoing intellectual development of individual students and foster confidence in the students' ability to learn and discover on their own.
From page 32...
... Some of the more general challenges include improving the assessment of learning outcomes and preparing future teachers. More discipline-specific challenges include teaching a broad range and large numbers of students, providing engaging laboratory and field experiences, and encouraging students to undertake original research that increasingly is highly sophisticated and technical.
From page 35...
... Those NRC reports provide a series of recommendations for how chief academic officers and faculty can work together to promote more effective education for teachers of mathematics and science. These recommendations include developing courses that provide all students with a better understanding of the relationships among the sciences, that integrate fundamental science and mathematics, and that help students understand how these areas of knowledge relate to their daily lives and C HARACTE RIZI NO AN D MOBI LIZI NO to the world economy.
From page 36...
... Declining graduate student enrollments in some disciplines suggest that having enough people who are qualified to teach undergraduate students, including those who may go on to become K-12 teachers, may become problematic in the future (e.g., Lovitts and Nelson, 20001. Even if the number of graduate students were to remain sufficient, it is important to recognize that most college-leve} faculty who currently teach in the STEM disciplines have never received formal preparation for teaching any students, let alone those who aspire to be teachers at either the precollege or university level.
From page 37...
... As defined by the National Science Education Standards, "Inquiry is a multifaceted activity that involves making observations; posing questions; examining books and other sources of information to see what is already known; planning investigations; rev~ewing what is already known in light of experimental evidence; using tools to gather, analyze and interpret data; proposing answers, explanations, and predictions; and communicating the results. Inquiry requires identification of assumptions, use of critical and logical thinking, and consideration of alternative explanations" (NRC, 1996a, p.
From page 38...
... With the · · ~ · ~ increasing emphasis on engaging undergraduates in original or applied research, the one-on-one mentoring that takes place in supervised undergraduate research is one of the best predictors of students' professional success (e.g., Doyle, 2000; NRC, 1999a; NSF, 19961. To properly oversee and mentor undergraduate students who undertake original research, faculty must have sufficient time to help students appreciate the scope and significance of their projects.
From page 39...
... Thus, efforts should be made to adopt or adapt some of the newer instruments that are more appropriate for these kinds of teaching. C HARACTE RIZI NO AN D MOBI LIZI NO Limitations on Faculty KnowIec4e of Research on Effective Teaching Given all of the above challenges, faculty in STEM who teach undergradu ates could benefit greatly from practical guidance regarding techniques for improving learning among diverse undergraduate student populations.


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