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Developing Your Role as a Teaching Focused Academic

Dr Susan Rowland

s.rowland1@uq.edu.au

Associate Professor, Science Education

School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences,

The University of Queensland

•  Personal experiences (including academic history and story).

•  Evaluation of your TF Level.

•  Considering the evidence you have to substantiate your claim.

•  What’s your plan?

•  The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – how to turn your teaching, service, and outreach, into a publication stream.

Talk layout

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Personal History

What’s your history? Which parts of your history make you a strong educator? As an educator, what do you bring that makes you different, special, and valuable?

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What are the expectations of a TF academic?

DB  document  is  “UQ  Criteria  for  Academic  Performance”    

What are the expectations of a TF academic?

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What are the expectations of a TF academic?

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Now that you have seen these level criteria, how do you think your current activities stack up against these? Be brutal with your assessment, because it’s important to take a dispassionate look at where you are placed. This will help you plan your next career step. As you consider where you sit, spend some time writing down the things you currently do that fit into these criteria. What evidence do you have to demonstrate that your activities fulfil these requirements, and that your activities are effective and valuable?

What about evidence?

•  Take a look at the UQ Guidelines for evidencing academic achievement.

•  Make some notes about additional things you can use to show the value and quality of your work.

•  At this point, you will be getting some ideas about how you can progress your TF work into the future.

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Documenting your “value” in T&L

A T&R academic building and supporting a portfolio in T&L can collect the following evidence:

◦  Evaluations – ‘SECaT’ (show progression and how your scholarship/innovation led to change) ◦  Peer evaluations ◦  Student learning outcomes ◦  ‘Unsolicited’ emails

What is your influence on others’ teaching? ◦  Development of teaching skills + mentoring of teaching projects ◦  Significant evaluated teaching innovations (not just in one course) ◦  Assisting others in class development + uptake ◦  Focused Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) ◦  Publication rates, impact factors, T&L grants ◦  Involvement national and international T&L initiatives (you can initiate)

TF academics need to show more: LEADERSHIP is key.

 

How to progress your career as a TF (or, how NOT to be this guy) 1)  What aspects of you work

would you like to “own” and “drive”?

2)  What would you like to be known for at CSU and beyond?

3)  Are these things that the university and your students see as important and valuable?

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Developing and evidencing your role in your school (Service)� !  Network within your school (and outside it) to �

define problems that need solving. Tackle things � that are “do-able”, & within your purview/ scope.

Remember there is always a new “high-level” administrator with a new grand plan, so your colleagues have change fatigue. Respect this.

!  Decide which committees you would like to be on, and work towards getting there. Aim for a leadership role and follow through on your promises. Remember you don’t have to be the chair to be a leader.

Keep track of what you have done: ‘Service’– yet more evidence!

Your role as a researcher �(Scholarship of Teaching & Learning)� !  Defining a coherent, progressive strategy (!!)

!  Recognising and using the resources available ◦  Academic development opportunities (people and courses)/Grad Cert in

Education (HE) ◦  Teaching awards, teaching fellowships, participation in CPD programs (e.g.,

ASM Biology Scholars) ◦  Outside CSU (websites from ALTC, OLT, ACARA, HEA etc)

!  Developing collaborations - Your local network, between universities (conferences are good!)

!  Grants & Awards - Nothing impresses your boss like getting money!

!  Societies - HERDSA, ISSOTL, Education interest groups in discipline societies

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Gwen  Lawrie,  Jus.n  Ridge,    Susan  Rowland,    Philip  Sharpe,  Jack  Wang                                                                  

What  is  Science  EducaFon  Research?  

1.  Pre-­‐IniFaFve  

IniFaFon   3.  CompleFon  

4.  Post-­‐  IniFaFve  2.  During  IniFaFve  

In  science  these  quesFons  are  parFcularly  important,  because  science  enrolments  and  a  science-­‐literate  populaFon  are  crucial  for  our  future.    

The  aim  of  SoTL  is  to  examine  classrooms,  teaching  iniFaFves,  students,  teachers,  and  their  cultures  and  to  share  our  findings.    •  What  works,  and  why?  How  do  we  know  it  is  working?  •  What  can  we  do  to  support  students  studying  science?    •  What  do  academics  need  to  reproduce  and  propagate  success?    

What’s  the  problem?    Defining  and  invesFgaFng  a  teaching  and  learning  

issue  using  SoTL.  

Susan  Rowland  

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What’s  the  problem?  

One   telling   measure   of   how   differently   teaching   is   regarded   from  tradiFonal  scholarship  or  research…is  what  a  difference  it  makes  to  have  a  “problem”  in  one  versus  the  other.      In  scholarship  and  research  having  a  “problem”  is  at  the  heart  of  the  invesFgaFve   process….But   in   one’s   teaching   a   “problem”   is  something  you  don’t  want  to  have,  and  if  you  have  one  you  probably  want  to  fix  it.    Asking   a   colleague   about   a   “problem”   in   [their]   research   is   an  invitaFon;  asking  about  a  problem  in  [their]  teaching  would  probably  seem  like  an  accusaFon.    Changing   to   status   of   the   problem   in   teaching   from   terminal  remediaFon   to   ongoing   invesFgaFon   is   precisely   what   the  movement  for  a  scholarship  of  teaching  is  all  about.  

Randy  Bass  (1999)  The  Scholarship  of  Teaching;  What’s  the  Problem?  CTLT,  V1,1.  

What  is  SoTL?  

•  SoTL  is  the  scholarship  of  teaching  and  learning.      •  SOTL  is  scholarly  inquiry  into  student  learning  which  advances  the  pracFce  of  teaching  by  sharing  this  research  publicly.  

•  The  InternaFonal  Society  for  the  Scholarship  of  Teaching  &  Learning  (ISSOTL)  was  founded  in  2004  by  a  commigee  of  67  scholars  from  several  countries    

•  ISSOTL  serves  faculty  members,  staff,  and  students  who  care  about  teaching  and  learning  as  “serious  intellectual  work”.    

•  ISSOTL  has  held  annual  conferences  since  2004.  

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How  is  SoTL  different  from  thinking  about  your  teaching  and  fixing  problems  you  encounter?  

ST:  Scholarly  teaching,  including  personal  reflecFon  

CAR:  Classroom  acFon  research  

SoTL:  Scholarship  of  teaching  and  learning  

Scholarly  teaching  includes  self-­‐reflecFon  

Scholarly  teachers  engage  in  pracFces  such  as:  •  Looking  at  course  and  teaching  evaluaFons  from  the  students  and  

changing  things  that  get  negaFve  comments  while  retaining  elements  of  a  course  that  get  posiFve  comments.  

•  Observing  the  behaviour  of  students  in  the  classroom  and  noFng  if  they  are  happy  and  engaged  and  adjusFng  elements  of  your  teaching  style  to  get  a  beger  student  response.  

•  Considering  exam  scores  and  asking  yourself  “how  can  I  get  these  to  be  beger?”  

•  Reading  literature  to  look  for  new  methods  of  teaching  and  assessment,  and  implemenFng  these  in  the  classroom.    

•  There  is  no  need  to  get  ethics  approval  for  scholarly  teaching.    •  Data  collecFon  is  generally  not  rigorous,  and  results  are  not  

publishable  as  anything  other  than  a  “how  to”  case  study.  Most  scholarly  teachers  do  not  bother  to  publish  their  teaching  pracFce.  

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AcFon  research  includes  a  reflecFve  cycle  and  interaFve  change  in  a  course  or  pracFce  

Olen  the  quesFon  asked  takes  the  form  of:      1)  What  effect  does  X  have  on  Y,    or    2)  If  I  implement    A,  how  does  B  change?    This  type  of  study  can  be  for  your  own  interest,  or  for  wider  disseminaFon.  It  is  generally  considered  to  be  a  case  study,  but  it  may  have  broader  implicaFons.    

SoTL  is  a  rigorous  approach  to  T&L  problems    

•  SoTL  includes  the  definiFon  of  a  specific  quesFon  or  problem  that  can  be  examined  and  evaluated.  

•  SoTL  requires  that  you  have  read  the  literature,  and  are  aware  of  prior  theories  and  research  in  your  area  of  invesFgaFon.  Your  grant  applicaFons  rely  on  this.  

•  SoTL  research  requires  that  you  collect  hard  data  that  can  be  used  to  test  your  ideas  or  modificaFons  and  substanFate  your  conclusions.  Since  T&L  data  is  hard  to  “control”  you  need  triangulated  data.  

•  You  need  ethics  approval  and  consent  from  parFcipants  or  you  can’t  conduct  or  publish  the  study.  

•  You  need  to  develop  and  use  a  knowledge  of  theories  of  the  psychology  of  learning,  the  philosophy  of  knowledge  transfer,  and  staFsFcal  analysis.  You  also  need  to  be  aware  of  the  advantages  and  limitaFons  of  various  data  collecFon  methods.  

•  SoTL  disseminaFon  is  not  limited  to  publicaFons.  It  also  includes  workshops,  websites,  training  programs,  and  engagement  with  stakeholders  from  students,  to  industry,  to  upper-­‐level  administrators  of  teaching  insFtuFons.    

•  SoTL  researchers  cannot  exist  in  their  own  private  bubble.  The  ulFmate  goal  of  SoTL  is  to  improve  T&L  pracFce  from  a  bogom-­‐up  and  top-­‐down  approach.  

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What’s  the  problem?  Where  does  your  quesFon  fit  in?  

There  are  four  (or  five)  major  types  of  SoTL  quesFons    

1)  What  works?    

2)  What  is?    

3)  What  could  be?    

4)  What  can  findings  from  this  situaFon  give  to  other  disciplines  or  areas?  (How  can  we  think  about  this?)  

 

5)  What  methods  of  enquiry  give  us  the  best  type  of  informaFon?  (Infrequently  asked,  and  maybe  hard  to  test,  but  interesFng)    

                               Pat  Hutchings  (2000)  Approaching  the  Scholarship  of  Teaching  and  Learning.  pp  1  –  10.  

 

What’s  the  problem?  Let’s  define  a  research  quesFon  that  interests  you  

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ReporFng  back:    Explain  your  quesFon  to  your  neighbour    

While  you  explain  your  research  quesFon  to  your  neighbour,  you  should  also  be  able  to  jusFfy  why  it  is  an  “important”  quesFon  that  is  worth  studying.    What  type  of  quesFon  are  you  asking?  1)  What  works?  2)  What  is?  3)  What  could  be?  4)  What  can  findings  from  this  situaFon  give  to  other  disciplines  or  areas?  (How  can  we  think  about  this?)  5)  What  methods  of  enquiry  give  us  the  best  type  of  informaFon?      

What’s  the  problem?  An  example:  BIOC2000  the  problem  course  

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Prereq  uptake  is  below  90%  and  iCEVALS  are  low  

What’s  the  problem?  An  example  

BIOC2000  is  a  “problem”  course.  How  do  we  “fix”  it?      

1)  What  works?  If  we  introduce  new  support  measures  for  learning,  which  ones  work?    

2)  What  is?  What  do  the  students  understand  about  biochemistry?  Do  they  have  all  the  basic  ideas  right  by  the  end  of  second  year?  Are  they  already  confused  when  they  arrive?    

3)  What  could  be?  What  would  we  like  them  to  understand  about  biochemistry?  How  can  we  help  them  do  this?    

4)  What  can  findings  from  this  situa.on  give  to  other  disciplines  or  areas?    What  are  the  really  important,  central,  ideas  and  topic  areas  in  biochemistry  teaching?  Can  we  map  these  to  this  course  and  also  to  other  courses  that  feed  into  and  out  of  BIOC2000?  Can  we  disseminate  these  to  other  teaching  insFtuFons  and  develop  a  more  universal  understanding  of  biochemistry  to  help  standardise  teaching  of  the  subject?    

   

 

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Learn  from  my  mistakes  

This  example  I  am  showing  you    is  rather  “overambiFous”.    Although  it  has  produced  some  interesFng  data,  it  has  been  a  lot  of  work.      Most  of  my  data  needs  further  analysis  or  substanFaFon  before  it  can  be  published.      

     

 Define  your  quesFon  so  it  is  (if  possible)  asking  one  thing.    

My  advice  is  to  define  a  simpler  quesFon,  because  it’s  easier  to  examine  one  thing.  This  is  especially  important  if  you  want  to  do  acFon  research,  not  SoTL.        

Once  you  have  the  problem  defined,  you  need  to  develop  a  strategy  for  how  to  do  the  project  

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What  will  you  do  to  examine  your  problem?    (5  minutes  in  consultaFon  with  your  neighbour/s)  

Define  “Aim”:  What  do  you  intend  to  achieve  in  your  invesFgaFon  or  project?    Define  “Inputs”:    What  you  are  starFng  with?  This  can  be  previous  data,  people,  a  new  learning  method,  new  teaching  tools.  It’s  important  to  idenFfy  a  “need  for  the  project”  here,  or  it  is  not  fundable  or  publishable  (or  taken  seriously  by  colleagues).    Define  “Stakeholders”:    Who  has  an  interest  in  this  project?  Who  stands  to  gain  something  from  it?  Will  anyone  be  adversely  affected  by  it?  Are  there  ethical  implicaFons  that  will  be  a  problem?    Define  “Outputs”:    What  will  each  of  your  stakeholders  get  out  of  this  project?    It’s  helpful  to  make  a  list  for  each  set  of  stakeholders.        

How  do  we  evaluate  a  SoTL  project?  

!  Research  and  evaluaFon  methods  in  SOTL  include:  !  reflecFon  and  analysis,    !  interviews  and  focus  groups,    !  quesFonnaires  and  surveys,    !  content  analysis  (coding)  of  text,    !  secondary  analysis  of  exisFng  data  (eg:  exam  results,  iCEVALs)    !  quasi-­‐experiments  (comparison  of  two  secFons  or  iteraFons  of  the  same  

course),  !  observaFonal  research  !  case  studies  

!  Ideally,  evidence  should  triangulate  the  issue.  !  Your  experimental  design  must  obtain  insFtuFonal  ethics  permission  

before  you  can  collect  or  publish  data.  !  You  must  obtain  informed  consent  from  all  parFcipants  before  

collecFng  and  publishing  data.      

 

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How  would  you  assess  your  research  quesFon?    (5  minutes  with  your  neighbour/s)  

•  Before  this  slide  there  are  10  slides  that  show  some  of  my  project  data.  It  is  unpublished,  so  I  have  removed  it  from  this  uploaded  document.    

 

 

“DisseminaFon  for  impact”  is  key  

!   DisseminaFon  may  be  local  within  the  academic  department                            or  university  using  meeFngs  or  wrigen  reports.    

!   It  is  olen  in  the  form  of  workshops  or  talks  at  meeFngs.                              These  proceedings  are  regularly  peer-­‐reviewed  and  published    (ACSME,  HERDSA,  ISSOTL,  ComScIE,  ASMCUE  –  this  is  a  short  list).  

!   It  may  be  in  published  in  a  peer-­‐reviewed  journals.  An  increasing  number  of  journals  exclusively  publish  SOTL  research,  and  numerous  disciplinary  publicaFons  disseminate  such  research.  

!   This  website  gives  a  good  lisFng  of  core  SoTL  journals  with  indicaFons  of  which  ones  are  considered  most  influenFal    

hgp://ilstu.libguides.com/sotl  

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It’s  good  to  have  problems  

Teachers  need  to  know  more  than  just  their  subject.  They  need  to  know  the  ways  it  can  come  to  be  understood,  the  ways  it  can  be  misunderstood,  what  counts  as  understanding;  they  need  to  know   how   individuals   experience   the   subject.   But   they   are  neither  required  or  enabled  to  know  these  things.    Enabling  teachers  not  only  to  “know  these  things”  but  to  share  them  in  serious  ways  is  what  a  scholarship  of  teaching  is  about.  UlFmately,   the   measure   of   success   for   the   scholarship   of  teaching   movement   will   not   be   the   degree   to   which   it   can   []  discover  solu.ons  worth  implemenFng,  but  the  extent  to  which  it  is  successful  in  discovering  problems  worth  pursuing.                                                                  Randy  Bass  (1999)  The  Scholarship  of  Teaching;  What’s  the  Problem?  CTLT,  V1,1.