Understanding Faculty Work Understanding Faculty Work Habits as a Foundation for Habits as a Foundation for Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development

Cathryn A Manduca, Cathryn A Manduca,

Ellen IversonEllen IversonSciece Education Resource CenterSciece Education Resource Center

Carleton CollegeCarleton College

Key Questions in Key Questions in Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development

How to reach faculty broadly?How to reach faculty broadly? How to teach about pedagogy?How to teach about pedagogy? How to motivate and support change in How to motivate and support change in

practice?practice?

Starting Point: Teaching Entry Level Starting Point: Teaching Entry Level Geoscience — a website Geoscience — a website (Manduca, Savina, Merritts)(Manduca, Savina, Merritts)

On the Cutting Edge: Professional On the Cutting Edge: Professional Development for Geoscience Faculty —a Development for Geoscience Faculty —a national workshop program and related national workshop program and related website website (Macdonald, Manduca, Mogk, Tewksbury)(Macdonald, Manduca, Mogk, Tewksbury)

Research and Evaluation - Research and Evaluation - (Iverson, McMartin, (Iverson, McMartin, McLaughlin) McLaughlin)

With funding from the National Science With funding from the National Science FoundationFoundation

Grounding in Theory IGrounding in Theory I

User Centered DesignUser Centered DesignNeilsen, 1995Neilsen, 1995

Design QuestionsDesign Questions Who are the users? Who are the users? What are they trying to do?What are they trying to do? How can the product be best designed for them?How can the product be best designed for them?

ProcessProcess Investigate your users, their goals, and their work habitsInvestigate your users, their goals, and their work habits Involve users in design and formative evaluation from Involve users in design and formative evaluation from

the outsetthe outset

Starting Point Faculty InterviewsStarting Point Faculty Interviews

How do geoscience faculty How do geoscience faculty think about teaching?think about teaching? learn about teaching?learn about teaching? make decisions?make decisions? design their courses?design their courses? use the web?use the web?

Eight geoscience faculty from a spectrum of Eight geoscience faculty from a spectrum of Minnesota institutionsMinnesota institutions

30 walkthroughs of site30 walkthroughs of site

Cutting Edge Faculty SurveyCutting Edge Faculty Survey

What methods are in use in geoscience What methods are in use in geoscience classes?classes?

How do faculty learn about methods?How do faculty learn about methods? How do faculty share with their colleagues How do faculty share with their colleagues

what they learn about teaching?what they learn about teaching?

2200 responses from faculty nationwide (39%) 2200 responses from faculty nationwide (39%) describing 1790 courses describing 1790 courses

Evaluation InterviewsEvaluation Interviews How have workshops and/or websites How have workshops and/or websites

impacted your teaching?impacted your teaching?

66 interviews of faculty nationwide66 interviews of faculty nationwide

Evaluation Survey Data and Web Evaluation Survey Data and Web MetricsMetrics

How are people using the websites?How are people using the websites? What are they trying to find/do?What are they trying to find/do?330 survey returns 330 survey returns

Thinking about TeachingThinking about Teaching

Faculty frequently think about teaching Faculty frequently think about teaching methods in the context of the specific topics methods in the context of the specific topics they are teaching.they are teaching. Impact on content vs methods cannot be Impact on content vs methods cannot be

disentangled disentangled (Cutting Edge evaluation interviews)(Cutting Edge evaluation interviews)

Strong interest in topical examplesStrong interest in topical examples (Starting Point (Starting Point interviews)interviews)

Learning about TeachingLearning about Teaching

Colleagues are an important source for Colleagues are an important source for information on teaching methodsinformation on teaching methods

Starting Point interviews:Starting Point interviews: 7 of 8 faculty identified colleagues as a favorite source 7 of 8 faculty identified colleagues as a favorite source

of information on pedagogyof information on pedagogy 6 of 8 indicated they would first ask a colleague if asked 6 of 8 indicated they would first ask a colleague if asked

to create a lab on an unfamiliar topicto create a lab on an unfamiliar topic

Sources of info for teachingSources of info for teaching

Content

Methods

Majors

Intro

(Cutting Edge Survey)

Evidence of SharingEvidence of Sharing

89 of 95 had specific examples of how shared with 89 of 95 had specific examples of how shared with colleagues colleagues (Cutting Edge 2004 Follow Up Survey)(Cutting Edge 2004 Follow Up Survey)

15 of 54 described department wide results as a 15 of 54 described department wide results as a result of information sharing after a workshop result of information sharing after a workshop (Cutting Edge Interview data)(Cutting Edge Interview data)

Preparing for TeachingPreparing for Teaching

Faculty prepare on two timescales:Faculty prepare on two timescales: Designing a course in the weeks, months or year before it Designing a course in the weeks, months or year before it

is taughtis taught Preparing for class in the days, hours or minutes before it Preparing for class in the days, hours or minutes before it

occursoccurs

Major changes in pedagogy require the longer timescaleMajor changes in pedagogy require the longer timescale

Information seeking behavior on the shorter timescale can be Information seeking behavior on the shorter timescale can be used to bring resources into faculty awarenessused to bring resources into faculty awareness

(Starting Point Interviews, Cutting Edge Focus Groups)(Starting Point Interviews, Cutting Edge Focus Groups)

Grounding in Theory IIIGrounding in Theory III

Information Seeking BehaviorInformation Seeking BehaviorCase, 2002Case, 2002

Motivating factors for intentional seekingMotivating factors for intentional seeking Information is needed for a purpose Information is needed for a purpose Anxiety about a current situationAnxiety about a current situation Sense of having a gap in knowledgeSense of having a gap in knowledge

Ways of finding informationWays of finding information Browsing – informal scanning motivated by broader uncertaintyBrowsing – informal scanning motivated by broader uncertainty Curiosity – making sense or finding additional connectionsCuriosity – making sense or finding additional connections Serendipity – recognize information of value in other contexts than Serendipity – recognize information of value in other contexts than

what is in mind originallywhat is in mind originally Congruency - drift toward information that supports our point of Congruency - drift toward information that supports our point of

viewview

Using the Web to PrepareUsing the Web to Prepare

Designing the course- NOT MUCHDesigning the course- NOT MUCH Syllabi 10%Syllabi 10% Ideas 50%Ideas 50% Info on teaching 10%Info on teaching 10%

Preparing for class-LOTSPreparing for class-LOTS Materials for lecture 87%Materials for lecture 87% Images 81%Images 81% Activities 24%Activities 24% Search by geoscience topicSearch by geoscience topic

(Cutting Edge Survey data)(Cutting Edge Survey data)

Use of WebsitesUse of Websites

Starting Point39% Faculty

Cutting Edge50% Faculty

Pop up survey-2005

Grounding in Theory IIGrounding in Theory II

Decision MakingDecision Making(Galotti, Case, 2002)(Galotti, Case, 2002)

Does not always reflect or seek full Does not always reflect or seek full understandingunderstanding

Overvalue personal experienceOvervalue personal experience Established procedures altered only in the Established procedures altered only in the

event of negative feedbackevent of negative feedback

Decision MakingDecision Making

Observations:Observations: Decision making based on personal experience (2), Decision making based on personal experience (2),

professional experience (3) or research (2) professional experience (3) or research (2) (Starting Point (Starting Point interviews)interviews)

6 of 8 related decision making to philosophy implicitly or 6 of 8 related decision making to philosophy implicitly or explicitly explicitly (Starting Point interviews)(Starting Point interviews)

70% indicated significant shifts in attitude about practice of 70% indicated significant shifts in attitude about practice of teaching and study of learning teaching and study of learning (Cutting Edge evaluation interviews)(Cutting Edge evaluation interviews)

Preliminary thoughts:Preliminary thoughts: Shifting philosophy can impact decision makingShifting philosophy can impact decision making ImprovedImproved observation of learning may impact decision observation of learning may impact decision

makingmaking

Implications for DesignImplications for Design

How to reach faculty broadly?How to reach faculty broadly? How to teach about pedagogy?How to teach about pedagogy? How to motivate and support change in practice?How to motivate and support change in practice?

How to reach faculty broadly?How to reach faculty broadly?

Disciplinary Approaches can Bring in New People-Disciplinary Approaches can Bring in New People-teaching Xteaching X

Capitalize on Information Seeking BehaviorCapitalize on Information Seeking Behavior When a problem arises in specific class/course - When a problem arises in specific class/course - topical topical

approachapproach Demonstrated gap in knoweldge- Demonstrated gap in knoweldge- methodsmethods When anxiously seeking class materials can introduce When anxiously seeking class materials can introduce

information about methods that are available - information about methods that are available - Tsunami Tsunami imagesimages

When designing course can effectively introduce When designing course can effectively introduce information on methods - information on methods - Cutting Edge workshopCutting Edge workshop

How to teach about pedagogy?How to teach about pedagogy?

Grounding in Theory IVGrounding in Theory IV

Learning Theory Learning Theory (NRC, 2000)(NRC, 2000)

Motivate learningMotivate learning Build on what they knowBuild on what they know Engage in constructing new understandingEngage in constructing new understanding Prompt metacognitionPrompt metacognition

How to teach about pedagogy?How to teach about pedagogy? Motivate learning:Motivate learning:

how is this information related to what they need to do?-teach how is this information related to what they need to do?-teach class tomorrow or next terms--topical approach can helpclass tomorrow or next terms--topical approach can help

Build on what they know:Build on what they know: experiences in specific courses--Examples, Examples, experiences in specific courses--Examples, Examples,

ExamplesExamples Engage in building new understanding:Engage in building new understanding:

Facilitate learning about teaching while exploring examplesFacilitate learning about teaching while exploring examples Link examples to information on methods and vice versaLink examples to information on methods and vice versa Activities design at workshopsActivities design at workshops

Promote metacognition: Promote metacognition: make design methodology explicitmake design methodology explicit

How to motivate and support How to motivate and support change in practice?change in practice?

Capitalize on the colleague as a trusted source for Capitalize on the colleague as a trusted source for pedagogic informationpedagogic information

Importance of timingImportance of timing Thinking about courseThinking about course Fixing something that is brokenFixing something that is broken Creating an expert that meets a needCreating an expert that meets a need

Illuminating both why and howIlluminating both why and how Bridging the gap between ideas and practiceBridging the gap between ideas and practice

An Example: Starting PointAn Example: Starting Point

Pedagogy in Context of What they TeachPedagogy in Context of What they Teach Examples, Examples, Examples Examples, Examples, Examples

Searchable by topicSearchable by topic Findable by GoogleFindable by Google

Written by Faculty for FacultyWritten by Faculty for Faculty Activities and Images Integrated with Activities and Images Integrated with

Information for Class DesignInformation for Class Design

What?What? Think-pair-Think-pair-

shareshare ConcepTestsConcepTests Longer Longer

ActivitiesActivities

From Example to Method From Example to Method

From Method to ExampleFrom Method to Example

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Site UseSite Use

Implications for Faculty Implications for Faculty Professional Development Professional Development

ProgramsPrograms How to reach faculty broadly?How to reach faculty broadly? How to teach about pedagogy?How to teach about pedagogy? How to motivate and support change in practice?How to motivate and support change in practice? Relationship between Relationship between

national and local? national and local? disciplinary and general?disciplinary and general? workshops and websites?workshops and websites?