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Seven research universities preparing a national science, technology, engineering and mathematics faculty committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse student audiences

THE CIRTL NETWORK NEWS
 
If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, please visit the CIRTL web site.

 

CIRTL Pillars In Practice: Teaching-as-Research

 

[Delta participants] use the following points as touchstones to remind themselves of why the concept of teaching-as-research is valuable.

1. The application of teaching-as-research is meant to lead participants to an ongoing process of discovery and change.

2. The application of teaching-as-research is meant to create inclusive learning environments that are effective for diverse audiences.

3. The application of teaching-as-research will take place within a learning community - a collaborative environment that promotes shared learning and active participation.

 

(Adapted from the Delta Program web site)

Did You Know?

The CIRTL Portal Team is developing an online community to promote connection and interaction across the Network. The new site will offer features from two highly versatile content management systems - Drupal and Moodle.

Past Presentations:

 

Austin, Baldwin, Chang, Hernandez, Ozaki:

Inter-Institutional Cooperative Relationships in Postsecondary Education: Lessons from the Literature and the Field (ASHE, 2007)

 

Herbert:

Learning at the Edge: The Nature and Design of Inquiry-based Learning Environments for an Undergraduate Geoscience Program

 

Webb, Herbert:

Graduate Teaching Academy Seminar (Texas A&M University)

 

Other recent presentations

Publications:

 

Courter, Siegl, Stiles:

Work in Progress – Inter-disciplinary, Online Approach to Learning about Teaching (PDF)

 

Schoepke, Pfund, Bubenzer:

Guiding Current and Future Faculty to Develop an Effective Teaching Philosophy (PDF)

 

Other recent publications

Leaders' Update (CIRTLNet login required)

 

STEM Education Scholars Program
So you are beginning the path to a faculty career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. You are a new professor, have earned your Ph.D., or are completing graduate school. Do you feel ready to teach your students effectively? Are your teaching methods responsive to the need for active learning? Do you know how to teach inclusively to welcome an increasingly diverse student population? Are you prepared to create a learning environment that encourages students?

In this immersion program, faculty and future faculty will:

  • Practice techniques for engaging students in active learning;
  • Apply their research skills to improving their own teaching;
  • Develop a lasting learning community with other new STEM faculty across the CIRTL Network;
  • Teach for diversity of learning styles, culture, age, gender, academic background and interests; and
  • Develop confidence in creating effective learning environments for students and faculty.

Location: Nashville, TN

Dates: Monday, June 2 - Wednesday, June 4, 2008

For more information, or to apply, visit the STEM Education Scholars Program web site.

CIRTL Forum: Aligning the Preparation of Graduate Students for STEM Early Career Faculty Positions

"No one ever teaches you to be a professor," commented UW-Madison chemistry graduate student Kate Kornau, after hearing a presentation on faculty careers. Her quote raises the question: Are graduate students, graduate universities, and faculty employers aligned in their expectations for doctoral graduates?

The CIRTL Forum will explore the alignment of development experiences from graduate school through early career faculty positions, with an emphasis on preparation in teaching and learning. The Forum will also highlight the new generation of graduate students and early career faculty being developed by future faculty development programs.  The CIRTL Forum 2008 will bring together key stakeholder groups, including leaders of major research universities, academic employers, graduate students, and STEM faculty.

 

Location: Madison, WI

Dates: Monday, June 16 - Tuesday, June 17, 2008

For more information, visit the CIRTL Forum web site.

 

Ask a CIRTL Graduate Student!

Q: Please describe the importance of teaching to your future career.
Michelle Simms, a doctoral student in the College of Education, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture at Texas A&M University: [Since I am] a student who has acquired multiple degrees from the same institution, taking a CIRTL class provided me with exposure to the academic cultures at a variety of institutions. Such exposure is enriching and, I feel, absolutely necessary in the development of future faculty. Being a part of a learning community outside of my local context also served to model what I may expect when I begin my career as research faculty.

 

News from the Field

PUBLICATIONS

A Social Cognitive Construct Validation: Determining Women's and Men's Success in Engineering Programs -

The authors test the theory that female attrition from engineering is due to classroom climate issues rather than lack of ability. The study evaluated female students' academic skills, their beliefs about their own competence, and their interactions with faculty. The female engineering students earned high grades and asked questions frequently. The authors concluded that a great deal of the attrition among women in engineering is due to self-perceived differences in ability.

Vogt, C., Hocevar, D., & Serra Hagedorn, L. (2007, May/June). The Journal of Higher Education, 78(3), 338-364.

 

Graduating Underrepresented African American, Latino, and American Indian Students in Science -

This article explores the reasons that African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans tend to leave the sciences for other disciplines. The students the author surveyed were part of a successful retention program at the University of Colorado. Statistics show that increased GPA and financial aid are not directly related to retention rates. However, minority students have repeatedly stated that a major reason for staying in the science programs is personal support from their families and from university faculty. While white students are often encouraged to break away from family structures and become a part of the campus community, this method does not work as well with ethnic minority students. The students in the program indicated Academic Support, Scholarship, Staff Support, and Peer Support as the major reasons for their persistence.

Johnson, A. (2007). Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 13(1), 1-21.

 

To ask questions or to make contributions, contact Katherine Friedrich (newsletter at cirtl.net).

Next newsletter: March, 2008
Deadline for announcements and contributions: February 24, 2008

 

To view previous newsletters, visit the archive.

This newsletter is published by the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, 1025 W. Johnson Street, Madison WI 53706, newsletter@cirtl.net, http://www.cirtl.net/. To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit cirtl-newsletter.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0227592.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.