Education Training
Core Competencies:
CORE COMPETENCY 1: Developing Discipline-Related Teaching Strategies
Course:
ISE 820
Spring 2013
Description: Introduction to research methodologies and findings relevant to college student cognition in science disciplines. Material from education, psychology, cognitive sciences, and the science disciplines will be used to reveal college student cognitive processes as they relate to science fields.
Artifacts:
Materials developed: For this course, I developed a prototype proposal for a study of students’ spatial perception based on upbringing as applied to structural geology.
Reflections: Through this course, I was able to better understand how students’ perceptions and cognitive processes affect their learning. Each student may learn differently based on their individual cognitive processes and past experiences, beyond previous learning experiences. These concepts helped, and continue to help, me in developing lessons that allow for different cognitive processes to provide a more effective learning experience for a more diverse population of students.
CORE COMPETENCY 2: Creating Effective Learning Environments
Description: There are multiple barriers to learning that must be overcome in order to create and effective learning environment. Communication barriers in the classroom can hinder the development of an effective learning environment. While communication barriers can consist of actual language barriers, there are other types of communication barriers that must be overcome in the classroom for the students to effectively learn. If a student is not engaged in a lesson, this may manifest as a type of communication barrier in which the student has shut themself off to information being communicated to them. Reasons for student disengagement may range from disinterest in the material, to feeling lost in the lessons, to fear of the class or subject matter being taught. To effectively create a productive learning environment, these communication barriers must be addressed in order to generate student engagement in the lessons.
Artifacts:
Artifact Rationale: Within the Certification in College Teaching Institute program, I was instructed in the various barriers in creating effective learning environments. I was also given several examples of techniques and technologies that exist that can assist in creating a more effective learning environment.
Interpretation/Reflection: One technique to assist in generating student engagement is by creating two-way conversations and discussions with students. In this way, students become more engaged in the learning experience and two-way communication serves as a form of formative assessment of my lesson effectiveness. A sense of a flat, level “playing field” between instructor and student must be developed for effective learning. A sense of superiority of the instructor does not provide much in the way of effective communication or engaged learning. Learning “by play” can create an effective teaching strategy by allowing students to fail without consequence. This addresses misconceptions students may have and may generate a cognitive dissonance for the student without reprisal, allowing the student to learn and correct misconceptions. Giving students a choice is a powerful motivator for them to participate in lesson activities. Through this, students’ gain a sense of ownership over their learning experience. Effective learning environments include peer instruction. It is possible that during a lesson, a peer may be better able to communicate complex concepts or correct misconceptions to a student because of their shared learning experience. Also, this fosters a sense of community and inclusion within the classroom, generating a comfortable, non-threatening learning environment. However, students’ must receive initial instruction before being able to engage peer learning. This may be accomplished through traditional lecture or pre-assignments. I strive to implement all of these strategies within the classroom and lesson development.
CORE COMPETENCY 3: Incorporating Technology in your Teaching
Description: As new technologies are rapidly being developed for multiple facets of society, so too are the technologies available to instructors in the classroom. These technologies have the ability to present material to students that may not otherwise be possible. They also have the ability to increase student engagement in the lesson as well as provide for the possibility to taking the lesson outside of the classroom. The increased popularity and importance of distance learning necessitates the use of technologies such as online courses and massive open online courses (MOOCs). While traditional instructional methods are still necessary in creating effective lessons and learning environments, properly implemented technology in the classroom can enhance these lessons and traditional techniques. Development of content is the most important factor in using technology in teaching. The type of engagement the instructor wishes the student to have with the material must be determined, such as peer teaching, multimedia presentations, or immersive, virtual-reality environments. After these factors have been determined, the technological platform that best suits what content is being presented and what type of student engagement may be chosen, including hybrid technological/traditional lessons.
Artifacts:
Artifact Rationale: Within the Certification in College Teaching Institute program, I was instructed in the various types of technologies being employed in the classroom, from online courses to incorporation of social media. In addition to this overview, I was given instruction as to the impacts these technologies can have on teaching and student engagement. Within the mentored teaching activity I developed, I used virtual reality environments to simulate a field experience for students in preparation for a real-world field trip.
Interpretation/Reflection: Technology can help give a voice to students’. Through the use of technologies such as clickers, students feel they have a say in the class, even anonymously, which increases engagement in the lesson. Such technologies can also be effective in formative assessment of lessons in large classes, providing a measure of lesson effectiveness in real time. Technology can allow for a lesson to be taken outside of the classroom, after class has ended. Social media platforms, such as Instagram, can be effective in engaging students after they leave the classroom and allowing them to make real-world observations. Photos posted to a class Instagram account with assigned themes allow the student to apply what they have learned in class to their everyday life. A shared account allows all students to see what is being posted by all, generating peer instruction, fostering a sense of community and inclusion, and developing motivation. Technology can also assist in overcoming logistical issues associated with field components of lessons. In some cases, a real-world field component is critical in understanding how in-class lessons apply to the outside world, but may not always be feasible. Through this concept, I have developed a virtual field trip exercise that allows students to visit locations that may otherwise be impossible, and apply field techniques learned in lecture to an environment that is near real-world.
CORE COMPETENCY 4: Understanding the University Context
Description: Multiple types of universities exist, from community colleges, to for-profit institutions, to research universities. Depending on the type of school, the expectations of instruction may be different. Lessons may range from introductory material to developing student research and mentorship. In addition to the type of material presented at these types of schools, the student population may differ in makeup. Student populations may consist of recent high school graduates to adult learners. The lesson content expected at each school as well as the student population must be considered by the instructor and incorporated in lesson development. In addition to these factors, some types of schools, such as research universities, place an emphasis on faculty research over teaching. The instructor must be able to adapt to this requirement to continue to be an effective teacher.
Artifacts:
Artifact Rationale: Within the Certification in College Teaching Institute program, I was instructed in the various types of universities/schools and what is expected of instructors and students in each. I also received instruction on the makeup of the student populations at these institutions and how they differ. The work load, type of lesson material presented, and student demographics were discussed in the context of developing effective teaching strategies.
Interpretation/Reflection: Depending on the type of institution one is teaching, it may be possible to address the different backgrounds of the student population when developing lessons and teaching strategies. To assist with this, it is important to attempt to connect to the student on a personal level. By creating a personal investment in the lesson for the student, motivation is gained and the student becomes more engaged in the lessons. The strategy used to connect to the student will vary depending on the institution type and composition of the student population. It is important to understand that cognitive differences may exist in the students based on the institution. Adult learners at a community college will have different cognitive abilities when compared to younger students that have just graduated high school and each group will learn differently. These differences must be accounted for when developing lessons and teaching strategies. Several other strategies for teaching may be employed that can be applied to a broad student population, regardless of institution type. Scaffolding may be used to create effective and engaging learning environments. To provide initial instruction to students at the beginning of the scaffolding process, traditional lecture may be employed to teach core concepts. This helps to address the possibility of differences in learning styles among the class and allows the student to apply what they have learned in the traditional lecture portion of the lesson. Throughout this process, the instructor should employ formative and summative assessment and guide the students through the process.
Core Competency 5: Assessing Student Learning
Summary: Field work is a cornerstone of the Geological sciences. For many students, including those who will continue into graduate studies, future career prospects will consist of positions that require a field work component. Many undergraduate programs include a field camp requirement as a capstone course to their degree requirements. Regardless of these, course field trips and traditional instruction in field methods are becoming less and less available within undergraduate programs. Reasons for this include cost of running such field studies within an undergraduate course and accessibility to appropriate field locations. In order to augment the loss of field instruction within undergraduate programs, new methods of teaching such skills must be developed. Traditional skills such as making and properly recording field observations are crucial to the geological science student as they transition to their post-graduate career paths. To assist in providing students with this valuable education, I have developed a virtual field trip exercise that can provide some of the experience of a field trip while eliminating many logistical issues associated with a real-world field exercise.
Mentored Teaching Activity Documents: