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October, 2005

The Teaching Professor - October, 2005 - Full Issue
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Of Sidewalks and Learning
By Keith Starcher
There is a sidewalk that cuts diagonally northeast from Northwood Hall toward the Student Center. That sidewalk did not exist when I arrived at Geneva College in August 2003. In its place was a well-worn path pressed down by a host of sneakers and sandals from students who had long ago figured out the shortest distance between the two buildings.

Fill-in-the-Blank Lecture Notes: Advantages
By David DiBattista, Brock University, Ontario, Canada david.dibattista@brocku.ca
In his 2004 article (The Teaching Professor, 18[10]), “Online Lecture Notes Can Aid Student Learning,” Ryan Zerr points out the need to strike a balance between providing too little and too much information in the lecture notes supplied to students. With too little information, the notes are of little value, while with too much information, it is difficult for the instructor to ask leading questions and generate discussion.

Student Observations of Teachers: A Caveat
Virtually all instructional rating systems rely on student observations. And the literally hundreds of studies that verify both the reliability and validity of student observations legitimize this practice. But every now and then a study raises questions about the viability of this approach. The study referenced below is one such example.

The Wizard of Oz: A Metaphor for Teaching Excellence
By Donna Bowles
When reflecting on my experiences as a college professor, several themes from The Wizard of Oz often surface. This well-known story provides a metaphorical view of behaviors that I strive to achieve in my ongoing work with students. In the familiar foursome’s journey to the Emerald City, I see characteristics necessary for teaching excellence—the need to improve, fine-tune and revamp as we travel with students through courses and curricula. Like Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, successful teachers must have courage, passion and brains.

Virtual Teams with Fluid Membership
Here’s an interesting model for group work: form the groups in a large class; give members the option of working face-to-face, by phone or online; and change the membership across the life of the group. Brian Dineen opted for this model in his upper-division organizational behavior course because he felt it closely replicated conditions now common in professional contexts. Employees work with others in a virtual environment, and frequently, as tasks evolve, membership in working groups changes.

The Circle of Scholarship
By Keith Whittington
My title comes from the Lion King’s theme song and represents how my scholarship has proceeded since I’ve been at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). I came to RIT five years ago, after 23 years in industry. Initially I was bothered by the idea of doing scholarship, because I came here to teach. I love teaching and the satisfaction that comes with providing students lifelong learning skills. I love watching their eyes light up when they finally “get it.” So the thought of using teaching time to do scholarship and research seemed all wrong.

Creating Effective Handouts
For most of us, handouts are a staple of instructional life, but as Teresa Sakraida and Peter Draus (reference below) point out, their “development is often a trial-and-error process.” (p. 326) Like so many other aspects of instruction, we take the construction of handouts for granted, disregarding that their various uses implicate their design. Intuition guides the creation of most handouts.