READ | TEACHING @| PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT / SoTL
reflection | scholarly teaching | mentoring | literature | SoTL | documentation
One of the things that all great teachers share is the willingness to grow and develop as teachers. This growth is likely most effective and efficient if treated as a scholarly process, basing changes on data rather than only on assumptions. This area will suggest ways to gather information on which to develop new strategies and practices, as well as ways to document and share teaching innovations.
Successful university teaching requires both a deep knowledge of a field of study and mastery of a range of pedagogical skills. While there are a few “natural teachers,” the traditional view that content expertise is sufficient preparation for university level teaching is just not true for most instructors. Prior preparation in a range of teaching methods is important for most instructors to support the learning of their students.
However, teaching at the university is a complex web of skills, knowledge, and abilities. No preparation, no matter how good, will last for an entire career. Not only does the research on teaching and learning continue to grow, but students and their attitudes toward learning also change over time. Ongoing development of the professional skills and knowledge-base is crucial to maintain effectiveness.
Richlin (1995) conceives of university teaching on a continuum:
- unreflective, rote teaching, doing only what was done to us
- reflective teaching, using our own and our students thoughts about what does and doesn’t work
- scholarly teaching, seeking out the ideas and methods that other instructors have tested,
- scholarship of teaching and learning, doing structured inquiry into our teaching and our students’ learning and adding to the public conversation.
The following pages will provide some ideas and resources for each of these except unreflective teaching.
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