Abstract:
As an alumni of the 1997 New Faculty Workshop, I've had plenty of opportunities to experiment with the teaching methods introduced there. Most recently, faculty at UA have been asked to develop a Learner-Centered approach to teaching, where regular, timely and thorough assesments of student learning becomes a key component of the curriculum. This involves four phases: 1) Identifying and defining learning outcomes, 2) Matching assessments to outcomes, 3) Identifying baselines and progression toward benchmarks and 4) Documenting the process using a quality enhancement plan matrix. This has led to the development of learning tools designed to enhance critical thinking and problem solving skills. This will be discussed in the context of setting teaching goals for new faculty, including how to document the process for teaching portfolios.
