Using Faculty Learning Communities to Support High-Impact ... · High-Impact Common Reading...
Transcript of Using Faculty Learning Communities to Support High-Impact ... · High-Impact Common Reading...
Using Faculty Learning Communities to Support High-Impact Common Reading Programs
Dr. Christine Metzo, St. Cloud State UniversityAnnual Conference on the First Year Experience
Atlanta, Georgia, February 12, 2017
In today’s session:
Background on St. Cloud State University’s Common Reading Program
Common Challenges for Faculty Faculty Learning Communities as a solution to address
those challenges Impact so far...
Public institution in the Minnesota State System Enrollment (Fall 2016): 15,092, including 1,832 graduate students 100-acre campus on the Mississippi River More than 200 majors, minors and pre-professional programs
provide a common academic experience for all new first-year students, which integrates both curricular and co-curricular activities;
foster partnerships across campus, including interdisciplinary faculty work;
cultivate a sense of community on campus and among students around a shared intellectual experience;
provide opportunities for community members to engage with campus and students.
Multi-cultural Student Services Reception for Shirley Lacks and Victoria Baptiste, 2012-13
Helping Nepal International presents Conor Grennan with donation from Dashain and Tihar fundraising, 2013-14
Student Scholarship Essay Competition
Celia Mix, 2015 2nd place (left) and Nick O'Hara, 2015 1st place (right)
Campus Radio Author Interview
Common Reading Programs: Students
CRPs consistent with what the AAC&U describes as a common intellectual experience (Kuh, Kinzie, et al., 2005; Kuh, 2008)
Students find CRPs more meaningful when the book is integratedinto at least one of their courses (Liljequist and Stone, 2009; Goldfine, Mixson-Brookshire, Hoerrner, & Morrissey, 2011)
Common Reading Programs: Faculty Challenges
The need for faculty support has been identified as a key need (Lee, Jie & Williams, 2010)
Among the issues:
faculty burnout with the heavy rotation of new material into course curriculum each year
changing line-up of faculty adopters with changing interest in themes and titles
the ability of faculty to share in a sense of community together around the common intellectual experience for them
Challenge of interdisciplinarity
Faculty Learning Communities: Defined
Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) are small groups of faculty who
actively collaborate in year-long scholarship of teaching and
learning with the express goal of enhancing curriculum (Cox, 2004)
This structure intentionally frames opportunities for curriculum development and community building which translates
into improved student learning environments (Cox & Richlin, 2004)
Faculty Learning Communities Educational concept Educators who engage in a
process of collective learning to improve their teaching and student learning
Often results in scholarship (Boyer’s (1990) scholarship of teaching)
Communities of Practice Anthropological concept People who engage in a
process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor
May result in scholarship but primarily focused on improving practices
Common Reading Faculty Learning Community structure Year-long:
Meet every 2-3 weeks for 1.5 to 2 hours Fall focus: research and pedagogical exploration Spring foci:
faculty book discussions and workshopscompletion of the teaching and learning guide
Small group of about 5 core faculty, with consulting faculty for expertise Diversity of disciplinary expertise Develop community
Benefits of Faculty Learning Community Model for CRPs
opportunity to feature
faculty expertise
generate body of
instructional materials
Interdisciplinary delivery of
faculty workshops
assess student learning
www.stcloudstate.edu/commonread/
Teaching and Learning Guide
Teaching and Learning supplements
Teaching and Learning supplement
Teaching and Learning Guide
Teaching and Learning Guide
Benefits of Faculty Learning Community Model for CRPs
opportunity to feature
faculty expertise
generate body of
instructional materials
Interdisciplinary delivery of
faculty workshops
assess student learning
Timeline: pre-FLC
Fall -1: generate book
candidatesSpring -1: select
book
Summer: Director
generates discussion guide
Fall: implementation
Timeline Adjustment for FLC
Fall -2: generate book
candidates
Spring -2: select book
Fall/Spring -1: FLC
Fall: implementation
Benefits of Faculty Learning Community Model for CRPs
Public Lecture
Teaching and
Learning Guide
Faculty Workshop
Team??
References
Boyer (1990). Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Cox, M. D. (2004). Introduction to faculty learning communities. New directions for teaching and learning (97), 5-23.
Cox, M. D., & L. Richlin, eds. (2004) Building Faculty Learning Communities: New Directions for Teaching and Learning, Number 97. Vol. 15. John Wiley & Sons.
Goldfine, R., Mixson-Brookshire,D., Hoerrner, K., Morrissey, J. (2011). Using a Common First-Year Book to Promote Reading, Connections, and Critical Thinking. Journal of the First-Year Experience and Student in Transition. 23(2), 93-108.
References
Kuh, G. (2008) High-Impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., Whitt, E. J. & Associates (2005). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lee, A., Y. Jie & R. Williams (2010). “Common Book: Practical Strategy for Supporting Student Learning and Success,” e-Source for College Transitions. 8(1): 7-9,13.
Liljequist, L. and S. Stone (2009). Measuring the Success of a Summer Reading Program: A 5-year study, Journal of the First-Year Experience and Student in Transition. 21(2), 87-105.
Resources
This PowerPoint along with materials for Faculty developed by our FLCs can be found at our website:
www.stcloudstate.edu/commonread
Questions?Dr. Christine Metzo
Director of Academic Initiatives, University CollegeSt. Cloud State University