#2: Continuous Professional Development
Investing in your professional growth is an investment in your students' success.
Welcome to the summer summer-into-fall 2024 “Top 10 Essential Practices” series for new faculty! Catch up with the series introduction here and #10: Understand Your Learners, #9: Clear Learning Objectives, #8: Using Active Learning, #7: Providing Timely and Constructive Feedback, #6: Promoting Belonging, #5: Staying Organized and Managing Time Effectively, #4: Utilizing Technology Wisely and #3: Encouraging Critical Thinking.
I’ve written before about development opportunities designed for faculty, and how a good chunk of professional development falls into two buckets:
Focus on technology: Opportunities aimed at catching people up on the latest educational technology innovations, particularly common over the past four years as more of us increasingly take advantage of the affordances of our Learning Management Systems (LMSs) and even more so over the past two years with the explosion of AI tools.
Focus on “newbies” or “resistant” faculty: Opportunities that repeat the “low-hanging fruit” topics that new faculty always need or are what the institution considers “the bare minimum” of what they think all faculty should do - focusing on these topics leaves instructors who have already taken the basic steps to self-development without opportunities to help them level up what they’re doing.
While there are ways to get more from your institution, there are steps we can each take to engage in continuous learning and growth.
The three legs of ongoing learning…
Self-reflection. Regularly reviewing your teaching – the design and facilitation of learning activities, which includes what you present to students, what you ask them to do, and how you guide them through this process - is vital to any efforts to improve.
Systematic Post-Class Review: Don't just pack up and leave after a lecture or seminar. Dedicate some time – even just 15 minutes – immediately afterward to jot down observations. What worked well? What felt clunky or ineffective? Were students engaged? Where did you lose their attention? This immediate reflection captures the nuances of the session while they're still fresh in your mind. Here’s one way to get started.
Student Feedback Analysis (Beyond the Numbers): Don't just look at the average scores on student evaluations. Dig deeper. Read the individual comments carefully, looking for recurring themes and patterns. What are students praising? What are they criticizing? Try to understand the why behind their feedback, not just the what. Here are some strategies for getting mid-term feedback from students.
Pedagogical innovation. The world of teaching methods is constantly evolving. Exploring new technologies, active learning strategies, and diverse assessment techniques can significantly enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
Explore Educational Technology: The world of EdTech is vast and ever-expanding, and the best way to dive in is to experiment with tools that can enhance specific aspects of your teaching. Don't feel pressured to adopt everything – focus on tools that genuinely enhance your teaching and student learning. Here are some tools to explore.
Engage with Educational Research: Stay current with the latest research on teaching and learning by exploring journals and publications dedicated to pedagogical innovation and educational technology. This will help you identify evidence-based practices and make informed decisions about adopting new tools and techniques.
Pilot Test New Approaches: Before fully integrating a new tool or method into your courses, try it out on a smaller scale. Pilot test a new technology in a single class, or try a new active learning strategy with a small group of students. This allows you to gather feedback and make adjustments before implementing it more broadly. Suggestions for evaluating tools & whether they suit your goals.
Feedback and collaboration. Observing colleagues' teaching, participating in peer observation schemes, and engaging in constructive criticism are invaluable. A supportive departmental culture that fosters open dialogue and shared learning is a powerful catalyst for improvement.
Collaborate with Colleagues: Talk to colleagues about their experiences with innovative teaching methods and technologies, and ask them to observe a class or review some of your teaching materials.
Attend Workshops and Conferences: Seek out workshops and conferences focused on innovative teaching methods and impacts on student learning. These events offer invaluable opportunities to learn from/with experts, to network with colleagues, and to discover new tools and strategies. Many universities offer internal professional development opportunities – take advantage of them!
Where do you find ongoing professional learning opportunities? Please share in the comments!
A key reason I write this newsletter is to create a space for continuous learning and reflection. The opportunity to reflect on student learning and teaching practices, and to share these insights with over 4,000 followers, is deeply rewarding. I hope you continue to find this newsletter a valuable resource for reflection and growth!
Want to read more? Browse the Tips archive to read through one of the 200+ posts from the past three and a half years, or search for specific topics
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