Spring 1997
Vol 5 Issue 2
IN THIS ISSUE...
Learning . . . Something to Talk About
The Role/Relationship of Faculty Development in Learning
The Faculty Evaluation Plan = Lifelong Learning
A Garden: A Metaphor for Learning
Assessment and Evaluation: In Search of a Common Terminology
PBL in Mathematics . . . What a Concept!
Maricopa Learning Project: What's It All About?
What I Learned About Learning as a Learner
Did you know . . .
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
The Role/Relationship of Faculty Development in Learning
Joyce Davis, Mesa Community College
In order to explore the issue of the role/relationship of Faculty Development in learning, it is wise for us to determine what is meant by the term "learning." According to Webster's Dictionary, learning means either the "penchant or the actual act of acquiring knowledge, skill, etc.; to become informed." The penchant refers to the tendency to learn; whereas, the actual act refers to the acquisition of new information that can be applied in some way to the learner's life.
In accepting this definition of learning, most educators realize their role/relationship commitment to their professional participation in the teaching-learning exchange. Their commitment implies that professional educators have the freedom and responsibility to provide educational experiences that serve to expand the learner's information bank, skills, and abilities to make positive contributions to the quality of life. The role/relationship of educators in the teaching-learning exchange process is important and, therefore, should be valued highly as the significant commitment.
There is another issue of significance: to determine how best an educator could provide positive educational experiences that are relevant for learners. The issue is the identification of what characteristics and qualities have been developed and are demonstrated by an effective educator participating in the teaching-learning exchange process. Some educators, including this author/educator, have drawn conclusions about teacher effectiveness from research findings in various subject areas such as: psychology, philosophy, sciences, sociology, business, and practical experience.
One experienced individual, psychologist and educator Dr. Tom Gordon, drew upon the research findings and publications of Dr. Abraham Maslow when developing his Teacher Effectiveness Training courses. He identified several areas of mastery for the effective educator:
- Knowledge expertise in both content material and behavioral classroom management;
- An earned reputation of teaching-learning effectiveness classrooms;
- A sense about one's own ability to make a positive difference in the lives of students -- to really matter;
- An ability to create classroom experiences relevant to the real world;
- An ability to recreate the teaching-learning mission and purpose consistently; and
- Goals of great teaching and great learning.
Business has also implied what teaching effectiveness would include. The American Labor Force expressed their expectations for the American school graduates which, in turn, directly influenced the course of educational experiences provided at the community college level. In a publication from the Secretary's Commission On Achieving Necessary Skills, U.S. Department of Labor, April 1992, the SCANS report for America 2000; Learning A Living: A Blueprint for High Performance, three specific areas of performance mastery were identified:
- Basic Skills -- Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Mathematics, Listening, and Speaking
- Thinking Skills -- Creative Thinking, Decision Making, Problem Solving, Seeing Things in the Mind's Eye, Knowing How to Learn, and Reasoning
- Personal Qualities -- Responsibility, Self-Esteem, Sociability, Self-Management, and Integrity/Honesty
To some, the Commission's final report may seem a comprehensive dream; nonetheless, the underlying implications for the educational process after high school graduation is something that the community colleges have recently given attention to. The challenge for the community college educator appears to be in developing and delivering extensive educational experiences that stand the likelihood of learner achievement, success, and are of ultimate benefit to a changed and complex society.
Another source of data about true teacher-learner effectiveness can come from a sizable pool of information gained from: training classes, orientation series, seminars, credit courses, informal discussions, instructional councils, and peer sharing. It is in these environments that faculty development opportunities have truly mattered and have made the positive difference for educators with the intention of excellence and effectiveness for their students. Community College Faculty Development programs can assist faculty in acquiring new skills; technological or nontechnological. These specifically designed programs can provide faculty with opportunities to exchange what works best in the community college classrooms, and how to experience renewal with professional enthusiasm.
Perhaps it is valid to say that the meaning of learning has not been altered. It is probably more accurate to say that the challenge of what is to be learned and how best to accomplish a "smarter rather than harder" avenue of learning acquisition has needed to be explored and expanded.
Considering these new challenges, then, it seems like it is the Faculty Development programs that can provide the most current, relevant, cost efficient and time-saving experiences for educators to check out how they are doing in the complex process of the teaching-learning exchange relationship and how best they can modify their life's work if necessary.
For this educator, the role/relationship of Faculty Development to learning is a powerful one and one to be dealt with openly, honestly, and with creative thought. For this educator, Faculty Development opportunities are "diamonds in the desert."
