1. uib.no UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Your Classroom Robert Gray, PhD University of Bergen 17 November 2015 Program for University Pedagogy Insert «Academic unit» on every page: 1 Go to the menu «Insert» 2 Choose: Date and time 3 Write the name of your faculty or department in the field «Footer» 4 Choose «Apply to all"

2. uib.no In order to measure something, we must first make a change… Program for University Pedagogy

3. uib.no But when we have changed something about our teaching practice, how do we know if it worked? Program for University Pedagogy

4. uib.no Forms of Evidence Gut feelings Student comments Student performance Program for University Pedagogy

5. uib.no Are such informal assessments credible? Program for University Pedagogy

6. uib.no They are generally not scientific, systematic, or representative… Program for University Pedagogy

7. uib.no What if you employed such methods in your own research? Program for University Pedagogy

8. uib.no For instance, as in all other arenas, we tend only to hear, or at least only be affected by, the complaints… Program for University Pedagogy

9. uib.no How can you carry out a more systematic inquiry into your teaching and your students’ learning? Program for University Pedagogy

10. uib.no And why? Program for University Pedagogy

11. uib.no Remember: None of this implies that something is “wrong” with your current teaching… Program for University Pedagogy

12. uib.no Only that you are interested in continuous development and improvement. Program for University Pedagogy

13. uib.no What changes can you make to improve your students’ learning? Program for University Pedagogy

14. uib.no What methods can your employ to determine whether those changes are truly working? Program for University Pedagogy

15. uib.no 4 Major Steps to Effective Classroom Inquiry 1.Formulating an inquiry question 2.Developing an assessment strategy 3.Evaluating the results of your study 4.Drawing conclusions and recommendations from the results Program for University Pedagogy (Savory, Burnett, and Goodburn, 2007)

16. uib.no 1. Formulating an inquiry question Reflecting on Course Background, History and Development –Write an overview of your course –Discuss course goals –Situate it in the broader curriculum and institutional context –Explore how and why the course has evolved over time Program for University Pedagogy

17. uib.no 1. Formulating an inquiry question Identifying an issue to investigate –Select a problem that interests you but also begs for a solution (and be sure to think of this as a problem in the scientific sense, not a personal sense) –Focus on some aspect of student learning Outcomes Procedures –Assess what you already know about the issue and your ability to examine it –Explore what research already exists on that issue Program for University Pedagogy

18. uib.no 1. Formulating an inquiry question Defining an Inquiry Hypothesis –Subject group: Who/what are you interested in studying? –Action: What instructional method or approach are you changing for part or all of your subject group? –Outcome measure: How will the change be assessed? –Control group: Who/what are you comparing your subject group to? *Note: Just because all of these components are not met or your inquiry doesn’t meet the threshold of “scientific” doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing… Program for University Pedagogy

19. uib.no 2. Developing an assessment strategy Developing an Investigative Plan –What will you do that will enable you to examine the issue you are studying What are the dependent and independent variables? What assumptions will you be making –How will you collect data to answer your hypothesis? Program for University Pedagogy

20. uib.no Relating Your Inquiry to What Has Been Done Before –Can validate your thinking –Can provide new insights –Can help you frame your inquiry –Can help you discover new measurement strategies –Can show you areas where you can contribute to the literature Program for University Pedagogy 2. Developing an assessment strategy

21. uib.no Seeking Institutional Approval and Student Consent –Do you need IRB approval? –Do you need student consent? –Will the “Hawthorne effect” influence your data? Program for University Pedagogy 2. Developing an assessment strategy

22. uib.no Teaching the Course and Collecting Data –Discuss the project with your students –Collect consent forms –Make copies of all relevant student work –Periodically review data to make sure it is answering the question Program for University Pedagogy 2. Developing an assessment strategy

23. uib.no 3. Evaluating the results of your study Interpreting and Evaluating Your Findings –Keep the analysis, representation, and discussion of your findings as simple as you can –Be careful not to claim too much Program for University Pedagogy

24. uib.no 4. Drawing conclusions and recommendations Reflecting on the Inquiry Process –What impact was made on student learning? –What did you learn about your teaching? Program for University Pedagogy

25. uib.no A Few More Things on Classroom Inquiry Do this together with a colleague Be aware that this takes time The more focused your question, the better Program for University Pedagogy

26. uib.no One of the best ways to get started on the journey of scholarly teaching is reflective writing about your teaching. Program for University Pedagogy

27. uib.no Characteristics of a Scholarly Teacher Remaining current in your discipline Learning about different teaching styles and approaches Improving your students’ learning by investigating the impact of your teaching Improving student learning throughout your department or university by collecting, sharing, and communicating the results of your work Program for University Pedagogy (Glassick et al., 1997)

28. uib.no Uses of Classroom Inquiry Work Developing a new course Summarizing your teaching for annual review Supporting teaching award applications Documenting and assessing professional development Highlighting teaching for promotion Aiding in a departmental review Supporting a job application Providing or assessing learning outcomes for department or program Program for University Pedagogy (Bernstein, Burnett, Goodburn, & Savory, 2006)

29. uib.no Evaluation Strategies Instructor reflections on the experience Student perceptions of their experience Student performance on assessments Student actions in the environment Program for University Pedagogy