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Teaching Communities in the School of Information Technology.

 

The School of Information Technology has a number of large intake undergraduate subjects (which are also used in some post-graduate programs). These are taught by a small number of full time academic staff supplemented by a large number of sessionally employed staff - many of whom are students studying later years of the same degree. Subjects have laboratory sessions and tutorial classes that are taught in groups of less than 20. In subjects with over 700 students this translates to very large numbers of classes requiring teaching staff. Students value the small group teaching situations, but have been critical of the overall quality of teaching in the University Quality Unit subject surveys.

Traditionally there has been only minimal preparation for the teaching role available to the sessional staff. In these large subjects they are usually emailed necessary materials, or collect them anonymously from a pigeon hole, and teach in isolation.

This project brings the entire teaching group within a number of subjects into individual Subject Teaching Communities. All members attend an introductory workshop dealing with small group teaching situations, and attend ongoing reflective meetings which have teaching support. Interview data is continuously collected from tutors. It is an ongoing project, with no set finish date.

Aims:

 

 

1. To engage in an ongoing process of staff Professional Development as teachers through reflection on practice and in practice in a Teaching Community.
2. To provide a learning environment for students that promotes broader and deeper learning, and the development of Learning Communities that can assist in general transition to university.
3. To review the curriculum of the course as it is being taught.
4. Develop and model process and benefits for other staff in SIT.
5. Engage in research on the above

 

Specific details about each aim:

1. Staff PD in teaching.

The overall intention is to encourage a culture of teaching in which all teaching staff see themselves as engaging in a never ending process of self development as teachers that is both professionally and personally rewarding. This process has a number of aspects:

 

• Introduction to, or reminding of, basic educational concepts relating to student learning. This will be via a 2 day workshop prior to the start of semester, linked to a process of ongoing reflection in Teaching Community meetings in which these concepts will be used as frameworks to interpret experience and plan future actions. The workshop particularly emphasise small group teaching situations.
  
  
• Promoting a culture of communication about teaching and learning issues as an integral part of academic culture. A Teaching Community will be established for all staff teaching each of the target subjects, with weekly meetings in which staff will be encouraged to share their experiences as teachers, discuss the "big ideas" to be taught, and collegially develop teaching approaches to achieve the desired learning outcomes. These meetings are high quality preparation time and generally are not seen as "an extra meeting" by sessionals.
  
  
• Provide recognition of teaching skill. Particularly for students (UG or PG) who engage in teaching there is a high regard for some form of recognition of their work as teachers, and of the development of teaching skills. These are particularly well received by employers seeking such generic skills as communication and leadership. A Certificate of Under-Graduate Teaching has been set up through the Centre for LATTES to give credit to those engaging successfully in the Teaching Community for two semesters.

 

2. Student learning environment.

Learning Communities are a proven benefit to students. Students who form Learning Communities are in general more academically successful, cope better with the change to a university climate (academically and socially), and develop more valuable generic learning skills than those who learn in isolation. Teaching approaches that encourage students to work in groups, get to know their peer group, and value the knowledge of their peers, are promoted. Similarly assessment is being reviewed with this goal in mind.

Conceptual approaches to teaching that focus on the "big ideas" of the subject result in better quality learning (deep learning). These "big ideas" are not always easily identified by the knowledge experts. Negotiating a shared understanding of the "big ideas" will be a major part of the staff PD and Curriculum review components of the project. Teaching approaches are being developed to make the "big ideas" apparent to the students, and promoted as a learning priority. Assessment structures also need to reflect the importance of understanding concepts in contexts rather than recall of specific examples.

A parallel curriculum of life long learning skills and other Generic Skills already identified by the university and industry is implicit in all tertiary teaching. These skills are being identified more clearly, and made more explicit to the students, with teaching and assessment activities directed towards their development and final evaluation.

3. Curriculum review.

To engage in a process of ongoing review of the curriculum during teaching of the course, in order to identify the most important concepts, the areas of greatest need in student learning, the most effective teaching approaches, and the most appropriate assessment structures to meet the subject objectives. The combined knowledge of the Teaching Community is available during the semester. By the end of this reflection in action a revised program will already have been defined, which can be further refined in each teaching cycle of the subject.

 

4. Model outcomes for other staff.

It is intended that the project should be a positive encouragement to the faculty to develop a culture that supports reflection on teaching practice, with a philosophy of continuous improvement in teaching practice. The Teaching Communities are intended to be a context for substantial professional growth, without incurring extra financial or staff-time costs.

 

5. Research outcomes.

All the above aspects are research issues in their own right. In particular:

 

1. Academic staff's conception of their role and of their subject matter (particularly sessionals). Variations and their source are of interest also.
2. The process of change in 1. during the intervention – what changes and why?
3. Other conceptions and skills that develop as a result of engaging in a TC, and the way the TC develops as a structure.
4. Student learning problems that are exposed, and the reasons they are seen as problematic.
5. Teaching methods and assessment developed to address problems, or promote deep learning and LCs. Teacher intentions and student perceptions are equally important.
6. Student reactions to teaching approaches and assessment changes. Beliefs and decision making underpinning their reactions. What do they value, what decisions do they make, and how?
7. Learning outcomes of students in response to teaching, assessment and curriculum change – with causation.

Any or all of the above could be subject to organised data collection, analysis and publication in collaboration with interested staff involved in the TC.

Data collection:

 

Sessional staff.

• ongoing interviews during the year to monitor attitudes and perceptions.
• Final interviews at end of year to over views of the year.

 

Ongoing staff.

• Final interview to get over view of their TC involvement.

 

Teaching Community meetings.

• Attendance at all meetings as "education expert" allows a subjective review of the way members develop in the complexity and sophistication of their reflections.
• Descriptions of teaching experiences during the meeting will provide indirect measures of learning engagement.

 

Student Assessment.

• Final results in the various assessment items should give some insight into the learning of the students.

Student observations.

 

• Trained research assistants will be used to observe small group teaching situations to collect data on the specific teaching behaviours being used, and the type of student learning behaviours that result.

 

 

 

 

 

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