Integrating Undergraduate Peer Mentors into Liberal Arts Courses: A Pilot Study

This article presents research and narratives on the integration of course-based peer learning assistants into seven courses. A new curricular peer mentoring program was piloted in the 2005–2006 academic year in an interdisciplinary liberal arts college at a large Canadian research university. Undergraduate students enrolled in a practicum course which supported their learning while they collaborated with the “host instructor” of the course in which they served as peer mentor. Assistants’ roles varied and included individual tutoring, help via email, online discussion facilitation, small group facilitation, in-class presentation and discussion facilitation, and extracurricular study groups. Their integration into scheduled class activities resulted in participating students’ perception of enhanced learning. Data included peer mentors’ assignments, host instructor feedback, and student surveys.

A quality improvement apprenticeship: Gross anatomy in the time of Covid-19

The study of anatomy is a team-driven field in which anatomy instruction occurs in small groups in the laboratory with one faculty member guiding students through each anatomical region. One laboratory experience may include several small group instructors in one simultaneous learning session. In comparison, the education of future gross anatomists often happens in an apprenticeship model, where the optimal learning outcomes are met through training with an experienced mentor. It was the vision of the authors to further their education through initiating an inter-institutional exchange to apprentice with innovative mentors in order to bring new ideas back to their own gross anatomy courses. The Southeastern Conference, a consortium of the Universities in the Southern region of the United States often associated with intercollegiate sports, has a host of academic initiatives in addition to the athletic emphasis. The Southeastern Conference Faculty Travel Program is one mechanism by which the organization promotes scholarly excellence. In this case, the Faculty Travel Program provided a way for authors from the University of Kentucky to visit a nearby institution, Vanderbilt University, and learn from like-minded anatomy educators, with the goal of incorporating changes in their courses geared toward quality improvement. After this implementation, positive themes emerged in the student feedback on course evaluations. However, the collaboration was interrupted by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This article examines the strengths of interinstitutional apprenticeship and the benefits of such practices in a time of accelerated change in anatomical instruction.     

Interpersonal Influences in Large Lecture-Based Classes: A Socioinstructional Perspective

Abstract. The present research examines whether an interpersonal environment may exist in classrooms that are notoriously impersonal: large lecture-based freshman-level general psychology classes. The artificial categorization of teaching and learning styles, and the limits of those categories, is also addressed. Students evaluated the style of teaching in the classroom, their individual style of learning, and their overall appraisal of the class. Students' perception of an interpersonal fit between themselves and the instructor seems to be most important for effectiveness in student learning. These results are discussed in the context of extending socioinstructional theories of instruction.     

Literature review: the gap between mentoring theory and practice for diverse women faculty

Mentoring remains a beneficial resource for faculty career advancement. Yet, women faculty across African, Latinx, Asian, and Native American Diasporas often report their career advancement needs are unfulfilled by mentors. As a result, a gap exists between mentoring theory and practical application in higher education. Some scholars identified one factor contributing to this gap is Caucasian mentors not addressing faculty gendered and ethnic intersectional identity and the implications of that identity in the professoriate. Also, mentoring literature discussions omit the importance of facilitating learning, particularly when exploring the needs of women faculty across ethnic groups. I explored the gap between the proposed functions of mentoring and the challenges of cross-cultural mentoring and learning as a component of mentoring. The aim is to bridge the gap between theory and practice by providing readers with key mentor behaviors identified in qualitative and quantitative research that facilitate learning.     

Including All Voices in the Classroom: Teaching Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Students

Abstract

A collaborative research project. which was offered as an alternative to traditional undergraduate independent study courses, is discussed. The authors describe the characteristics of traditional independent study courses and how collaborative research efforts differ from them. Such projects provide an in-depth exposure to the topic under study, produce outcomes of a scholarly paper or presentation at a professional meeting, and facilitate authentic interactions between student and teacher. Specific guidelines for establishing a collaborative research project are provided. The authors, a college faculty member and an undergraduate student, outline the benefits of collaborative projects and specific lessons learned from their experiences executing a project.     

Item Analysis in Introductory Economics Testing

Abstract

An interdisciplinary mentoring program for graduate teaching assistants, the GTA mentoring program, offers the needed support for graduate students in their training as teacher-scholars. Authors outline the vision and structure of the program and highlight student, faculty, and institutional benefits. This program involves regular meetings of small teams consisting of graduate students and a faculty mentor, as well as larger group meetings of all participants. Benefits include the development of personal and professional relationships, an open forum for the discussion of teaching and research issues, increased professional support, and greater confidence in classroom instruction.     

关于文科高等数学教学的一些探点

本文通过分析文科学生的特点,讨论了文科高等数学课程开设的意义、文科高等数学教学目标和教学内容的设置原则,并提出了文科高等数学教学方法和手段创新、教材建设、师资队伍建设等相关问题的一些改革措施。     

The Tale of Two Degrees: The Need and Power of the Doctor of Arts

Ph.D. programs train students to perform quality research but not necessarily to deliver quality undergraduate instruction. For students who want to develop such skills, and for universities interested in creating programs to combine broad disciplinary instruction with specialization in effective pedagogical practices, there is a Ph.D. alternative—the Doctor of Arts (D.A.). The D.A. is regarded as a Ph.D. equivalent and aims to better train students to be effective educators since the majority of academic positions are located at primarily undergraduate institutions, with substantially more faculty time consumed by teaching duties than research. A significant difference between traditional Ph.D. and D.A. students is the latter engage in scholarship of teaching and learning, through both topical seminars and participation in supervised teaching internships. Thirty years of job placement statistics gathered from Idaho State University D.A. programs indicate that graduates are well qualified to enter into faculty positions at a wide range of higher education institutions.     

Mentor perspectives on the place of undergraduate research mentoring in academic identity and career development: an analysis of award winning mentors

Abstract

This study examines how Undergraduate Research (UR) mentoring fits into the career profile of award-winning UR mentors and the factors that motivate engagement as UR mentors. Twenty-four award-winning UR mentors in four countries were interviewed about their mentoring practices. Six themes emerged: (1) Academic Identity and Motivations; (2) Challenges to Academic Identity and Career Development; (3) Enhanced Research Productivity; (4) Recognition and Reward; (5) Institution Values Commitment and (6) Developing Other Mentors. The authors discuss these themes and how the findings can be utilized for academic development and identity formation for faculty.     

高校文科非哲学专业逻辑学教学改革新探

逻辑学教学改革由来已久,但始终没有达成共识,＂传统＂与＂现代＂之争还在继续,但或许此时我们该重新审视此争论并提出新的改革方案。为此,在已有教学实践的基础上,对高校文科非哲学专业逻辑学教学从教学目标、学生需求、学生可接受程度三个方面进行分析,提出了将形式逻辑与非形式逻辑（批判性思维）结合在逻辑学这一课程名称之下的改革方案,并具体分析了改革后逻辑学课程设置、教学内容的选择、教学方法的运用、教师队伍建设、教材编写几个方面的内容。     

Fostering the Inner Life of Children with Special Needs: A spiritual approach

The spiritual aspect of life has the potential to affect one’s quality of life in terms of emotional and physical well-being, relationships, and social inclusion. Unfortunately, despite public acknowledgement of the importance of spiritual development, little has been written on spirituality in students with special needs. Furthermore, in the field of special education, spirituality is frequently under-used in practice. The purpose of this article is to explore issues related to spirituality and disabilities. The following aspects are considered: the relationship between spirituality and disabilities; spirituality as an integral part of overall student development and learning; and spirituality as a source of social and psychological support. Implications for educational programmes that will address the spiritual dimension of learning are discussed.     

文科高等数学教学改革的认识与实践

大学文科高等数学的教学改革势在必行。针对目前的教学现状，就如何加强教材建设、教学方法的改革、师资队伍的建设以及学生学习评价体系的建立等方面作了有益的探索和实践。     

Fostering Faculty Collaboration in Learning Communities: A Developmental Approach

Colleges and universities are adopting learning communities to increase student learning and build cohesion. As learning communities grow in popularity, institutions need to invest in faculty development (Oates, 2001) and understand faculty experiences (Mullen, 2001). The University of Hartford created a program that prepared faculty for collaborative teaching in first-year learning communities. Faculty learned to engage in collaborative behaviors, to think outside disciplinary borders, and to employ a specific template as a heuristic for course development. Results of focus group research about the faculty experience and the impact of the experience on their pedagogy are summarized.Catherine B. Stevenson, whose M.A. and Ph.D. are from New York University, is currently an Associate Professor of English and Drama and Academic Dean of International and Honors Programs. She and her coauthors are affiliated with the University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT. Her special interests include nineteenth and twentieth century literature, curriculum reform, pedagogy, and international education. Robert L. Duran, Professor in the School of Communication, who earned his M.A. at West Virginia University and Ph.D. at Bowling Green State University, is a specialist in program evaluation, evaluation research, and research methods. Karen A. Barrett, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, has an M.S. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her special interests include interdisciplinary general education curriculum, higher education administration, and diagnostic hematology and microbiology. Guy C. Colarulli, earned an M.A. at the University of Connecticut and a Ph.D. at The American University. He is the Associate Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, whose special interests include Higher Education Administration, First-Year Experience, as well as American Government, and Politics     

The difficulties of defining development:A case study

In the current climate of change and expansion within higher education in the UK, there are various drivers for change in the way the curriculum is designed and delivered. In the recent past, within the UK, the QAA has presented a Code of Practice with respect to HE provision for students with disabilities and changes in the legislation relating to access to higher education for students with disabilities. These developments have prompted funding councils to resource major projects relating to accessibility. Such is the complexity of terms such as 'curriculum', 'accessibility' and 'disability', that these funded projects require a multidisciplinary approach. However, questions arise as to whether the key players in these multidisciplinary projects actually fully understand each other and have a shared understanding of the terms of reference. This case study highlights some of the difficulties experienced within a multidisciplinary team that did not ensure a shared conception of the complexities of the change management project in which it was engaged. What comes to the foreground is the problematic concept of academic development and how it is understood outside of its own community.     

自主学习环境下的学习动机研究

学习动机分为内在动机和外在动机,内在动机是自主学习能力培养的决定性因素。调查发现,在使用自主学习中心学习外语过程中,学习者的外在动机占主导地位,而内在动机严重不足。因此,进行自主学习培训,应提供网络学习资源和服务的详细信息,开展学习能力培养竞赛,展示成功范例,推进教师发展。     

Comparing Alternative Voices in the Academy: Navigating the Complexity of Mentoring Relationships from Divergent Ethnic Backgrounds

In this article, we explore the personal mentoring experiences of two female scholars of diverse ethnic backgrounds across research-intensive institutions. Female faculty of color face substantial barriers to success in academe including mental and emotional discomfort, being treated as symbolically representing their race and gender, and social isolation. There is a distinct paucity of literature that describes the experiences of American Indian women in the Academy. Many women of Western European descent face similar barriers, regardless of racial majority status. This auto-ethnographic comparative study explores the degree to which the experiences of women from differing ethnicities might lend insight into the ways in which barriers to success both converge and differ at the microlevel. These convergent themes of mentorship have the possibility of providing insights for the development of intentional mentorship practice to support junior faculty and doctoral students engaged in scholarship.     

学习风格理论与外语教学实践研究

阐述学习风格与认知风格的区别，系统介绍学习风格的分类与类型，纠正长期以来人们对学习风格的错误认识，并以社会建构主义为理论框架，提出在外语教学实践中，使教学风格与学习风格相匹配的重要性和具体实施建议。     

Online Communities of Practice: A Catalyst for Faculty Development

This article addresses the concept of communities of practice and how it has come of age for the professional development of professors as teachers. Thanks to current technological options, faculty developers can enhance the opportunity for the entire faculty to learn through the use of online communities. Designing a faculty development portal using community of practice concepts can be an effective means to jump-start, facilitate, develop, and sustain faculty involvement in academic communities.