Most studies in faculty development focus on assessing participant satisfaction rather than documenting change. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible short-term outcomes of a faculty development initiative. The research question that guided our study was: How does a faculty development seminar influence change in participants'…

Innovations in faculty development, particularly those that make the most of available technologies, are essential. "Learning is a social activity and we are social beings; and everything is connected" (Trammel & Bruce, 2008). Finding methods for creating these faculty connections is a challenge--one that can be met by technology.…

Self-determination Theory (SDT) presents critical constructs and processes for understanding and improving human learning and development. Though actively utilized as a theoretical framework for K-12 and adult training research, it has been virtually ignored in TA professional development design and research. Self-determination and the process of…

This paper presents the details and examines the outcomes of a professional development program created for instructors who are beyond the novice stage as online instructors, but desire and require further support to develop their online teaching expertise to meet their students' learning needs and their own teaching goals. This program…

In a first-year engineering course with an enrollment of approximately 1900 students per year, seventy-eight undergraduate engineering students' perceptions of their graduate teaching assistants were obtained using a modified Adjective Generation Technique. Based upon student feedback, researchers identified three themes of highest concern to the…

Can teaching technologies offer a unique avenue for senior faculty vitality and renewal? This article presents the results of an evaluation that took place during six years of a teaching technology faculty development program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a research-intensive institution. We present a profile of the program and its…

We collected data from 149 graduate teaching assistants at a Midwestern university concerning their classroom duties, experiences with TA training and supervision, sense of self-efficacy toward teaching, preference for supervisory style, and feedback on those modes and skill domains in TA training they felt were most effective and best prepared…

International teaching assistants (ITAs) teach undergraduate science courses in American universities in ever growing numbers as they contend with a host of pedagogic, cultural, and language issues in an unfamiliar educational setting. Yet little is known about their experiences and development as new teachers. This study focuses on six ITAs who…

This article describes a learning community for early-career faculty in the sciences aimed at course redesign and active-learning. Through findings from surveys, interviews, and observations, program outcomes regarding faculty teaching skills and confidence, understanding of how students learn, and use of assessment are explored. Finally, the…

Discusses the teaching perspective of Systemocentrism, or teacher/learner-centeredness, and two of its main elements: (1) attention to teachers' and learners' inner experience; and (2) attention to the intersubjective systems that develop among teachers and learners. Suggests that Systemocentrism provides faculty developers with a new tool for…

Focuses on the benefits provided by telecommunication and the adaptation of distance learning models in higher education. Argues that distance learning is cost-effective, time-effective, accessible, and flexible, and that varying student populations and a changing economy make distance education a vital new tool. (NB)

Reports on a study of critical thinking goals in senior capstone courses. Finds that: (1) independent research and group projects are the most effective methods to teach critical thinking, according to faculty; and (2) students felt that they expanded their intellectual curiosity and learned to think more effectively because of these courses.…

Analyzes the professional development aspects of incorporating information technology (IT) into teaching and learning. Asserts that because the majority of faculty still do not use technology other than e-mail to support instruction, and because institutions continue to struggle to meet technology support needs, professional development for IT…