Personal response systems (PRS)-also called student response systems (SRS), or more commonly, "clickers"-can be a catalyst for transformation of a learning environment from one of silence to one rich in dialogue and interaction. But how is this transformation achieved? In this paper, we present three case studies of instructors who use PRS in undergraduate science and math classes at a research-intensive institution in the Midwest, USA. All three instructors reported having to make significant adjustments to their teaching over time in order to transform their respective learning environments and fully realize the benefits of PRS. These adjustments included (1) modifying activities to overcome the tension between the students' desire for anonymity and the need for interactivity to enhance learning, and (2) revising PRS questions in response to student behavior. We contend that transformation of the environment with PRS is neither instantaneous nor straightforward. As such, faculty who introduce PRS to their classrooms may benefit from substantial pedagogical and technological support. Finally, we note that the ongoing feedback about student learning in the classroom that PRS provides may act as a powerful catalyst to transform faculty, moving them from teacher-centered conceptions and approaches to teaching to student-centered conceptions and approaches.

As research demands continue to weigh heavily on junior and non-tenured faculty, the need to maintain and develop sound teaching is crucial. Yet few studies have systematically explored how a faculty development program (FDP) can impact the way that faculty experience or conceive of teaching. In this study, we examine how a year-long FDP impacts the conceptions of teaching held by early-career faculty. We interviewed 22 tenure-track faculty participants, pre-and post-program, categorizing their conceptions of teaching from the transcripts. The analysis drew on conceptual frameworks of faculty conceptions of teaching derived from phenomenographic literature increasingly used in Europe, Asia, and Australia, but not in the USA. The present study identifies and explores a range of patterns of experience that emerged over the course of an American FDP program. We discuss the broader implications of these patterns for the study and understanding of faculty development programs.Alors que les demandes reliées à la recherche pèsent lourdement sur les enseignants débutants et sans permanence, le besoin de maintenir et de développer une solide pédagogie s'avère crucial. Pourtant, peu de recherches ont systématiquement exploré quel impact peut avoir un programme de développement pour les enseignants (PDE) sur la façon selon laquelle les enseignants conçoivent ou font l'expérience de l'enseignement. Dans le cadre de cette recherche, nous examinons comment un PDE d'une durée d'un an peut avoir un impact sur les conceptions de l'enseignement entretenues par des enseignants en début de carrière. Nous avons effectué des entretiens auprès de 22 enseignants en pré-titularisation conditionnelle (tenure-track), avant et suite à leur participation au programme, et avons catégorisé leurs conceptions de l'enseignement à partir des transcriptions. L'analyse s'est inspirée de cadres conceptuels portant sur les conceptions de l'enseignement provenant de la littérature phénoménographique de plus en plus utilisée en Europe, en Asie et en Australie, mais pas aux Etats-Unis. Cette étude identifie et explore un éventail de modèles d'expériences qui ont pris forme tout au long d'un programme américain de PDE. Nous présentons les implications plus vastes de ces modèles pour contribuer à l'étude et à la compréhension des programmes de développement pédagogique.

Instructors’ actions in the classroom matter; what the instructor does and says can impact students’ attitudes about the course and learning approaches, which can in turn impact the quality of their learning. This study examines the relationships among instructor openness to student questions, student help-seeking behavior, and student final grade in lecture-style college/university courses. Two hundred sixty-eight university students completed measures on their perception of instructor openness to questions and their approach to help-seeking in class. Perceived instructor openness and help-seeking were positively related to grade. Help-seeking mediated the relationship between perceived instructor openness to questions and final grade. Participants were also asked for examples of communication behaviors instructors used to either promote or suppress help-seeking; themes emerging from these responses are presented, and implications for instructors are given.

No abstract

This study recommends that faculty developers (1) encourage their faculty to reflect substantially on what it means to teach - with the goal of assisting faculty to move beyond the idea of teaching as transmission or even as acquisition, to conceiving it as helping their students ask deep questions and make conceptual connections for themselves; (2) help faculty understand that developing a more complex understanding of teaching is as crucial to their professional development as developing their research and clinical skills; and (3) provide substantial opportunities for participants to explore teaching and learning as an evidence-based practice with colleagues and students.