If Advising is Teaching, What Do Advisors Teach?

Abstract

A philosophy of advising referred to as the learning-centered paradigm is described and compared to the dominant developmental paradigm. Through the learning-centered paradigm, one can explain, better than through the developmental theory, how advising is, or can be, similar to teaching. Under the learning-centered approach, the excellent advisor plays a role with respect to a student's entire curriculum that is analogous to the role that the excellent teacher plays with respect to the content of a single course. He or she also helps the student to understand, and in a certain sense, to create the logic of the student's curriculum. Thus, the advisor's instruction in the logic of the curriculum elevates the advisor's work to a central role in enhancing a student's education.

Using Systems Theory to Understand the Identity of Academic Advising: A Case Study

“…In the late 1990s and early 2000s, researchers began publishing questions about the developmental model as an adequate description of good or ideal advising practice is and should be (Hagen, 2005;Hemwall &Trachte, 2005, Lowenstein, 2005. In particular, Lowenstein (2005) argued for learning-centered advising (p. 71) primarily concerned with student learning, and he also suggested that excellent advising looks much like excellent teaching.…”

“…In particular, Lowenstein (2005) argued for learning-centered advising (p. 71) primarily concerned with student learning, and he also suggested that excellent advising looks much like excellent teaching. This notable challenge shifted the paradigm from developmental advising to teaching and signaled the emergence of other thought leaders in the field.…”

“…Hagen (2005) encouraged practitioners to renew their thinking about advising: ''Once the metaphorical leap is made to view the student before you as a 'text,' then all of the truth claims of hermeneutics become available for your use'' (p. 5). The literature suggested that advisors, who come from a wide range of academic disciplines, tap into the wisdom gained from their own fields and experiences to build theories unique to academic advising (Hagen, 2005;Lowenstein, 1999Lowenstein, , 2005Schulenberg & Lindhorst, 2008). Musser (2006) offered an example of a new approach in her description of the used-systems theory as a construct to extend the understanding of academic advising.…”

“…He explained that the mechanical side shows concern for timely completion of degree requirements and course scheduling and that the philosophical side shows concern for helping students connect their course selections to their academic and career goals, as articulated in MAU statements. Crookston (1972Crookston ( /2009) and others delineated these sides as prescriptive versus developmental versus learning-centered advising (Crookston 1972(Crookston /2009Hagen & Jordan, 2008;Lowenstein, 2005). Despite the admitted importance of the philosophical side, the mechanical (prescriptive) side remains the focus of the advising practice at MAU.…”

“…According to higher education researchers, academic advising makes up an essential component for undergraduate education and student success (Kuh, 1997(Kuh, , 2010Light, 2001;Lowenstein, 2005;Schulenberg, 2010;Schulenberg & Lindhorst, 2010;White & Schulenberg, 2012). White and Schulenberg (2012) …”