Professional Development in Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter looks at the challenges that higher education faculty are facing and explains how development activities that recognize faculty as adult learners in a learning organization can provide a more successful educational experience for both them and their students.Higher education has been facing numerous challenges, and as a result there is a sense of unpredictability and uncertainty among educators. Societal demands, organizational demands, and student demands pressure institutions to find ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of their instruction. External demands on institutions and faculty members, coupled with internal pressures from students and the organization itself, greatly affect educators' satisfaction, vitality, and quality of life (Atkins, Brinko, Butts, Claxton, and Hubbard, 2001). Patrick and Fletcher (1998) note that faculty developers are ideally suited to assist faculty in transforming their previous notions about teaching and in confronting these challenges. Confronting these challenges requires that faculty reflect on their current practice and improve their knowledge and skills so that student learning will be enhanced (Smith, 1998). This chapter will discuss these demands and then look at the role of faculty development in the context of a learning organization. Societal Trends and DemandsHigher education is transforming itself in an effort to meet the multiple demands that society has imposed on it. Educators, therefore, are being urged to help invent the future rather than merely transmit knowledge that will only replicate the past (Smith, 1998). This has spawned shifts in focus from teaching to learning and from operating in one specific learning environment to operating in a more global environment (Patrick and Fletcher, 1998). The explosion in information technology has created and continues to create an abundance of resources and techniques that, if properly

An Instructional Model for a Nonprescription Therapeutics Course

“…6 The educational literature is rich with a variety of models for behavioral approaches to learning. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Grades are a reasonable and commonly available proxy measurement for learning. 17 Mastery learning postulates that given sufficient opportunities, all students can learn.…”

Listening to Unheard Voices: Professional Development Reforms for Pakistani Tertiary Teachers

“…Various authors, for example, Brancato (2003), Daley (2003), Lawler (2003), Lawler and King (2000), Piggot-Irvine (2006), disown passive approaches to professional development and propose to view teachers as adult learners and their professional development activity as adult learning. That being so, teachers can learn in a variety of ways; for example, through discussions with their colleagues, friends and family (Viskovic, 2006); through reflection by considering, explicitly or tacitly, their own experiences (Lawler, 2003;Schön, 1991Schön, , 1996; from their prior experiences in constructing new information and knowledge; and by performing active roles in their learning process (Devlin, 2007;Merriam and Caffarella, 2007).…”

Formative assessment strategies used in the University of Northern British Columbia School of Education

“…As well, the research design provided for data complementarity and validation of the study' s findings, and findings may be used to inform professional development and support best practices of formative assessment implementation in the classroom (Brancato, 2003). Ethical issues were carefully considered throughout the whole process of the research.…”

“…As mentioned earlier, formative assessment is necessary and essential in the teaching process; therefore, providing professional development and training to educate faculty on various formative assessments that can improve student involvement with assessment would be beneficial. Additionally, providing professors and instructors with time and incentives to attend training conferences is important (Brancato, 2003).…”

“…Additionally, the interviews showed that professors and instructors were aware of the importance and impact of formative assessment when implemented in teaching and learning, which, in turn, could move students ' learning forward by providing effective and continuous feedback. The findings from this research can increase understanding of assessment in post-secondary settings and may benefit educators who implement formative assessment practices, through continuous and regular professional development (Brancato, 2003). …”