Peter Larson

My foundation derives from the liberal arts tradition: knowledge of a specific subject provides the greatest benefit when part of a well-rounded educational experience. Regarding History in general, my emphasis is on learning to think historically: going beyond a simple “what happened?” to question cause, effect, and motivation. Students should learn not only to evaluate historical sources within the original context, but also to assess what historians have said and how they built their arguments as they did. The goal to construct your own interpretation. It’s like building a court case: you must sift through the evidence to discover who did it, but the process does not stop there; to win you have to construct and present a convincing case to the jury.   In teaching Medieval and Renaissance History, the challenge is not generating interest; Medieval and Renaissance Europe saturate modern culture through games, films, Renaissance Faires, the fairy tale industry, and even marketing ploys, and students want to learn more. This is both a blessing and a curse, as the “real” history is altered, simplified, or distorted. The challenge is encourage students to avoid dismissing these pop-culture renditions as “wrong,” and instead to engage with both “academic” history and pop culture to gain a greater understanding of both. By evaluating modern depictions alongside historical sources, students learn about the past; critiquing modern uses of the past aids students in understanding past and present, in that they learn how modern attitudes shape interpretations of history. This approach also hastens student engagement; while students coming into the class may be completely unfamiliar with Medieval or Renaissance sources, their comfort with modern media gives them an opening to leap into the class immediately.  In the long run, I hope that no matter what they choose to do in life, my students retain an appreciation of the past for its own sake and an understanding of how history changes based on present society, and the skills to view both critically from multiple angles before drawing an educated conclusion.

Barry Mauer

A university does not just teach salable skills. It should do that, but more importantly it teaches methods that lead to self-knowledge, critical thinking, citizenship--defined in its broadest sense as responsibility for one's locality, state, nation, and globe--and literacy, which is the ability to read and write at a disciplinary level. There are no shortcuts to achieving these goals, but Socratic dialogue is one of the primary methods the university uses for achieving them. "The unexamined life is not worth living." That is one of the university's main tenets. Socrates' method for examining beliefs was dialogue, which is a mutual search for truth among lifelong friends who are willing to exchange views within a safe environment. The participants in a dialogue exchange beliefs the way initiates in the ancient Eleusinian Rites exchanged clothing; I wear your beliefs and you wear mine. Dialogue is not debate and it is not dialectics--the clash of ideas--in which you hold onto your "truth" with everything you have and try to defeat opposing views. The other participants can comment about the modeling of their beliefs, but in principle participants in a dialogue have to cede some control. The classroom must be a safer place to exchange views than any other place. When someone enters the classroom and takes part in a dialogue, his or her beliefs dissolve into pieces and these pieces get reorganized in different ways. Everything in the space is allowed to become part of the dialogue, and thus the dialogue is very sensitive to the space.

Rani Vajravelu

My goal in teaching is to promote student success without compromising quality education. I use an interactive teaching style in all my courses, which range from large non-major to small-enrollment Honors and upper division classes. I create a learning environment that is mutually enjoyable for the teacher and the student. My students start out the semester expecting a traditional teacher-centered classroom, but eventually realize their responsibility and value as learners. I make my expectations and course objectives clear, and I outline the ways we, as a team, can achieve the goals for quality education. I ensure that I present a professional demeanor and follow the rules that I lay down for the class. I employ a variety of teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles. I involve the students by: creating learning communities; being enthusiastic about course content; allowing students to actively participate; and providing instant feedback to allow for corrections. I use humor and real-life anecdotes to spark student interest and to make my presentations intellectually engaging. I feel that teachers have the power to affect the lives of students. Besides disseminating information, teachers have the responsibility to create informed citizens and to prepare them for real future careers. Such an education should be a fun experience, not a burden, so students can leave the course with confidence and a deeper appreciation of knowledge regardless of their final course grade.

Ken Teter

Engagement is the key to education. In the classroom, I engage my students by establishing a dialogue with them. Instead of simply reciting information, I ask questions. Why is the CDC in Atlanta? Students are surprised to learn that the original goal of the CDC was to eliminate malaria from the southern United States. Historical and contemporary references thus provide my students with real-world links to the lecture material. Other questions ask the students to apply their knowledge of the class material. These questions focus on critical thinking skills and allow me to reinforce the major themes of the course. Critical thinking is also emphasized in my upper-division classes which present data from the primary literature as a way of enhancing the textbook lessons. This question-and-answer format inevitably becomes a dialogue, with the students asking most of the questions. As such, the students take ownership of the class and become active participants in the learning process.   Engagement includes hands-on learning; the best way to learn science is to practice it. I have accordingly sponsored independent research projects for eleven UCF undergraduates. I also established a Program for Undergraduate Research (PURE) within the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology. PURE provides a select group of students with a holistic experience that includes independent research, oral and written presentations of their research findings, readings from the primary literature, and discussions of research-related topics such as graduate school admissions. Assessment tools developed with the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning will be used to determine the effectiveness of this program and other avenues for undergraduate research.  Engagement extends beyond teaching and research. For this reason, I participate in multiple aspects of the UCF Summer Research Academy. During the academic year, I direct a “Career Opportunities in the Biomedical Sciences” seminar series. By generating additional interest in their field of study, I hope our students will be motivated to pursue an education that emphasizes conceptual learning over memorization. My lecture, lab, and extracurricular instructional activities are thus meant to provide our undergraduates with an exciting, holistic educational experience.

Bruce Wilson

My role as a teacher is to provide students with excellent training in Political Science and to equip them with the necessary skills to succeed in their careers and to become lifelong learners. I emphasize critical thinking and writing skills and expose students to an increasingly diverse and global political world. I facilitate student­-centered learning through the use of interactive assignments, simulations, small online discussion groups, and research projects. My research plays a central and integral role in keeping my classes up-to-date. As departmental and university programmatic needs change, I have designed and taught new classes. In the last three years, I have taught nine different courses, including four completely new ones, one in Spanish, and many in different modes. Teaching also takes place outside of the classroom; individualized contact motivates students to become more interested in the material. I have supervised undergraduates in independent studies, Honors-in-the-Major thesis, internships, and as research assistants. Last year, I funded six undergraduate research assistants. Moreover, teaching is influenced by university policies. As the departmental Honors College coordinator, I have fostered its expansion from just 2 students per year in 1996 to 14 for 2003. I view myself as a lifelong learner, too and regularly use the professional counsel offered in workshops, institutes, and by visiting experts. Because I believe new teaching techniques should be evaluated in a systematic manner, I have sought and obtained funding to evaluate online teaching. A $200,000 grant from the Pew Foundation and numerous smaller grants permitted the redesign and evaluation the department's GEP course and the application of useful teaching techniques to other classes. My Pew grant provided the seed money for a highly trafficked 25-student computer lab, which I helped design and have managed since its opening. To measure the effectiveness of my own teaching, I have engaged in research on teaching, and regularly discuss teaching issues at conferences and workshops both at UCF and at professional conferences. My teaching research findings have been published. Because of the importance of disseminating teaching research, I am an active member of the American Political Science Association's Undergraduate teaching section. Last year I helped establish a new national teaching journal for political science, and I serve on the editorial board. I recognize that students have different learner styles, thus my teaching and assessment methods address that diversity through the varied testing instruments to accommodate students' diversity of strengths. In sum, I see teaching as a multi-faceted endeavor that takes place on many levels.

Otto Phanstiel

I image myself as a co-journeyer, who walks with students through the key concepts of the course and challenges them to solve new problems using these ideas. Revising and creating new curriculum is necessary to prepare our students for their careers. Over the past three years I have worked with other faculty to facilitate the implementation of the interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Biomolecular Science and the Ph.D. in Chemistry. The challenge was to find a common thread to weave together an interdisciplinary curriculum for students with diverse backgrounds in chemistry, biology and molecular biology. Structure-function relationships were chosen as the focus of the core course. In this manner students can bridge from the atoms-to-the-animals using their understanding of biomolecular interactions. I also revamped Applied Organic Synthesis, CHS 6251, to illustrate modern synthetic techniques using organometallic reagents. This change empowers our graduates to excel in any environment requiring efficient organic synthetic methods. Research students are trained in modern laboratory techniques such as organic synthesis as these skills are necessary for their future employment. The training includes weekly problem-solving sessions, which help students to think critically about their data and lab techniques. In short, it makes them better scientists. Beyond providing a stimulating research environment, I assist students in achieving their full potential as evidenced by their matriculation into medical school or their obtainment of high paying jobs within the pharmaceutical industry. I believe in supporting Orlando's youth and have mentored local high school students and have judged local, regional and state science fairs. Perhaps, the most important outcomes from the students in my group are their numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations and over $1M in acquired funding. Organic Chemistry requires specialized instruction because a new chemical language must be learned. Students must understand why things happen and be able to explain these chemical concepts to non-scientists. By providing a highly structured environment and cooperative learning methods, I maintain a high standard and expect exceptional performance. The best gift I can give UCF students is to empower them with the ability to write and speak intelligently about science.

Mitchell Salter

The foundation for my teaching philosophy is to provide students with immediate tools to apply their knowledge. I agree with teachers of educational progressivism, such as John Dewey, who believe education should teach skills in real life activities. I require students to test their skills using a scientific approach during practice in order to develop a professional viewpoint. My biggest satisfaction with teaching is when a student receives recognition for demonstrating their skills and behaviors as a highly trained professional. Positive reinforcement in a challenging classroom setting propels the student towards skill mastery by encouraging repetition during extracurricular inquiry. I create an atmosphere that is energetic and fun with clear expectations for success. My enthusiasm to learn and participate in the learning of others keeps students engaged. Each student must actively choose their individual learning process, yet I feel all students possess common characteristics for successful learning. Every student possesses the necessary tools to master their profession, but first must step onto the path. I use my constantly evolving knowledge and training in a range of health care fields to challenge a diverse student body with unique academic interests. My favorite challenge is infusing the typically-viewed low performing student with intrigue and a responsibility to learn. Responsibility for learning is clearly placed upon the student, but I also feel educators have a responsibility to serve students. I believe teachers must be dynamic and not resistant to change in order to meet the individual needs of students. I encourage my students to use the class text, my experiences and their own encounters to surpass their ambitions and mine. Technology Statement I believe the responsible use of technology enhances student learning by creating an active and dynamic learning environment. I employ educational technologies that increase the students’ access to a range of current information by including web-enhanced learning in my classes. Technology, such as a web-based discussion board, improves communication in my classes by connecting diverse students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. In-depth, more thoughtful discussion is supported by asynchronous communication while allowing self-paced learning. While the use of technology increases the available activities to students, I firmly believe in a patient care field technology should support not replace face-to-face activities for developing key relational skills.  

Nicole Howatt

I strongly believe that teaching makes a difference. I believe that at the root of being an effective teacher is the inherent ability to recognize that a class is composed of individuals, each arriving with a different background and a different set of goals, values and motivations. I must be a figure who the students can relate to, as well as one who is helping to shape, evolve, and redirect their academic journey. I continuously learn from every student I instruct. As a result of this reciprocation, my academic journey continues to be shaped and evolved. Promote high standards, then monitor and reward achievement. By promoting high-standards, I build expectations for success by convincing student’s of their ability to succeed and provide them with successful experiences Establish an atmosphere in which academic goals are emphasized. I implement a clear set of rules through a detailed syllabus. I continuously have a positive attitude and encourage it in each of my students. My preparations for each class are intense, as I prepare for each class as though it is a new one. Because each class is so important to me, I want and expect the same of the students. I reinforce this expectation in my syllabus while rewarding them for class participation. I believe that when each student feels as though they are instrumental in the success of the class and that their input is valued, then they will attend class. Maintain a participatory and orderly environment. I continuously invite guided group discussions. I believe that students can learn a great deal from each other. I believe that learning should be fun. I promote this by being enthusiastic about the material and allowing students to apply this material. I implement real world applications, class exercises, team discussions, cases, and videos. The classes that I teach are generally a businesslike but relaxed atmosphere.

Drew Lanier

Students retain more of course material when they are actively engaged in the learning process. Accordingly, I employ a mixture of lecture and the Socratic Method. Doing so communicates the basic concepts and ideas in the course, while also measuring the students' comprehension, leading to more a profound understanding. Students will retain more of the course material if it is relevant to their daily lives. Because of my academic and professional background, I frequently offer examples and concepts to consider, which makes the material more vibrant than if it were discussed only abstractly. Asking students if they can provide examples of important concepts also facilitates active, engaged student learning. Students learn through repetition. All students must have a basic understanding of important concepts and terms so as to allow them to proceed to more sophisticated analyses. All students are able to learn the material if they are exposed to it several times in various ways. Thus, I strongly encourage my students to read before coming to class. We then cover the material during class, and then I later make reference to preceding concepts and show their linkage to current topics. Criteria-based evaluations are a more valid than norm-referenced evaluations. My students quickly realize that if they know what I emphasize in class, then they will do well in the class regardless of how other students fared. Both the students and I believe that this is a more valid manner by which to assess student comprehension than outright competition against their fellow students. Also, criteria-based evaluations promote cooperative and student-centered learning, which I encourage by explicitly telling students to study in groups. If the group understands the material, then student comprehension will rise too. Students are more engaged in the course when they feel that the professor cares about them. Many students, particularly at a large university, believe that they are simply a number to many professors. To make them feel like an individual, I make a seating chart of all of my students and learn their names. I also encourage students to visit me during office hours, and I give extensive and specific feedback on each of their assignments. My research improves my teaching. When I engage in original research, I am current on the existing literature in the field and I, thus, can better explain how the concepts are relevant to the students. This is particularly helpful in American National Government, in which many students see the subject as distant at best and irrelevant at worst to their lives. Teaching is a learning process for me. Each time I teach a course, I learn new ways to present the material, what to emphasize and how to best communicate the course content. Students’ questions provoke me to consider the material from new and novel perspectives. Teaching, for me, is an ever-evolving craft where I myself am the student seeking a more profound, transformative understanding of the course material. To be a good teacher, I must first be a good learner.

Jane Waterman

Science is like a big jigsaw puzzle, and each research project is like a piece of that puzzle. To get this message across to my students, at all the levels I teach, I try to bring science alive to my classes, show them that science is always a work in progress and that it is exciting. I think it is important to integrate my own research into the classroom, as research and teaching are synergistic activities, and I often use my own data to illustrate topics being covered in class. My philosophy is that even though the student may be taking my class to learn specifics about a particular topic in Biology, they will also leave the course with a greater understanding of how good science is done, how to design experiments and how to critically evaluate the evidence given to support or reject a hypothesis. Teaching such critical thinking skills not only helps students to evaluate what they are learning currently, but also provides greater self-confidence in their own reasoning abilities.  

My teaching methods emphasize active learning through cooperative discussion, and active student input during lectures. Learning should not be a passive activity, and students respond positively when they are encouraged to participate more actively in the learning process. Encouraging them to ask questions will help them develop scientifically because that is what scientists do, ask questions. Even in my large lecture classes, I use group discussion and one minute essays to stimulate critical thinking.  Promoting a more active classroom keeps students attentive, focused, and interested, which helps them to process and integrate new material. I also like to challenge students with the sort of questions that test their grasp of the subject at several levels of understanding. Giving students the chance to synthesize, evaluate, and integrate ideas and concepts at any stage of their university experience will help them to grow and develop intellectually.

Regardless of the course topic I am teaching, I approach lectures with a sense of humor and spontaneity. Motivating students to learn is my primary role as a teacher, and I work hard at this challenge.

Harry Coverston

At the heart of my teaching philosophy is the principle of engagement. There is much research documenting that students who are not engaged in their own learning do not learn as much. In pursuit of that goal I create a wide range of exercises which I collect and grade designed to help students analyze and apply ideas from the course material. I use group work extensively, often breaking down course material into smaller chunks which groups analyze and report their consensus back to the larger class.   A second focus of my pedagogy is an approach which seeks a deeper understanding of ideas, not the mere collection of data. My questions often focus on why rather than what. Indeed, a favorite response to any point raised in class is simply, “OK, that’s the what. Now, so what? What difference does this make?” My goal is to encourage a critical consciousness of the status quo which is often described as “common sense” – Common to whom? Sensible in what way?   My teaching strategies always contain elements of student accountability. Aside from traditional assessments such as tests and papers, these include students working in groups, evaluating their own efforts, those of their group members and serving as an evaluating audience for other presentations. At the end of each semester, students account for the last 25 points of their participation grade through an evaluation of their own engagement of the class (including the reasons they deserve that grade) in areas ranging from preparation to academic honesty. Finally students write summary reflection papers in which they discuss what they know about being human that they did not know prior to the course and what they have learned about themselves – human beings – in the process.   There are many ways to communicate to students that you are interested in their learning. For my classes they include taking attendance, creating assignments due at class which require preparation and keeping regular office hours. I always learn from my students every semester and I observe that in participatory classes, they are able to learn from each other as well.

Seth Elsheimer

The job of a teacher is not only to present the material in a clear and organized way but also to show excitement and love for the subject. Much of what enticed me into teaching chemistry as a profession was the enthusiasm I sensed from several excellent instructors during my own education. I strive to bring that same enthusiasm to my students. Knowing the subject, while certainly essential, is not sufficient for a teacher or a student. Part of my job is to convince the students that the material is not only knowable, but also worth knowing. Students learn best when they are actively involved in the process. I believe in the Socratic method to help lead students to understanding. I rarely give direct answers to students' questions but rather tend to ask them questions in return in an effort to lead them along the path to discovery. I emphasize understanding over memorization. My test questions are designed to encourage students to apply what they have learned rather than just recite it. Although there are some basic facts and procedures that students must know, I consider it far more important that students have the skills needed to reason out for themselves the problems they may encounter after the course has ended. I believe most students can succeed under the right circumstances. That optimism is necessary to be an effective teacher. I like most students, and respect all of them. I believe that the student is ultimately the one who should be accountable for his or her own learning. As the teacher, I am there to guide, assist, encourage, cajole, and even prod. Convincing students to take personal responsibility can be as important as presenting chemistry when leading them to success. In summary, I believe an excellent teacher needs knowledge, enthusiasm, rigorous but fair academic standards, optimism, and respect for students and their abilities.

Amr Oloufa

My teaching philosophy relies on the following key foundations:

Teach only what students are not likely to learn on their own.

Foster collaborative learning while maintaining initiative and personal responsibility.

And finally, create a life-long quest for learning and knowledge.

I am a strong believer, and this has been a major guiding principle in my courses, that our responsibility as engineering teachers must involve not only graduating students who can think, but also, just as importantly, developing students who can quickly function effectively in the job market.

Tosha Dupras

The goal of my teaching, and center of my teaching philosophy, is active learning. One of my ultimate objectives in teaching is to facilitate learning by helping students to gain the necessary skills to take control of and become active participants in their own learning. I truly believe that knowledge gained through active participation is knowledge that will stay with an individual. Thus my approach to teaching reflects this philosophy and I have developed and use many techniques that are designed to engage students in their own learning.

I use many different teaching techniques to achieve my philosophy. Biological anthropology is a discipline in which many teaching techniques can be used, particularly hands-on activities. Throughout my tenure at UCF I have worked very hard to build our teaching collections so that all my courses may include an element of hands-on learning. Students have to directly participate in their own learning through these experiences, and I have found that almost all students respond very well to tactile learning (actually “holding” the material in their hands). One particularly innovated teaching method I have developed is a simulated crime scene in the Advanced Forensic Anthropology course in which the students have to apply their cumulated course knowledge. I also believe that students learn from participating in real world activities.

Regardless of content, I also think that students should leave their courses with skills that they will use in their everyday lives. These basic skills include problem solving and critical thinking, research and writing proficiency, and effective communication ability. I have designed all of my courses to include components that impart these skills. All of my upper division courses require research for papers and presentation, and students must also participate in group work. These are skills that students can transfer into any career choice.

Mihir Parikh

Teaching brings me a deep personal satisfaction that I am contributing back to the society, which has provided me with tremendous opportunities for professional and personal growth. I strongly believe that every one of my students also deserve the same opportunities. With this objective in mind, I strive to construct an environment in my classrooms that creates optimal conditions for knowledge development through active learning. In an increasingly global and competitive business environment, information technology I teach today might become obsolete tomorrow, but the underlying principles do not change. Thus, students have to learn to continue to learn even long after they graduate. Therefore, I see my role, as sowing the seeds of learning. Since I view teaching as a learned art, I consciously try to improve my teaching methods. I make special effort to individualized my teaching style to fit the student's learning style. Thus, teaching also helps me learn and continue to grow as I help students learn and grow. In summary, the key elements of my teaching philosophy are:

		MY PHILOSOPHY
Focus		Active learning
Environment		Cooperative and individualized
Emphasis		Knowledge development
Orientation		Student Domain Knowledge Enhancement
Method		Technology-enhanced interactive dialogs
Evaluation		Continuous feedback: Small, frequent
		quizzes and in-class group assignments
Student Motivation		Student generated - Intrinsic
Role of Faculty		Development and enhancement

Patricia Angley

Interaction with my students motivates me to find different and innovative classroom techniques, methods, and challenges to keep them engaged with their learning. I try to listen to them, hear what they know and don't know so that we can make meaning together as we read and interpret diverse and difficult texts. Sometimes they are resistant when texts come too close to a reality that frightens them or when I ask them to do research that involves more than just a cursory Google search. Theoretical texts confound many of the students. I tell them, however, that if they will give theoretical approaches a chance, their reading will change dramatically and they will read more critically, looking for and questioning the ideologies lurking behind the textual representations. One of my pedagogical approaches is to try to disrupt my students' complacency through an ongoing dialogue about gender, race, and class as represented in the texts that we read. I work hard to create an atmosphere of respect so that we can have honest discussions of the issues we see represented in the literature. We don't have to reach consensus, but we do have to consider other points of view. When the students tell me that they have continued their discussions outside of class or online, not because of an assignment but because they care about the dialogue we began in class, I am delighted. Active learning takes place in those moments. I feel successful when students leave my course asking more questions than they did when they arrived. I am convinced that by refusing to become complacent myself and by refusing to teach the same old texts over and over, I stay focused and excited about what we are doing in the classroom. My attitude affects them in mostly positive ways. The students seem to like to be there. For me, successful teaching involves active learning, meaningful engagement, critical thought, cogent writing, careful reading, collaborative assignments, respectful dialogue, global connections, diverse viewpoints, and concern for social justice.

Stephen Kuebler

My teaching philosophy is that pedagogic activities should be guided by the principal: “Do this if it enables students to learn.” My teaching practices should empower students to take ownership of their education and help them realize that they are responsible for their learning outcomes. When students take this step, they can make striking progress and achieve academic success. I find that when I can convey my own enthusiasm for physical science, it is often contagious enough that students become engaged in learning. I try to help students transition from memorizing formulas to thinking critically about ideas and connecting concepts with everyday examples. I encourage students to tackle problems creatively, which helps them learn to think outside conventional boundaries and to seek the deeper meaning of a concept or finding. These skills have facilitated the greatest advances in science and also foster personal and intellectual fulfillment.

I believe teaching is the most important service I provide to the Central Florida Community, because I am helping to educate a generation to function knowledgeably in a society where rapid technological advances constantly pose new questions and ethical challenges. I view teaching as inextricably linked with research scholarship.  University education must go beyond simply passing on information. It should involve rigorous training in the methods of developing, analyzing, and communicating new knowledge. Teaching should extend well beyond the lecture hall. For many students, the most powerful lessons are learned in informal discussions, working problems during office hours, and encountering science first-hand in the lab.

I chose an academic career because I want to develop new knowledge through research, as well as contribute to my field and society by training top-rate students. There appears to be no single perfect method for teaching, and an important aspect of teaching seems to be identifying the approach, which works best for a given individual. While I believe my teaching has been successful, I also recognize that I have much to learn from my colleagues and students. I look forward to continuing teaching, research, and research training and learning from my students and peers along the way.

Kevin Mackie

I believe in challenging students with concepts and historical, theoretical, and contemporary problems while sharing my passion for the subject matter. Ensuring students are forced to think for themselves is essential. I accomplish this in my classes through team and individual problem-solving sessions, and compliance of theoretical, analytical, and computer approaches to problems. While theoretical knowledge is essential, often understanding is greatly furthered by example problems, diagrams, photos, field trips, hands-on experiments, and actual real-life structures. Examples include design competitions using toothpicks (or other household products), and group projects that overlap with classes in other engineering disciplines to encourage synergy, interaction, and cooperation.   My philosophy for teaching undergraduate students is to combine a sound understanding of basic mathematical and physical principles with a selection of all of the above concepts to maintain an interest in learning, and promote the desire to work or pursue higher degrees in structural engineering. Assessment of teaching objectives and philosophy is carried out continuously in the form of weekly quizzes, oral student presentations, anonymous web-based suggestions from students, and placement of students in engineering firms and graduate programs. Considerable emphasis is placed on the feedback provided by students in the form of student evaluations of instructor and the continuous improvement forms filled out that describe student experiences with course materials, textbooks, and any semester-specified teaching tool or strategy.   Computers are a huge part of any engineering project; thus, emphasis must be placed on correctly understanding both the input and output. Therefore, computers are introduced both as tools (for a full range of application such as modeling, solutions, and visualization) and as a means of assessing existing knowledge or assumptions. However, I greatly emphasize the potential problems of becoming dependent on computer output without a basic notion of how any structure would behave in a loading scenario. I believe there is little room for replacing basic engineering drawings, free-body diagrams, and simple concepts sketched out on paper or on the chalk/whiteboard – these remain a very efficient and clear means of communicating ideas, therefore I take great care to not depend solely on digital presentation of material.

J. Blake Scott

Teaching is what sustains me as an academic. It fuels and, in turn, is fueled by my research in rhetoric, which emphasizes civic action, and by my community service. Some of the hallmarks of service-learning—active learning, problem solving, critical reflection, and civic engagement—guide my overall teaching philosophy as well. Like John Dewey, I believe students learn best by a combination of active experimentation and critical reflection. My courses typically challenge students to negotiate the dynamics of complex, real-world writing situations, situations that often require collaborative deliberation and problem-solving. Beyond wanting my students to be effective writers, I want them to embody Cicero’s ideal of the “good person speaking (or writing) well” about issues of civic importance. Accomplishing this goal involves more than teaching them writing skills or even reflecting on the ethics of their writing; it also involves challenging them to develop a stronger sense of civic responsibility and to view themselves as citizens rather than just consumers and corporate workers-in-training. I see my primary role as a teacher as facilitating and modeling ethical rhetorical action. Rather than simply imparting knowledge to students, I aim to develop knowledge with them. This is why my classes generally operate in discussion or workshop mode. This is why I often perform assignments along with students and share (and critique) my work with them.

Kathie Holland

“Teach on, Kathie Holland! Teach on!” A student wrote this on a Student Perception of Instruction form, and it still echoes in my mind. There are six principles that provide the foundation of my teaching philosophy: Fan the Passion to Incite Action, Create Structure, Build Relationships, Model the Role, Be Humble, and Balance Rigor and Applause.

Fan the Passion to Incite Action: This refers to the passion, energy, and commitment I feel for my courses. The more I enjoy teaching a course, the higher my students rate their experience. As I walk to class I ask myself, “Why I am passionate about the chapter that I am about to cover?”  

I also incite my students to get excited about their own learning.  Start a business! Build a network!  Imagine a slam-dunk business strategy that will revolutionize an industry!  Become a “Great Manager”, and avoid becoming a “Bad Boss” like the avian flu! I incite action, fun and laughter, and forward movement.

Create Structure: Undergraduate students need a lot of structure through learning tools such as diagrams, grading rubrics, written instructions and grade sheets, sample papers from previous terms, and exam study guides. My assignments force students to be creative and innovative.  

Build Relationships: I am always a teacher, inside my classroom and elsewhere. I invite students to spend at least fifteen minutes with me in my office to provide me the luxury of getting to know and support each of them individually.

Model the Role: I endeavor to be a good role model of professionalism and leadership.

Integrate the Business Education 2010 Competencies of creativity, adapting to change (my favorite motto is that “I eat change for breakfast”), teamwork, communication, and diversity and ethical decision-making.

Be Humble: The only person I try to be better than is the person I was yesterday.

Balance Rigor and Applause: While I want my students to give me high instructor evaluations, I am not willing to make my courses easier. My main goal is for my students to learn!