Experts Teach about the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Hutchings and Cambridge discuss the importance of the scholarship of teaching and learning.
The scholarship of teaching and learning is vital to the ongoing work of educating students at ISU, said two nationally prominent experts at the "Scholarship of Teaching and Learning" Faculty Forum sponsored by the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Office of the Provost on Monday, Feb 23, 2004.
Barbara Cambridge, Vice President of the American Association of Higher Education, and Pat Hutchings, Vice President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, spoke to an audience of about 80 faculty, administrators, and staff to discuss the importance of the scholarship of teaching and learning on campus.
An audience of about 80 faculty, administrators, and staff learned about the scholarship of teaching and learning from the experts.
The scholarship of teaching and learning is an ongoing process, said Cambridge. It goes beyond simply using effective or innovative teaching methods in the classroom, commonly called scholarly teaching. It involves inquiry into teaching, engagement, feedback, and reflection on teaching and learning. It also includes sharing results so others can review, critique and build on the work. The goal is to improve teaching at ISU, as well as the teaching profession as a whole.
Cambridge and Hutchings discussed several ways the scholarship of teaching and learning can become more important in the campus culture, including:
- Changing policies. Hutchings suggests changing hiring practices, for example, to recruit candidates who excel or are interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning.
- Providing tangible and meaningful rewards to instructors engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning.
- Offering more opportunities to instructors who want to engage in the scholarship of teaching and learning. For example, provide funds for travel and sabbaticals.
- Emphasizing the scholarship of teaching and learning in promotion and tenure discussions.
"Powerful tools are in place at ISU to support the scholarship of teaching and learning," said Cambridge. "One tool is the Center for Teaching Excellence."
