From passive to active learning: contingent faculty collaboratively leading pedagogical change

A paradigm shift is underway in higher education where the role of the college instructor moves from a pure disseminator of knowledge to a facilitator of collaborative knowledge creation. Successful active learning strategies are gaining prominence through proven empirical research. Most recently, active learning strategies utilizing emerging collaborative software such as Web 2.0 technologies have furthered advanced cooperative and collaborative learning. The research points to the far reaching benefits that active learning can have across an institution and the affects that it can have upon faculty and students alike. Better retention and deeper learning are just two outcomes derived from employing active learning. These types of outcomes can ultimately have a profound impact upon institutions and individuals within the educational community. Through a mixed methods approach, this action research study examines how adjunct faculty can not only contribute to deep and meaningful pedagogical change, but how they can become empowered to lead that change. This dissertation examines how a change from passive to active learning transpired in a single course through an academic year. Through three iterative action research cycles, data were collected, analyzed, and acted upon with the goal of making that successful change.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D. Educational Leadership

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership

Year dc:date.available

2011

Author dc:creator

• Setaro, Thomas

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sernak, Kathleen

• Active learning; College teaching
• Higher Education Administration

Repository record dc:identifier

https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/278

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rdw.rowan.edu:etd-1277