The Effect of Faculty Development on Active Learning in the College Classroom

This study examined the effect of active learning seminars and a mentoring program on the use of active learning teaching techniques by college faculty. A quasi-experimental study was conducted using convenience samples of faculty from two private Christian supported institutions. Data for the study were collected from surveys and faculty course evaluations. The study lasted one semester. Faculty volunteers from one institution served as the experimental group and faculty volunteers from the second institution were the comparison group. The experimental group attended approximately eight hours of active learning seminars and also participated in a one-semester mentoring program designed to assist faculty in application of active learning techniques. Several individuals conducted the active learning seminars. Dr. Charles Bonwell, a noted authority on active learning, conducted the first three-hour seminar. Seven faculty who had successfully used active learning in their classrooms were selected to conduct the remaining seminars. The faculty-mentoring program was supervised by the researcher and conducted by department chairs. Data were collected from three surveys and faculty course evaluations. The three surveys were the Faculty Active Learning Survey created by the researcher, the Teaching Goals Inventory created by Angelo and Cross, and the college edition of Learner-Centered Practices by Barbara McCombs. The use of active learning techniques by the experimental group increased significantly more than the use by those in the convenience sample. No statistical difference was found in the change of professors' teaching beliefs or the course evaluation results.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2001

Author dc:creator

• Evans, Cindy

Contributors dc:contributor

• Newsom, Ronald W.
• Baier, John L.
• Allen, Diane D.

• Active learning.
• College teaching.
• instructional improvement
• active learning
• college teaching
• faculty seminars
• faculty development

Statement dc:rights

• Use restricted to UNT Community
• Copyright
• Evans, Cindy
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 47854906
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2762/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc2762

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc2762