Research Blog #15

Abstract:  Are professors providing a legitimate foundation for success among the student body?  If not, how then do professors go about preparing individuals to successfully retain knowledge?  Are the student’s feelings ill prepared simply ignoring these attempts of teaching?  Can graduating students be the answer to a successful change? The following paper researches the logistics of the professor’s ability to prepare students to successfully retain knowledge at the level of higher education.  A growing concern among students involves learning the necessary tools to succeed in problem solving.  This particular paper will explore the voices of both professional educators and the student body, as they explain their idea of an appropriate learning environment. 

Works Cited

Barrett, Terry;Moore, Sarah. New Approaches to Problem-based Learning: Revitalising Your Practice in Higher Education. Taylor & Francis, 2010. 5 March 2012

Behar-Horenstein, Linda S., Kellie W. Roberts, and Alice C. Dix. "Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers: An Exploratory Study Of Students' And Professors' Perceptions." Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership In Learning 18.3 (2010): 269-291. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

Berrett, Dan. "Teaching." Harvard Seeks to Jolt University. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 5 Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://chronicle.com/article/Harvard-Seeks-to-Jolt/130683/>.

Berrett, Dan. "Teaching." How 'Flipping' the Classroom Can Improve the Traditional Lecture. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 19 Feb. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2012. <http://chronicle.com/article/How-Flipping-the-Classroom/130857/>.

COVILL, AMY E. "College Students' Perceptions Of The Traditional Lecture Method." College Student Journal 45.1 (2011): 92-101. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.

Corder, Jim W. "Traditional Lectures Still Have A Place In The Classroom." Chronicle Of Higher Education 37.39 (1991): B2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.

Goodnough, K. & Cashion, M. (2006). Exploring problem-based learning in the context of high school science: Design and implementation issues. School Science and Mathematics, 106, 280-295.

Rachel Hensley, et al. "Rate My Expectations: How Online Evaluations Of Professors Impact Students’ Perceived Control." Computers In Human Behavior 27.5 (2011): 1862-1867. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

Rozycki, William. "Just-in-Time Teaching." Indiana University. Research and Creative Activity, Apr. 1999. Web. 05 Mar. 2012. <http://www.indiana.edu/~rcapub/v22n1/p08.html>.     

Transue, G. 2011.  Concepts in Biology 119:100. Laboratory Manual 

Research Blog #14: Book Review #5

Myers, Phillip S. "Teaching versus Research--Incompatibility or Overemphasis?" Journal of Engineering Education (1993): 22-25. Jee.org. Jan. 1993. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://jee.org/1993/january/532.pdf>.

There is a perceived conflict between teaching and research.  The article questions if this perceived conflict is the result of basic incompatibility between teaching and research or over emphasis on one or the other of the two factors? An analysis of the different audiences to which Professors profess is presented, and it is concluded that the problem is under emphasis on teaching. This under emphasis on teaching results from a lack of commitment of resources to evaluating and rewarding formal classroom teaching.  

Phillip S. Myers is an Emeritus Distinguished Research Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research:  the intellectual and physical activities resulting from an internal urge to discover new concepts, devise, processes and understanding 

Amorphous:  no particular kind of character 

"Combing research and teaching ignores the educational needs of the student."-(Myers, 22)

Challenging this statement, one may argue that combining research and teaching may in fact help educate students on what the subject matter may be applied to.  Incorporating students in Professor's work will open the student to experience in the particular field of study.

"One of the characteristics of a good Professor is the urge to share with others new ideas and understandings."-(Myers, 23) Developing a dialogue between students and professor allows for more ideas to draw from.  Different angles or view points on the particular idea may lead to new and fascinating discoveries.

"Students appreciate the opportunity to express their opinion and the professor benefits post facto from their reaction and comments."-(Myers, 25)

Grabbing the attention of students and engaging them allows for a positive learning environment.  Similar to an active learning style, these students are able to express their thoughts on a given subject.  

This particular article helps answer my research question by challenging the effects of incorporating students into Professor's research.  It essentially engages and teaches the student about the subject and allows them to apply the information to real life settings.  Involving the student in active learning through the engagement of research, students may begin to act as problem solvers to potentially help the professor in gaining research information.  

Research Blog #13: Interview

For my research paper I felt it was appropriate to meet with Dr. Monica Devanas.  In the interview we discussed the reasoning behind effective teaching habits.  So I asked her:  Why don't all professors take advantage of Active Learning?  She too had the same question about teaching habits of professors at the level of higher education.  Dr. Devanas began to say how many professors and teachers simply do not know enough about it.  Introducing me to her project, American Society of Micro Biology, she began to explain how they engage faculty and other professors in workshops meant to show better ways of teaching.  One idea that came up in conversation was how "bigger organizations may help influence better styles of learning".  Essentially designing workshops with support of these organizations provides greater opportunity to spread the idea of an active learning classroom.

Some quotes:

"Pick one thing and make the change"
"Teach the way professor's like to learn"
"Make learning relevant"
"Social norms begin to change teaching habits"