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Provost's Series
on University Teaching and Learning 2007-2008
Spring 2008 Fall 2007 Visiting Scholars
 Disaster,
Race, and American Politics: Teaching and Learning from Katrina
November 2, 2007 University Hall Room 1020 11:00 am Melissa Harris-Lacewell Associate Professor of Politics and African American Studies Princeton University How can we create Natural Critical Learning Environments for our students? How can we embed the learning objectives of a course in a topic or question that our students already find fascinating? In the fall semester of 2006, Professor Harris-Lacewell and her students at Princeton University used the events surrounding Katrina and its aftermath to explore many of the fault lines within American society and politics. The course used disaster and its racial consequences to analyze a wide range of topics in the study of American politics, including African American literary responses to disaster; American racial history; the contemporary racial divide in American public opinion; the role of the media in politics; federalism; urban politics; and civil society in the United States. The experience had a profound influence on many of the students who participated, leading many of them into activities and explorations that went far beyond the original goals of the course. In this discussion of her course, Professor Harris-Lacewell will explore how she used exploration of an event in which students were already interested to motivate them to think deeply about longstanding topics in her discipline--and the unexpected student responses. For more information on the powerful and innovative student-generated outcomes of this course, visit http://wegotguts.com  The Nurture of Intelligence March 10, 2008 University Hall Room 1030 2:30 pm Joshua Aronson Associate Professor of Applied Psychology New York University Abstract: Despite depressing trends in the academic advancement of racial and cultural minorities, there is growing evidence that these trends are rooted more in the fragile nature of human intelligence rather than the lack of intellectual capacity among disadvantaged groups. Specifically a vast and growing body of research from psychology and education shows that minority students and women demonstrate remarkably better learning, performance, and motivation when environments are made psychologically safe by wise educational practices. In this talk I will describe the scientific basis for both the fragility and malleability of intelligence, and discuss methods for nurturing the intellectual development of students. RSVP now by clicking here - space is limited, and available on a first come, first served basis. or call 973-655-3276 for more information. |
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 Creating a Natural Critical Learning EnvironmentApril 2, 2008 University Hall 1070 5:00 pm Donald Saari UCI Distinguished Professor: Mathematics and Economics Professor, Logic and Philosophy of Science University of California, Irvine Abstract: You know the myth; excellence in teaching conflicts with excellence in research. Garbage! Not only do I totally reject this nonsense, but, as a graduate advisor, my students must first demonstrate a strong ability in the classroom before receiving his or her PhD. A purpose of this event is to explore how and why excellence in both research and teaching must go hand-in-hand. In research, we strive for critical thinking; in teaching we should try to create an environment for critical thinking. We will explore how to do so, even if it means using a roll of toilet paper as a principal lecture prop. What captures the intended spirit is my personal dream of discovering and encouraging a new Issac Newton who just happens to be sitting in my class. RSVP now by clicking here - space is limited, and available on a first come, first served basis. or call 973-655-3276 for more information. R.S.V.P.: Call 973-655-3276 for more information. |
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Montclair Scholars
Spring 2008 Successful Mentoring of Undergraduate Students on Research Projects Monday, January 28, 2008
1:00pm - 2:00 pm Michael Jones, Associate Professor, Mathematical Sciences In this session, we will focus on the
selection of students and the selection of problems for undergraduate
research, the relationship between mentoring undergraduate research,
teaching, and pursuing one's own research, and the definition of
success in undergraduate research.
Thursday, February 14, 2008 2:30pm - 3:30pm Scott Kight, Associate Professor, Biology and Molecular
Biology Department Most students come to college holding
numerous exclusive points of view and expect to learn hard and fast
truths in our classrooms. Many therefore struggle with the
uncertainties of disciplinary controversy and often end up concluding
that all opinions and theories have equal merit. This attitude has
unfortunately contributed to significant obstacles for the teaching of
controversial topics like evolutionary biology in the United States. In
this workshop, I will demonstrate methods I use to help students in my
evolution course critically evaluate theories about the history of life
on our planet. These methods can be applied to controversies in many
academic disciplines. A goal of this workshop is to help participants
identify controversial topics in their own courses that can be used to
facilitate the development of student reasoning skills.
Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:00am - 11:00am Ken Bain, Professor, History, and James Zimmerman,
Associate Professor, Chemistry The venerable college lecture has been
both maligned and revered in recent years, caught between those who say
it is an outdated and ineffective form of teaching and those who use it
with conviction and success. While critics of lecturing have raised
important questions, many faculty continue to use lecturing as the
primary means of instruction. The benefits of lecturing as a teaching
method can be determined in several different (and potentially
contradictory) ways resulting from how one perceives the primary goal
of a university and indeed a specific learning environment. Barr and
Tagg, in their seminal 1995 Change article, identify an important shift
in how many university and colleges are answering this very important
question. When one identifies the goal of higher education as the
ability to produce learning as opposed to the prior notion of producing
instruction, the concept of an effective lecture is drastically
changed. In this workshop, the profound consequences of this shift in
thinking (not merely semantics, mind you) on the teaching method of
interactive lecturing will be discussed. From this learner-centered
perspective, one can examine research on human learning, best
practices, and evidence-based studies to help develop interactive
lectures that in both process and content are constructed to foster
student learning.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
1:00pm - 2:00pm Sprague Library, Special Collections Room
Registration required. Enrollment Limited. Click
here to register... David Radosevich, Assistant Professor, Departments of
Management and Psychology This session will focus on the
assessment of student learning from multiple perspectives. We will
discuss some of the factors that teachers should consider as they
design their lessons as well as various assessment techniques they can
employ. Finally, we will discuss some implications for long-term
retention of knowledge.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
1:00pm - 2:00pm Sprague Library, Special Collections Room
Registration required. Enrollment Limited. Click
here to register... Ken Bain, Professor, History, and James Zimmerman,
Associate Professor, Chemistry Description coming soon...
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
1:00pm - 2:00pm Sprague Library, Special Collections Room
Registration required. Enrollment Limited. Click
here to register... Milton Fuentes, Associate Professor, Psychology;
Director, Latin American and Latino Studies Program This experiential workshop will explore
various teaching strategies for exploring multiculturalism and
diversity in the classroom. Issues related to power, privilege,
oppression and multiple identities will be highlighted. Fall 2007 Monday, September 17, 2007 - 12:15 - 1:15pm Christine Lemesianou, Chairperson, Communication Studies Course-related projects are one of the
fundamental ways educators engage students and assess learning. The challenge is to construct
meaningful and rigorous projects that resonate with our students, spark
their intellectual, civic, and professional growth, and create the
conditions for “significant learning.” Through specific examples of
individual and group-based projects (writing research papers,
conducting research, creating multimedia documentaries, making oral
presentations), this seminar will help participants explore the
creation of learning objectives that tap into the cognitive, affective,
and pragmatic domains for their courses and how to best design
instruction and projects that meet these objectives. Bring your
favorite project to share.
Is the Tail Wagging the Dog? A Theory-Based
Method for Assessing the Pedagogical Usefulness of Technology.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 - 1:15 - 2:15pmJames A. Zimmerman, Associate Director, the Research Academy for University Learning; Associate Professor, Chemistry Many would claim that the useful application of technology during the
twentieth century has been a contributing factor in the increased
influence of western culture in the world. Recently, companies
concerned with applied technology have turned their gaze towards higher
education and have flooded the market with items “guaranteed” to
improve academic learning environments. Colleges and Universities have
responded by pouring millions of dollars into instructional technology
budgets. But do these educational technology products deliver
observable results, or is technology a false promise? Far from
suggesting all instructors should subscribe to neo-luddite doctrine,
this program will discuss a methodology that utilizes Lee Shulman’s
research insights1. Through the implementation of this
method, instructors can shift the discussion from the merits of
technology itself to the ability of technology to facilitate the
realization of intended student learning outcomes. Examples using this
methodology will be shared.
1Shulman, L.S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14. Monday, October 15, 2007 - 1:15 - 2:15pm Diana Thomas, Associate Professor, Mathematical Sciences Service-based mathematics courses for the sciences are pre-requisites for many
upper level courses in hopes that they will adequately prepare students
to use mathematics as a tool to solve scientific problems. In spite of
these pre-requisites, faculty find that students are unable to use
mathematics comfortably to problem solve. This workshop will address
how we can teach mathematics courses to students to prepare them for
the challenges of using mathematics to solve problems in upper level
mathematics and science courses. Results of a faculty survey will be
used to develop the workshop. Faculty members who are interested in
addressing student mathematical issues and concerns are encouraged to
contact me prior to the workshop date for maximal input. This workshop
should be of interest to anyone teaching any course that involves some
mathematics, and of particular interest to anyone in the College of
Science and Mathematics. Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 2:15 - 3:15pm Lee Behlman, Assistant Professor, English A practice-based discussion and workshop on how to help students improve
the focus and expressiveness of their academic writing. Subjects
addressed will include constructing writing assignments, teaching
thesis-writing, and mechanical writing issues.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 2:15 - 3:15pm Ken Bain, Vice Provost for Instruction and Director, Research Academy for University Learning; Professor, History As
Montclair, and all institutions of higher learning, face increasing
pressures to demonstrate their worth--from the government, public, and
accreditation agencies--we must ask ourselves what kind of learning we
hope to foster. Indeed, any educational institution of high quality
must constantly assess what it is doing based upon clear and worthy
objectives. That assessment begins with a discussion of what we are
trying to achieve. What do we want our students to be able to do
intellectually, physically, and emotionally as a result of getting an
education at Montclair State University? What do we expect them to be
able to do as a result of taking any of our classes? In this highly
interactive discussion, we will begin to explore questions of learning
outcomes and assessment. This discussion will be valuable to any
professor who wishes to improve student learning. But it will also be
extremely valuable, and an essential step, in the development of an
assessment process for the University. This is partly an
epistemological inquiry into the nature of knowing, but it is also a
scholarly inquiry into the nature of our educational objectives. In
this seminar, we will have an opportunity to explore some of the ways
that others have begun to think about a university education as we
continue to craft our own definitions.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 - 10:00 - 11:00am Aditya Adarkar, Associate Professor, Classics & General Humanities and David Benfield, Professor, Philosophy & Religion An examination of the actual Socratic method as Socrates employed it in
Plato’s dialogue Meno. Participants will be asked to read the first few
pages (70a to 86c) of Socrates’s conversation with Meno. Near the end
of the selection Socrates asks a series of questions of a young servant
in Meno’s house. The young man first discovers that he doesn’t know how
to double a square and he becomes bewildered or stung/numbed by
Socrates’ questions. Then by asking further questions Socrates is able
to bring the young man to a state in which he understands that a square
constructed on the diagonal of a given square will be double the given
square in size. Did Socrates “teach” the young man how to double the
square? Was it necessary to numb the young man first? What can we learn
about learning and teaching from Socrates the teacher? The seminar will
explore these exciting issues. For information on the Provost's Series from earlier years, please visit: |
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Research Academy for University
Learning at Montclair State
University - Montclair, New Jersey, 07043, USA | 973-65-LEARN
(655-3276) | Ken Bain, Director
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