Integrative Learning and Shared Responsibility for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Darren Cambridge and Lesley Smith New Century College, George Mason University International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning November 11, 2006 Washington, DC

Overview Framing questions about the scope of SoTL and our context Two sites for collaborative SoTL and what we’re learning from them An edited book about New Century College A collaborative electronic working portfolio Your experiences

Framing questions about the scope of SoTL and our context

Two sites for collaborative SoTL and what we’re learning from them

An edited book about New Century College

A collaborative electronic working portfolio

Your experiences

SoTL: Starting Places Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered Honoring individual teaching practice as scholarly work An expanded, integrated vision of scholarship Operational definition at this conference Systematic investigation of the effectiveness of what one does in one’s classroom on student learning outcomes.

Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered

Honoring individual teaching practice as scholarly work

An expanded, integrated vision of scholarship

Operational definition at this conference

Systematic investigation of the effectiveness of what one does in one’s classroom on student learning outcomes.

“Teaching” Expanded Teaching may be taken to mean something broader than just what happens in individual classrooms Teaching as the full process of facilitating learning over the course of a student’s college career This is irreducibly a collaborative activity The collaborative aspects of this activity need to be validated as scholarly as well

Teaching may be taken to mean something broader than just what happens in individual classrooms

Teaching as the full process of facilitating learning over the course of a student’s college career

This is irreducibly a collaborative activity

The collaborative aspects of this activity need to be validated as scholarly as well

Guiding Questions What are contexts and purposes for collaborative SoTL? What genres and tools are most appropriate make the process of results “public”? What barriers exist the inhibit collaborative SoTL?

What are contexts and purposes for collaborative SoTL?

What genres and tools are most appropriate make the process of results “public”?

What barriers exist the inhibit collaborative SoTL?

Guiding Questions (2) What is the appropriate relationship between the scholarship of teaching and learning and the scholarship of administration (Yancey)? Who does it? To what extent is this work part of our teaching? Broader than assessment: Not just measuring outcomes More than curriculum development: Integrated with teaching and learning practice

What is the appropriate relationship between the scholarship of teaching and learning and the scholarship of administration (Yancey)?

Who does it? To what extent is this work part of our teaching?

Broader than assessment: Not just measuring outcomes

More than curriculum development: Integrated with teaching and learning practice

New Century College An overview

An overview

Collaborative Scholarship: Discovery and Loss Lesley Smith

Lesley Smith

Group, Genre, Tool: Iterations of Collaborative SoTL Darren Cambridge

Darren Cambridge

Capstone Course Portfolio Composed within a faculty learning community focused on the senior capstone experience One context for more deliberate collaborative scholarship of teaching and learning Working portfolio as a genre and wiki as a tool for collaborative scholarship of teaching and learning

Composed within a faculty learning community focused on the senior capstone experience

One context for more deliberate collaborative scholarship of teaching and learning

Working portfolio as a genre and wiki as a tool for collaborative scholarship of teaching and learning

Capstone Required course for all New Century College students Taught by individual faculty with little coordination Context for beginning to compose a graduation portfolio that integrates each student’s learning career in terms of NCC competencies But also thinking about the future, community conversations about what it means to be an educated person … ? Faculty and students feel that the course has lots of potential but quality and focus varies widely

Required course for all New Century College students

Taught by individual faculty with little coordination

Context for beginning to compose a graduation portfolio that integrates each student’s learning career in terms of NCC competencies

But also thinking about the future, community conversations about what it means to be an educated person … ?

Faculty and students feel that the course has lots of potential but quality and focus varies widely

Capstone Faculty Learning Community Core group of four faculty members teaching capstone this semester Very different backgrounds, approaches Also included past and future instructors and those interested in investigating the use of the portfolio and competencies Bi-weekly meetings Online working course portfolio Integrated with day-to-day teaching practice

Core group of four faculty members teaching capstone this semester

Very different backgrounds, approaches

Also included past and future instructors and those interested in investigating the use of the portfolio and competencies

Bi-weekly meetings

Online working course portfolio

Integrated with day-to-day teaching practice

SoTL and Group Interaction Collaborative SoTL must be extended to include the whole process of group interaction necessary for facilitating learning NCC definition of group interaction Create shared understanding and expectations Understand and choose roles and tasks Make decisions and track progress collaboratively Negotiate consensus, compromise, and conflict Can’t track progress until we know what progress means Need to begin with an open, exploratory process

Collaborative SoTL must be extended to include the whole process of group interaction necessary for facilitating learning

NCC definition of group interaction

Create shared understanding and expectations

Understand and choose roles and tasks

Make decisions and track progress collaboratively

Negotiate consensus, compromise, and conflict

Can’t track progress until we know what progress means

Need to begin with an open, exploratory process

FLC: A First Iteration Shared understanding and expectations Understanding the diversity of goals and practices in how the course in actually taught Making individual practice visible Understand roles and tasks What can we share with each other? What can we contribute that builds on our individual strengths? What should we create together to improve the course? Negotiate consensus, conflict, and compromise How much should we standardize? How do we manage different desires for and comfort levels with change? Make decisions and track progress collaboratively Sharing reflections Gathering student work to look at together

Shared understanding and expectations

Understanding the diversity of goals and practices in how the course in actually taught

Making individual practice visible

Understand roles and tasks

What can we share with each other?

What can we contribute that builds on our individual strengths?

What should we create together to improve the course?

Negotiate consensus, conflict, and compromise

How much should we standardize?

How do we manage different desires for and comfort levels with change?

Make decisions and track progress collaboratively

Sharing reflections

Gathering student work to look at together

Qualities of Genre and Tool Loosely structured, but rehearses a more formal genre Capable of accommodating a wide range of types of contributions Very easy to contribute to and modify Accessible from anywhere, but only by the group

Loosely structured, but rehearses a more formal genre

Capable of accommodating a wide range of types of contributions

Very easy to contribute to and modify

Accessible from anywhere, but only by the group

Working Portfolio Working portfolio A central place for collecting artifacts and reflections A conversation piece Primary audience is the author(s) Presentation portfolio Selection and arrangement for a particular audience Most (collaborative) course portfolios are of this type

Working portfolio

A central place for collecting artifacts and reflections

A conversation piece

Primary audience is the author(s)

Presentation portfolio

Selection and arrangement for a particular audience

Most (collaborative) course portfolios are of this type

Wiki Easy to add and edit pages Easy to upload media Tracks changes and keeps all versions Meta-scholarship opportunity tracking the process Spaces for discussion linked to documents Can be open or gated MediaWiki, hosted by SiteGround

Easy to add and edit pages

Easy to upload media

Tracks changes and keeps all versions

Meta-scholarship opportunity tracking the process

Spaces for discussion linked to documents

Can be open or gated

MediaWiki, hosted by SiteGround

Returning to Our Questions What are contexts and purposes for collaborative SoTL? What genres and tools are most appropriate make the process of results “public”? What barriers exist the inhibit collaborative SoTL? What is the appropriate relationship between the scholarship of teaching and learning and the scholarship of administration ? Who does it? To what extent is this work part of our teaching?

What are contexts and purposes for collaborative SoTL?

What genres and tools are most appropriate make the process of results “public”?

What barriers exist the inhibit collaborative SoTL?

What is the appropriate relationship between the scholarship of teaching and learning and the scholarship of administration ?

Who does it?

To what extent is this work part of our teaching?

Learn More Lesley Smith - [email_address] Darren Cambridge - [email_address] http://ncc.gmu.edu/

Lesley Smith - [email_address]

Darren Cambridge - [email_address]

http://ncc.gmu.edu/