We describe an objective way to measure whether curricula, educational programs, and institutions are learner-centered. This technique for benchmarking learner-centeredness uses rubrics to measure courses on 29 components within Weimer's five dimensions. We converted the scores on the rubrics to four-point indices and constructed histograms that…

The Internationalising the Student Experience Project was devised and piloted as a teaching innovation to improve the intercultural awareness of instructors and, subsequently, that of their domestic and international students. In this article we claim that instructor preparation in the use of the Alliance Building and Cultural Mapping tools of the…

Three female tenure-track faculty members at a Hispanic-Serving Institution explored how their cultural backgrounds inform their pedagogical approaches toward equity. They drew upon Mills's (1959) and Collins's (1993) frameworks to examine how their personal biographies, local social contexts, and broader systemic institutions affect their…

Describes how scholarly teaching projects were conceived, implemented, and evaluated by junior faculty from a variety of disciplines at a medium-sized Midwestern university. Explores considerations in designing scholarly teaching projects, methods used to evaluate teaching effectiveness, and outcomes of the teaching projects. (EV)

University faculty were surveyed to assess their attitudes toward teaching and teaching improvement. The results suggest the presence of faculty subgroups with different degrees of motivation for faculty development. Implications are drawn for creating successful faculty development approaches that can capitalize on existing faculty interest. (MLW)

A survey of 35 men and 19 women college faculty at 6 institutions investigated attitudes about teaching award programs, habits of reading about teaching, and teaching satisfactions/dissatisfactions. Results suggest ways editors of teaching and disciplinary journals can select articles that capture faculty interest and result in enhanced teaching…

A freshman course at the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Tennessee is described that mixes the academic and personal experiences in three areas: career exploration, human development, and the history of universities. (Author/MLW)

Based on a classroom teaching incident described elsewhere in the issue, use of reflective teaching to improve college instruction is discussed. Ways in which the professor's changing understanding of the teaching situation can be deepened by teacher-directed assessment in such a context and, in turn, inform future classroom research, are…

While frank evaluation of instructional improvement needs is an important element in faculty development, it does not work well in a highly evaluative climate. Developmental and evaluative activities can be integrated effectively with a long-range perspective; when periodic evaluations are required, administration should reward effort without…

Four lines of thought in philosophy that support the use of case studies and narratives to promote reflective teaching at the college level are examined. The four concepts include reflective practice or reflection in action; practical wisdom (contrasted with abstract wisdom); use of concrete cases for rational, practical decision making; and a…

Faculty-led advising seminars for advisees are recommended as a way to increase the effectiveness of the academic advising system. Through the seminars, the advising function would be integrated into the course-credit system and provide students with opportunities to systematically reflect on the nature of higher education. (Author/MSE)

As colleges and universities seek to raise attention to teaching, peer review offers distinct advantages, especially for faculty eager to reduce classroom isolation and collaborate in improvement. It also presents political and methodological challenges and presumes significantly different roles for faculty in improving quality of student…

Examines discrepancy between public college faculty's role and expectations of the public and funding agencies, explores contributing circumstances, and looks at two attempts to address increased demand for better undergraduate teaching without weakening institutions' research reputations. The first approach, development of ethical principles of…

A faculty development program at a traditionally black college was designed to enhance the ability of graduate faculty to supervise research activities of graduate students. Focus was on interpersonal problem solving in advisement and professional issues; classroom techniques of discussion teaching, case methods, and psychodrama encouraged the…

A discussion of college faculty development in the United States reviews the past 30 years' history and considers what is needed for the movement to be fully institutionalized. A broader approach to faculty development, addressing all areas of faculty endeavor and not just scholarly pursuits, is recommended. (MSE)