Instructional Development and Classroom Communication: A Case Study of First-Semester College Students in the Liberal Arts Curriculum

This book is about teachers learning about teaching. As increasingly complex educational models and new theories of student learning have become part of the discourse of higher education, college instructors have sought new opportunities for instructional development. However, while more and more schools are supporting these programs, there have been very few efforts to examine the outcomes of faculty training. This book follows a group of faculty through efforts to make their teaching more interactive, and describes the results by reporting the reactions of the first-year college students in their classes. Included along the way are the personal reflections of the faculty members as they struggle with new techniques, and revelations about what worked and what didn't. The result is a compelling case for peer and institutional support in the ongoing process of instructional development.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Acknowledgments Chapter 3 List of Tables Chapter 4 List of Figures Chapter 5 The Nature and Significance of the Study Chapter 6 Related Literature Chapter 7 Methodology Chapter 8 Summary and Analysis of the Data Chapter 9 Implications for Practice and Future Research Chapter 10 Appendices Chapter 11 References Chapter 12 Index Chapter 13 About the Author

About the Author :
Tamara L. Burk is an Associate Professor of Communication, and the Director of the Leadership Studies Program at Columbia College. Dr. Burk holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership and an Ed.S. in Higher Education from The College of William and Mary, and an M.A. and a B.A. in Communication from the University of Maine. She has delivered instructional development programming at colleges and universities throughout the country.

Review :
Burk's comprehensive case study and meticulous qualitative analysis make a strong argument for the centrality of oral communication in the classroom as a route to critical thinking skills. Learning more about working with first-year students not only benefits students as learners, but it also benefits faculty themselves. Simply put, teaching a first-year seminar will change the way you teach—period. If you're not 'a believer,' Tamara Burk's book may well convince you once and for all! This book is a significant contribution to research (and potentially practice) in two relatively new fields: faculty development and the first-year experience in American higher education. This new scholarship provides a model for asking and answering these tough questions: 'Are our investments in faculty development paying off? Do the faculty actually make use of the pedagogies we wish they would adapt, and with what results?' Without intending it, this work delivers a scathing critique of the dominant mode of verbal transmission of information in the archetypal college classroom. I hope we pay attention. Tamara Burk's work is provocative. After reading her book, you will be convinced that adopting interactive teaching techniques and utilizing classroom discussion, small group interaction, and individual presentations in the classroom will have a dramatic impact on classroom community-building, student development, and student learning!