Ruth Benander

In the spring of 2020, many instructors had to suddenly change from in-person teaching to online teaching. This required instructors and students alike to adapt to the new environment. This editorial essay includes the personal stories of four instructors who had to make the quick change from in-person to online as well as five instructional designers who supported instructors in making the change. These stories are snapshots of how individuals experienced the sudden, necessary adaptations they had to go through.  It is instructive to read these individual accounts because even in their specificity, they are reflective of the experiences of many of their colleagues.

In the editorial by Bryan, Hall and Heuther (2016), these founding members of the Academy for Fellows of Teaching and Learning (AFTL) at the University of Cincinnati asked how the AFTL has raised the status of teaching at the university, developed relationships with other faculty development organizations, and cultivated support in the university administration. In a response to this 2016 reflection on the progress of the AFTL, Benander and Page (2017) responded by outlining the challenges to the AFTL distinguishing itself from the other faculty development organizations at the university. Benander and Page suggested that the AFTL develop a unique voice in the discussion. They suggested more active membership participation to support teaching in their departmental RPT processes, pursue participation in provostal initiatives to promote excellence in teaching, and cultivate a unique contribution to faculty development not covered by other organizations at the university.

Study abroad can be transformative, especially for students experiencing it for the first time. Program designers must align the “study” part with the “abroad” part of the program. To investigate what students take away from study abroad, years after their programs, we conducted in-depth surveys of 23 students who completed study abroad programs from 2009 to 2018. Our findings indicate the academic component of the program was far less salient than the personal growth of the experience.  Program designers must link the personal growth experiences of study abroad to the academic content such that students can benefit from both.

For many faculty developers, 2020's challenges changed our approach to our work. We found that by expanding our networks and relying on our collaborative spirit, we were able to adapt quickly and effectively to changing events. Each member of our four-person Learning + Teaching Center (LTC) team brings expertise and skills for faculty development. We employ a holistic approach to faculty development that not only provides programming for teaching improvement but also addresses the social and emotional needs of faculty and staff. The challenges of 2020 forced faculty and staff to work remotely, which necessitated more programming in how to use online technology. In addition, many faculty and staff were deeply troubled by the racial inequities brought to nationwide attention during the spring and summer. During these crises, we moved all of our programming online. We found that participation numbers increased online, but social interaction decreased. We recommend faculty developer...

Can general education competencies be assessed using eportfolios from different platforms and programs? A study of 27 portfolios (11 programs or courses, five platforms) indicates that this is possible.  Using the American Association of Universities and College’s VALUE rubrics to assess eportfolios from different platforms, constructed for different purposes, showed progressive mastery of skills over the course of the university experience.  The study highlighted that demonstrating certain skills such as community engagement, information literacy and integrative learning need artifacts that explicitly address these skills, whereas critical thinking and written communication were more generally represented in the eportfolios regardless of course or program.

A study explored alternative ways of collecting data on cultural values as expressed in speech behaviors. It investigated perceptions of the use of compliments in American English interactions by five Japanese and five American women. Methods of data collection included, first, a questionnaire and then for comparison, interviews using items from the questionnaire. The analysis compared responses to the questionnaire and interviews by the same person, and Japanese with American responses. From the process of evolving an appropriate data collection method it was found that neither observation nor written questionnaires could provide the insights into cultural awareness and values that interviews can. While interviews alone would be insufficient, it is concluded that in combination with the other forms of data collection, they can be very informative. In addition, interviews can provide valuable data on pragmatics because speakers may have dual competence but choose to use home culture...

In the fall 2016 issue of The Journal for Research and Practice in College Teaching , Bryan, Hall and Heuther reviewed the history of the University of Cincinnati’s Academy of Fellows for Teaching and Learning (AFTL).  In this editorial, they asked key questions about the achievements of the AFTL and its place in the university.  These key questions echo concerns of faculty development and the value of teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in the academy that continue to be asked by teaching and learning centers in academia. Bryan, Hall, and Heuther (2016) ask how the AFTL has raised the status of teaching at the university, developed relationships with other faculty development organizations, and cultivated support in the university administration.  At the root of these questions is whether the AFTL is being effective in its mission to place students at the center, grow research excellence in the scholarship of teaching and learning, achieve academic excellen...

This special issue of the Journal for Research and Practice in College Teaching is devoted to case studies of eportfolio implementation in a decentralized context.  This articles serves as an introduction to the special issue, provides a background for the current research in eportfolio implementation, and concludes with an assessment of the changing influence of technology in relation to eportfolio implementation.

Experiential learning is making meaning from direct experience. Experiential learning is used in workplace training (Silberman, 2007), and is the theoretical foundation for all practicum and co-op program learning. Supported by findings on expert/novice learning styles (Boshuizen, Bromme, and Gruber, H., 2004), this essay reflects on the practice of experiential learning as a mode of inquiry in the scholarship of teaching and learning. When expert teachers experiment with becoming novice learners, or when professors become students, they can come to personal, enduring insights about the experience of teaching and learning.

Student learning outcomes clarify the focus of a course. In creating student centered, concrete, measurable outcomes, the instructor creates a framework for coherent, integrated course design. Faculty may be resistant to writing student learning outcomes because of lack of time, teaching philosophy, job descriptions, assessment pressure and skills. In this paper, we discuss the resistance we have experienced from our seminars and workshops, and we propose solutions to address these concerns. Focusing courses on what students can do with what they learn is the center of the learning paradigm described by Barr and Tagg (1995). To achieve that focus, faculty must identify student learning outcomes (SLO' s). Rather than just a suggestion for those interested in following instructional design principles, creating SLO' s has become a standard for accreditation and is mandated by accrediting agencies in order for institutions to receive funding. These agencies include such entities...

This case study outlines the eportfolio implementation in the Department of English and Communication at Blue Ash College, a regional campus of the University of Cincinnati. This program gives students and instructors the choice to use whichever Web 2.0 platform they prefer to create portfolios that document mastery of course objectives.  In addition the eportfolios are an essential part of the pedagogical process of the courses which help students cultivate reflection on their progress over time.

This paper presents the critical reflections of four mid-career professors who are also beginning music students. These case studies, developed during a faculty learning community, outline how the experience of being learners changed how these professors taught their classes in enduring ways. Based on theories of experiential learning, research in expert/novice learning, and research in emotion and learning, the authors assert that critical reflection on the experience of being a novice learner in a discipline outside one's expertise is a powerful form of faculty development. Experiencing learning outside one's discipline puts the expert teacher into the novice student state. The change of perspective leads to teaching insights. This experiment in experiential learning emphasized the importance of compassion, the benefits of praise, and the necessity of structure for novice students. An Irish poet living in the U. S. picks up a guitar and a few years later forms a band. A no...

Incorporating cultural products and practices is a standard part of most foreign language courses. Achieving the final learning goal, perspectives, presents more of a challenge. Yet, perspectives are the gateway to students being able to advance their intercultural development. This paper will show how instructors can gain an understanding of alternate methodologies to teach the target culture and help students make personal connections through reflection on their own experience. A background in cultural humility and cultural competence informs foreign language assignments for culture acquisition. Templates of assignments are recommended that support instructors to personalize assignments that incorporate reflection and alignment of cognitive domains. Sample activities are offered that scaffold student reflection on cultural products and practices to achieve a more nuanced perspective of the target culture as well as potential assessments of these critical thinking questions.

The rationale, approaches, and mechanics of publishing a student yearbook in English-as-a-Second-Language programs are discussed, and examples are drawn from the experiences and practices at thr University of Pennsylvania. The production of a yearbook is suggested as a context for student writing that transcends the scope of the essay and that can be adapted to any audience. Types of student contributions recommended include student interviews, essays done as class writing assignments, art and photography, cartoons, editorial comments, and reviews. The mechanical aspects of publication construction addressed include photocopying, typewriting, word processing, the inclusion of artwork, and binding. The process of preparing for publication an essay about Amsterdam is discussed, and a layout problem is offered as an example of specific issues that have had to be resolved. It is concluded that this type of communicative writing project provides a public purpose for writing to a wide aud...

This article reports on a case study, using a think-aloud approach (Boren & Ramey, 2000; Jaspers, Steen, van den Bos & Geenen, 2004; Kilsdonk et al., 2016), to investigate how different types of audiences interpret ePortfolios. During recorded viewing, students, instructors, and business professionals narrated their experience of reading two ePortfolios. Consistent with findings by Conrad and Bowie (2006), Ramirez (2011), and Gallagher and Poklop (2014), interpretation of an ePortfolio’s purpose varied depending on the audience reading the ePortfolio. Navigation through the ePortfolio was most consistent across all 3 groups, with participants interpreting the navigation menu order as a recommendation of reading order by the author of the ePortfolio. Motivation to continue reading, interpretation of personalization, and perception of reflective writing also varied depending on the audience reading the ePortfolio. This study provides evidence that an important element of teaching stud...

The " TYCA Guidelines for Preparing Teachers of English in the Two-Year College " neglects to mention portfolios or eportfolios as a best practice with which two-year faculty should be prepared; the authors argue that eportfolio pedagogy and practice should be part of two-year faculty preparation to best serve both students and faculty at two-year colleges.

This article reports on a case study, using a think-aloud approach (Boren & Ramey, 2000;
Jaspers, Steen, van den Bos & Geenen, 2004; Kilsdonk et al., 2016), to investigate how different
types of audiences interpret ePortfolios. During recorded viewing, students, instructors, and
business professionals narrated their experience of reading two ePortfolios. Consistent with
findings by Conrad and Bowie (2006), Ramirez (2011), and Gallagher and Poklop (2014),
interpretation of an ePortfolio’s purpose varied depending on the audience reading the ePortfolio.
Navigation through the ePortfolio was most consistent across all 3 groups, with participants
interpreting the navigation menu order as a recommendation of reading order by the author of the
ePortfolio. Motivation to continue reading, interpretation of personalization, and perception of
reflective writing also varied depending on the audience reading the ePortfolio. This study
provides evidence that an important element of teaching students how to build an ePortfolio is
awareness of the purpose of the portfolio and the intended audience. In addition, the responses of
the 3 different audiences suggest that multi-purpose ePortfolios may not be as successful in
engaging audiences as targeted, single purpose ePortfolios.