Progress 09/01/03 to 08/31/07
Outputs
The project determined professors' conceptualizations, motivation, and behaviors and characteristics of best practices regarding learner-centered teaching approaches and strategies in agricultural, environmental and life sciences at land-grant universities and state colleges through a national survey and case study of exemplary teaching professors. Professors reported they lectured three-fourth of the time, and they used learner-centered teaching approaches about half of the time for inquiry learning, one-third of the time for active learning, and one-tenth of the time for service learning. Professors believed their roles as a teacher were to communicate knowledge, develop critical thinking, and help students apply knowledge and grow personally, and were motivated to teach using learner-centered approaches. Cognitive and motivational beliefs supported a new model of a three-step approach to teaching, designing courses, and restructuring curriculum. First, active
learning should be used to actively engage students to learn the key concepts and knowledge. Second, inquiry learning should be used to engage students to apply the key concepts and knowledge in real-world situations they will face in their future careers. Third, service learning should be used to engage students to apply the concepts and knowledge in the real-world by helping improve the quality of life for people in local communities. Moreover, characteristics of best practices for the three learner-centered teaching approaches were identified through an in-depth case study of twelve exemplary college professors: developing interpersonal and collaborative environments, cognitive-affective-behavioral outcomes, and students' thinking for application, critical analysis, and integration of knowledge. Factors influencing the development of LCT approaches, learning environment conditions that cultivate student learning outcomes, strategies to improve learner-centered teaching practices,
intended outcomes of each teaching approach, and constraints that hinder implementation of these teaching practices were also identified for each approach. Summary profiles of student data were shared with each exemplary faculty, which verified students in the national case study agreed their experiences were more learner-centered than students in a large comparison group. Students reported they were more motivated and cognitively engaged in inquiry learning versus active learning, and service learning versus inquiry learning. Faculty development workshops were conducted to help professors redesign their courses to implement learner-centered teaching approaches based on the new learner-centered teaching model. A website was created facilitate networking of college teachers in agricultural, environmental and life sciences and serves as a repository of faculty development resources, best practices, and research-to-practice bulletins. Marketing and recruitment efforts were conducted to
encourage faculty to register in the LCT network, but faculty were not interested because of a concern that posting their information online may have resulted in a greater volume of spam messages.
PRODUCTS: The products created from the project include: (a) 12 online abstracts of exemplars; (b) 12 faculty profiles (confidential) based on instructor and student data; (c) 3 best practice bulletins; (d) 2 research-to-practice bulletins; (e) 4 workshop and seminar presentations and supporting materials; (f) 4 conference posters and abstracts; (g) a research paper presented at the largest national education research conference; (h) a faculty questionnaire used to assess professors' beliefs, motivations, and use of learner-centered approaches; (i) a student questionnaire used to assess students' beliefs, motivations, and perceptions of teaching and learning in a specific course; and (j) a project website (www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct) and online resources for professors and instructors in higher education, including clearer definitions of learner-centered teaching approaches, an empirically based model of learner-centered teaching, a list of selected references on learner-centered
teaching, and an online directory of faculty known as the Learner-Centered Teaching Network.
OUTCOMES: The outcomes of the project include: (a) new and current knowledge of faculty cognitive beliefs, motivations, and teaching behaviors in the agricultural, environmental, and life sciences; (b) engaged professors to reflect on how they teach and how they can increase the level of student engagement in their courses; (c) increased faculty knowledge of learner-centered teaching approaches and strategies; (d) increased interest and motivated faculty to implement learner-centered teaching approaches in their college courses; (e) increased networking of faculty; (f) increased awareness of learner-centered teaching approaches among administrators in the agricultural, environmental and life sciences; (g) increased student motivation and cognitive engagement in learner-centered courses; (h) was recognized as an innovative project in agricultural education; and, (i) was a catalyst for two funded collaborative research grant proposals.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The project reached a total of 8,125 professors, administrators, and graduate students in the agricultural, environmental and life sciences through reflection activities, faculty development workshops, electronic communications, the website, conferences, and published abstracts. First, the project engaged 448 faculty to reflect on their teaching through the application process (n = 70), an online survey (n = 330), a year-long case study (n = 12), and the online faculty network (n = 36). Second, 355 professors developed learner-centered teaching strategies through faculty development workshops. Third, 7,125 professors and graduate students learned about learner-centered teaching approaches through the website (n = 4300), research conferences (n = 1225), and published abstracts (n = 1600). Finally, 197 administrators in higher education received communications about learner-centered teaching approaches and faculty development opportunities and resources.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future initiatives from this project include: (a) finalize manuscripts and submit to journals; (b) transfer the project website to Purdue University, continue to update the website and add pictures, (c) engage professors to develop learner-centered teaching approaches at 1890 land-grant universities and historically black colleges, and (d) develop a proposal to engage professors to study student impact of learner-centered professors in colleges of agriculture, food, and environmental sciences, including how teaching and learning roles and contexts inform student outcomes in the STEM-related disciplines.
Impacts
There were 21,364 students impacted by this project. Students (n = 1200) in the national case study were more motivated to learn, more cognitively engaged, and used more active learning strategies in the exemplary professors' courses because of the learner-centered teaching approaches compared to a large comparison group of professors. Because of the faculty development workshops, over 300 professors improved their understanding of learner-centered teaching approaches and how their teaching methods influence student outcomes. Professors were motivated to implement a new teaching method to make their courses more engaging for students after they participated in the workshops, which indirectly impacted 20,164 students. The national case study motivated professors to improve their teaching to increase student-centered learning in their courses, increased the professors understanding of learner-centered teaching approaches, and changed how the professors taught
undergraduate students. Every day, 45 visitors use the website as a valuable resource to learn research-based and best practices for engaging college students to learn agricultural, life and environmental sciences. The project directors redesigned the courses they teach in preparing future teachers and faculty on how to develop and use learner-centered teaching approaches and strategies. Graduate students who assisted with the project changed the way they teach and think about teaching and learning in their roles as high school teachers, youth educators, and future professors.
Publications
- Knobloch, N., Kim, E., & Ball, A. (2007). Research to Practice Bulletin: National Status Survey of the National Assessment of Learner-Centered Teaching in Agricultural, Environmental and Life Sciences:. Retrieved on July 1, 2007 at: http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct/NALCT/RTP_NALCT_Bulletin.pdf
- Knobloch, N., Kim, E., & Ball, A. (2007). Research to Practice Bulletin: Case Study of Instructor and Student Data of the National Assessment of Learner-Centered Teaching in Agricultural, Environmental and Life Sciences. Retrieved on July 1, 2007 at: http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct/NALCT/RTP_ALCP_Bulletin.pdf
- Knobloch, N., Siegel, S., & Ball, A. (2007). Best Practices for Active Learning in the Agricultural, Environmental and Life Sciences. Retrieved on May 1, 2007 at: http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct/NALCT/active_learning_best_practice_co lor.pdf
- Knobloch, N., Siegel, S., & Ball, A. (2007). Best Practices for Inquiry Learning in the Agricultural, Environmental and Life Sciences. Retrieved on May 25, 2007 at: http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct/NALCT/inquiry_learning_best_practice_c olor.pdf
- Knobloch, N., Kim, E., & Ball, A. (2007). Best Practices for Inquiry Learning in the Agricultural, Environmental and Life Sciences. Retrieved on June 10, 2007 at: http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct/NALCT/service_learning_best_practice_c olor.pdf
- Kim, E.., Knobloch, N. A., & Ball, A. L. (2007). College professors teaching conceptualizations and motivation when using learner-centered teaching methods. NACTA Journal, 51(2), 106. Abstract of paper presented at the NACTA Annual Conference, Champaign, IL.
|
Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
The overall goal of this project is to engage teaching faculty to reflect and implement curricular changes to improve teaching and ultimately learning across the disciplines that comprise agricultural, food, and environmental sciences. This report summarizes the progress of the project for the third year of activities of investigating best practices in active learning, inquiry-based learning and service learning in colleges of agriculture. The project made progress on all three objectives. For the first objective, data from the national status survey of teaching faculty in colleges of agriculture in the United States were analyzed. Eighty-five percent of professors in the study worked at research institutions, 69% of the respondents were tenured at the time of the survey. Professors had four teaching conceptualizations: developmental, apprenticeship, transmission, and nurturing. Professors were interested, motivated, and confident in their ability regarding the use of
teaching methods for active, inquiry, and service learning, yet they used lectures 77% of the time. Professors used teaching methods and approaches for inquiry learning about one-half of the time, active learning about one-third of the time, and service learning about 15% of the time in their courses. The three models were statistically significant. The teaching methods used for learner-centered teaching were related to a teacher's task value motivation, teaching self-efficacy, and conceptualization of teaching. The results suggest that the teaching methods used by professors are informed by their teaching conceptualizations. For the second objective, data were organized and analyzed for the 12 exemplary teaching professors who participated in the national case study. Best practices were identified among the 12 exemplars. The data collected from the 12 exemplars will be triangulated with student data collected from the two surveys. For the third objective, a research presentation
engaged over 35 faculty to consider the implications of faculty use of learner-centered teaching by type of institution at the largest educational research conference. Two research-based posters were presented at a national research conference and campus-wide teaching symposium to over 300 faculty. Marketing and recruitment efforts were conducted to encourage faculty to register in the LCT network and utilize online research-based resources to improve their teaching.
PRODUCTS: The products of the project that have been produced from the third year of activity include: (a) best practice bulletins; (b) conference paper; (c) abstracts of exemplars; (d) research summary posters; and (f) project website and online resources for faculty.
OUTCOMES: The outcomes of the project that have been produced from the third year of activity include: (a) over 350 professors increased their knowledge of learner-centered teaching methods through conference paper and posters; (b) faculty increased knowledge of learner-centered teaching methods through the project website; (c) facilitated networking of college teachers of agriculture who share interests in active, inquiry, and service learning; (d) Outstanding Research Poster recognized at the AAAE Research Conference; and (e) two collaborative research grant proposals were written based on the results of this project and one was funded.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Four research posters were presented to: (a) 150 participants at the American Association for Agricultural Education in Charlotte, NC, (b) 150 participants at the University of Illinois Teaching Symposium, and (c) 25 participants at a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group at the University of Illinois. A research conference paper was presented at the American Education Research Association in San Francisco, CA to 35 participants. Advisory council members were sent semi-annual progress reports. The project website was further developed and promoted at conferences.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The following activities are planned for the fourth year of the project: Analyze data from survey and case study; develop research-to-practice and best practices bulletins for the website; prepare and submit manuscripts to journals; and update the project website. Future initiatives that are being planned beyond the funding of this project to engage professors to develop learner-centered teaching approaches in 1890 land-grant universities, and engage professors to study student impact of learner-centered professors in colleges of agriculture, food, and environmental sciences.
Impacts
The project website has served as a valuable resource for faculty to learn research-based and best practices for engaging college students to learn agricultural, life and environmental sciences. The project has served as the research framework and foundation to write two collaborative proposals with other institutions. One of the projects was funded. A preliminary analysis of the project data supports a model of faculty motivation and their conceptualizations of teaching and learning influence how likely they are to implement learner-centered teaching approaches in the agricultural, life and environmental sciences.
Publications
- Knobloch, N. A., & Ball, A. L. (2006, April). Analyzing the contextual, motivational, and conceptual characteristics of teaching faculty in regard to the use of learner-centered approaches to teaching. Paper presented at 2006 American Education Research Conference, San Francisco, CA.
- Knobloch, N. A., & Ball, A. L. (2006, May). An engaging approach to faculty development for learner-centered teaching. Poster session presented at the AAAE National Research Conference, Charlotte, NC. Outstanding Poster Presentation.
- Knobloch, N. A., & Ball, A. L. (2006, February). An engaging approach to faculty development for learner-centered teaching. Poster presented at the University of Illinois Annual Faculty Retreat on Active Learning, Urbana, IL.
- Ball, A. L., & Knobloch, N. A. (2006, February). Understanding teaching practices and perspectives in college classrooms. Poster presented at the University of Illinois Annual Faculty Retreat on Active Learning, Urbana, IL.
- Ball, A. L., & Knobloch, N. A. (2006, March). Understanding teaching practices in college classrooms. Poster presented at the University of Illinois Viewing Teaching as Scholarly Work SIG, Urbana, IL.
- Knobloch, N. A., & Ball, A. L. (2006, March). Using learner-centered teaching approaches in the agricultural, environmental and life sciences. Poster presented at the University of Illinois Viewing Teaching as Scholarly Work SIG, Urbana, IL.
|
Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
The overall goal of this project is to engage teaching faculty to reflect and implement curricular changes to improve teaching and ultimately learning across the disciplines that comprise agricultural, food, and environmental sciences. This report summarizes the progress of the project for the second year of activities of investigating best practices in active learning, inquiry-based learning and service learning in colleges of agriculture. The project made progress on all three objectives. For the first objective, data from the national status survey of teaching faculty in colleges of agriculture in the United States were analyzed. There were two key findings from the analyses. First, 80% of the faculty use teacher-directed approaches, compared to 35% who use active and inquiry learning, and 10% who use service learning approaches. Second, faculty views of teaching and motivation were related to the teaching approaches they used. Faculty who have confidence in their
ability to use learner-centered teaching approaches reported they were using them more in their college courses compared to their colleagues. For the second objective, 12 exemplary teaching professors participated in a national case study. The professors completed reflections on their teaching and participated in two interviews. Students in the exemplars courses also completed two questionnaires regarding their motivation and perceptions of the teaching methods that were used by the exemplars. In a preliminary analysis, faculty stated that their participation in the project throughout the academic year engaged them to reflect and think deeply about their students development and teaching practices. Regarding teaching practices, professors who used active learning methods engaged learners through cooperative group learning activities and technology to promote higher-order thinking and to make learning visible in their classrooms. Professors who used inquiry learning methods engaged
learners through ill-structured problems to learn inductively and solve problems based on the scientific method. Professors who used service learning engaged learners through community-based projects, reflective activities, and connections to the curriculum. Regardless of the approach, the exemplary teachers made teaching a priority, cared about their students, focused on processes that would engage higher-level thinking, and were motivated by professional responsibility. For the third objective, two workshops engaged over 120 faculty at regional teaching conferences to reflect on their teaching and develop plans to implement learner-centered methods in their courses. Two invited presentations engaged over 400 faculty regarding innovative faculty development and service-learning. Two research-based posters were presented at a national teaching and learning conference. Two abstract proposals were submitted for regional and national conferences. The learner-centered teaching project
website was design and developed for faculty to join the LCT network and utilize online research-based resources to improve their teaching.
PRODUCTS: The products of the project that have been produced from the second year of activity include: (a) faculty reflections on active, inquiry, and service learning approaches; (b) interview transcripts of exemplary teaching faculty; (c) student data of beliefs, motivations, and use of learner-centered approaches in 12 college courses; (d) faculty development workshop plans and supporting materials; (e) two research summary posters; (f) printed bookmarks for LCT website; and, (g) LCT Project website and online resources for faculty.
OUTCOMES: The outcomes of the project that have been produced from the second year of activity include: (a) 12 teaching faculty who engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning and were more reflective about their teaching practices and students learning; (b) over 500 professors increased their knowledge of learner-centered teaching methods through faculty development workshops; (c) faculty increased knowledge of learner-centered teaching methods through the national case study and national status survey; (d) over 200 faculty developed action plans to implement learner-centered teaching approaches in their college courses; and, (e) facilitation process of networking college teachers of agriculture who share interests in active, inquiry, and service learning.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Two research posters were presented to 150 participants at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Conference in Wooster, OH. There were over 520 people who participated in the four faculty development workshops. Twelve exemplars participated in the national case study and a network of electronic communications occur on a bi-monthly basis with the exemplars. Advisory council members were sent semi-annual progress reports. The project website was created and promoted at faculty development workshops and conferences.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The following activities are planned for the third year of the project: Analyze data from survey and case study; develop research-to-practice and best practices bulletins for the website; promote he online directory and invite instructors to register their courses; and prepare and conduct workshops on learner-centered approaches. Future initiatives that are being planned beyond the funding of this project to engage professors to develop learner-centered teaching approaches in 1890 land-grant universities, and engage professors to study student impact of learner-centered professors in colleges of agriculture, food, and environmental sciences.
Impacts
Exemplary teaching faculty understand the scholarship of teaching and learning through experiencing the research procedures used in the case study. Professors also became more reflective on their practice because of the reflective activities used in the case study. The professors said they had a clearer understanding of how they teach and what impact they had on student learning after participating in the national case study. Professors had a better understanding of learner-centered teaching approaches and how their teaching methods lead to different student outcomes after participating in a learner-centered teaching workshop. Participants also plan to implement a new teaching method to make their courses more learner-centered. Professors had a better understanding of how to connect student learning to the community using learner-centered teaching methods.
Publications
- Ball, A. L., & Knobloch, N. A. (2005). Understanding teaching practices and perspectives in college classrooms. Poster session presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Conference, Wooster, OH.
- Knobloch, N. A., & Ball, A. L. (2005). Using learner-centered teaching approaches in the agricultural, environmental and life sciences. Poster session presented at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Conference, Wooster, OH.
- Knobloch, N. A., & Ball, A. L. (2005). An engaging approach to faculty development for learner-centered teaching. Poster session presented at the AAAE North Central Regional Research Conference, Columbus, OH.
- Ball, A. B, & Knobloch, N. A. (in review). Analyzing the contextual, motivational, and conceptual characteristics of teaching faculty in regard to the use of learner-centered approaches to teaching. Paper presented at 2006 American Education Research Conference, San Francisco, CA.
|
Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
The overall goal of this project is to equip teaching faculty with the information to make curricular changes to improve teaching and ultimately learning across the disciplines that comprise food and agricultural sciences. As such, this report summarizes the progress of the project for the first year of activities of investigating best practices in active learning, inquiry-based learning and service learning in colleges of agriculture. The project made progress on all three objectives, but primarily focused on the first and second objectives for year 1. For the first objective, a status survey was conducted to explore and describe the use of learner-centered methods by teaching faculty in colleges of agriculture in the United States. The frame of 1862 and 1890 land-grant universities and state colleges was validated. There were 123 colleges or departments of agriculture in the frame. A two-stage (by region & type of institution) cluster sample was randomly drawn and
1553 faculty were selected to participate in the study. There was a 20% response rate with 308 participants who completed the online questionnaire. For the second objective, a case study was conducted to analyze exemplary practices in active, inquiry, and service learning approaches by teaching faculty in colleges of agriculture. A call for nominations was sent to 123 academic deans. Ninety-eight nominations were received from 32 academic deans. Thirty-four applications were received and reviewed for the exemplary case study. Twelve exemplary teaching professors were selected representing 1862 land-grant universities and state colleges from different disciplines and regions. A one-day (12 hours) conference for the exemplars was conducted in Gainesville, Florida immediately following the NACTA Conference. Five of the exemplars attended the NACTA Conference. Individual reflections, focus group interviews, and round table discussions were conducted to engage the exemplars in discussing
and sharing their ideas and best practices about active, inquiry, and service learning. In-field data collection procedures were outlined for the faculty to ensure success with the case study. The exemplars and the applicants who were not selected for the case study were given a book of examples of scholarship of teaching and learning projects and were invited to prepare best practice bulletins that can be shared on the project's website. It was decided to include the applicants who were not selected because they had excellent ideas that other faculty and teachers could benefit from knowing their best practices. Also, because there was only one case study applicant from an 1890 land-grant institution, it was decided that a new project should be pursued and conducted with exemplary teaching faculty from 1890 land-grant institutions. For the third objective, two mini-workshops were conducted to disseminate information for future college agriculture faculty interested in implementing
learner-centered methods. The project website design and development was moved back into the second year because the webmaster was not available until the next academic year.
PRODUCTS: The products of the project that have been produced from the first year of activity include: (a) definitions of learner-centered approaches such as active, inquiry, and service learning; (b) definitions of excellent, exemplary, expertise, and scholarship of teaching and learning; (c) online questionnaire for faculty to assess their beliefs, motivations, and use of learner-centered approaches; and, (d) faculty development through two national mini-workshops and a national case study conference on learner-centered teaching.
OUTCOMES: The outcomes of the project that have been produced from the first year of activity include: (a) current frame of colleges and departments of agriculture, food, and environmental sciences; (b) clearer conceptual definitions of learner-centered instruction and exemplary teaching that are based on a review of current literature; (c) increased knowledge of learner-centered teaching methods through the mini-workshops, national case study, and national status survey; (d) and, facilitation process of networking college teachers of agriculture who share interests in active, inquiry, and service learning.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: A project announcement was made to 40 academic deans who met at a regional teaching conference. Electronic messages were sent to 123 academic deans in colleges of agriculture, food, and life sciences regarding the national case study of exemplary teaching professors. Two mini-workshops were conducted at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Conference in Gainesville, FL. There were 80 people who participated in the two workshops. Twelve exemplars participated in the national case study and a network of electronic communications occur on a monthly basis with the exemplars. Two advisory council meetings were held and advisory council members were sent three progress reports.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The following activities are planned for the second year of the project: Design and create the website; analyze survey data; conduct interviews and collect data with exemplary professors; conduct student questionnaire on learner-centered instruction; analyze and disseminate data from the national case study; prepare research-to-practice bulletins from status survey; create the online directory and invite instructors to register their courses; and prepare and conduct workshops at the NACTA conference on learner-centered approaches. Future initiatives that are being planned beyond the funding of this project are: (a) national case study of exemplary teaching professors in 1890 land-grant universities, and (b) a national study of student impact of learner-centered professors in colleges of agriculture, food, and environmental sciences.
Impacts
For the status survey, preliminary data analysis has provided baseline data that (1) outlines College of Agriculture professor's beliefs about teaching and learning; (2) identifies learner-centered approaches utilized by faculty in colleges of agriculture; (3) provided a self-assessment of faculty in colleges of agriculture; (4) identifies teaching methods used by college of agriculture faculty; and (5) describes demographic make-up of participants from the selected institutions surveyed. For the case study, the twelve exemplary teaching professors participated in the one day case study conference. At the completion of the one-day conference, 100 percent of the exemplary professors indicated that the one-day conference provided an opportunity for them to establish a learning community and share valuable learning/teaching practices.
Publications
- Knobloch, N. A., Ball, A. L., & Woods, M. D. (2004). Excellence, expertise, and scholarship of teaching in agricultural, environmental, natural and life sciences. NACTA Journal. Abstract of paper presented at the NACTA Annual Conference, Gainesville, FL.
- Woods, M. D., Knobloch, N. A., & Ball, A. L. (2004). The learner-centered classroom: An overview and implications for college teachers of agriculture, environmental, natural and life sciences. NACTA Journal. Abstract of paper presented at the NACTA Annual Conference, Gainesville, FL.
- Ball, A., Woods, M., & Knobloch, N. (2004). Learning from the wisdom of practice: Engaging agriculture, food, and natural resources faculty to become reflective practitioners. NACTA Journal. Abstract of paper presented at the NACTA Annual Conference, Gainesville, FL.
|
|