List of Revisions:
Target Population
1. Graduate
students (both at the Masters and Doctoral levels)
who intend to become future faculty who intend to teach at the college level (regardless of
discipline). Every effort will be made to secure adequate
disciplinary representation among the graduate students admitted into each one of
the modules. Departments will be
informed about the availability of the programs (electronically and via print
materials) and graduate directors will be encouraged to promote attendance by
those graduate students interested in academic positions. Also, graduate students will be made aware
of the program in campus-wide events such as the TA conference and the graduate
student orientation.
Note: The program is
not limited to doctoral students since this certification can be used by MA
students to strengthen their application for teaching assistantships at
doctoral programs, and also because in certain disciplines, MA graduates are
indeed eligible to teach at the college level.
Participation in the Program
2.
[…] and open to all graduate
students. The fact that this program is
offered in an online environment should make it accessible to any graduate
student enrolled at the University of Delaware.
Duration
of the Program
3.
[…] Content areas do not have to be taken sequentially or in following
semesters (i.e., students may take content areas in the order and at the time
that best suits them, depending on their instructional and professional needs).
Students can phase in and out of the
certification program without penalty to best accommodate their schedule and/or
professional needs.
CERTIFICATE
REQUIREMENTS
4.
[…] Program advisors in
coordination with interested departments will determine the equivalencies and
substitutions using the general content area parameters specified below. This collaborative procedure is designed to
recognize the diversity of departmental training efforts currently in place,
and to encourage further dialogue around TA development in the disciplines.
5. […] Students will be researching and reflecting on existing literature
on issues pertaining to learning and teaching in higher education. Use of modern information technologies and
access to library resources will be essential.
Students will be
researching and reflecting on existing literature on issues pertaining to
learning and teaching in higher education.
Use of modern information technologies and access to library resources
will be essential.
III. Faculty Roles
(designated as UNIV602, no credit)
Sample Trajectory
9. Note: All substitutions listed here are meant to
be “examples” of potential credit given to GTAs based on training received
outside of the Certification program.
Actual equivalencies will have to be defined by the interested units and
CTE based on the congruence of their training practices and the Certification Modules
they intend to replace.
Bauer/Cubillos REVISED DRAFT
Fall
2002 11-15-02
To
enhance the quality of graduate education, a growing number of institutions are
offering certification programs in college teaching. The underlying goal of these programs is to better prepare
graduate students for their careers, including careers as future faculty
members.
After
reviewing exemplary certification programs (list of programs follows), we
identified three common elements:
1.
Graduate
course and/or participation in a series of conferences and workshop sessions.
2.
Supervised
teaching practicum (some type of teaching mentorship).
3.
Documented
teaching excellence through teaching portfolios.
Exemplary
programs:
·
Program
in College Teaching, University of Wyoming http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/uwgrad/pict/pctwebpg.htm
·
Graduate
Teaching Scholars, University of Missouri-Columbia
http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/GTS/
·
Graduate
Teacher Certificate, University of Illinois-Urbana
http://www.oir.uiuc.edu/Did/docs/gtc.htm
·
Graduate
Teacher Certification, University of Colorado, Boulder
http://www.colorado.edu/gtp/programs/index.html
·
Seminar
on College Teaching: Preparing Future Faculty, University of Michigan
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/teaching_seminar.html
·
GTA
Certificate of Completion Program, Texas A & M University
·
F2P2,
Vanderbilt University
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/f2p2/
·
Certification
in Higher Education Teaching, University of Manitoba, Canada
http://www.umanitoba.ca/academic_support/uts/grads/chet/index.html
·
Certificate
in University Teaching, University of Waterloo, Canada
http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infotrac/tacert.html
INSTITUTIONAL
CONTEXT
The
proposed certification program intends to supplement, advance, and
extend existing university-wide and departmental TA training efforts
characterized by a wide range of approaches:
University-Wide
TA Training Efforts:
·
Pre-fall
orientation for first-time TAs conducted by CTE, duration: 3 half days with
optional afternoon sessions, attendance is required.
·
Winter
seminar for first-time conducted by CTE, duration: 1 day, attendance is
optional.
·
4-week
summer training program for international TAs (ITAs) conducted by English
Language Institute (ELI), attendance is mandatory.
·
Winter
session training program for ITAs who met English language proficiency
requirements; program focus on pedagogy and culture conducted
by ELI.
·
Sessions
on instructional topics during the semester, conducted by CTE.
·
Professional
development series for graduate students during academic year with focus on the
academic job search, co-sponsored by MBNA Career Services Center and CTE.
TA
Training Efforts at the Departmental Level:
·
Departmental
pre-fall orientation sessions (currently 8/34 departments with TA positions).
·
Departmental
fall courses (currently 10/34 departments with TA positions).
·
Departmental
workshops on specific topics, conducted either at beginning of semester or
throughout the semester.
·
Course-specific
meetings on regular basis during the semester.
Other:
·
Participation
in campus-wide instructional development programs, such as Institute for
Transforming Undergraduate Education, ITUE.
Considerations
Given
the de-centralized context for TA development at Delaware, the proposed
certificate program would be based on the following parameters:
·
Flexibility
(regarding content and timing) to accommodate diverse departmental needs and
objectives, and to complement existing programs.
·
Learner-directedness
(students select the sequence and timing of the core modules).
·
Economy. Certification program does not tax
departmental resources (facilitator salaries, staffing, etc.).
·
Freedom. Participation in the program is voluntary.
·
Unobtrusiveness. Certification does not extend time to degree
(certificate can be completed concurrently with other course work and will be
awarded on pass/fail basis).
1.
To
strengthen the quality of undergraduate instruction campus-wide.
2.
To
enhance the teaching effectiveness of TAs while at UD (short-term objective).
3.
To
supplement, extend and advance existing university wide and departmental TA
training efforts.
4.
To
provide a systematic preparation of graduate students for all aspects of
academic careers.
a.
To
introduce graduate students to the theory, accumulated experience, and
knowledge of higher education pedagogy.
b.
To
give program participants the opportunity to develop their teaching and
presentation skills in a supervised and collegial atmosphere.
c.
To
develop reflective practitioners in the scholarship of teaching (long-term
objective).
4.
To
document the teaching effectiveness of our graduate students and enhance their
marketability.
5.
To
enhance the attractiveness of UD's graduate programs by offering tangible
preparation and documentation of college teaching skills.
The
three pillars of the program are: Research (on learning
and teaching), Application, and Reflection; the
program’s focus is on teaching as scholarly work.
Target
Population
Graduate
students (both at the Masters and Doctoral levels)
who intend to become future faculty (regardless of discipline). Every effort will be made to secure adequate disciplinary
representation among the graduate students admitted into each one of the
modules. Departments will be informed
about the availability of the programs (electronically and via print materials)
and graduate directors will be encouraged to promote attendance by those
graduate students interested in academic positions. Also, graduate students will be made aware of the program in
campus-wide events such as the TA conference and the graduate student orientation.
Note: The program is
not limited to doctoral students since this certification can be used by MA
students to strengthen their application for teaching assistantships at
doctoral programs, and also because in certain disciplines, MA graduates are
indeed eligible to teach at the college level.
Participation
in the Program
Optional
and open to all graduate
students. The fact that this program is
offered in an online environment should make it accessible to any graduate
student enrolled at the University of Delaware.
Duration
of the Program
The
program can be completed in three terms.
However, the program is designed to be flexible, permitting students to
take different paths (based on their prior pedagogical training), and allowing
them to take as much time as needed to complete all the required
components. Content areas do not have to be taken
sequentially or in following semesters (i.e., students may take content areas in
the order and at the time that best suits them, depending on their instructional
and professional needs). Students can
phase in and out of the certification program without penalty to best
accommodate their schedule and/or professional needs. Departmental advisement of
sequencing of program components is critical.
The
certificate is awarded upon completion of the student’s degree program and will
be part of his/her official transcript.
CERTIFICATE
REQUIREMENTS
Interested
GTAs must apply for admission directly at CTE the semester prior to enrollment
into the program. GTAs need to have at
least ONE semester of classroom teaching experience (classroom instruction,
studio teaching, discussion session facilitation, or laboratory instruction),
and include in their application a statement of support from a faculty member
in their discipline. Exceptions to the
teaching experience requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
To receive the certificate
students must complete a designated series of courses/content areas (UNIV 600,
601, 602, 603) which entails a series of 6 pedagogical and professional
development modules in four content areas as follows:
- 4 modules total must be chosen from the areas of
“Learning” and “Pedagogy” (2 modules each)
- 2 modules total must be chosen from “Faculty
Roles” and “Academic Job Search” (1 module each)
GTAs
who have completed similar modules within their departments, the ELI's ITA
Program, previous CTE workshop sessions or university-wide pedagogical seminars
(e.g., ITUE) may obtain credit for their participation upon consultation with the
program advisor(s). Program advisors in coordination with
interested departments will determine the equivalencies and substitutions using
the general content area parameters specified below. This collaborative procedure is designed to recognize the diversity
of departmental training efforts currently in place, and to encourage further
dialogue around TA development in the disciplines.
Completion
of each module will comprise:
In
addition to
these pedagogical modules, the GTA must:
CONTENT
AREAS AND PEDAGOGICAL MODULES
The
Teaching Certification in Higher Education Program will include the following
Content Areas:
Sample modules:
Learning styles
Active learning
Sample modules:
Effective classroom management (facilitating discussion,
effective lecturing, writing)
Course planning and syllabus design
Sample modules:
Types of institutions & faculty appointments
Academic leadership
Sample modules:
Developing a teaching philosophy
Teaching portfolios
CVs
PROGRAM
FORMAT
·
Enrollment
in modules will be limited to 20 participants to allow for maximum interaction.
·
WebCT
will be used to provide secure environment for access of individual modules
(materials and assignments).
·
Participants
will receive credit for their participation in prior pedagogical training at
the university-wide and/or departmental levels. The program advisor(s) determine in consultation with the
departments what content areas the GTA receives credit for. The GTA submits written documentation. Consistent standards for transfer of credit
will be established.
·
Participants
who have met all the certification program requirements will receive a
designation on their final transcript and be awarded the certificate upon
graduation.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Every
semester, CTE will coordinate the delivery of modules in the different content
areas (see chart below). Summers will
have a reduced schedule to provide opportunities for teaching portfolio
development.
|
TERM |
CONTENT AREA |
|
Fall
Semester: |
Pedagogy Learning
Academic
Job Search |
|
|
|
|
Winter
Session: |
Pedagogy Academic
Job Search Faculty
Roles Teaching
Portfolios |
|
|
|
|
Spring
Semester: |
Pedagogy Learning Faculty
Roles |
|
|
|
|
Summer
Sessions: |
Learning Teaching
Portfolios |
NOTE. The first modules will be piloted during Winter 03. Faculty will be invited to co-design and
co-facilitate modules in the respective content areas.
Sample Trajectory
The
following are two examples of possible program trajectories (note that students
can take as much time as necessary to complete all program requirements):
Note: All substitutions listed here are meant to
be “examples” of potential credit given to GTAs based on training received
outside of the Certification program.
Actual equivalencies will have to be defined by the interested units and
CTE based on the congruence of their training practices and the Certification Modules
they intend to replace.
Case 1:
Ana Martinez. Spanish GTA in the Department of Foreign Languages &
Literatures. She intends to enroll in
the Certificate program in the Winter Session of 2003.
Transfer
Credits: 1 Pedagogy Module and 1
Learning Module
(from ELI’s Summer Program)
1 Pedagogy
Module and 1 Learning Module
(from FLLT623: required
course in Foreign Language Pedagogy)
Transfer
Total: 2 Pedagogy Modules + 2
Learning Modules
Remaining
Course Work & Other Program Requirements:
-
Winter Session 2003 Faculty
Roles (1 module),
-
Spring Semester 2003 Job
Search (1 module)
-
Summer Term 2003 Teaching
Portfolio Development
-
Fall Semester 2003 Teaching
Observation and Discussion with Mentor & Facilitation of a
Pedagogy Module
Given
the amount of transfer credit from the required training that Ana received from
ELI and her department, she will be able to complete her certification within a
year (i.e., 4 terms).
Case
2:
Jack Smith. GTA in the Chemistry Department. He also intends to enroll in the Certificate
Program in the Winter Session of 2003.
Transfer
Credits: 1 Pedagogy Module
(From Chemistry Department’s
Pre-fall Orientation Program)
1 Pedagogy Module
(From individualized faculty
mentoring and supervision at course-level)
Transfer
Total: 2 Pedagogy Modules
Remaining
Course Work & Program Requirements:
-
Winter Session 2003 Academic
Job Search (1 module)
-
Spring Semester 2003 Learning
(1 module)
-
Summer Term 2003 Learning
(1 module), Teaching Portfolio Development
-
Fall Semester 2003 Teaching
Observation and Discussion with Mentor & Facilitation of a
Pedagogy Module
-
Winter Session 2004 Faculty
Roles (1 module)
Although
Jack did not have as many transfer credits as Ana, he will also be able to
complete this Certificate Program in about a year (i.e., 5 terms).
Course Numbering
Students
must follow regular registration channels to enroll in the different program
modules. Each content area will have
its own course number. Section numbers
will identify specific modules.
Examples:
UNIV600 Learning
UNIV600-010 Learning Styles
UNIV601 Pedagogy
UNIV601-010 Course planning
UNIV602 Faculty Roles
UNIV602-010 Types of institutions and faculty
appointments
UNIV603 Academic Job Search
UNIV603-013 Teaching portfolios
·
Requirements
·
Program
advisors (responsibilities: track program participation, develop and refine
program, serve as liaison to departments, answer questions, work with
departmental faculty mentors, develop and maintain online materials and
assignments, provide feedback on submitted assignments).
·
Program
assistant, graduate RA position (responsibilities: assist program advisors with
tracking of program participation, assist with the administration of the
Certificate Program, and participate in the organization and delivery of
instructional modules).
·
Session
facilitators (3/semester).
·
Budget
allocation for advertising.
·
Budget
allocation for copying of materials, presentation logistics, departmental
mailings.
·
Budget
allocation for refreshments.
·
Classroom
space.
·
Budget
for culminating event (room rental, refreshments, and materials for displays).
·
Module
application tasks will be reviewed by program advisors. Tasks have to be submitted within two weeks
of respective seminar.
·
Participation
in the program and completion of requirements will be tracked by the program
assistant each semester via a database.
·
Portfolios
will be developmental in nature and the final product will be assessed by the
faculty mentor or program advisor(s) with the help of pre-established rubrics.
·
Participant
feedback will be gathered for formative and summative purposes. Data will be collected at three levels: (1)
individual seminars, (2) individual modules, and (3) overall program. Exit surveys will be conducted with program
participants and follow-up surveys as program participants begin their academic
positions.