Center for Faculty Excellence
Brief to New Faculty Summer 2015
IID: Center for Faculty Excellence
– The purpose of the CFE is to enhance cadet intellectual
development through high quality faculty development
programs.
-- A Cross-Academy resource for faculty development and
sharing common experiences (Dean’s 13 academic Dept
plus DMI and DPE -
CFE Personnel
• Dr. Mark Evans, CTE Director – 10 years
– Teaching 26 yrs, 20 yrs at USMA
– Teach in Civil and Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Steve Finn, Assistant Director – 6 years
– Teaching 16 yrs, 6 yrs USMA
– Teach in English and Philosophy
• Mr. Patrick Gill, Instructional Technologist
– Blackboard/iPad Contact
– CFE Webmaster
USMA Departments
Dean
IID/ CFE
BSL
CLS
CME
EECS
E&P
FL
GENE
History
Law
Math
PNE
Soch
Commandant
Brigade Tactical
(cadets)
Dept. Military
Instruction
Dept. Physical
Development
SE
USMA Faculty
Approx. 650
faculty
20% Civilian
20% Permanent
Military
60% Rotating
Military
1/3 of the
Rotating Military,
First Year
1/3 of the
Rotating Military,
Second Year
1/3 of the
Rotating Military,
Third Year
Faculty Summer Training
Most new faculty arrive as a cohort in early June
Each Department is responsible for preparing
them to teach in the Fall, approx. 6 week
program
•
•
•
Sessions on teaching pedagogy
Observe senior faculty teach full classes – followed by
critique
New faculty teach 4 or more full classes* – followed by
critique
New faculty observe their peers teaching classes*
•
*typically in the courses they will teach in the fall
•
CFE Activities/Assets
Supporting the Mission
Faculty Development – Policy and Compliance
• Summer Orientation Meetings with Departments
• CFE Web site – Program and paper requirements
• End-of-Course Feedback System
Technical Resources
• Blackboard Management
and Training
• CFE Web site
• Classroom 121
Management and
Training
• Airwatch
Faculty Excellence – Training and Education
• Master Teacher Program
• Apgar Award and Incentive
• Adam Talent Award for Teaching
• Education Conferences/Workshops
• Annual Luncheon celebrating teaching
• Brown Bag Seminars
• ATCL (Advanced Technology Classroom Laboratory)
• BlackBoard
• CFE Web site – educational resources
CFE Website –
resource for
Teachers at West
Point and beyond
Spring 2014 –
West Point
Magazine Article
praising MTP
program
Master Teacher Program
• 21-month experience of progressive growth and professional
development• Once per month:
– Reading, Written Reflection, Discussion in small groups
(approx: 18-20 group sessions per month),
• Additional activities: classroom visitations, teaching philosophy,
• Classroom Research Project – capstone of the 21-month experience
• Participants who complete the program have demonstrated growth as
teachers and receive a certificate conferred by the Dean, Commandant,
and Superintendant
• 170+/- USMA faculty annually – an 85:1 student to teacher ratio (170
faculty: 2 CFE facilitators)
Workshops 2013-2014
Academic Luncheon 2014
Annual Academic
Luncheon
End-of-Course Feedback
Administrator
CFE Teachers also Teach
5
Dr Evans – MC300 (Fundamentals of
Engineering Mechanics and Design)
4.8
•
4.6
•
•
•
•
Dr. Evans was a great instructor. He was always
motivated, and always taught the lessons with
enthusiasm. He made us think when we
thought we did not know the answer. He cared
about us and our learning all semester.
Dr. Evans is the man.
Great teacher, very enthusiastic. Helped during
the 'gray period'
Dr. Evans was a very good instructor. He cared
about his students, was enthusiastic about the
course material, and he really engaged students
in the classroom. My learning was substantially
influenced by his teaching method.
The teacher's nerdy enthusiasm for the course
and materials (pun intended). As a Civil major, it
was nice having Dr. Evans explain the real world
aspects to civil engineering of the simple
concepts that we were learning..
4.4
4.2
4
3.8
3.6
USMA
C&ME
Evans
First Day of Class ….
What Constitutes Exemplary Teaching?
 Intellectual Excitement




Technical Expertise
Organization
Clarity of Communication
Engaging Presentation.
 Interpersonal Rapport
 Interest in students as individuals
 Interest in students’ learning
 Receptive to students’ preferences about assignments and
policies
Lowman’s Two-Dimensional
Model of Teaching
INTERPERSONAL RAPPORT
INTELLECTUAL
EXCITEMENT
Low
Moderate
High
6. Intellectual 8. Exemplary
Authority
Lecturer
9. Complete
Exemplar
Moderate 3. Adequate 5. Competent
7. Exemplary
Facilitator
High
Low
1. Inadequate
2. Marginal
4.Socratic
19
How do I know how I’m doing as an instructor?
What tools or metrics can I use?
Instructor Evaluation– Points to Consider
•Subject matter expert
•Course and lesson design
•Student interaction/ rapport
•Instructional design/ activities
•Mentor/rater evaluations
•Peer evaluations
•Instructor visiting others for the purpose
of self-improvement
•Developing alternative teaching
techniques
•Student learning portfolios
•Teacher is innovative
•Teacher self-evaluates regularly
•Provides frequent student feedback
•Can adapt to students
needs/requests
•Reading and discussing teaching topics
•Reading and discussing technical topics
•Teaching/technical scholarship
•Evaluate student learning
•Grades comparisons across
courses/sections
•Student evaluations
•Portfolios or other to self assess
•Mentoring junior faculty
•Attend workshops/ run workshops
•Teaching philosophy statement
•Systematic review and analysis of own teaching
•Systematic review and analysis of course data
and feedback
•Demonstrated continuous improvement as
teacher
•Use of CATS
•Learning styles assessment
The Team
Mr Patrick Gill, OR, Cadet Sailing Team
The Team
Dr Steve Finn, Coach, Ultimate Frisbee
The Team
Dr Mark Evans, Coach, Outdoor Rock Climbing
Introductions around the room!
• Name,
• Institution,
• Role in Teaching or Faculty Development