A Digital Future

The Association of American Publishers’ Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division hosted their annual conference this past week, with discussion centering on digital publishing. Publishers feel more and more that they need to adapt to a rapidly changing textbook market, and that to do so, they must embrace the digital movement.

But while they're busy discussing the role of copyright, open courseware continues to spread with lectures being posted on Academic Earth, and with YouTube allowing free downloads of lectures. And new business models continue to develop, too. Flatworld Knowledge is now up and running, with textbooks available in business and economics courses.

New theories continue to come forward as well, and one recent suggestion does away with the current distribution model:

It's time to shift the text-selling system from one between publishers and students to one between publishers and colleges. A consortium-style agreement between the latter two groups would make it advantageous for all publishers and higher-education institutions to participate. The consortium could charge participating colleges a single price for unlimited access, based on their number of full-time enrollments, or FTE's. Each college could then pass that charge on to students as part of tuition or through a dedicated fee, or even seek private donors to help defray the cost.

This sort of system has been suggested before, but has never taken off. However, a transition period is always the easiest in getting projects off the ground, and a push by a university could make such a project possible as both universities and publishers look increasingly towards a digital future.

Dr. Ewa Dabrowska Wins Teaching Matters! Award

From your Students' Union's News:

Dr. Ewa Dabrowska Wins SU Teaching Award

January 19, 2009

(Edmonton, AB) — University of Alberta instructor, Dr. Ewa Dabrowska, has been selected by the Students' Union to receive the Teaching Matters! Award for Quality as a Contract Staff Member.

The Teaching Matters! Awards were created to recognize and support excellence in teaching at the University and to emphasize the importance of the role of teaching in the undergraduate experience and acknowledge the work instructors do in this area.

Three Teaching Matters! Awards are awarded each term. The Award for Quality as a Contract Staff Member was created in honour of Fair Employment Week and is the second Teaching Matters! Award to be awarded this year. This award recognizes the contributions of sessionals and other contract staff to the learning environment. Whether these instructors has created a positive learning environment, dedicated time outside class to their students or exemplified a mastery of the subject, the winner of this award has demonstrated an overall quality in teaching.

Dr. Dabrowska was nominated for this award by a student in one of her Human Geography courses. This student found Dr. Dabrowska’s focus on “brain-based" learning — through her use of short films, maps, guest speakers and class discussions — to be particularly helpful. Dr. Dabrowska has clearly demonstrated her investment in ensuring that her students receive the best possible education and that they succeed in their academic endeavours.

Winter Term Award Themes

For the 2009 Winter Term, instructors will be eligible for the following Teaching Matters! Awards:

Teaching Matters! Award for Integrated Teaching

Our university is well known for its research, and many instructors work diligently to ensure that teaching is not left behind, often by finding a beneficial relationship between the two. Whether this instructor has effectively introduced the latest research, presented useful research methods, or illustrated relevant theory or practice through their own research, the winner of this award has demonstrated that research can be integrated into teaching in order to pursue greater student engagement.

Teaching Matters! Award for Teaching Beyond the Classroom

Teaching awards and evaluations generally examine an instructor's work in the classroom, often overlooking areas where efforts extend beyond those four walls. Whether this instructor has provided a system for online interaction, facilitated networking through extra study hours, or demonstrated especial helpfulness during office hours, the winner of this award has broadened their teaching to include work beyond the classroom.

Teaching Matters! Award for Adapting to Students

There is no question that instructors need to be well prepared for a course, but many make adjustments according to the specific needs of a particular class. Whether this instructor has asked for feedback on their teaching, provided opportunities for input on course direction, or altered a class plan to meet students' interests, the winner of this award has implemented the needs and interests of their students into their teaching.


To nominate an instructor, simply email me at cicero@su.ualberta.ca with reasons for your nomination. Alternatively, fill out a nomination form available at any InfoLink desk, Faculty Association office, or in 2-900 SUB.

Tweet

More discussions are arising regarding Web 2.0 in the classroom, this time with the popular micro-blogging service, Twitter. A recent Chronicle blog post asks readers if they feel that more instructors should use Twitter for their courses. The replies are mixed.

This is not an unusual response to Twitter, and to Web 2.0 in general, where new users may be wary about the varied sites and services offered, especially when attempting to integrate them into the classroom. And rightly so. Instructors should consider both the short-term (such as costs to students) and long-term (such as university policy) effects of such integration -- but when done right, everyone can benefit from these teaching tools that extend beyond the four walls of the classroom.

This blog outlines a number of uses of Twitter, including "class chatter," and "classroom community," which work not as assignments but as tools for engaging students and for keeping students thinking about a topic outside of class. A couple days ago, another use was demonstrated through NAIT's live microblogging session. And students can follow professionals, just as you can follow me, to keep up to date on the latest happenings in their field, or to get an idea of what a typical day might be.

As with other Web 2.0 features, Twitter offers a range of options that instructors can use to engage their students -- but be sure to consider what works best for the course and for the students.

Learning Management

Yesterday's Festival of Teaching featured a special session from the Learning Management System (or LMS) Review Committee on various different systems currently hosted on our campus.

The Review Committee will be meeting over the next few months to formulate a long-term plan for LMS on campus, which has witnessed several changing systems over the past few years. Given the problems customers have had with Blackboard, and the consequent growth of alternatives, these changes have not been altogether surprising. However, a single vision should provide greater consistency and quality to students, faculty, and administration.

At the Festival of Teaching, it was difficult not to be won over by at least parts of Homer and Moodle. Homer showcased a forward-thinking collaborative platform that could be the solution to a consistent quality across campus, while Moodle demonstrated the importance of tapping into the wide array of open-source software that can make LMS customizable and unique for each user. Meanwhile, Blackboard is simply trying to undo its mistakes and adapt to the emerging trends in the market.

It is finding the balance between these two systems and their two benefits, structure and freedom, that will be essential in moving forward.

Libraries Today

With the increasing digitization of books and course materials, the future of libraries and their role in universities is a frequent topic for discussion. Many see libraries as the great gathering spaces of a university, and envision the contemporary library as responding with a cafe-like atmosphere where students can relax with a coffee while enjoying the wireless service.

And although there has been talk of a coffee shop in Cameron Library, the recent renovations appear to have been an upgrade on aesthetics, maintaining the full functionality available before. Perhaps the greatest change for students is the new hours for the library, which is now open 24 hours, allowing for more late-night study space on campus.

And what of the staff? If students are going to be using libraries for buying coffee, browsing digital libraries, and studying with friends, what role does the librarian have in the future? Many look to publishing and copyright. With the complexity of the field, publishers are often in need of expertise, and libraries could provide this much needed advice.

For now, however, libraries will continue to play their current role, often involving everything mentioned above.

Dr. Heather Proctor Wins First Teaching Matters! Award

From the Students' Union's News:

Professor Proctor Wins SU Teaching Award

January 12, 2009

(Edmonton, AB) — University of Alberta Biological Sciences professor, Dr. Heather Proctor, has been selected to receive the Teaching Matters! Award for Innovation with Academic Materials from the Students’ Union.

The Teaching Matters! Awards were created to recognize and support excellence in teaching at the University and to emphasize the importance of the role of teaching in the undergraduate experience and acknowledge the work instructors do in this area.

Three Teaching Matters! Awards are given each term, and the Award for Innovation with Academic Materials was the first this year. This Award is given to an instructor who demonstrates a genuine concern about the burden that is often placed on students due to the high cost of academic materials. By finding innovative ways to avoid expensive academic materials, this instructor is able to ease the financial burden of their students without compromising the quality of his or her teaching.

Dr. Proctor was nominated for this award by a student in her Zoology 351 class. Dr. Proctor provided hip waders and nets for her students to borrow, affording them the opportunity to venture out into the field and expand on the lessons that they were learning in the classroom. Dr. Proctor went so far as to spend some of her own money to provide materials for students to use in her lab when the lab’s budget was exhausted.

Dr. Proctor clearly demonstrated a genuine concern for her students by ensuring her class was affordable for all her students.

The Value of Evaluations

From the Chronicle's news blog on Sunday:

The chancellor of the Texas A&M University system wants to give faculty members bonuses of up to $10,000, based on student evaluations, but some professors are raising concerns about the plan, saying it could become a popularity contest.

And just like that, the debate surrounding student evaluations is re-sparked.

When asked for evidence regarding the reliability of student evaluations vice chancellor Frank B. Ashley III cited “Student Rating Myths vs. Research Facts,” by Lawrence M. Aleamoni. However, Aleamoni appropriately followed up this citation, noting that Texas A&M actually runs counter to a number of his findings.

Even if his research suggests that some student evaluations — designed in ways that differ from the Texas A&M approach — can be reliable, he has always stressed that these evaluations should never be the sole basis for a decision about the quality of someone’s teaching.

When the dust settles, hopefully it will be stressed that student evaluations can work, that students don't simply rank based on grades or looks. Hopefully it can be agreed that student evaluations can be an important component of a multi-faceted approach to evaluating teaching.

Just as most teachers value teaching, most students value learning. If we can agree on this fact, maybe we can finally depart from the argument that university is, or should be, nothing more than a customer service.

Restricted Access

From the Restricted Access page:

The cost of a full educational experience is rapidly increasing. Mounting financial burdens are preventing a growing number of hard-working, qualified students from completing or even starting their university education. Join the Restricted Access movement and protect the right to an education that all qualified students have earned.

And so I have donned a red scarf as a symbol of those students who, despite meeting the qualifications to attend or continue at the University, cannot attend due to financial constraints.

I have also begun authoring a new blog, also in relation to the campaign. Currently, there are a number of overlapping posts on the themes of access and costs, but I will be shifting all my posts on those and related issues solely to the Restricted Access blog, leaving this one more to teaching and learning.

Finally, I will now have more time and space on this blog to discuss and promote teaching specifically on our campus, which means I'll spend more time visiting the people and places who share my enthusiasm for excellence in teaching.

Claiborne Pell Dies at 90

Yesterday, former Senator Claiborne Pell died at the age 90. Pell is best known for his sponsorship of the 1973 bill which created what are known today as the Pell Grants.

Originally called the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant program, the federal grants provide non-repayable assistance to low-income families across the United States. Today, Pell Grants continue to help millions of students per year despite having seen little or no growth alongside the escalating costs of access.

In 2005-06, the maximum Pell grant covered one-third of the yearly cost of higher education at a public four-year institution; twenty years ago, it covered 60% of a student's cost of attendance.