Instructional Development and Classroom Communication: A Case Study of First-Semester College Students in the Liberal Arts Curriculum

This book is about teachers learning about teaching. As increasingly complex educational models and new theories of student learning have become part of the discourse of higher education, college instructors have sought new opportunities for instructional development. However, while more and more schools are supporting these programs, there have been very few efforts to examine the outcomes of faculty training. This book follows a group of faculty through efforts to make their teaching more interactive, and describes the results by reporting the reactions of the first-year college students in their classes. Included along the way are the personal reflections of the faculty members as they struggle with new techniques, and revelations about what worked and what didn't. The result is a compelling case for peer and institutional support in the ongoing process of instructional development.