Abstract
Today’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are tomorrow’s new faculty members; but these junior academicians often receive limited pedagogical training. We describe four iterations of an entry-level program with a low time commitment, Mentored Discussions of Teaching (MDT). The program is designed to introduce participants to pedagogical issues and literature in STEM disciplines and foster related discussions. It consists of group meetings, classroom observations, and discussions with faculty members. Program components were generally highly rated and valuable, even for those with prior teaching experience. We have found that this program is also an effective way to engage faculty members in the teaching aspects of students’ professional development.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Ms. Louise Edwards Neiman for her helpful contributions in co-running Year 1 of the program and collecting evaluation data. Additional thanks are owed to Drs. Denise Drane and Luke Flores for constructive comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. Much gratitude is owed to the participants and faculty mentors without whom this program would not be possible.
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Baiduc, R.R., Linsenmeier, R.A. & Ruggeri, N. Mentored Discussions of Teaching: An Introductory Teaching Development Program for Future STEM Faculty. Innov High Educ 41, 237–254 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-015-9348-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-015-9348-1