AN ANALYSIS OF THREE MODELS TO DEVELOP PROFICIENCY IN COLLEGE TEACHING (Invited Presentation)

Candidates for positions that involve college-level teaching often benefit from having documented their ability to develop and teach innovative courses using evidence-based practices in the classroom. At many institutions, however, professional development for college teaching remains at the periphery of graduate and postdoctoral training programs. Although teaching assistants and instructor positions are established methods of developing proficiency in college teaching, participation in programs and workshops intentionally focused on training and professional development can be more time and cost effective and lead to greater success in the classroom. Here I describe three models for developing proficiency in college teaching that complement established practices: (1) courses in science education at PhD-granting institutions; (2) participation in university-wide programs for course development for new instructors; and (3) participation in career development workshops aimed at recruiting and retaining faculty in academia. Courses on science education provide structured weekly meetings to learn about and discuss effective teaching strategies; participants in these courses also benefit from cross-disciplinary interactions. Department-supported courses on pedagogy enable discussion of discipline specific challenges and provide a within-department cohort that can help mentor new teaching assistants and/or instructors. University-wide programs for new instructors efficiently provide information and support for course development and, in many cases, writing a compelling evidence-based teaching statement. Programs that offer a certificate of achievement enable candidates to signal their fluency with evidence-based practices to hiring committees. Career development workshops offered in conjunction with conferences or professional organizations typically provide specific training, highlight teaching activities available through online resources, and create useful networks. Each of these models provides complementary training at a range of career stages; participation at early career stages improves the efficiency and caliber of these programs, thereby benefiting both the participants and their future students.