Tuesday, July 17, 2012

My Teaching Philosophy


As an alumni of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach campus and two online post-graduate education environments, I have participated in multiple forms of learning, including live classroom, tutorial/laboratory, and asynchronous instruction.  I do not believe there is a single right way to instruct.  Instead, all modalities need to be considered and the right method be selected based on the requirements of the given scenario.

It is essential that learners be treated as equals in the quest to understand the history, theory of operations, and applications associated with the topic.  While the students have enrolled in a class to learn, the instructors have an opportunity learn from them as well. The role of faculty is to guide and mentor learners by furnishing a comprehensive and thorough foundation of knowledge.  Teaching how to critically think, frame logical arguments, present information, and challenge expectations creates an environment where the learner can actively engage the subject matter.  Having an in depth understanding of these concepts will prepare learners for more advanced studies and career growth once their degree is complete. 

My primary goal for students is to relay knowledge in a manner that ensures comprehension, understanding practical application, and realization of why what they are learning is relevant.  The ability of a professor to motivate their students, while remaining quick to react to change, is necessary to realize success.  Success as an instructor is learner-centered, where the challenge is to identify student weaknesses and strengths, while promoting a flexible approach to ensure maximum growth and development. An instructor needs to understand how to communicate effectively to prevent confusion, inspire trust, motivate, understand, and set goals with students.  When a goal is important to a student, they are more likely to succeed. Likewise, providing a learner with opportunity to accept responsibility, such as learning to use a system, can improve their overall effectiveness. 

I have developed and presented courses describing the theory of operations of a simulation system to operators, including the user interfaces and data inputs.  I tailored my instruction design to focus on making the material relevant to how students use the system, to improve their understanding and motivation to learn.  When the material was introduced as a way to simplify use of the system, they became invested in the learning process, desiring to learn more.  Through our interaction, they began to understand new ways to make their jobs easier, providing the motivation to delve deeper into the material.  The students wanted to become experts, understanding the intricacies of the design to lead their fellow operators and provide higher fidelity experiences for their system users (i.e., military pilots and soldiers).  The key to success was finding out what was most important to them and leveraging that desire into a motivating factor.

One personal area I would like to focus on building is experience with University administration and education from a faculty perspective.  While I do have some experience developing and leading courses, I would benefit from a mentor/mentee relationship with senior faculty to gain a more thorough understanding of how to teach using various modalities, such as the blended methods.  I believe that improvement is a constant cycle, there is always room for it, it is driven by the desire for personal growth, and it is focused by feedback from our colleagues, students, and leaders.

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