Just-in-Time-Teaching with Two Way Formative Feedback for Multiple Disciplinary (JTFD) Programs is an NSF-funded Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) project at a large southwestern university. This project aims to promote a shift in faculty beliefs and classroom practice towards student-centeredness through professional development workshops with pairs of faculty members from multiple engineering disciplines. During the 9-week training period, 8 JTFD faculty (4 disciplinary pairs) were trained in the JTFD pedagogy and evidence-based instructional strategies (EBIS).
In this paper, we are reporting the impact of the faculty development program on the change in faculty beliefs and their classroom practice as well as student outcomes with respect to four factors. These factors include: 1) quantification of the degree of classroom student centeredness through the Reformed Teaching Observational Protocol (RTOP) and measured average RTOP gains (%); 2) measured RTOP gain (%) to determine which sessions were most effective for JTFD faculty; 3) measured workshop participation rate (%) to examine how this metric influences average RTOP gains; and 4) impact on student outcomes before and after JTFD implementation. This impact was determined by comparing the grade ratio (i.e., AB/CDEW: A’s and B’s to C’s, D’s, E’s and course withdrawals) between two consecutive semesters for participating faculty.
Preliminary results showed the average baseline RTOP measurement showed a score of 36.6 out of 100. During this 9-week program, minimum and maximum average RTOP gain per JTFD Disciplinary Pair Leader were 33.6% and 64.6% respectively, compared to baseline RTOP measurements. Among disciplinary pair leaders, 3 faculty exhibited the greatest RTOP gain (%) after workshop 4 (Implementing Active Engineering). Three faculty also displayed the most RTOP gain (%) after workshop 5 (Cooperative Learning). Thus, sessions 4 and 5 had the most positive impact on faculty teaching practice. The result of the one-way ANOVA (p=0.0124 with confidence level of 95%) displays a statistically significant difference between low and high RTOP performing groups in workshop participation rate (%). This allows for identification of significant workshops and quantification of the resulting classroom implementation. With respect to student outcomes, three faculty members were observed for the same course and curriculum between two consecutive semesters before and after JTFD implementation. Two of the three JTFD faculty exhibited improved student outcome performance ratios from 0.94 and 1.00 to 1.92 and 2.20, respectively. Student outcomes from the third JTFD faculty member was maintained between the consecutive semesters.
The preliminary results of our work indicate that JTFD workshops promote a positive impact on both shifting faculty beliefs and classroom practice to student centeredness as well as student performance. The full paper will further discuss the details of the JTFD program's effectiveness as well as future plans for the program.
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