1st Edition
Midcourse Correction for the College Classroom Putting Small Group Instructional Diagnosis to Work
This book is about using the Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID) method to make improvements to the educational experience midcourse. The idea is to use this structured interview process to involve students in helping faculty improve a course while they are in it, potentially making a difference for themselves as well as for future students. Faculty gain the opportunity to work on a course before it ends, and can see what changes work without waiting for the next time the course is offered, or the end of semester student evaluations.SGID is a consultation method developed to collect midsemester feedback from students using structured small and large group conversations, involving four conversations between students, a learned colleague the authors refer to as the SGID consultant, and the instructor. First, student talk with each other in small groups about the learning happening in a course, under the guidance of a consultant (SGID Conversation #1- Student & Students). Then the SGID consultant engages the students in a conversation about how the feedback provided impacts the learning in the course (SGID Conversation #2 - Students & Consultant). Then there is a conversation between the consultant and the instructor, where they discuss how the feedback provided by the students can best inform the pedagogical approaches and strategies used by the instructor (SGID Conversation #3 - Consultant & Instructor). Finally, the instructor closes the feedback loop with a conversation with their students about what they learned and how best to move forward (SGID Conversation #4 - Instructor & Students).These conversations during the middle of the semester change the way students think about the teaching and learning endeavor, the way instructors perceive the learning challenges of their courses, and the quality of the institutional academic culture. Most importantly, the SGID equips the instructor with the knowledge to make midsemester course corrections that can profoundly impact the ways students navigate the course, communicate with the instructor, and realize the ways effective teaching can enhance learning.
Foreword— Mary Deane Sorcinelli Dedication Acknowledgments Introduction. Setting the Stage Part One. In Search of Midcourse Correction:Discovering the SGID 1. The SGID 2. SGID Variations Part Two. Getting Started 3. Instuctor-to-Instructor SGIDs 4. SGID Programs Part Three. Making the Case 5. The Impact of the SGID on the Course 6. The Impact of the SGID Beyond the Course Part Four. Maximizing the Potential 7. Enhancing the SGID and SGID Programs 8. Engaging in SGID Research Conclusion. Unwrapping the Promise of the SGID Appendix A. Sample SGID Reports Appendix B. SGID Consultant Manual Appendix C. SGID Marketing Emails and Registration Form Appendix D. SGID Communications Appendix E. SGID Case Studies References About the Authors Index
Biography
Dr. Mary Deane Sorcinelli is the Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Teaching Excellence and Faculty Development at UMass Amherst. She was awarded, along with two colleagues, an NSF Institutional Transformation Grant through the American Association of Universities (AAU) in Washington, D.C.Mary Deane has directed a number of externally grant-funded projects aimed at promoting educational innovation from the Andrew W. Mellon, Microsoft, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundations, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and Pew Charitable Trusts. She has served on advisory boards and as an external evaluator of NSF ADVANCE CCLI, IUSE, and WIDER Grants.
Carol A. Hurney is Associate Provost for Faculty Development and the Founding Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Colby College.
Christine M. Rener is Professor of Chemistry and Vice Provost for Instructional Development and Innovation at Grand Valley State University.
Jordan D. Troisi is the Senior Associate Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Colby College.
"The authors have delivered the first one-stop, comprehensive guide to SGID in a research-informed, direct, and exceptionally readable style. They break down the last few decades of scholarship and practice on the SGID into coherent, useful, and well-organized advice, keeping the needs and interests of instructors and educational developers front and center, to the benefit of student learning. The drawing together of existing research and examples from the authors’ experiences in starting, renewing, and evaluating SGID programs will guide readers as they develop an SGID program and integrate it with other CTL services.
Hurney, Rener, and Troisi’s Midcourse Correction for the College Classroom is a powerful tool for educational development practice and a must-read for faculty and educational developers striving for improvement. It can support the development of a shared vision and understanding of SGID and can flexibly be used with individual faculty and colleague-based programs, across career stages and institutional types. Imagine a book that is like having a respected and trusted faculty colleague just down the hall, ready with a wonderful array of lessons learned and insights. That is this book."
—from the Foreword by Mary Deane Sorcinelli
