From Q&A to Norm & Adapt: The Roles of Peers in Changing Faculty Beliefs and Practice

Amber Gallup; Vanessa Svihla; Madalyn Wilson-Fetrow; Yan Chen; Pil Kang; Kristen Ferris

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Research! Research! Research! in Faculty Development
Tagged Division: Faculty Development Division
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 13
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--34695
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/34695
Download Count: 567

Dr. Vanessa Svihla is a learning scientist and associate professor at the University of New Mexico in the Organization, Information & Learning Sciences program and in the Chemical & Biological Engineering Department. She served as Co-PI on an NSF RET Grant and a USDA NIFA grant, and is currently co-PI on three NSF-funded projects in engineering and computer science education, including a Revolutionizing Engineering Departments project. She was selected as a National Academy of Education / Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow and a 2018 NSF CAREER awardee in engineering education research. Dr. Svihla studies learning in authentic, real world conditions; this includes a two-strand research program focused on (1) authentic assessment, often aided by interactive technology, and (2) design learning, in which she studies engineers designing devices, scientists designing investigations, teachers designing learning experiences and students designing to learn.

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Madalyn Wilson-Fetrow University of New Mexico

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Yan Chen University of New Mexico orcid.org/0000-0002-9479-7377

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Yan Chen is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Departments of Chemical AND Biological Engineering at the University of New Mexico. Her research interests focus on computer-supported collaborative learning, learning sciences, online learning, and educational equity for multicultural/multiethnic education.

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Pil Kang University of New Mexico

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Sung “Pil” Kang is an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico. His academic interests include change management, change model validation, and mindset evolution. He may be reached at pilkang@unm.edu

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Kristen Ferris University of New Mexico orcid.org/0000-0002-9967-8633

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Kristen Ferris is a doctoral student at the University of New Mexico’s Organization, Information, and Learning Sciences program. Her research interests include change management and organizational citizenship behavior. She also is staff at Central New Mexico Community College where she manages the college-wide accreditation and strategic plan.

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Abstract

Research suggests that students from groups underrepresented in engineering are particularly vulnerable to poor teaching, drawing inaccurate conclusions about their fit and potential. However, supporting faculty to make their teaching more inclusive and learner-centered can be challenging. Faculty may not have experienced such instruction themselves and may have few incentives to improve teaching. Our study, carried out in the chemical engineering department of a Hispanic-serving research institution, is part of a major change effort to meet diverse undergraduate students’ needs. We qualitatively analyzed field notes and audio-recordings of faculty meetings, professional development workshops, interviews, and teaching. We identify four types of peers and how they functioned together to enable engineering faculty as designers of learner-centered approaches. The study provides practical insights for faculty developers interested in using peer-supported instructional change strategies.

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Gallup, A., & Svihla, V., & Wilson-Fetrow, M., & Chen, Y., & Kang, P., & Ferris, K. (2020, June), From Q&A to Norm & Adapt: The Roles of Peers in Changing Faculty Beliefs and Practice Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34695