"Expectations 101" The Course New Faculty Must Not Fail

The old adage “First Impressions are Everlasting Impressions” definitely applies to new faculty members especially if they do not have any prior teaching experience. Additionally, new faculty members cannot afford to get off on the wrong foot since reappointment decisions are normally made within a two year timeframe. “Expectations 101” was designed to initiate open, candid and honest communications between new faculty members and their students. Based on faculty/student integrity and frank upfront dialogue, “Expectations 101” sets the stage for a transformational rather than transactional learning experience. The exercise developed for “Expectations 101” uncovers the “hidden” teaching and learning expectations of students and permits the new faculty member to adjust, without compromise, how they will conduct the class. INTRODUCTION In order for a new faculty member, particularly one without prior teaching experience, to succeed they must first acknowledge that they too are a student in the classroom. They are a student that is learning and developing as an effective instructor and teacher. Brent and Felder(1) stated, “New faculty members have had to teach themselves how to devise stimulating lectures and rigorous but fair assignments and tests, how to motivate students to want to learn and how to make them active participants in the learning process, and how to help them develop critical problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills.” For a new faculty member the task may seem daunting. Without realizing or opening acknowledging it, students have an unwritten standard that is expected of each class and instructor. The procedure outlined in “Expectations 101” will help guide the first time teacher in how to uncover the expectations of students and how to effectively implement changes. This paper discusses a simple yet effective exercise designed to solicit student input regarding their specific teaching expectations of the new faculty member and the conduct of the class. Analysis of student data provides first hand knowledge and crucial “intelligence” for the new faculty member. The results offer a significant “win-win” scenario for both the new faculty member and the students. New faculty members share their student learning expectations while gaining invaluable insights necessary to enhance the effectiveness of the course presentation and administration. Students adopt “ownership” for the class since they provided a say into the teaching expectations the new faculty member is honoring as the class is being taught. P ge 8.2.1 Proceedings of the 2003 American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT No matter how knowledgeable and prepared a new faculty member may be, they will not be an effective instructor if they do not determine and address the specific expectations of the students. It is important to note, that a new faculty member will, most likely, not recognize this need. New first-time instructors may have only their own scholastic experiences to use when structuring their courses and lectures. While they may think they are heading toward their goal of being an effective teacher they may be falling short of the expectations of the students without realizing it. At times new faculty members may even sense they are missing the mark with the students and become frustrated lacking the know-how to correct the situation. The frustration will be sensed by the students and can lead to an unpleasant learning/classroom environment. This scenario often leads students to give instructors failing grades in Expectations 101. As stated by media master Roger Ailes, the first thing that must be done to prepare for public speaking is to evaluate your audience. He states, “Be aware, in advance, of their special interests, expertise, and desires of aspirations, so you can be sure to address them appropriately.”(2) This fundamental rule of public speaking is equally important in the classroom. An effective engineering professor must keep the audience in mind; must be aware of their scholastic maturity, background, and pertinent areas where the subject matter may be applied. “To be an effective professor, faculty, especially new faculty, must take the initiative to find ways to establish trust with their students beginning on the very first day of class.” (3) For the new faculty member, it is imperative a positive classroom dynamic be established, where the class and instructor function together as a team. The problem is often a lack of know-how or understanding of what is expected of the faculty member, not necessarily by the university but, by the students themselves. Ideally, a mentor or senior faculty member should be assigned to the new faculty member so they can be guided through the process. CONCEPT IMPLEMENTATION Opening the Lines of Communication To understand the hidden expectations and to initiate trust, the faculty member must begin open communication with the students. If accomplished, the students will feel “listened to” and in turn become more receptive to what the new professor will be teaching them. The classroom learning environment gradually evolves into one of mutual cooperation, understanding and respect mimicking the ideal conditions associated with being a member of a highly productive team in the corporate world. The exercise presented in “Expectations 101” began the communication phase with a student questionnaire (see Appendix A) which asked the students to comment on their positive and negative expectations. For the greatest insight, allow the students’ time to take the questionnaire home and reflect on their answers. Regardless of the means of communication the new professor chooses, the manner in which it is presented to the class is critical. The importance of their comments should be stressed to the class. It is recommended the mentor or senior faculty member present the concept; thereby showing support of the new faculty member and, in general, making Page 8.2.2 Proceedings of the 2003 American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education it known that the university strives for effective teaching practices. The students will respond with thoughtful and insightful input for the new faculty member. The initial timing of the questionnaire can vary. If the process begins in the first week of class, it is most likely the responses will be of a general nature; the students have simply not had the time to “evaluate” the plusses and minuses of the course. It is advised the questionnaire be either regiven, or initially given around the third or fourth week of classes. This will insure specific and insightful feedback from the students while still allowing time to implement any needed changes. It also allows new faculty members to become comfortable in the classroom and to learn for themselves some specifics about teaching. As stated in The Penn State Teacher II, “The real value of mid-semester feedback is that it opens a dialogue about the processes of learning and teaching. This dialogue allows you to decide systematically where to make certain changes, when they seem warranted making the course and the instruction more effective. Making informed decisions about what to change and what not to change--and explaining your reasons to students--is a big step toward becoming a better teacher.”(4) The initiation of communication should be applied to all classes. Students’ needs are honed and fine-tuned with collegiate experience. Seasoned students, namely juniors and seniors, will have different expectations than freshman students. Additionally, students are motivated to learn what they perceive is relevant to their past experiences or future ambitions.(5) And, for example, Civil Engineering Technology (CET) students will have different expectations than Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) students. This is just one reason it is suggested that each individual class participate in the exercise. Not only can it be stated that the expectations from one class to another are different but, the interaction of the process itself is an essential link in establishing open communication and mutual trust in the classroom. Analysis of Student Response In preparation for the next step, the students’ expectations should be categorized and tallied. It is at this time that the new faculty member truly learns the students’ expectations and, the strengths and weaknesses within the classroom will be revealed. Some reflection time is advised. It is suggested that the new faculty member discuss the results and possible directions with a mentor or senior faculty member prior to review with the students. Two-way Communication – Open Discussion with the Class Each student should be given a copy of the questionnaire results. Open candid discussion is needed to truly review the results of the survey. The professor should be open and honest about his/her own expectations and explain the reasons for each. Allow the students to comment on the findings; empower them to brainstorm ways to improve the class and to meet their expectations. Acting as a facilitator, the instructor should monitor the discussion but retain veto rights. The instructor should be open-minded to the ideas of the students while also considering the educational quality expected of the university. Outrageous suggestions should be courteously vetoed. The instructor will need to draw out the opinions of the quieter students and be certain that the changes being discussed reflect the opinion of the silent majority not just the vocal minority.(6) By listening to the students, and allowing them to have a part in developing the P ge 8.2.3 Proceedings of the 2003 American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for