Mentoring with Index Cards: An Early Introduction to Formative Assessment for New Faculty

This paper illustrates the experiences of three first-year faculty members as they acclimated to their new educational environment through an unusual mentoring process involving the humble 3-by-5 index card. The faculty members were instructed in how to utilize index cards for soliciting comments from their students. The cards were then used for formative assessment in effecting changes in course content through both instructor reflection and discussions with a senior faculty member. The index cards served as an effective framework for developing a mentoring relationship, with the senior faculty member providing experiential input to assist the new faculty members evolve their teaching styles and course content to better meet the needs of their students.