UM professors seek to improve teaching through Pedagogy Project

Megan Stark now knows what kind of teacher she is. Paul Silverman has figured out how to invite students to take responsibility for their own learning. Joel Iverson has found solutions he didn’t know he had.

All three University of Montana faculty members have participated in UM’s Pedagogy Project. Now marking its fourth year, the faculty-led initiative brings instructors from across the University together for focused conversation and reflection on teaching. Since its inception, the 25 fellows in the program have conducted more than 75 mid-semester evaluations in one another’s classes and engaged thousands of students in discussions about the most effective ways to enhance learning in the classroom.

UM history Assistant Professor and African-American Studies program Coordinator Tobin Shearer launched what would become the Pedagogy Project after coming to UM from Northwestern University in 2008. Shearer had worked with the Searle Center for Teaching Excellence at Northwestern, and wanted to begin the conversation about teaching among UM faculty.

Full Story: http://news.umt.edu/2012/12/122012peda.aspx