Roy
An associate professor in science/technology/mathematics, Roy self-identified as an Expert, but scored equally as a Formal Authority, a Personal Model and as a Facilitator. Roy began his teaching career in the public schools, and always wanted to teach from the time he was a small boy. He explained that his favorite part of being a professor is actually the ability to do research, and to make a difference in the lives of his students. He believes that one of the best ways to make this difference for his students is to model his own way of thinking and doing.
I just try to pass along my idea, my way of thinking. Try to influence some of the students. I guess that is the typical teaching I would like to concentrate in. Then I would [be] hopeful that students . . . I hope my style or my way of thinking, my aspects and my principles it [sic] can pass along and then students, someday students say, "Oh I have learned this one in this course and this is very useful."
Roy's ideas about teaching are that teaching should present practical, useful learning of concepts and theories that the students can apply to their lives, now or in the future.
So when I teach this [discipline name omitted for anonymity] I hope students can understand concepts and most importantly and then you say no, ok, after that and--of course they may not use it at all but in some cases, they can think back [sic] and say this one can be used in this area and that area and a lot of areas.
Roy began using instructional technology because of a top-down mandate from his dean. He did, however, believe in the ability of instructional technology to fit the particular needs of various students before the mandate.
So all the learning facilities are in there so students can select one or many that fits for their needs therefore this one will be more flexible and students can learn better. This is our idea. So students can learn better. Not just ok in the traditional way we taught in classes is the only way the students listen to the lecture.
Terry
Terry, a tenure-tracked assistant professor in the Arts, self-identified as an Expert and also scored as an Expert. Terry did not plan to or work toward becoming a university professor, but instead entered higher education because it was, "the path of least resistance." However, once he began teaching, he discovered that it was something he really enjoyed. He also enjoys the flexibility to do work that is important to him. Terry's ideas about teaching are articulated in what he calls the "information food chain."
I have something I call the information food chain. And I try to explain to my students that there is a big difference between teaching and learning. I can't do their learning. I walk them down the information food chain.
Terry's information food chain begins with noise, which is nonsense, chaos, or randomness. After noise comes structure. Once structure is established, Then comes data. Data moves on to information and then information can transform into knowledge.
All I can do is contextualize data to give them information. And that's what teaching is. So the next step is the conversion of information to knowledge. I can't give them knowledge. They can only give themselves knowledge through the act of learning. It requires them to metabolize that information in a unique way so that it's something that they own. So my role as a teacher is to try to develop contexts within which that information has meaning to them. Because meaning is the catalyst that converts information into knowledge.
Before entering the ranks of the professoriate, Terry was a technology professional and spent much of his time demonstrating how to use instructional technology to faculty members at his previous university. It was natural for him, therefore, to use instructional technology once he became a professor himself.
When I was at [institution], one of my primary jobs . . . I worked out of the computer center so one of my jobs was to provide technology support. It's funny when you look back on it now. One of my primary jobs those last three or four years was to try to convince the faculty that this thing called the internet was something they might want to consider paying attention to. So I was always someone whose job it was to sort of evangelize for this but since I was also engaged there as an instructor it seemed like a logical thing. If I'm making the case that this is important then I should be using it so that I can say, 'see this is how I use it.'
Terry believes that one of the most beneficial aspects to instructional technology is its ability to incorporate various types of information.
You've got many different avenues into the information; visual, textual, sonic, even optic if you play your cards right. It allows you to sort of broaden the base of opportunities to develop that context so that students can make the leap into actually learning.
Even with these possibilities, Terry does not believe that technology is a panacea for teaching and learning.
I don't see that the learning is any more, in my experience in teaching, having computers and video displays and all that isn't necessarily creating a more effective learning experience than just standing in a room with a bunch of students maybe with a piece of chalk in your hand.
John
John, a full professor in the health/medicine fields, both identified and scored as a Facilitator. John has been the recipient of numerous college-level teaching awards. John spent much of his professional career in private practice, but still managed to teach part-time. He found that teaching part time and working full time was too difficult, so when he received an offer to teach in higher education, he took it. What he likes best about his position as a professor is what he calls the "trickle down effect."
If you teach a few people to do certain things and they go out and they do it and they teach more, that can impact a higher percentage of what's going on in key areas that I feel are very important than I could just doing it myself with the individual[s] . . .
John believes that his job is to be a guide to his students and to allow them to be active in their own learning. He wants to teach them to do a job and if they fail, he feels that he fails as well. To that end, John believes he " can teach them a particular fact but it's more important for me to teach them how to find the facts because the facts change."
John believes that technology must be used in instruction so that students in his discipline are prepared for the world they face after finishing the degree. "I knew technology was extremely important for the future of [discipline name omitted for anonymity] and that we needed to be on the forefront as teachers of the students who are going out. They need to know how to use it when they go out there." He also believes that technology is beneficial to students with different learning styles, "[technology] works a lot better for a lot of people's learning styles."