Megan E. Baril Teaching Portfolio
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Teaching Portfolio
Megan E. Baril
Doctoral Candidate
Human Development and Family Studies
The Pennsylvania State University
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Table of Contents
A. / Statement of Teaching Philosophy……………………………………………. / 3B. / Previous Teaching Responsibilities…………………………………………… / 5
C. / Student Evaluations……………………………………………………………. / 8
D. / Faculty Evaluations…..………………………………………………………..
Evaluation from Dr. Steve Zarit and Dr. Doug Coatsworth………………..
Evaluation from Dr. Dave Eggebeen………………………………….……
Evaluation from Dr. Erin Sharp……………………………………….…… / 10
10
11
13
E. / Efforts to Improve Teaching…………………………………………………... / 14
F. / Appendix: Selected Course Materials……………………………………….
Sample Syllabus and Course Schedule……………………………………..
Sample Exam………………………………………………………………..
Sample Peer Review Grading Sheet………………………………………..
Sample Writing Assignment Grading Rubric……………………………… / 16
16
23
27
29
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A. Statement of Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy, which is based on four broad principles discussed below, guides both the development and presentation of the courses I teach. These principles are grounded in the perspective that the classroom is a context that promotes not only students’ academic development but can also enhance other aspects of their growth as individuals. My approach to teaching, therefore, is guided by my interest in cultivating students’ overall development, with a primary focus on expanding their knowledge and skills in the academic study of psychology.
1. Promote student excitement and engagement in course material. The first objective of each course I teach is to help students become excited about the course material. Whereas some students may enter a course eager to learn, other students may need some “excitement encouragement”. I have found that my excitement about course material easily transfers to students. Simply communicating my love for social science has effectively stimulated some students’ interests in that area. Students also become engaged in course material when they have a clear picture of its relevance to real life situations. Therefore, whenever possible, I try to apply real life examples to course material. I also try to bring in relevant guest speakers who can provide real world applications. For example, when teaching about infant development, I bring babies to class at different developmental stages (e.g., newborn, six months, one year) in order to demonstrate their different capabilities.
2. Provide a classroom dynamic that enhances learning. A vital part of my role as a course instructor involves creating a warm and friendly classroom environment in which students are motivated to learn. At the core of this dynamic is cultivating a culture of respect in which students’ ideas can be freely shared and discussed. The classroom dynamic comes about both from interactions between the professor and students and from interactions among the students themselves. Focusing on the professor-student dynamic, I aim to cultivate an environment that provides students with high expectations while at also communicating my commitment to help them achieve these expectations. Holding regular office hours, being quick to respond to students’ email inquiries, and making a concerted effort to learn students’ names are all strategies I have used toward this end. Moreover, I attempt to effectively communicate my desire for students’ overall well-being to students. I have greatly benefited from relationships with professors in which I have been able to seek out advice in different areas such as future career directions. I hope to be able to share my care for students both within and outside the classroom context.
Because the majority of workplaces involve collaborative work, I also desire to cultivate a collaborative classroom culture between students. Because students have much to learn from each other, it is important to have an environment that facilitates productive student interaction. Toward this end, I use a student centered discussion model in class discussion in which students are trained to discuss an issue with relatively minimal instructor contribution. This model encourages increased awareness and participation in the course while at the same time enhancing students’ communication skills. Another strategy I have used is allowing students to promote their engagement in on-campus student activities, such as dramas or sports games, at the beginning of class once a week. Although this may seem distal from the goal of learning social science, it ultimately enhances the classroom environment by helping students recognize their fellow students’ unique interests and contributions to the course.
3. Develop students’ critical thinking skills. A third component to effective teaching involves developing students’ critical thinking skills. I have noticed that undergraduate students initially approach the study of human development by viewing the information through the lens of their own experience (e.g., “I was spanked by my parents, and I turned out okay. Therefore, spanking is okay.”). I want students not only to have greater understanding of their own development but also the skills to apply this knowledge in other contexts. In order to help students think about Psychology and development through a more objective lens, I focus on teaching students the “big picture” social science research. In addition to teaching students about results from particular studies, I aim to help students better understand what research is, and what we can and we cannot learn from research in order to help expand students’ thinking skills.
In addition to helping students learn how to think, I also aim to help students develop the skills to communicate their thoughts. I have taken a multi-method approach to achieving this aim. Depending on class size and course content, I have used a combination of full class oral discussions, online discussion boards, short written reaction papers, final research papers, small group discussions, oral class presentations, and short answer and essay exam questions. I am far more interested in cultivating students’ ability to apply and clearly articulate course material than to simply memorize facts. Because it is so important for students to be actively engaged in their learning process, I often break assignments into smaller parts, which allows students to revise their work based on instructor feedback.
4. Commit to continually enhancing my own knowledge and teaching skills. I recognize that although I have had a variety of teaching experiences in graduate school, I have much to learn about effective teaching at the collegiate level. Because of this, one of my teaching strategies involves actively pursuing opportunities to improve my own teaching skills and knowledge in the field. One of my main strategies toward this end involves engaging seasoned professors in dialogue about effective teaching strategies. Similarly, if I received this position at Bucknell, I would plan to observe psychology professors’ classes in order to better understand the classroom culture and approaches to teaching commonly used in that department. I would also ask that my teaching be observed and critiqued by experienced faculty members. I also plan to continue to attend teaching workshops at conferences in order to increase my knowledge of different approaches to teaching psychology at the undergraduate level.
Additionally, I actively seek student’s feedback on various aspects of the course. I have previously collected both final course evaluations and mid-semester evaluations that address students’ perceptions of current teaching techniques (e.g., pace of lectures, classroom and online discussions) and assessment strategies (e.g., assignments, exams). Because each group of students is unique, these evaluations give me an opportunity to adjust my teaching in order to improve students’ comprehension of course material.
Finally, I commit to continually enhancing my knowledge in the field of psychology. One of the main ways in which I plan to do this is by attending conferences in my field. I firmly believe that effective psychology professors ought to be knowledgeable of the current research. It is critical to be able to expand students’ knowledge with cutting edge approaches researchers are taking to understanding human behavior. If I received this position, I would plan to attend at least one academic conference next year. I would choose a conference that was most relevant to my course load at that particular time.
______B.Previous Teaching Responsibilities
Instructor positions:
Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies (Summer 2008; 60 students)
An introductory course examining human development from birth to death. Students are typically in their first or second year when they take this course. Responsibilities include:
Designing course syllabus
Preparing and presenting lectures and class discussion
Holding regular office hours
Meeting with students one-on-one to guide them master course material
Managing course web site
Supervising a graduate student teaching assistant
Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies: World Campus (Summer 2007; 20 students)
An introductory course examining human development from birth to death. Students are typically in their first or second year when they take this course. This was an online course that I taught through Penn State’s World Campus. Responsibilities included:
Regularly communicating with students
Providing detailed feedback on all assignments and tests
Sole responsibility for handling a cheating/plagiarism incident that occurred in this course that included reporting the incident to the Office of Judicial Affairs at Penn State
Empirical Inquiry (Summer 2006; 10 students)
A writing-intensive course that teaches research methods and basic statistics to HDFS majors. Students are typically in their third year when they take this course. Responsibilities included:
Designing the course syllabus
Preparing and presenting lectures
Holding regular office hours
Managing of the master grade book
Meeting with students one-on-one to guide them through the major course project
Managing course web site
Teaching Assistant Positions:
Infant Child Development (Summer 2006; 40 students; Dr. Erin Sharp)
Survey course focused on understanding key developmental changes and tasks, normative/non-normative experiences, and the influence of infants’ and children’s contexts for their developmental trajectories. Responsibilities included:
Presenting a guest lecture on the experiences of early deprivation on children’s developmental trajectories
Providing detailed feedback on essay exam questions
Managing course grade book
Holding regular office hours to answer students’ questions
Assisting instructor with administrative details of the course
Adolescent Development (Spring 2006; 150 students; Dr. Erin Sharp)
Survey course focused on understanding key developmental changes and tasks, normative/non-normative experiences, and the influence of adolescents’ contexts for their developmental trajectories. Responsibilities included:
Presenting a guest lecture on the development of adolescents’ religiosity
Providing detailed feedback on essay exam questions
Managing course grade book
Holding regular office hours to answer students’ questions
Assisting instructor with administrative details of the course
Empirical Inquiry (Fall 2005; 100 students; Instructor: Dr. Eric Loken)
A writing-intensive course that teaches basic research methods and statistics to HD FS majors. Students are typically in their third year when they take this course. Entire course meets with instructor for two days a week for lectures on research methods and statistics. Students meet in smaller sections of 20 students with teaching assistants on the third day a week. Responsibilities included:
Preparing and leading 50-minute class weekly
Proctoring exams
Meeting with students one-on-one to guide them through the major course project
Providing detailed feedback to cultivate students’ writing skills
Assisting instructor with administrative details of the course
Analysis of Family Problems (Summer 2004; 30 students; Instructor: Jim Kuterbach)
Upper level course that emphasized different approaches to family therapy. Responsibilities included:
Presenting guest lectures on the importance of coparenting between parents
Managing course grade book
Holding regular office hours to answer students’ questions
Assisting instructor with administrative details of the course
Marital Relationships (Spring 2004; 60 students; Instructor: Dr. Bob Burgess)
Upper level course that incorporated an evolutionary perspective to marital relationships. Responsibilities included:
Supervising a team of five undergraduate teaching assistants
Presenting guest lectures on evolutionary perspectives of sex
Managing course grade book
Holding regular office hours to answer students’ questions
Assisting instructor with administrative details of the course
Parent-Child Relationships (Fall 2004; 60 students; Instructor: Dr. Bob Burgess)
Upper level course that incorporated an evolutionary perspective to parent-child relationships. Responsibilities included:
Supervising a team of five undergraduate teaching assistants
Presenting guest lectures
Managing course grade book
Holding regular office hours to answer students’ questions
Assisting instructor with administrative details of the course
Family Development (Fall 2003; 100 students; Instructor: Dr. Claire Kamp Dush)
Upper level course focused on family relationships and family processes. A historical view of the family was taken to put current family research in context. Responsibilities included:
Leading class discussions
Providing feedback on students’ reaction papers and exams
Managing course grade book
Holding regular office hours to answer students’ questions
Assisting instructor with administrative details of the course
Workshops:
The How-To’s of Longitudinal Multi-Level Modeling (Spring 2008; 6 students)
I, along with a fellow graduate student, taught a 6-week workshop to graduate students on using longitudinal multi-level level modeling for nested data. Responsibilities included:
Collaborating with co-instructor around workshop objectives, student assignments, and overall course expectations
Presenting workshops on MLM
Helping to apply MLM techniques to students’ research questions of interest
Consulting/troubleshooting with students’ models
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C. Student Evaluations
Penn State Evaluation Requirements
Penn State has both a quantitative and a qualitative component to their student evaluations that occur at the end of each semester. The quantitative component includes 17 items in which students evaluate the course and the instructor on a 7 point scale. The first fifteen items include questions evaluating different aspects of the course, including “Rate the clarity of the instructor’s comments” and “Rate the appropriateness of the instructor’s encouragement of student participation and discussion.” The final two items focused on in the evaluations are students’ evaluation of the instructor and the course overall.
Course / Semester / % of Students Responding / Mean rating: Overall quality of: / Mean of other 15 itemsCourse / Instructor
HD FS 312W / Summer 2006 / 91% / 5.5 / 5.9 / 5.9
HD FS 129 / Summer 2007 / 67% / 5.12 / 5.25 / 5.1
In addition to the quantitative component, students answer open-ended questions where they are allowed to share what the liked and didn’t like about the particular course. I have included a sample of students’ evaluations of HD FS 312W (Summer 2006) and HD FS 129 (Summer 2007).
Sample Student Comments:
Course / Theme of comment / Student CommentHD FS 312W:
Empirical Inquiry
HD FS 312W:
Empirical Inquiry / What did you like about the course?
Liked peer review days / “I also liked the peer review. It was motivating to actually do a draft of a paper and get points for it.”
“Keep the peer review requirements. It really helps for the final paper. Maybe make it a couple of days before the final is due so that we have a little bit longer and if there are any questions for the instructor, we won’t have to ask the night before its due.”
Pacing of course / “The time and steady pace the instructors took to let us thoroughly understand the material. Also liked the real life experiences, stories, and situations told by both instructors. They wanted us to be completely clear about the topic at hand and also improve my writing skills.”
“The progression. If, at first, I didn’t understand something, it was only a matter of time until I did. Both instructors allowed us to make a mistake but were sure that next time around we would not.”
Teachers cared for students
Teachers cared for students / “It was a good course. Useful for my writing skills. Seriously, the best and most understanding instructors I have had in four years that cared about your learning.”
“I liked that the professors took the time to help students understand the content.”
“The two instructors and how they taught. Both were caring about whether the students understood the material. Always encouraged students to ask questions and help on the writing assignment. The lectures were well organized and easy to follow.”
“Kat and Megan went above and beyond their call of duty! They were great assisting me to understand the subject matter. Overall, it was a difficult subject matter, but I feel like I’ve walked away with a newfound appreciation for statistics…”
“It was a good course. Useful for my writing skills. Seriously, the best and most understanding instructor I have had in four years that cared about your learning.”
What did you like least about the course?
Math / “Statistics”
“Math”
“The statistics part. It is confusing as it is but then to involve it in our own research, even harder.”
“Research proposal and the statistics!”
HD FS 129:
Introduction to Human Development: Online Course / Please share your comments regarding the course.
Comments on course content / “The course website was very easy to navigate and well organized. I had some reservations about doing something like this online and not being able to find what I was looking for, but everything worked out fine.”
“All of the exams and assignments were very fair and relevant to the course material. The workload was very reasonable.”
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D. Faculty evaluations
An evaluation written by Dr. Steve Zarit (HD FS department head) and Dr. Doug Coatsworth (Professor in Charge of the Undergraduate HD FS Program ) regarding my teaching performance for HD FS 312W in the Summer of 2006.
An evaluation written by Dr. Dave Eggebeen regarding an observation of my teaching performance in HD FS 312W in the Summer of 2006.
To: Megan Winchell
From:David Eggebeen
Re:Instructor Evaluation
Date:July 13, 2006
1) Course materials
The course syllabus is quite detailed, but is organized well enough that students should be able to easily find the information they need. Course goals are quite concrete, almost too pragmatic. However, the relationship between these goals and the course work is quite easy to see. Also, it will be easy to measure how well these goals were met.