Promotion, Tenure

1
Promotion, Tenure Technology Encouraging the
Mix
David Starrett
Directory, Center for Scholarship in Teaching
Learning, Southeast Missouri State University
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Overview

• Background
• Approach
• Document
• Discussion

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Southeast Missouri State

• Regional, comprehensive, Masters granting
• 9,000 Students
• 380 Full and Term Faculty
• Strong commitment to
• Teaching/learning
• Use of Instructional Technology in teaching
• Faculty development
• Centralized teaching/learning and Instructional
  Technology faculty development center

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Background

• Fall 1997 Faculty Senate subcommittee
• Charged with examining relationship of
  Information Technology and Teacher-Scholar
  model.
• Spring 1998 Subcommittee report
• Information Technology not always given
  appropriate consideration in Promotion, Tenure,
  Merit decisions.
• Due partially to lack of understanding of
  Instructional Technology by decision makers.

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Background

• Spring 1998 Technology Bill
• Faculty Senate Bill to amend Faculty Handbook to
  include The use of technology under innovative
  teaching and scholarly activities categories.
• Bill was unanimously defeated.
• Spring 1999 Action Team
• Provost establishes Information Technology
  Faculty Roles and Rewards Action Team.

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Background

• Information Technology Faculty Roles and
  Rewards Action Team (ITFRR)
• Composed of one faculty member from each of seven
  colleges/schools on campus.
• Charged with examining role of Instructional
  Technology (IT) use in promotion, tenure, and
  merit (P/T M) decisions.
• Asked to produce advisory document aiding
  decision makers in consideration of IT
  accomplishments in P/T M decisions.

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ITFRR - Approach

• Research
• Committee searched for similar documents at other
  institutions. Few were found, none took desired
  approach.
• Also researched articles and other information on
  IT and P/T M.
• Investigated position of university, college and
  departmental accrediting bodies on the issue.

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ITFRR - Approach

• Development
• Committee decided on document components.
• Each component was written, discussed and revised
  independently.
• Components were reassembled and the complete
  document discussed and refined.
• Feedback on the document was solicited from
  faculty in committee members respective
  departments.
• Feedback was incorporated and final draft
  produced.

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ITFRR - Approach

• Approval
• The document was taken to Deans Council in late
  Fall 1999 semester.
• Deans solicited feedback from chairs.
• Deans Council unanimously approved the advisory
  document and recommended it be distributed
  campus-wide.

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ITFRR - Approach

• Implementation
• The document was sent out to all Deans, Chairs,
  and Promotion and/or Tenure committees on campus.
  
• A notice and URL to the document on-line was sent
  to all faculty on campus.
• While the document is only advisory, it is hoped
  that it will be referred to when P/T M
  decisions are being made.
• Faculty can refer to it when asking questions
  about P/T M decisions.

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ITFRR - Approach

• Implications
• There is no hard evidence that any faculty have
  been denied P/T or M due to lack of consideration
  or understanding of IT.
• Anecdotally, ignorance of the issue or IT itself
  exists in some of the P/T M decision makers on
  campus.
• It is hoped that the document will lead to a
  better understanding of the role of IT in P/T
  M, and lead to appropriate consideration of it in
  P/T M decisions.

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ITFRR - Document

• The document is divided into 3 main sections.
• Organization
• Rationale
• Guidelines
• Teaching
• Scholarship
• Service
• Examples

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ITFRR - Document

• Rationale
• Guidelines
• Teaching
• Scholarship
• Service
• Examples

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We Began With a Strong Belief
Document - Rationale

• Instructional Technology Can Be a Powerful Tool
  to Enhance Teaching and Learning!!

and a Realization

• It takes Time!

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Document - Rationale
University Strategic Plan

• "Enhance Student Learning by Innovative
  Applications of Technology"

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Document - Rationale
Strategic Plan Objectives

• Support for development and expansion of
  web-based courses.
• Training and support for faculty teaching ITV and
  web-based courses.
• Support for development of virtual library
  resources.
• Support departmental identification, integration,
  and evaluation of instructional technology.

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Document - Rationale
Strategic Plan Objectives

• Technical and professional support
  infrastructure for effective use of the web as an
  educational tool.
• Instructional technology workshops, institutes,
  and other learning opportunities for faculty.
• Complete student computer conversancy component
  for every department.

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Document - Rationale
University Commitment

• Support Faculty Role In Instructional
  Technology Development

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Document - Rationale
Vital Components for Success

• University Recognition Support For
  Instructional Technology
• Continued Faculty Development
• Faculty Roles, Recognition, Rewards
• Department
• College
• University Levels
• Consideration in Promotion, Tenure, and Merit
  Decisions

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Document - Rationale
Current Research

• Benefits of the Internet
• Benefits of Distance Learning
• Benefits of Multimedia
• Benefits of Telecommunications
• Benefits of Databases and Spreadsheets

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Document - Rationale
Research Conclusions

• Incorporating appropriate technology into
  teaching
• helps promote active learning
• facilitates student-centered teaching
• results in more positive attitudes toward
  subject,
• better understanding of concepts
• advancement in use of creative and higher-order
  thinking skills

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Document - Rationale
Nations Stakeholders

• Parents Believe Technology essential to
  childs education
• Employers Emphasize The importance of
  technological literacy
• Support of National and State Leaders

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Document - Rationale
Conclusions

• Instructional Technology
• A Necessary Tool for Education

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Guidelines - Teaching

• Rationale
• Guidelines
• Teaching
• Scholarship
• Service
• Examples

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Guidelines - Teaching
Two Interrelated Parts

• Instructor applications to enhance teaching
  inside and outside the classroom
• Student output as an outcome of the use of
  Instructional Technology

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Guidelines - Teaching
Broad Interpretation of IT

• Interactive Television (ITV)
• Course Web Pages
• Use of Computers in the Classroom
• Online Courses
• Computer-Mediated Presentations
• Student Assignments Using IT
• Use of Software

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Guidelines - Teaching
Evaluation

• As with any teaching method . . .
• IT must be evaluated on basis of its
  contribution to student learning

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Guidelines - Teaching
Evaluation Methods

• Student surveys
• Self-evaluation
• Peer reviews
• Review effectiveness of course planning materials
• Student output

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Guidelines - Teaching
Student Output

• Research projects using Internet
• Multimedia presentations
• Design of web pages
• Use of discipline-specific software

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Guidelines - Teaching
? ? Questions Asked ? ?

• Same as those asked in portfolios of faculty
  using more traditional methods

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Guidelines - Teaching
Web Pages

• Course Augmenting
• Information disseminationsyllabi, etc.
• Course Enhancing
• Interactivebulletin boards, etc.
• Online Course
• Completely on the web

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Guidelines - Teaching
Conclusions Re Teaching and IT

• Evaluation is necessarily subjective
• Standard should be contribution to student
  learning

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Guidelines - Teaching
Conclusions Re Teaching and IT

• Faculty have responsibility to provide evidence
  of contribution of IT to student learning
• Increased access and increased student learning
  are both important goals of the University

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Guidelines - Teaching
Assessment of faculty

• Should reflect time, effort and skill required to
  achieve goals
• as well as the effect on enhanced access and
  student learning

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Guidelines - Scholarship

• Rationale
• Guidelines
• Teaching
• Scholarship
• Service
• Examples

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Guidelines - Scholarship
Technology can be used in various ways to support
scholarly activities.
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Guidelines - Scholarship
Evaluated Scholarly Activities

• Technology Usage
• Research on the Pedagogy of IT
• Online Journals (print-based)
• Evaluation of Publications
• Peer Reviewed Online Journals
• Research Web Sites

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Guidelines - Scholarship
Faculty Activities

• IT in the Classroom
• Enhances Presentations
• Write Scholarly Papers on Usage
• Develop Web Sites
• Review Colleagues Web Sites
• Faculty Contribution to the Discipline

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Guidelines - Scholarship
Scholarly Web Evaluation

• Site's organization
• Navigational ease
• Quality quantity linking web sites
• Research of useful links
• Number of daily visitors

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Guidelines - Scholarship
Examples of Scholarship

• Publication in online journals
• Presentations concerning instructional technology
  at conferences
• Maintenance of web sites for professionals in the
  discipline

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Guidelines - Scholarship
Examples of Scholarship

• Development and distribution of application
  software in the discipline
• Invited hosting or maintenance of an online
  dialogue or listserve

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Guidelines - Service

• Rationale
• Guidelines
• Teaching
• Scholarship
• Service
• Examples

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Guidelines - Service
Information Technology and Service

• Service To Colleagues, University, Community
• IT Service is comparable to Traditional Service
  Activities
• Valid For Promotion and Tenure Considerations
• Scholarship via Teacher/Scholar Model

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Guidelines - Service
Examples of Service Activities

• Informal Tech Assistance to Colleagues
• Workshops-Community Colleagues
• Tech Consultant-University or Community
• Community and business consults
• Professional Organization Technology Committees

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ITFRR - Document

• Rationale
• Guidelines
• Teaching
• Scholarship
• Service
• Examples

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Document - Examples

• A single page reference sheet
• Intent was to list common examples of usage of
  Instructional Technology in Teaching,
  Scholarship, and Service.
• Simple bulleted list of items.
• Could potentially be used as separate sheet by an
  evaluator familiar with the document.

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ITFRR - Next

• Still in early stages.
• Faculty Senate has seen it and gave unofficial
  approval.
• Promotion and Tenure process last year first to
  perhaps benefit from the document.
• Some faculty have indicated that they referred to
  it or even included it in their application

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ITFRR - Next

• A survey is being administered to determine how
  many faculty knew of it and or utilized it in
  their promotion tenure papers.
• Deans, Chairs, and committees will be surveyed on
  whether it was used and how so
• Case studies are being monitored

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Anecdotes Case Studies

• Biologist
• Promoted but with concern over to much technology
  time wasted
• Chemist
• Denied promotion because of too much time wasted
  with technology, not enough true scholarship
• Historian
• Promoted, but
• Others

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Thank You

• Promotion, Tenure Technology Encouraging
  the Mix

starrett_at_cstl.semo.edu
http//cstl.semo.edu/itfrr
THANK YOU!