Improvement in teaching: The impact of a formative assessment strategy on teaching intentions and strategies.

摘要

Postsecondary faculty face certain change in their classrooms as expectations for improved student achievement and increased accountability for learning become more explicit. To improve learning for increasingly diverse student populations, instructors would benefit from guidance regarding augmentation of current teaching practices with more effective teaching strategies to accommodate more learners. Without formal pedagogical training, most postsecondary faculty primarily adopt the behaviorist or teacher centered teaching approaches they experienced as students, rather than a more comprehensive student centered approach, which would benefit more students.;This research showed adult learners can effectively promote student centered teaching approaches by articulating their learning needs on Reflection Cards at midterm. Reflection Cards, or student comments about current teaching and learning needs, provide an opportunity for students to engage in their learning while helping instructors identify specific teaching strategies to improve learning. Although assessment by students had no significant impact on predominant teaching approaches of a group of faculty as measured by the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI-R), trends indicated progression toward more student centered teaching approaches by individual instructors.;Overall, students expressed Reflection Cards improved teaching practices, with at least 70% of students in 71% of classes in this study indicating a positive change. Forty-three percent of instructors stated they modified teaching practices midterm after considering assessment by students. Changes in instruction included improved communication regarding intentions of assignments, reduced content to improve comprehension of critical material, decreased lecture, increased group work, and improved classroom management.