Surveying Research University Faculty, Graduate Students, and Undergraduates: Skills and Practices Important for Science Majors

• In Event: Science, Technology, and Professional Development in Higher Education

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate appreciation for and use of techniques that promote active engagement, as viewed by three populations (faculty, graduate teaching assistants and undergraduates). We used mixed method analysis to examine the perceived importance of skills for undergraduates as viewed by each population and the reported practices used by faculty and experienced by students. All three populations valued conceptual understanding over memorization, although students placed a higher value on memorization and other lower-order conceptual skills than did graduate students and faculty. Faculty who participated in Teaching and Learning Center programs showed more progressive instructional methods and less reliance on lecturing than those who had not. We will resurvey each population to document changes resulting from Center programs.

Authors

• Gili Marbach-Ad, University of Maryland

• Kathryn L. Schaefer, University of Maryland

• Michal Orgler, University of Maryland

• Spencer Benson, University of Maryland - College Park

• Katerina Thompson, University of Maryland