Diversity & Collaboration:Reading in the

Disciplines

Jason S. Todd, Ph.D.Xavier University of Louisiana

CRLA 45th Annual ConferenceNovember 8, 2012

Hyatt Regency HotelHouston, Texas

Session Objectives

• Become familiar with our reading-focused quality enhancement plan

• Understand framework for discipline-specific active reading program

• Learn about the different approaches being taken within different disciplines

• Learn about the faculty development activities designed to assist this project

• Explore ways in which such a program might be introduced at other institutions

Read Today, Lead Tomorrow

• Fall 2010-Spring 2015• Active reading• Comprehension• Interpretation• Analysis

• Engaged reading• Interaction• Appreciation

Reading in the Disciplines

• Mandate: All academic units• Entry-level courses, Fall 2011• Upper-level courses, Fall 2012

• Implementation: At department level• Outcome(s)• Method(s)• Measure(s)

• Assessment: 80% of students at proficiency

Reading in the Disciplines

Textbook reading• Biology• Pharmacy• Physics• Psychology

Primary source interpretation• English• History• Philosophy• Languages• Theology

Reading in the Disciplines

Concept application• Art• Business• Chemistry• Communications

Studies• Education• Music• Political Science• Speech Pathology

Word problem interpretation• Computer Science• Mathematics

Case study: Philosophy

• First-year results• Completeness of textual exposition

• 36% at proficiency• Accuracy of textual exposition

• 38% at proficiency• Response to data• Sharing techniques/methods• Re-evaluating rubric

Case study: Education

• First-year results• Synthesis of secondary

sources• 100% at proficiency• 83% at mastery

• Response to data• Continue to monitor

Upper-level Courses

• Being implemented now• Major focus on scholarly texts• Smaller, less common classes• Less non-major impact

Faculty Development

• Seminars => Theory• Workshops => Methods• Mini-grants => Innovation• Course Portfolio WG => Course redesign• FaCTS fellowships => Course

redesign

Successes

• Faculty buy-in• Reconsideration of

faculty expectations• Almost 100%

implementation• Diversity of approaches• Cross-pollination• Assessment training

Roadblocks

• "Don't tell me how to run my classroom"

• Departmental leadership• Departmental conflicts• Data collection

How would this work at your school?

Resources

Burrows, V., McNeil, B., Hubele, N., & Bellamy, L. (2001). Statistical Evidence for Enhanced Learning of Content through Reflective Journal Writing. Journal of Engineering Education, 90(4), 661-667.

Cerbin, W. (1994). The course portfolio as a tool for continuous improvement in teaching and learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 5(1), 95-105.

Cunningham, A. & Stanovich, K. (2001). What reading does for the mind. Journal of Direct Instruction, 1(2), 137-149.

Horning, A. (2007). Reading Across the Curriculum as the Key to Student Success. Across the Disciplines, 4. Retrieved from http://wac.colostate.edu/atd/articles/horning2007.cfm

Maaka, M. J., & Ward, S. M. (2000). Content area reading in community college classrooms. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 24, 107-125.

New, R. J., Clawson, J. G., & Hoyle, J. B. (2008). How course portfolios can advance the scholarship and practice of management teaching. Journal of Management Education, 32(1), 8-22.

Richlin, L. (2006). Blueprint for learning: Constructing college courses to facilitate, assess and document learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Sidell, N. (2003). The course portfolio: A valuable teaching tool. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 23, 91-106.

Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2008, Spring). Teaching disciplinary literacy to adolescents: Rethinking content-area literacy. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 40-59.

Tobia, S., & Howard, J. (1990). How to strengthen a faculty development program: Before, during, and after. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Reading Association, Atlanta, GA, May 6-11, 1990. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 322 488)