By Sandra Tragesser
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

Learning Innovators challenge UH-Clear Lake instructors to improve their teaching styles. During the Nov. 6 meeting, the self-organizing faculty group focused on ways to enhance student learning by discussing classroom problems and suggesting solutions.

Learning Innovator members meet voluntarily to share new ideas and methods of teaching. They develop and initiate innovative techniques to stimulate classroom participation.

"Two years ago, I invented the Barebones Question Process," said Margaret Snooks, lecturer in fitness and human performance. "People in higher education call it classroom assessment techniques or small group instruction diagnosis."

The Barebones Question Process involves instructors requesting a visit to their class by a colleague, usually midway through the semester. The colleague gives students a questionnaire that asks what the instructor does to help students learn, what the instructor does to hinder learning and what suggestions can improve learning.

Students play a role by answering the questions and providing the faculty with feedback.

"Research shows when students look at how they learn and can talk about what helps them learn, they become more aware of their learning styles," Snooks said.

Learning Innovators also provides professors with a support network.

"Teachers gain inspiration, new ideas and a feeling of less isolation," Snooks said. "One of the things that happens with faculty is that they teach alone, so they feel isolated from their peers. Those of us who go to Learning Innovators and those of us who use the assessment process are not isolated. We are all working together to improve student learning and our teaching."

The Learning Innovators' meetings give teachers the opportunity to discuss challenges that arise in the classroom.

"Being able to share my concerns with the other instructors has been helpful," said Pat Cuchens, lecturer in business writing. "Through our discussions, we have always focused on the students and learning. I have discovered a variety of techniques to improve my instruction. Whatever I can do to become a better instructor will certainly benefit my students."

"The benefit to me as a teacher is the support aspect of the group," said Sharon Perkins Hall, associate professor of computer science and information systems. "I think students can't help but benefit when faculty are in touch with each other and motivated to improve their own teaching and look for ways that real learning can take place for the students."

Members of Learning Innovators research and attend teaching-learning centers in the region.

"I was interested in working with professors from other disciplines as well as investigating how other universities work with their faculty to improve classroom instruction and learning," said Margaret Hill, associate professor of reading and language arts. "We had a wonderful and very informative field trip to both UT and A&M to see their teaching/learning centers."

The objective of Learning Innovators is threefold.

"Learning Innovators benefits the faculty because they have a greater sense of accomplishment-it revitalizes them," Snooks said. "One of the things that is really nice is that it is interdisciplinary, interschool, it's looking at the whole university." "Another benefit is the people who receive the teaching, that is the students-they have a richer learning experience," said Maxwell Elden, professor of organization and management. "They get more value out of the money they invest."

"I think Learning Innovators benefits the university because it helps us retain students," Snooks said.

At each meeting, members of Learning Innovators are chosen to review publications that aid teaching and learning in innovative ways.

Robert Bartsch, assistant professor of psychology, reviewed "Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms" at the Nov. 6 meeting.

The benefits for students of using discussion in class include learning at a deeper level and better critical thinking skills, Bartsch said. "There are also limitations, discussion is not an easy teaching style. However, students gain a better understanding on a particular topic through discussion."

Hall and Elden started Learning Innovators at UH-Clear Lake seven years ago.

"Sharon Perkins Hall and I thought there were a lot of colleagues who were interested in teaching and learning," Elden said. "We came back and put out a call to the faculty and more than 30 people showed up, that's what started it."

"We were intrigued by the idea that there was not much talk of the quality of teaching and learning going on in our individual circles," Hall said.

Learning Innovators is held in the Bayou Building, Room 3315. There are two different groups, which meet twice a month, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, contact Margaret Snooks at (281) 283-3381 or snooks@cl.uh.edu.

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