Faculty Study Groups: Solving “Good Problems” Through Study, Reflection, and Collaboration

We describe the development, implementation, and assessment of a faculty study group program designed to foster teaching as a reflective, collaborative activity within a research university. Conceived within conceptual frameworks that challenge technical/rationalist approaches to faculty development, the program was successful in creating opportunities for faculty of different disciplines, age groups, ranks, and teaching experience to establish productive discourse communities around their own teaching. Our experience shows that such programs require careful thought and planning, which we detail here, and that faculty even in research oriented institutions can be captured by the “good problem” that teaching represents.

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