We continually hear about the changing world in which we live--the rise of technology, the changing face of industry, and the disconnection from nature and from each other. In fact, I think our students are tired of hearing about these things—this is not a changing world, this IS their world. So, how do we teach in a way that prepares students for this reality in a way that is concrete, accessible, meaningful and engaging? My teaching journey has been a quest to find the best answers to this question. I try to be innovative—sometimes with more success than others--and I try to be responsive to my students’ needs. Ultimately, my teaching philosophy is informed by a commitment to three main principles: student-centered learning, experiential education, and critical pedagogy.
Student-Centered Learning:
Student-centered learning involves creating an active learning environment where students engage with one another and with the material in ways that emphasizes individual student and peer group involvement over that of the instructor (Nanney, 2004). This approach demands greater engagement with the course materials, and greater student investment. Commitment to this approach also necessitates a commitment to conceptual learning over memorization and recitation. I believe that learning about specific concepts is important, but learning how to access, evaluate and engage with information is even more important. We are bombarded by information every minute of every day—the challenge is to sift out what is important and to find ways to make it meaningful. I strive to create a classroom environment that is student-centered in the delivery of course content, and is also relevant to students’ experiences. One of the ways I do this is by asking students to present current events that are related to course topics. In addition to presenting, I ask them to lead a short discussion, which allows them to practice speaking in front of a group, soliciting opinions and creating talking points.
My students respond well to this approach—they show up to class (even at 8am), they participate in class discussions, and they engage with course concepts outside of class. In fact, I often have students send me readings or videos they have come across in their daily lives in order to supplement existing class content. The best learning occurs when students want to be in my classroom, and this happens when they feel accepted and challenged, and when they can make personal connections to the material. I use little techniques to help achieve this goal, such as asking the students to send me a picture of them engaging in an outdoor activity. I use their pictures in my lecture slides, which encourages personal connection and story-telling in the classroom (and attendance, lest they be absent the day their photo shows up!).
Experiential Education:
Following the tenets of experiential education (e.g. Kolb, 1984; Dewey, 1938), I strive to make my teaching as hands-on, interactive, and engaging as possible. This can be a definite challenge in a large lecture hall, but I have utilized a variety of techniques that make the classroom seem smaller and more intimate. Sometimes this involves new technology, such as clickers, etexts, and online polling programs. Other times it is a bit more old-fashioned, with an emphasis on small group discussions, writing on the board, or using flipcharts. Either way, I find it is essential to engage students as more than simply information recipients. I especially like to involve them in the teaching process, as it demands a greater understanding of the material for the presenter, and the students get to hear from varied voices and perspectives. For example, I have given students the assignment of preparing one powerpoint slide and a two-minute talk on a specific history topic. I collate their slides and they teach each other about important people/events.
I also utilize a variety of field experiences, guest speakers, videos, online resources, music, in-class activities and pop culture references in order to add to the classroom experience. These methods allow me to appeal to a wider range of learning styles and intelligences (e.g. Gardner, 1999). My introduction to outdoor recreation class utilizes a final project where students are assigned to groups and asked to evaluate a local outdoor recreation site based on concepts from the semester. We then take a field trip to that location and they present their site to the rest of the class. This approach not only marries theoretical concepts with concrete examples, but it allows for students to practice giving an interpretive presentation, which will be an important career skill for many of them.
Critical Pedagogy:
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I believe that an essential responsibility of the higher education institution is to encourage students to think critically about current issues and to challenge their worldviews. I strive to make my classroom a safe and respectful environment for discussion and collaboration, and I actively seek opportunities for growth and the development of new perspectives. Gruenewald’s (2008) critical pedagogy of place marries critical pedagogy with place-based education. This approach is a natural fit for students in the park and recreation discipline, especially as we grapple with issues of diversity, environmental justice, and disconnection from the natural world. Of course, this approach isn’t limited to outdoor recreation—I have incorporated this approach into a variety of classes, with discussions ranging from organic foods and urban food deserts, to urban transportation networks and tourism in the developing world. I am fortunate to have a variety of personal experiences to draw from, with pictures, examples and stories to back up many of the concepts that I teach. I think this makes my class seem more authentic and more captivating, leading to better student response overall.
Providing a quality education is a responsibility that I take very seriously. As an educator, I am constantly striving to be better, to learn new techniques, and to adapt to the demands of our changing world. One of the ways I do this is by soliciting feedback throughout the semester (rather than simply at the end). My students say that I am accessible, down-to-earth, and responsive to feedback. I take time to reflect on my successes and failures in the classroom, and adjust my teaching methods accordingly. This is evidenced by positive trends in student evaluation scores for classes that I have taught multiple times. In addition, I have attended seminars, workshops and conferences devoted to enhancing teaching efficacy. Each time I teach a new class I try something new, or add to the existing curriculum. In this way, teaching is always a new and enjoyable challenge. For example, next semester I will be teaching a service learning class, which will allow me to further enhance my teaching repertoire and learn about new techniques for creating ties between students and community.
Finally, there is an implicit connection between teaching and research in that one should always inform the other. I am sure that my students sense my passion when I am teaching topics related to my interest areas; perhaps what they don’t know is that course content, ideas, and discussions are often generating new research ideas. This is true for both graduate and undergraduate courses, and I look forward to the opportunity to take this relationship one step further by engaging students in research more directly. Education and the generation of knowledge is the true purpose of the University, and a tradition that I am excited to continue.