Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
online faculty development courses should
be thoughtfully considered and carefully
buttressed by a strong research base.
(6)
Disseminating the idea of effective and valu-
able FPL program assessments
. Another
form of program empowering is to guarantee
minimum course standards for recognizing
the work of faculty members. Many research-
ers and university leaders have become
increasingly concerned with evaluating the
quality of FPL programs. Thus, Pittas (2000)
relied on different ways of approaching this
issue: “While the traditional student evalu-
ations and outside experts have merit for
program assessment, other measures are also
useful. Perhaps a more important measure
of a program's success is to be found in the
climate it creates for faculty development”.
(p. 108). Many scholars from different
countries seem to coincide on the subject
of satisfying and unsatisfying faculty work
factors. For instance, Kzltepe (2008, p. 519)
concluded: “Results indicated that the great-
est predictors of job satisfaction were related
to the environment in which academics work,
including university atmosphere, morale,
sense of community and relationships with
colleagues”.
the following facts and influences: “An increased
use of case-study approaches, access to video
and CD-Rom, more opportunity to witness and
discuss best practice in teaching and learning, and
possible formal certification for attendance and
achievement of program outcomes by offshore
participants” (pp. 293-4).
Helping faculty to succeed academically, pro-
viding new strategies, and particularly structuring
e-learning activities within a community are com-
mon aims of university units and other professional
places (i.e., online forums) where those involved
discuss ideas and views on particular issues of com-
mon concern. For example, Middendorf (2004)
described the Faculty Development Community
(FDC) as a process of improvement composed
of seven principles for articulating the program:
select faculty who are likely to be emulated,
take advantage of cross-disciplinary exchanges,
provide appropriate information when inviting
faculty to join an IUFDC, structure activities,
provide models and practice, provide ongoing
support after the seminar, and track effectiveness
in multiple ways. In some other universities and
countries, public university personnel are scarce
even for teaching and doing basic research. For
instance, undertaking research acts as a disadvan-
tage or hindrance for academic staff in Turkey
public universities: “What the academicians lack
in Turkey is that they are conducting their research
alone; very few of them have a one-to-one per-
sonal research assistant to help them with their
work; usually two or three academicians share
one assistant. Therefore, most of the time they
are alone with their personal research studies”
(Kzltepe, 2008, pp. 526-7).
Also, we emphasize the creation of digital
portfolios, which show novice faculty members'
best teaching productions. In an insightful piece
of research, the Australian researchers Wood-
ward and Nanlohy (2004) stated: “This research
demonstrates that while digital portfolios can be
introduced at a variety of levels unless substantial
processes are developed there is a danger that
The focus now is to ensure that FPL has the
effect of adapting teaching styles to meet the
demands and expectations of today's students,
providing enlarged opportunities for collegial
networking and promoting institutional aims.
University reform oriented towards FPL tends to
be more effective than traditional development
courses. The former approach assumes faculty
members being mentored or coached, participating
in a curriculum study group or engaging in depart-
mental or context units that nurture, support and
trust them. The conclusions of an Australian study
point to some characteristics of staff development
programs that we will consider in this chapter. For
instance, Dixon and Scott (2003) recommended
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