A Holistic Approach to Teaching

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A Holistic Approach to Teaching Learning

• Sandra PoindexterNorthern Michigan
  University(spoindex_at_nmu.edu)

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Academic Environment
What external pressures face academic
institutions that could impact the classroom?
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Academic Environment
Who will be in the higher ed classrooms of the
next decade and what are these students like?
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Academic Environment
To what extent have faculty actually adopted
alternative learning approaches?
Holistic Approach
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Changes in the Wind External Pressures

• Competition and recruitment promises
• Retention
• double-digit student departure after yr 1
• more about social, emotional, intellectual
  connectedness (not found in pure lecture)
• Public accountability
• Productivity

It is faculty on the front who must fulfill these
demands
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Changes in the Wind - Students

• Attention span
• Multitasking
• Structure and Scheduling
• Teamwork
• View of authority
• Technology

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Changes in the Wind - Faculty

• Baby Boomers group approaching retirement
• Gen X group getting tenured and promoted
• more relaxed
• more adventuresome
• less apt to demand control

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Innovation Diffusion

• Innovators I wonder if people
• Early Adopter respected leaders in governance
  and disciplines
• Early Majority early workshop attendees
  determine critical mass
• Late Majority traditionalists who give in
• Non Adopters traditionalists who dont

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Diffusion Topics
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Internet Integration at NMU
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Holistic Approach
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Communication

• Know people

• Goal statements for course, exercises,
  assignments
• Set expectations
• Trust
• Team meetings with instructor

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Service Tech
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Active Tech
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Active Peer Tech
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Active Peer Service Tech
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Does This Work?
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Does This Work?
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Students

• agree learning is their responsibility
• accept teamwork and less structure in exchange
  for learning how to handle those situations w/o
  penalty
• like to work in teams of mixed talents on projects

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Road to the Holistic Approach

• Avoid innovation blinders
• Provide faculty training in instructional theory,
  not just techniques
• Cross pollinate faculty
• Reward faculty (at least cut them slack) while
  they experiment
• Look externally for models

For more information visit http//faculty.nmu.edu/
spoindex/research
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