TEACHING PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE

JOANNE L. STEWART

INTRODUCTION

In developing my teaching philosophy, my students have been my biggest source of inspiration, my best critics, and my biggest supporters. It is through interactions with faculty colleagues, however, that I have been pushed to continually refine my ideas, to test them rigorously, and to share them with others through workshops and consulting. In this statement, I will describe my teaching philosophy, give examples of how I have implemented it both in and out of the classroom, and suggest future directions for my teaching.

ACTIVE LEARNING

Students must be actively engaged in their learning both inside and outside the classroom. In order to encourage that engagement, students must work on problems that are personally and socially relevant. Faculty must have high expectations for students. Students must be provided with the appropriate amount of structure and feedback so that they know when they have succeeded and when there is more work to be done.

ChemLinks. In 1995 the National Science Foundation (NSF) challenged the chemistry community to develop approaches to teaching college chemistry that would bring about systemic change. I have worked with a coalition of schools called ChemLinks which was funded under this program. ChemLinks seeks to change the way students learn chemistry by challenging them to solve real problems using active and collaborative learning strategies. Modules are being developed that start with an important question (for example: How can we make our water safe to drink?) and contain activities that lead students to develop scientifically rigorous answers to the question. The goal is to model how science is really done by emphasizing both the content and process of science. More information on the modules and on ChemLinks can be found at chemlinks.beloit.edu.

I am co-author of a ChemLinks module called How Can You Get Blue Light From a Solid?, which is about the dramatic technological advances that are occuring with the development of inexpensive blue light emitting diodes and diode lasers. Wiley is publishing the modules under the name ChemConnections, and Blue Light is currently in press. The Blue Light module contains many interesting hands-on activities, and students learn about periodic properties and solid-state chemistry. I have also written a guide to teaching with modules that helps new and experienced instructors adapt the modules to their academic setting.

Cooperative Learning. I have promoted the use of cooperative learning approaches in the college classroom through giving workshops and consulting. Cooperative learning is a powerful way to improve learning in the classroom and to develop students’ voices. My approach to cooperative learning is flexible and depends on the class I am teaching and the students in the class. In introductory courses, I structure cooperative activities very carefully to help students develop the skills they need to make this approach to learning work. In advanced courses, I am able to allow students to play more of a role in shaping the activity.

I have given workshops on cooperative learning to both science and non-science faculty at a number of institutions. The entire workshop models the cooperative learning process, and one of the most fun outcomes is watching faculty discover what great resources they have in their own colleagues. I really enjoy giving workshops and plan to continue giving one to two a year.

RESEARCH AS TEACHING

Involvement in research is an essential part of undergraduate science education. Research teaches students how scientists ask and try to answer important questions. It teaches students real problem-solving skills in an authentic setting, and it allows them the excitement of creating something new with their hands. Research with a faculty member is collaborative learning in its truest sense, with student and faculty member discovering new truths side-by-side.

The most pressing problem in the pharmaceutical industry today is finding ways to make drugs as single enantiomers. Biologically active molecules usually have a “handedness” associated with them. In chemical synthesis, both “hands” or enantiomers are synthesized; the two molecules look identical but are mirror images of one another. One enantiomer may have important pharmacological effects, while the other may not be effective, or in a worst case scenario, may cause harmful side effects. My research group is developing a technique for making single enantiomers of a class of small molecules called homoallylic alcohols. These alcohols can serve as building blocks to new pharmaceuticals.

I have worked with over forty undergraduate research students at Hope. Hope does not have a research requirement, so these students have all sought out a research experience. They have worked in the laboratory making molecules, they have characterized these molecules by a variety of physical measurements, and they have written papers and presented seminars and posters on their work.

CONCLUSION

My teaching philosophy is based on the fact that teaching and learning are most effective when they are hands-on and collaborative. I have sought out collaborative interactions with faculty through my work with ChemLinks and through workshops and consulting. I have worked closely with undergraduate students in research. My growth as a teacher and a scientist have been shaped and supported by these important interactions.