A NEWSLETTER
FOR THE

 

LIAISON

HUMAN
RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT
NETWORK

August 1990
Vokume 3 Number 1

 

Reading as a Professional Development Activity

In an article appearing in College
Teaching, the author advocates a
program of pedagogical readings
as a professional development
activity. Many exceptional edu-
cators have written down their
suggestions for instructional
improvement, researchers have
summarized successful pedagogi-
cal techniques, and lists of excel-
lent reading resources have been
compiled.

There are seven reasons, the ar-
ticle proposes, why a program of
pedagogical reading ought to be
pursued.

1. Reading is convenient. It can
fit into the nooks and crannies of
busy academic days.

2. Reading is efficient. If the
material is uninteresting, irrele-
vant, or otherwise impractical, it
can be discarded with no hard
feelings.

3. Reading is discreet. It is a
quiet and private way to improve
instruction.

4. Reading to improve instruc-
tion is an economical approach.
It requires no large investment of
equipment.

5. Reading requires no new
skills. Faculty members already
read.

6. Reading provides incentive to
further reading and hence fur-
ther development. The incentive
derives from at least two sources:
(1) from references to other ma-
terials - the idea proposed sounds
good; since the author refers to
additional information and other
articles, follow-up is the appro-
priate next step. (2) From ways of
thinking about teaching and
learning that beg to be discussed
- these ideas can be tried out on
trusted colleagues for productive
exchanges about teaching and
learning.

7. Reading does improve in-
struction. Common sense compels
the conclusion that at least some
benefit will come from introduc-
tion to a variety of different
ideas, especially if faculty mem-
bers can be encouraged to do
interdisciplinary pedagogical
reading.

Reading, in forcing reflection,
creates instructional awareness,
and thereby gives a faculty
member a more accurate picture
of the instructional self. It can
inspire faculty and thereby posi-
tively affect instructional quality.
However, in order for benefits to
accrue, pedagogical reading
needs to be planned and system-
atic. A successful program will
include these four components:

1. It is necessary to make a con-
scious commitment to use reading
as an improvement strategy.
Teaching, like physical fitness,
does not improve substantially
with only the occasional workout.

2. A commitment to objectivity
is also required. The major lia-
bility of this improvement strat-
egy is that it depends on being
able to identify both the strengths
and weaknesses of onc’s teaching
performances.

3. A reading program needs
some system and order. Begin by
keeping material in a single, eas-
ily accessed place. Keep a list of
what needs to be done. Make
random reading part of the de-
sign. And spending time in the
library looking for materials must
be part of the plan.

4. Asuccessful reading program
includes a commitment to action.
Reading does not improve in-
struction automatically - only
when the instructor decides,
based on what he or she has read,
to try out a technique. Moreover,
the effort to apply what has been
read should be followed with
some equally conscious efforts to
assess how well the alteration
worked.

 

Association of Canadian Community Colleges 110 Eglinton Avenue West,

Toronto, Ontario M4R 1A3

Telephone: (416) 489-5925

 

 

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