Teaching
Excellence

INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / JANUARY 23, 1990

TOWARD THE BEST IN THE ACADEMY

The Challenge of Teaching

the Introductory-level Course

O ne ofthe most challenging teaching
tasks in college is providing effective in-
struction in introductory-level courses.
Members of the Study Group of the Na-
tional Institute of Education recognized
this challenge when they recommended
that “deans and department chairs... as-
signas many of their finest instructors as
possible to classes attracting large num-
bers of first-year students” (1984). If
teaching the introductory course is a
special case, what makes it so and how
can college teachers meet this challenge?

Subject Matter

One major difference in introduc-
tory-level courses is the nature of the
subject matter itself. While there is
usually little question what the focus
and need of upper division courses are,
the designing of a beginning course for
novice learners is not nearly so univer-
sally agreed upon. Instead it requires
thedesignerto consider some basic philo-
sophical and practical questions about
the context and content of the course.

Who? and Why?

Two fundamental questions con-
fronting the introductory instructor are
who is taking this course and why are
they there? Consider the range of possi-
bilities. Are the students predomi-
nantly: 1. majors, 2. possible majors, or
3. general education students? If the
students are majors, then the instructor
has a responsibility to the department
and the field illustrated by the following
additional questions. Is this course a
prerequisite for other courses in the
field? The answer is most likely yes.
Therefore, unlike most upper division
courses, the instructor in this case must
be much more concerned with tying the
content to what will follow. This implies

ter communication with colleagues
about their expectations for student skills
and background.

Of course, the introductory class
cannot prepare majors for all the pos-
sible content of the discipline, so the
instructor faces another question: What
are the foundational concepts of the
discipline which must be grasped by
all majors prior to entry into advanced
courses and how are these concepts to
be selected? Once again this implies a
lot of communication with colleagues
and a significant understanding of the
underlying structure of the field. It is es-
sential to identify critical content which
cannot be overlooked and separate it
from things which are nice to know but
would probably be more appropriate
for later courses.

A third responsibility of courses
which cater to majors is to introduce
them to “ways of knowing” in the dis-
cipline. Each discipline has a unique
perspective and set of customs for think-
ing and investigating. Too often these
are assumed to be obvious because they
aresoautomaticto faculty members, but
it is in the beginning courses that stu-
dents must gain the fundamental sense
of inquiry appropriate to their new field.

Alternatively, the beginning course
may be made up of students who have
not yet committed to a particular major,
but are exploring alternatives. The ques-
tions appropriate forthis courseare more
tentative. Does the instructor want to
attract these prospective majors into
the field? If so, the course needs to take
a motivational bent. What is it about
this field that is so attractive or interest-
ing that students should consider
making it their life’s work? And the
more complex questions as outlined for

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Fall 1989

definite majors about foundational con-
cepts and ways of knowing apply as
well, if not as critically, to these courses.
Some beginning classes are popu-
lated by students from other fields, ful-
filling requirements, pursuing general
education interests, or filling time slots.
These students might best be character-
ized as “intelligent laymen.” Whatisthe
inning course’s responsibility to this
group? Should the course make these
individuals “literate” in the field? Ifso,
what are the most important insights
for these students? Whatis the course’s
societal relevance? It is not necessary
for these students to delve into the con-
tent with the depth and intensity of
someone intending to make it their ca-
reer, yet they need sufficient exposure to
be aware of the important issues and
modes of inquiry which will enable them
to build a foundation for following new
developments on their own.

How much? and How far?

No matter which group of students
islikely to populate the beginning course,
the instructor must also face the ques-
tionsof how muchand how far. Whether
for majors or general education students,
how broadly should the course survey
important elements in the field? What
would be the consequences in terms of
student learning if fewer topics were
taught in greater depth? Many instruc-
tors at all levels complain that there is
too much material to cover in their
classes, but few seem to question the
assumptions which underlie the prac-
tice of “covering the field.” Collateral

"questions which impact this issue are:

What kind of thinking should be re-
quired of students? To what degree

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