montague brown wrote:
>
> At 02:07 PM 10/2/97 -0400, you wrote:
> >Thomas Ang, Ray Rasmussen, and others,
> >
> >I use experiential learning with increasing regularity
> >in the course of teaching subjects such as scientific inquiry,
> >experimental design, planning and decision-making, and a course
> >I call "process consulting." The last course has to do with helping
> >students develop their ability to intervene helpfully with others,
> >especially in difficult interpersonal and organizational situations.
> >
> >Increasingly, I have been engaging students in dialogue through
> >email - just as Ray does. We create a list (like the MG-ED-DV
> >list) and then begin to "chat" about course topics. I have experi-
> >mented with student learning jounals and with hardcopy (as opposed
> >to email) reaction reports but neither of these vehicles engages
> >the whole learning community as effectively as an interactive email
> >discussion group.
> >
> >The fact that a learning community does develop is almost magical.
> >As Ray noted, "... the other stuff that we call teaching ..." pales
> >by comparison with methods that really engage students in a community
> >of learning.
> >
> >Thomas Ang asked about the time commitment and the effect on
> >research. I agree with Ray's reply and wish to add the following.
> >First, engaging students through email "chat" (we have to find
> >a better word for it because it isn't fluff) does take time. Of
> >course it also takes the students' time because we are in effect
> >extending our engagement with students well beyond the time and place
> >of the classroom. This seems like a good thing except for the
> >fact that it begins to cut into other activities.
> >
> >The question, Is it worth it? is difficult but worth our careful
> >attention. We might begin to explore the answer by asking, Is education
> >a major or a minor mission of the university? I think most will agree
> >that it is a major mission.
> >
> >If so, then perhaps we academics should not see teaching and research
> >as activities that compete for our time but rather as two, equally-valued
> >forms of _scholarship_. [See Earnest Boyers report "Scholarship
> >Reconsidered" for a fuller treatment of this idea.]
> >
> >To put it another way, instead of asking, Shall I engage in
> >scholarship or shall I teach?, let's ask, What form shall my
> >scholarship take (at this moment) - teaching or discipline-based
> >research or some mix of the two?
> >
> >At least some of us will decide that teaching - in a way that fully
> >and athenticly engages students in an active, experiential, critically-
> >reflective learning community - is: a) an important form of scholarship,
> >and b) definitely worth it.
> >
> >
> >Kenneth M. Brown
>
> I have just returned to teaching after a 15plus years of consulting. I
> decided to try the email and chat room as extensions of opportunity for
> students to interact and for me to listen in and share other thoughts
> between classes.
>
> After the hassles of getting set up, the community is beginning to develop.
> Class room discussions pick up from where the chat room left off. Guest
> lectures can be anticipated and followed up on through these devices.
>
> I am and will be asking the students about their responses to this. No
> other faculty in the program has used these to date.
>
> Monty Brown
> Editor, Health Care Management Review
> and this semester, Prof at Arizona State Univ.
>
> >
We have a technology that is rather widely used by employers to help
identify skill levels and developmental needs of prospective and
incumbent workers. I wonder if it would have value to you or your
colleagues. A list of the competencies measured by one managerial
program is attached. All programs are described at:
http://www.learning-resources.com
Please let me know if additional information would be of interest.
Al Lesure