Best Practices Form

Program Review Best Practices Form

Instructions: Submit this form as a separate attachment with your completed Program Review. Programs often do something particularly well; usually they have learned through assessment—sometimes trial and error—what solves a problem or makes their programs work so well. These are often called Best Practices and can help others. Please share the practices your program has found to be effective. The contact information lets others know whom to contact for more information. For examples of Best Practices visit the Program Review Committee’s website.

Program/Department: Mathematics Name of Chair/Director/Manager: Regina Hukill

Email Address: [email protected] Phone: 395-4054

Best Practice(s): Every semester I have all the students in all my classes write up an autobiography. Although I give them a handout with a series of specific questions to answer, that is merely meant as a guide. The students can structure their autobiography in any way they choose.

The principal purpose of the autobio (as I call it) is for me to get to know better every one of my students. I promise them on the first day of class that I will not share their autobio information with anyone. No one will read any of the autobios except myself.

The students are encouraged to tell me about their previous background in math, starting with grade school or high school, and also talking about any previous math courses they’ve taken at the college or community college level.

Perhaps more than anything else, I strongly encourage everyone to be brutally honest with me and tell me how they feel about having to learn math. I can attest that students greatly appreciate the chance to tell

Revised by: Program Review Committee (April 17, 2015) Page 1 me about all the bad experiences they’ve had in math classes and also about instances where they were “misled” about math or were simply taught incorrect mathematical principles. Not surprisingly, I learn that many students are quite terrified about having to take math classes as part of their degree. All of this information helps me to be a better and more caring math instructor.

Overall, reading the autobios helps me to somewhat tailor my teaching style to each class. Early in the semester I already am aware of potential rough spots in students’ understanding of math. It makes it easier to teach the sooner I know of such things.

Professor Bernard T. Scanlon

Revised by: Program Review Committee (April 17, 2015) Page 2 Revised by: Program Review Committee (April 17, 2015) Page 3