CPI Faculty Development & Scholarship 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which principle underlies the concept of 'andragogy' as it applies to faculty professional development programs?
- Adults learn best through rote memorization and drill
- Adult learners are self-directed and draw on prior experience (Correct answer)
- Faculty development must be externally mandated to be effective
- Professional learning should mirror K-12 instructional methods
Correct answer: Adult learners are self-directed and draw on prior experience
Andragogy, Knowles's theory of adult learning, holds that adults are self-directed, intrinsically motivated, and learn best when content connects to their experience and immediate needs.
Question 2: A faculty senate committee is reviewing the institutional process for granting tenure. Which factor is MOST central to scholarly productivity evaluations?
- Number of faculty development workshops attended
- Peer-reviewed publications and funded research grants (Correct answer)
- Student satisfaction survey scores
- Number of elective courses developed
Correct answer: Peer-reviewed publications and funded research grants
Tenure review processes at most research and comprehensive institutions prioritize peer-reviewed publications and external grant funding as primary indicators of scholarly productivity.
Question 3: An interdisciplinary team of faculty collaborates to produce a synthesis article connecting findings from multiple fields. Under Boyer's framework, this reflects the scholarship of:
- Discovery
- Application
- Integration (Correct answer)
- Teaching
Correct answer: Integration
The scholarship of integration involves making connections across disciplines and synthesizing knowledge in ways that provide new insight or broader understanding.
Question 4: Which institutional resource MOST directly supports faculty in pursuing scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)?
- Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) (Correct answer)
- Office of Financial Aid
- Student Health Services
- Registrar's Office
Correct answer: Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
Centers for Teaching and Learning provide faculty with methodological support, IRB guidance, and collaborative networks specifically designed to facilitate SoTL research.
Question 5: A postsecondary instructor applies for a grant to fund curriculum development aligned with workforce needs. This activity best exemplifies:
- External scholarship dissemination
- Entrepreneurial faculty behavior unrelated to scholarship
- Applied scholarship connecting academic knowledge to practice (Correct answer)
- Conflict of interest requiring disclosure
Correct answer: Applied scholarship connecting academic knowledge to practice
Curriculum development funded by external grants that address workforce or community needs reflects the scholarship of application, linking academic expertise to practical outcomes.
Question 6: Which of the following is the MOST appropriate ethical consideration when conducting SoTL research with your own students?
- Students must receive extra credit for participation
- Voluntary participation and protection from grade-related coercion must be ensured (Correct answer)
- IRB review is not required for classroom-based studies
- Results should only be shared internally, never published
Correct answer: Voluntary participation and protection from grade-related coercion must be ensured
The power differential between instructors and enrolled students requires strict voluntary consent and protection against coercion, making these safeguards the top ethical priority in SoTL.
Question 7: Faculty learning communities (FLCs) differ from traditional workshops primarily because they:
- Are led exclusively by administrators rather than peers
- Provide one-time exposure to new teaching techniques
- Involve sustained peer collaboration around shared teaching goals over time (Correct answer)
- Focus on research productivity rather than teaching improvement
Correct answer: Involve sustained peer collaboration around shared teaching goals over time
FLCs are cohort-based groups of faculty who meet regularly over a semester or year to collaboratively explore teaching challenges, creating conditions for deep and lasting professional growth.
CPI Faculty Development & Scholarship 3
Which principle underlies the concept of 'andragogy' as it applies to faculty professional development programs?