Topic: Transitioning from a Faculty-Centered Communication Model to a Student-Centered Model
When: Monday, Feb 15 from 12 - 1 pm
Where: Virtual (sign up for the Zoom link)
The next dB-SERC lunch discussion will take place on Monday, February 15 from 12 – 1 pm. Dr. Rebecca Lindell from Tiliadal Solutions for STEM Higher Education and Dr. Rebecca Rosenblatt, a AAAS-Science Technology Policy Fellow, will give a talk on transiting from a faculty-centered communication model to a student-centered communication model.
Abstract: We as faculty are experts in science and some of us are even experts at science communication. However, we are not always expert at the interpersonal communication skills necessary to communicate effectively with our students. Traditionally, faculty utilize a variation of a faculty-centered communication model, where students must come to them and must learn how to communicate with them. Couple this with the belief that a professor’s time is more valuable than a student’s and this presents a huge stumbling block for many students who would rather drop or withdraw from the class than seek out the help they desperately want and need. An alternative communication model is a student-centered communication model, which focuses on faculty reaching out to students and using communication to help us communicate with our students to both not only learn the course content and but also thrive in the college environment. This model of communication requires faculty to become cognizant of the students’ needs and difficulties both with the content and in their personal lives. In this talk, we will discuss ways for centering the student in your communication strategies as well as what we believe we should be communicating to the students beyond basic course information to help them succeed.
Bios:
Rebecca Lindell, PhD, is an interdisciplinary-based STEM Education Research consultant specializing in Physics and Astronomy Education and Education Research. With over 25 years experiences in these fields, she specializes in Discipline-based education research design and methods, specifically targeted at the development of assessment and evaluation materials. Rebecca developed the Lunar Phases Concept Inventory (LPCI) as well as being part of the team that developed the Astronomy Diagnostic Test (ADT). She has conducted two meta-analyses of concept inventory development methodologies: the first focused on concept inventories in Physics and Astronomy in 2006 and the second in 2015, which focused on all the published concept inventories in the different STEM fields. Rebecca has suffered from Multiple Sclerosis for over twenty-five years and needed to go on disability from her physics faculty position at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2008. She founded Tiliadal Solutions for STEM Higher Education in 2014 to allow her to continue to contribute to the fields of STEM education and education research.
Dr. Rosenblatt received her Ph.D. in physics from The Ohio State University. She has worked as a discipline-based education researcher in physics education research for several years. Rebecca has extensive experience in curriculum design and best practices in evaluation and assessment. Dr. Rosenblatt is also led the secondary physics teacher preparation program at Illinois State University for several years and is generally interested in undergraduate student mentorship and broadening participation and achievement in STEM. She is currently working at NSF/EHR/DUE as a AAAS-STP fellow focusing on STEM education evaluation strategy and research.
