Diversity & Collaboration:Reading in the

Disciplines Jason S. Todd, Ph.D.

Xavier University of Louisiana

CRLA 45th Annual ConferenceNovember 8, 2012

Hyatt Regency HotelHouston, Texas

Session Objectives• Become familiar with our reading-focused

quality enhancement plan• Understand framework for discipline-specific

active reading program• Learn about the different approaches being

taken within different disciplines• Learn about the faculty development activities

designed to assist this project• Explore ways in which such a program might

be introduced at other institutions

Read Today, Lead Tomorrow• Fall 2010-Spring 2015• Active reading• Comprehension• Interpretation• Analysis

• Engaged reading• Interaction• Appreciation

Reading in the Disciplines• Mandate: All academic units• Entry-level courses, Fall 2011• Upper-level courses, Fall 2012

• Implementation: At department level• Outcome(s)• Method(s)• Measure(s)

• Assessment: 80% of students at proficiency

Reading in the DisciplinesTextbook reading• Biology• Pharmacy• Physics• Psychology

Primary source interpretation• English• History• Philosophy• Languages• Theology

Reading in the DisciplinesConcept application

• Art• Business• Chemistry• Communications

Studies• Education• Music• Political Science• Speech Pathology

Word problem interpretation• Computer Science• Mathematics

Case study: Philosophy• First-year results• Completeness of textual exposition

• 36% at proficiency• Accuracy of textual exposition

• 38% at proficiency• Response to data• Sharing techniques/methods• Re-evaluating rubric

Case study: Education• First-year results• Synthesis of secondary

sources• 100% at proficiency• 83% at mastery

• Response to data• Continue to monitor

Upper-level Courses• Being implemented now• Major focus on scholarly texts• Smaller, less common classes• Less non-major impact

Faculty Development• Seminars => Theory• Workshops => Methods• Mini-grants => Innovation• Course Portfolio WG => Course redesign• FaCTS fellowships => Course

redesign

Successes• Faculty buy-in• Reconsideration of

faculty expectations• Almost 100%

implementation• Diversity of approaches• Cross-pollination• Assessment training

Roadblocks• "Don't tell me how to run

my classroom"• Departmental leadership• Departmental conflicts• Data collection

How would this work at your school?

ResourcesBurrows, V., McNeil, B., Hubele, N., & Bellamy, L. (2001). Statistical Evidence for Enhanced

Learning of Content through Reflective Journal Writing. Journal of Engineering Education, 90(4), 661-667.

Cerbin, W. (1994). The course portfolio as a tool for continuous improvement in teaching and learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 5(1), 95-105.

Cunningham, A. & Stanovich, K. (2001). What reading does for the mind. Journal of Direct Instruction, 1(2), 137-149.

Horning, A. (2007). Reading Across the Curriculum as the Key to Student Success. Across the Disciplines, 4. Retrieved from http://wac.colostate.edu/atd/articles/horning2007.cfm

Maaka, M. J., & Ward, S. M. (2000). Content area reading in community college classrooms. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 24, 107-125.

New, R. J., Clawson, J. G., & Hoyle, J. B. (2008). How course portfolios can advance the scholarship and practice of management teaching. Journal of Management Education, 32(1), 8-22.

Richlin, L. (2006). Blueprint for learning: Constructing college courses to facilitate, assess and document learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Sidell, N. (2003). The course portfolio: A valuable teaching tool. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 23, 91-106.

Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2008, Spring). Teaching disciplinary literacy to adolescents: Rethinking content-area literacy. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 40-59.

Tobia, S., & Howard, J. (1990). How to strengthen a faculty development program: Before, during, and after. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Reading Association, Atlanta, GA, May 6-11, 1990. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 322 488)