Improving Team Teaching in the Earth Sciences through an Action Learning Approach

Figures & data

Table 1 Structural relationship between the seven categories of leadership and management types in large first year courses (after Martin et al., 2003).

HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE	WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS
	No One	Others external to Teaching Team	Teaching Team	Teaching Team constituted as a peer group	Individual teachers within peer group
Given	A
Imposed		B	C
Negotiated		D	E
Collaborative				F	G

Figure 1 Student demonstrator working with a small group of Dynamic Earth students on a geological mapping exercise.

Table 2 Time line and proposed milestones for the action learning project.

Semester 1 Weeks
1–3	Develop project concept, initiate peer group set and action learning journal.
4–6	Define project and problems.
7–9	Explore and develop theoretical aspects of the project through reading.
10–12	Explore theoretical and practical aspects of the project through peer discussions, reading. Firm up project methods and scope. CELTS workshop on “Sessional Staff”. Feedback meeting with tutors in Dynamic Earth.
13–15	Student assessment of Dynamic Earth. Planning meeting of Earth Science Applications teaching team, review of Semester 1, plan Semester 2.
Mid Year Break	Start preparation of first sections of Action Learning project report. Plan workshop for week 2 of Semester 2.
Semester 2 Weeks
1–3	Set up and run teaching team workshop “Improving Earth Science Education”.
4–9	Compile all assessment data and reflect on changes and outcomes. Continue reading and assess findings in light of the theoretical framework
10–12	Student assessment of Earth Science Applications, staff assessment of the lecture team. Compile report on project.

Figure 2 Summary of results from two student assessments for Dynamic Earth collected before and after the action learning project. The five questions selected relate most specifically to staff and team aspects and are from a total of 34 routine questions.

Figure 3 The teaching team. What was the plan?!

Figure 4 Example of the “cascade effect” created where action learning/research is applied to a multiple team situation.

MartinE., TrigwellK ProsserM. & RamsdenP. (2003). Variations in the experience of leadership of teaching in higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, in press.

 Google Scholar