Elizabeth A. Devore
My teaching philosophy is outlined below. You may also download a copy by clicking here.
Purpose
Serving as an educator of future engineers and researchers, it is my primary goal to aid students in their academic careers to become independent learners and thinkers. I strive to equip students with the theories, methods, and processes necessary to be informed and effective problem solvers. My teaching is learner-centered and within the context of Cognitive Constructivism, which states that knowledge is actively constructed by learners and learning is presented as active discovery. Therefore, my role as the instructor is to facilitate discovery by providing the requisite resources to guide learners as they assimilate new knowledge from previous knowledge. This also means that I consider curriculum to determine previous knowledge and the knowledge students will need for the next stage in their academic and professional careers. Further, I believe in being intentional of creating an equitable learning environment that is accessible for all learners. Therefore, after describing my teaching experience at Auburn University, I describe how I establish an equitable learning environment, my approach to course planning, assessments used to evaluate teaching and learning, and the tools I employ for teaching and learning.
Experience
I have three years of experience teaching undergraduate engineering labs as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA), covering eight semesters. In this role I worked with first year pre-engineering students in an introduction to electrical engineering course lab (ENGR 1100), and sophomore/junior level students in an introductory in-major course, electric circuit analysis lab (ELEC 2110). As a lab instructor, I’ve worked with students in a theory-to-practice setting. I have also served as an instructor of record for four years, covering nine semesters. In this role I’ve worked with juniors and seniors in mechanical, aerospace, and industrial & systems engineering in a fundamental electrical engineering (ELEC 3810) course and served as instructor of record for the ELEC 2110 course for one summer semester. As an instructor of record, I’ve worked with a diverse set of students in an interactive, lecture-based setting.
Teaching for
Equity
Teaching and learning to me requires intentional consideration of the learners established through an equitable lens. I have taught students with specific accommodations, international students, adult learners, first generation college students, and a diverse range of underrepresented minorities in STEM. Teaching for equity not only requires recognizing the diverse group of students in a classroom, but valuing their identities and perspectives based on their backgrounds and assuring that all students have access to materials, methods, and space used for instruction. I implement this by carefully considering the resources learners will use in the courses I teach. Specifically, this is considered when selecting tools, materials, and methods for learning by assessing the cost to students, the physical learning space for class meetings, and the necessary accommodations to meet individual needs on a case-by-case basis.
Course Planning
I approach course planning using the “backwards design” which involves curriculum design by first establishing learning objectives, then determining acceptable assessments, and then planning instruction and methods. I establish learning objectives by considering what students should know and be able to do at the end of a course. Next, I determine acceptable assessments that may be used to provide evidence of learning. Finally, I select the content, resources, and modes used to aid in student learning to meet course learning objectives.
Assessments
I use assessments to evaluate student learning and the methods used to teach. I employ multiple levels of formative assessment throughout a course that range from low- to high-stakes and a culminating, summative assessment at the end of the course. During lessons, students are given opportunities to apply their understanding with immediate feedback and scores based on participation, not correctness. This offers a low-stake opportunity for students to fail and determine misunderstandings while learning new information. At the next level, students are assigned quizzes, homework, and projects to apply their knowledge outside of the classroom. Quizzes are still low-stake, serving as a platform for students to review notes and recall important information. Homework serves as medium-stake because grading is not solely based on correct answers, but their approach and application of what they have learned. The projects I assign are primarily inquiry-based, and medium-stake, intended for students to think deeply about an application or topic, ask questions, search for answers, and communicate results. Exams at the end of a specified range serve as high-stake formative assessments, graded on both correctness and applied knowledge. Lastly, a culminating final exam is used as a summative assessment to evaluate if students achieved all learning objectives for a course.
To assess teaching methods and tools, I routinely check-in during class to ask about what topics need further resources or explanation. I offer a mid-semester survey to students to learn what is working in class, what can be improved by the teacher for the remainder of the semester, and to have students reflect on what they need to do to be successful. At the end of the semester, I use the University delivered course evaluation (e.g. AU eValuate) to help me make final decisions about changes to methods and tools used in class for the following semester.
Teaching Tools
Since my approach to teaching is learner-centered and constructive, I serve as a facilitator for learners. Therefore, the methods and tools I employ to aid students in constructing their knowledge to meet learning objectives include interactive learning, worksheets, and inquiry-based projects. It is important to note that below are a sample of tools I use, but final selection of these items is determined based on student learning outcomes and assessments.
I use tools such as Top Hat, an online active learning technology that is intended to engage students before, during, and after class, to offer an outlet for students apply their understanding from reading, lecture, and other resources through multiple choice, matching, and fill-in-the blank questions. Also, Top Hat offers students access to follow note slides as they are presented in class and allows me to assign note slides for students to review after class. The questions asked in class not only serve to break-up lectures, but to allow students to apply their understanding while they learn. I also use tools such as Kahoot for students to work in groups to develop answers to questions based on individual understanding and working together to solve example problems on exam review days. These interactive tools offer insight into student learning without influencing their grades.
I use worksheets as a tool for students to review further examples and learn approaches to analyzing and solving problems for further learning outside of the classroom. Worksheets offer step-by-step approaches for students to analyze electrical systems, to use while they are learning. Further, worksheets can help to more succinctly summarize notes from class and the textbook.
Lastly, I use inquiry-based projects to promote higher order thinking skills. Engineering is based in facts and established theories and laws, but engineers must be able to adapt and design solutions considering multiple factors. Inquiry-based projects encourage students to develop a best solution, recognizing that there is not always one solution to every problem.