George R. Hess :: Teaching :: Portfolio
NC State University :: Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources

June 2005
Philosophy Methods and Initiatives Improvement Dissemination
Courses Technology Assessment Future Goals
Purpose of Portfolio
Teaching portfolios are prepared for a variety of reasons. I am preparing this one, because my memory is not what it used to be. I know that I've tried some things in the classroom that have worked well -- or failed miserably -- and then forgotten what they were. I have been seeking a more systematic way to track and evaluate the things I do as a teacher -- this appears to be a reasonable approach.

I also have questions about the effectiveness of my teaching that I am unable to answer, the main one being "Is my teaching effective?" Creating and updating a teaching portfolio incites my thinking about these questions and provides a framework in which to seek the answers.

Philosophy

Our Job, Your Job
(from the Natural Resources Measurements syllabus)

The teaching assistants and I will do our very best to present material in an organized manner and provide a rich and varied learning environment. We won't give you the answers, but we will help direct your efforts and minimize obstacles to your learning.

Your job is to do your very best to learn the material that we present. You will have to figure out the learning strategy that works best for you. It's your responsibility to tell us if you're having problems and need help.

My goal as a teacher is to excite students about the process of learning and figuring out things for themselves. At the beginning of each course, I ask students to accept the philosophy that there are no stupid questions and no dumb ideas. I also try to convey the message that, although I take my teaching responsiblities seriously, I don't take myself too seriously, I'm not a fountain of wisdom, and I'm not afraid to say "I don't know." This helps establish an atmosphere in which most students are willing to explore ideas and ask questions without fear of ridicule or penalty.

I also strive to be fair, perhaps to the point of a fault. I have given full credit for the "wrong" answer to exam and homework questions, because I can see how a student might have interpreted them differently. I allow students to redo assignments when it's clear that they just didn't get it. When large numbers of students have difficulty with an exam question, I reteach and retest. Some may call this "pandering." However, if the aim of teaching is student learning, what is the point of irrevocably penalizing students for mistakes and misunderstanding?

Although I approach teaching in a fairly easy-going manner, am quick to extend difficult assignments, and almost always willing to give students another chance when they make mistakes, I do not tolerate dishonesty and cheating. I do not hesitate to confront cheating among my students, and I respond quickly and decisively to all academic intergrity issues. I make this abundantly clear at the beginning of each course.

Courses
Course Name / Brief Description
Number of
Times Taught
Recent
Class Size
Regularly Offered Courses
Natural Resources Measurements is a required course in the undergradute natural resources curricula. The objective of the course is to expose students to the theory and practice of measuring, analyzing, and describing natural resources through classroom and field experiences. [ Offered every spring. ]
8
16
Modeling Biological Systems is a required course in the graduate Biomathematics Program. Many students from other departments take it as an elective course. The objective of the course is to teach students how to create mathematical models of biological systems. Every student builds a model and presents the results in a class poster session. [ Offered fall of odd years. ]
5
15
Effective Scientific Posters is an elective course, open to graduate and advanced undergraduate students. The objective of this short (five week) course is to have each student design and develop a poster. [ Offered every spring. ]
5
5
Landscape Ecology is an elective course. The objective of the course is to introduce students to the field, with a focus on application to solving natural resources problems. Every student does a semester-long research project and presents the results in a class poster session. [ Offered fall of even years. ]
2
7

Collaborative Research Special Topics Courses
Measuring Suburban Sprawl was a one-time, elective graduate course that involved graduate students in collaborative research. We defined suburban sprawl and developed quantitative measures of the phenomenon. This effort built on my experiences in "Ecology and Economics of Clearcutting" and was more successful. We produced a manuscript during the course -- Just what is sprawl, anyway? -- that was published in Carolina Planning.
1
9
Ecology and Economics of Clearcutting was an experimental graduate course. The course had two major purposes: (1) to involve students in collaborative research documenting the ecology and economics of clearcuting, and (2) to evaluate our ability to do this in a web-based environment. Co-taught with Bob Abt, Forestry Department.
1
5

Dormant Courses
Landscape Ecology and Design is an elective course, open to advanced undergraduate and graduate students. The main goal of this 5-week course is to develop an understanding of how the science of landsacpe ecology and conservation biology influence design decisions. Lots of reading, research, and class discussion in this class -- culminating in a debate.
3
8

Methods and Initiatives

What's the most important thing you learned in this course?

I learned life is a "work in progress." This allows me to not be quite so up-tight.
(anonymous, from a Natural Resources Measurements evaluation, Spring 2000)

I carry this philosophy into my teaching. It doesn't free me from the responsibility of doing the best job I can, but it gives me permission to try new things without obsessing about getting it perfect the first time. What I learned when I taught Natural Resource Measurements in Spring 2000 is that if you tell students you're trying new things, explain why, ask for their patience and input, and follow up on their concerns ... the response is tremendous. Discussions are more open, questions are more interesting, students are more forgiving of mis-steps, and more work gets done.

Because research shows that doing is the key to learning, I strive constantly to incorporate active learning techniques and reduce the amount of material presented in a lecture format. I use frequent in-class exercises -- both individual and group -- to keep classes moving and to gives students the opportunity to try new things.

I've noticed that many students have had little experience making "back of the envelope" quantitative estimates. Making such estimates requires an understanding of how concepts are related and the ability to recognize and make necessary assumptions to solve the problem. So, for example, I may suddenly ask the students in my Natural Resources Measurements class to estimate the surface area of a lake using data related to other things we've been doing in class.

So that students can focus on key concepts and processes rather than on memorizing facts and formulas, I allow books or notes during all exams. I focus the weight of my grading on projects and assignments, in which time pressure is much less of a factor than on exams (See "Grading" in syllabus for Natural Resources Measurements, Landscape Ecology and Design, and Modeling Biological Systems.)

I try to develop projects that are as close as possible to "real life" situations, in order to better prepare students for life after school. These initiatives include establishing a client-consultant relationship between my Natural Resources Measurements class and a Landscape Design Studio; building a graduate course (Ecology and Economics of Clearcutting) around the concept of collaborative research; and hosting a public poster session for the Modeling Biological Systems class. These initiatives are described further in the table below and the supporting documentation.

Initiatives

Course Method Rationale Documentation
Measuring Suburban Sprawl
2001		 Establish a collaborative research project in which graduate students perform research on the issue. Expose graduate students to collaborative research, working with one another and faculty as peers to carry out a research project.
  • Paper
    • Natural Resources Measurements
    2000    		 Integrated GIS, GPS, and sampling into a class and lab sequence. Spatial information technologies increasingly are used in natural resources management and research, but generally they are taught separately and not well integrated with other course material.
  • Paper
    • Natural Resources Measurements
    1997    		 Established a client-consultant relationship between students in this course and students in a landscape architecture course. Teams of students in the two classes worked together to complete projects. Expose students to a realistic client-consultant relationship, as they might encounter in their jobs; and increase communication across disciplinary boundaries.
  • Teaching Excellence Initiative Grant Proposal
  • Grant Report
  • Class web pages
    • Modeling Biological Systems
    1997    		 Each student completes a project and presents the results at a class poster session at semeter's end. Poster sessions are becoming a major component of scientific meetings, and graduates students receive little training. Teaches valuable communication skills -- students must be clear and succint, yet able to discuss orally details of their work.
  • Project
  • Published Paper
  • 1997 Evaluations
  • 1998 Evaluations
    • Landscape Ecology and Design
    1998    		 Teams of students research and debate a current natural resource issue. A debate is a very focused event that requires students to understand both sides of an issue, if they are to do well.
  • Debate overview
  • **link comments from student evaluations
    • Ecology and Economics of Clearcutting
    1996    		 Established a web-based, collaborative learning environment in which students performed research on the issue. Expose students to collaborative research, working with one another and the instructors as peers to develop a base of information needed for further research.
  • Teaching Excellence Initiative Grant Proposal
  • Grant Report
  • Published Paper


    • Because the use of teams and collaborative assignments has been demonstrated to lead to better learning and performance, I use a team approach for homeworks, projects, and some exams in most of my courses.     Teams are created so that each team has members with a variety of expertise, based on answers to a skills and experience survey given at the beginning of the course. I provide resources and guidance for effective teamwork in class and on course web sites.

    I work hard to de-mistify and de-jargonify material, and to connect key points with things students know and recognize. Newspaper clippings often appear in my Natural Resources Measurments and Landscape Ecology and Design classes. As an example of de-mistifying, the first lab in my Natural Resources Measurements class is called Sampling Discovery. During the lab, I guide students through a set of increasingly structured exercises intended to put them at ease with the dreaded statistical sampling techniques they will learn in the class. I do this by letting them discover that approaches to estimating that they see as natural and reasonable are, in fact, the same concepts used in sampling.

    I also have a facility for presenting material in a variety of ways, so that most students ultimately get the point. During one semester of my Natural Resources Measurements class, I was having difficulty with an example of population estimation. I finally broke through the barrier by getting the class to estimate how much cash was present in the classroom. Six or seven students were selected at random and asked to tell the class how much cash they had with them. When I asked the class to work for two minutes to estimate the amount of cash in the class, they had no trouble at all. We spent the next 10 minutes working through what they did in parallel with an example of estimating tree basal area. They saw that, although the numbers and units were different, there was really no difference in the procedures.

    Technology

    I guess you really are what you have been. I was a computer software engineer for almost 10 years in a former life. That helps explain how I gravitated to the field of biomathematics -- I get to write computer models of biological systems for a living!! It's also part of what defines me as a teacher. All of my courses have extensive web sites; most require extensive use of computers, and I see that increasing with time.

    I'm a proponent of technology when it provides tools to answer questions, or new ways of making a point clear. I'm skeptical of claims that current technology is a revolution in teaching and learning. It will not replace thinking and hard work. I don't trick myself into believing that there's something really new in all of my web sites. It's class notes in a neat, new form; it could easily be a course pack and handouts. It's more dynamic, easier to change, and very easy to update on the fly (too easy, at times -- think "1984"). It's a great way to provide written information to students.and, with a few exceptions, the students love them [**link to comments from evaluations**].

    Web-Based Collaborative Learning

    The "Ecology and Economics of Clearcutting" class was an experiment in web-based collaborative learning. In this class, Bob Abt and I tried to do something that really was different. And, in a number of ways, it was a very successful failure. We offered an experimental graduate course built around a World Wide Web-based collaborative learning experience. The World Wide Web served as the primary platform on which knowledge was compiled, shared, and synthesized. We built a WWW-based annotated bibliography and synthesized information from several disciplines.

    Reactions to the use of the Web were mixed. The Web was valued most as a tool for information dispersal. As a result, students learned more from their peers than they had in other courses. However, students found brainstorming and "conversation" using NetForum, a list server, and electronic mail cumbersome and intimidating. Complex issues were brought to closure in several face-to-face meetings. Participants noted a need for personal contact to develop the sense of community critical to fruitful collaboration. In future offerings, we envision an extended course that begins with community-building meetings (live or video) before migrating to intense Web-based collaboration. We will use Web-based conferencing technology for brainstorming and real-time interaction among participants. A published paper discussing our efforts is available.

    Collaborative Learning

    ***MEASURING SUBURBAN SPRAWL --maybe needs to go elsewhere

    Use of Computers in Natural Resources Measurements

    ***FLESH OUT with info about NR300 in Spr 2000

    Integrating GIS, GPS, and Sampling

    ***FLESH OUT with info about NR300 in Spr 2000

    Assessment

    The following table summarizes my teaching evaluations on a scale of 1-5, in which 5 is the highest rating. Some departments report differently.

    Course (Semester)
    Number of
    Students
    Course
    Overall
    Instructor
    Overall
    FOR 595T (Spring 2001)
    9
    4.67
    4.67
    NR 300 (Spring 2001)
    16
    4.69
    4.85
    BMA 567 (Fall 2000)
    14
    4.42
    4.83
    LAR 492 (Spring 2000)
    6
    Excellent
    Excellent
    NR 300 (Spring 2000)
    17
    4.62
    4.75
    NR 300 (Spring 1999)
    23
    3.70
    4.26
    BMA 567 (Fall 1998)
    17
    Unavailable
    LAR 492 (Fall 1998)
    8
    Excellent
    Excellent
    NR 300 (Spring 1998)
    41
    4.20
    4.41
    BMA 567 (Fall 1997)
    15
    4.00
    4.29
    NR 300 (Spring 1997)
    34
    3.94
    4.38
    FOR 692 (Fall 1996)
    4
    4.75
    4.25


    Although student evaluations of my class have been good, and are generally improving, I don't believe that they are a complete measure of effectiveness. To me, a more satisfying measure of effectiveness would be demonstrated changes in capabilities, knowledge, or attitudes. In teaching the "Ecology and Economics of Clearcutting" course, pre- and post-course data showed a change in attitudes about both clear cutting and the use of the web. (Clearcutting is a controversial forest harvest method in which virtually all trees are removed from the land at the same time.)

    There are some anecdotal data that suggest my teaching is effective.
    **quotes from course evaluations
    **comments from poster session evaluations
    **clear and muddy point papers at end of class

    Improvement

    Activity Major Impact
    Writing and Speaking in the Curriculum. A workshop intended to increase the effectiveness of writing and speaking assignments.
    (2001)     		Provided more guidance for writing and speaking assignmentss in NR 300, including
  • work plan checklists;
  • improved evaluation criteria; and
  • tips for effective meetings.
    The result was much better written assignments and the best oral presentations seen in this course to date.
    • Teaching Portfolio Workshop. Main objective was to introduce the concept of a teaching portfolio and get each of the participants started on their own portfolio. (1999) Developed the first version of this portfolio, and a more systematic approach to evaluating my teaching effectiveness.
    Effective Teaching Workshop. Focused on active teaching techniques and creating measurable objectives for courses and classes.
    (1998)    		 By focusing on desired outcomes for courses and individual classes, my teaching became more directed. These techniques help me do a better job deciding which things to include and which to omit from a class. Increased the amount of active learning in my courses.
    NC State University Hewlett Initiative. An NC State initiative to improved general education through the application of inquiry-guided instruction. (1997-1999) Developed a network of other faculty interested in teaching. Increased my repetoire of teaching techniques and activities, particularly active learning techniques. For example, I started applying the "one minute paper" concept in my Landscape Ecology and Design Class -- I called it "Clear as Mud".
    Faculty Strategies for Engaging on-line Learners. This on-line conference allowed people trying on-line learning concepts from all over the world to "chat" about their efforts.
    (1997)    		 I discovered that many people were having the same problems with on-line collaborative learning that I encountered in the "Ecology and Economics of Clearcutting Class", and that viable solutions were scarce.
    Assigning and Evaluating Writing in the Major. A Workshop intended to increase effectiveness of class writing assignments.
    (1996)    		 My writing assignments became more focused with more guidance for the students, more clarity in my expectations, and more consistent grading.


    Dissemination

    I keep a current list of these, and other teaching-related activities, in the teaching section of my Curriculum Vitae -- I invite you to take a look.

    Future Goals

    I have not put enough effort into measuring the effectiveness of my teaching. Instead, I have selected teaching techniques based on the experiences of others and research that demonstrates their effectiveness. I have recently started to feel uncomfortable about this approach, because it is possible to apply good techniques incorrectly. In future, I will collect more data on the effectiveness of my teaching. Efforts I am considering include