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Case

Department Chair Allen Powell gazed out of the window of the Electrical Engineering  building, deep in thought. His desk was neatly organized and decorated with a glass faceted ball. Allen straightened his tie, stretched his fingers, and thought of what he would say to his colleague who was due to visit him soon. He decided the direct approach would be best. Too much tact might indicate that he was not serious about the problem.

Powell heard a knock on the door – a brisk, staccato tap. He rose and opened the door to greet Bimal Silva, the new faculty member in his department. They shook hands politely, and Silva took a seat opposite the grey desk.

Silva was neatly dressed in a suit and tie. His hair was short and his eyes were bright and intense. Powell knew Silva was brilliant, and wanted to keep him in the department. But this issue had to be addressed.

“So, how was your first semester of teaching?” Powell asked.

Silva shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. “Well, to be honest,” he said, “I am a little disappointed in the quality of student participation.”

“How so?”

“I often noticed that students would roll their eyes in class when asked a question or given assignments,” Silva replied. “The questions were clear. At my university in Sri Lanka, I participated in teaching courses. I am experienced in coming up with questions that students can easily understand.”

“How was their work?” Powell said. This conversation was turning out to be easier than he had anticipated.

“I was surprised to find that they were often unfamiliar with basic mathematical and scientific concepts,” Silva answered, “I understand that student retention of information can be short-lived, but these students have taken calculus.”

Powell recalled the remarks he had heard from the students in his laboratory. “Silva thinks we all ought to be geniuses,” one had said. “He’s arrogant,” another student replied. “I couldn’t solve those problem sets last week at all.”

Powell looked out the window briefly and then back at Silva. “The students are concerned, too, Silva,” he said. “On the one hand, I can understand your desire to give them a thorough and high-caliber education. But you need to work with them at the level where they currently are – even though it may seem elementary.”

“I’ve considered that as well,” Silva replied. “However, I feel strongly that I do not want to compromise academic standards. This would be taking them back to the freshman level.”

“I understand,” Powell replied, although he disagreed. “However, we must accommodate the students’ existing level of knowledge, or we cannot educate them. We need to make both our presentation and our content accessible to as many students as possible.” Powell leaned across his desk. “Frankly, Silva,” he said, “we’re honored to have you on our faculty. We’ll work with you. We want to help you succeed. But some things will have to change.”

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Before you read the sample analysis for this case, you may want to consider the following questions.

Case
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An Example Case Analysis
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An Example Case Analysis

Some Issues Raised By the Case:

Allen Powell and Bimal Silva hold differing expectations for the students in their department. Bimal Silva’s culture of origin may play a role; on the other hand, he may simply have high expectations. It is possible that Bimal Silva’s students really are underprepared, and that the other instructors are not doing an adequate job of educating them. The students view their professor as arrogant; he may not be reaching them at their level. Rather than blaming the students, perhaps Bimal Silva should seek to understand their situation.

Possible Discussion Questions:

• What responsibility does a university have for training faculty in teaching?
• How could Bimal Silva adopt a more flexible teaching style? Should he?
• How could the communication in this situation be improved?
• Would mentoring have improved Bimal Silva’s experience?
• How can one encourage faculty to recognize their own shortcomings as teachers?

A Possible Set of Responses and Their Consequences:

1. Response : Allen Powell could visit the class and offer recommendations based on Bimal Silva’s observed interaction with students, rather than on hearsay. He could even make developmental mentoring in teaching, including regular observation, an expected process for all new faculty.

Consequences : Bimal Silva might accept this kind of feedback more easily. It would also be more accurate. On the other hand, he might not appreciate being observed.

2. Response : Allen Powell could consider that Bimal Silva may be accurate in his perceptions, and assist him in motivating his students rather than intimidating them.

Consequences : The quality of teaching in the department may improve once Bimal Silva learns to communicate well with his students. Other instructors may be motivated to raise their expectations as well. However, if Bimal Silva’s teaching does not improve sufficiently, the students may remain discouraged.

3. Response : Allen Powell could review the teaching evaluations with Bimal Silva non-judgmentally, and talk with him about how to improve the class environment.

Consequences : Bimal Silva would probably appreciate the assistance, since he indicated that he is aware of the problem. It might take several semesters before the evaluations improved.

4. Response : Allen Powell could take the initiative to improve teacher training for faculty within his department by working together with resource centers on campus.

Consequences : This would depersonalize the issue and improve the quality of teaching in the department. However, it would require time and resources.

5. Response : Allen Powell could review the teaching evaluations with Bimal Silva non-judgmentally, and talk with him about how to improve the class environment.

Consequences : Bimal Silva would probably appreciate the assistance, since he indicated that he is aware of the problem. It might take several semesters before the evaluations improved.

6. Response : Bimal Silva could improve his mid-course assessments so that he gets feedback on his performance throughout the course. This may alert him to areas of his teaching that need improvement.

Consequences : Bimal Silva may alter his teaching style to accommodate student requests for improvement. However, if he is not willing to accept the student feedback, or wants to maintain his high expectations, he may need to seek advice from a teaching resource center or from colleagues.

7. Response : Allen Powell could have a conversation with Bimal Silva about cultural differences in educational systems, to find out whether Bimal Silva’s own educational experience has caused him to have higher expectations for students.

Consequences : This conversation would require tact on Allen Powell’s part. However, at the end, Allen Powell and Bimal Silva might understand each other’s perspectives better. Despite their mutual understanding, they might still disagree on what constitutes appropriate preparation and sufficient work for college students.

Case
Worksheet
An Example Case Analysis
Useful Resources

Useful Resources

Reaching All Students: A Resource Book for Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

• Cultural Differences for International Instructors
• How to Evaluate Your Own Teaching

Diversity Institute Literature Review

• Cabrera, A.F., Colbeck, C.L. & Terenzini, P.T. (2001). Developing performance indicators for assessing classroom teaching practices and student learning: The case of engineering. Research in Higher Education, 42(3), 327-352.
• Napell, S.M. (1976). Common non-facilitating teaching behaviors. Contemporary Education, 62(2).
• Tobias, S. (1990). They're not dumb. They're different. A new "tier of talent" for science. Change, 22(4), 11-30.