Edward Aboufadel wrote:
> Hi. I'm new to this list [DEVELOPMENTAL-MATH-LIST@ENTERPRISE.MAA.ORG],
> partially because a debate brewing in my
> department has motivated me to seek some other opinions.
>
> Who should teach developmental courses?
In the best of all possible worlds, only those who WANT to would teach
developmental courses. I would certainly hope no-one who looks upon those
students as undeserving of being in college would be permitted to teach them.
> Should there be separate faculty to teach developmental courses, or is it a
> department responsibility?
That is a tough question! I've heard that in some teaching colleges and
community colleges, the regular faculty usually "share the burden" and have
part of their teaching duties in developmental courses. The disadvantage is
that not everyone is good enough to teach those courses well. Other places
shift the courses to a department of developmental education or a learning
skills center, which often works well except for possible problems when
students finally make it to the college math courses [there's often a vast
difference in teaching cultures between developmental educators and
mathematicians].
> Should a department hire people full-time,
> tenure-track, to teach only developmental courses?
I would say yes, BUT ONLY if the new hire is not perceived as a second-class
citizen. You also need to make allowances for different kinds of professional
activity and even some regular course-releases for administrative and/or
curriculum development duties above and beyond what is usual. You need to
keep the developmental educator fresher and more excited about teaching than
anybody else, so they'll need that time for renewal.
> How do you react to something like this ...
>
> ***
> You've got a Ph.D. in Mathematics. Would you accept a job with these
> teaching responsibilities?:
>
> Teaching Responsibilities: pre-calculus courses only,
> including pre-algebra, intermediate algebra, college algebra, and
> trigonometry. 12 credit hours per semester. You will also provide
> leadership in developing these courses.
>
> Other Responsibilities: student advising, department service, and
> professional development.
> ***
My reaction is a shudder and a grimace. With the awful job market, you'll get
plenty of people desperate for jobs applying for the position, but how many
people go for a Ph.D. in pure mathematics in order to teach such courses? And
what kind of professional training and development would they have received in
their doctoral program to prepare them for this kind of teaching and
leadership in curriculum development? CLEARLY, YOU NEED TO HIRE A PH.D. IN
MATHEMATICS EDUCATION to have a real chance of getting the kind of person who
would thrive in this job. They're already cognizant of many of the
educational issues and solutions that have been tried, and they are already
trained to do the kind of education-related scholarship and professional
development that should be coming from someone who is immersed in a
developmental education program. At the very least, open the job to both
mathematicians and mathematics educators. I would also put in two very
important incentives: 1) 3 credits release each year, for curriculum
development and administrative duties, and 2) option to teach one calculus (or
other non-developmental) course per year, for the change of pace and feeling
of being less "walled off" and segregated from the other faculty.
> There are other questions I could ask, but I'd like to hear some
> reactions. A little background: I work at a school whose first
> emphasis is undergraduate education.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Ed Aboufadel
If I've offended with my rather loud statements, I apologize. In any case,
thanks for giving me the opportunity to rant a little bit.
-- Gideon Weinstein American University Department of Mathematics and Statistics202 885 3042, fax 3155
gideon@american.edu http://gurukul.american.edu/gideon/ **************************************************************************** * To post to the list: email mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu * * To unsubscribe, send mail to: majordomo@archives.math.utk.edu * * In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: unsubscribe mathedcc * * Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed! * * Archives at http://archives.math.utk.edu/hypermail/mathedcc/ * ****************************************************************************