Review by: Schönwald, Ingrid (2004-06-30)

This paper aims at providing a conceptional framework that enables faculty development planners to better estimate the potential effectiveness of various strategies. The author is Associate Vice Chancellor for professional development and Associate Dean of the Faculties at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.

Current activities to help faculty adopt instructional technology are mainly based on a variety of limited assumptions, such as surveys of what faculty feel they need to learn about instructional technology, or literature on innovations and organisational change.

The author states that an understanding of how faculty grow in teaching is fundamental to the successful use of any approach. The underlying assumption is that faculty learn to teach by engaging in cycles similar to the steps in action research: planning a course of action, enacting their plans, observing the effects, and reflecting on the results for the purpose of informing a new cycle.

Developers of faculty development should consider when and under what conditions a given approach is likely to succeed in the respective environment. The author stresses the importance of providing support for faculty and conducting organisational development and faculty development interventions simultaneously to influence change in the environment as well as in individual practiceThe article suggests specific approaches for each of the four phases of the learning cycle (reflecting, planning, acting, and observing) in terms of developmental approaches and environmental support in each phase.

At the end, the article addresses implications for supporting faculty adoption of instructional technology and discusses specific efforts, such as mentoring and coaching.

Thus the article provides a theory-based conceptional framework as well as practical recommendations for faculty developers.