Teaching Philosophy Courses Taught Teaching Philosophy A teacher's ultimate goal is to improve the decision-making process of each student he encounters. A teacher trains students to be skeptical. A teacher encourages students to question. A teacher provides students with new perspectives. A teacher mandates objective not subjective decisions. In short, a teacher should stimulate creative thinking. You never stop paying for an education that teaches information, but you never stop reaping rewards from an education that teaches thinking!! The process of effective teaching has several important steps. First, an effective teacher must be enthusiastic about the course material. Learning requires work and is fraught with anxious moments. Only an excited teacher can effectively motivate students to overcome these hurdles and see the value in their education. Enthusiasm also includes working with students: "It's you and I versus the material." A teacher is one of the best, if not the best, learning resource the students have. I encourage students to borrow from my experience and expertise to overcome any obstacles they face. Secondly, an effective teacher must foster an environment of active learning. I teach in a manner that allows my students to lead themselves to correct conclusions. I frequently ask questions such as "Why?" or "So what?" or "Now what?" Although students need not agree with my opinion, I insist that their responses be grounded in facts and cognitive analysis. If a student is hesitant to respond or responds incorrectly, I backtrack in the thought process until they are comfortable enough with the material to again move forward towards the original question. I also try to remember that the answer could be "It depends" or "Maybe", not because there was no correct answer but because students needed to become aware of what to look at, what to discuss, what to analyze, before a final decision could be made. In addition, I foster active learning by offering opportunities for students to use what they learn. The benefits of student research have prompted me to include a research component in each of my courses and to spend extensive time doing independent study/research projects. Once exposed to research most students ask for more. Students are encouraged to present their projects to the class, to other classes, to the Penn State Erie Undergraduate Research Conference, and/or to the National Conference for Undergraduate Research. I feel fortunate to have been associated with a first place presenter at each of the last two PSU Erie conferences. Some student efforts have resulted in co-authored professional conference presentations and journal articles. The process of scholarly exploration and discovery enriches student learning in many ways: Students come to appreciate the need for objective analysis of issues - in their personal, academic, and professional lives. Students understand that textbook "information" is not just author opinions but the result of diverse scientific inquiries. Student inquiry is enhanced. Students question old ideas and seek to create new ideas. Learning becomes a natural and celebrated pursuit. Students are better able to find information necessary to address their questions. Student self-esteem is elevated. They exude confidence as they prepare for job interviews, or prepare to enter graduate or professional schools, etc. Student placement is enhanced. A student portfolio of research activities often impresses interviewers (i.e. "We never did that where I was a student") Effective teaching is a process of continuous improvement. I believe that faculty should strive to improve their teaching by constantly introducing and assessing new methods of instruction. Each time I teach a course I introduce new or different instructional techniques. Yet change, in and of itself, is not enough. Assessment must accompany all innovations in teaching. One must integrate aspects of learning theory, the characteristics of the audience, and the characteristics of the classroom innovation to measure the benefits and costs of change. I have seen many faculty implement instructional techniques simply because they become enamored with the technological basis or the complexity of the innovation. However, such decisions can be in clear contrast to what appropriate assessment tells us. For example, computer aided instruction (CAI) was sold as the panacea for economics instruction throughout the 1980s. The available software and hardware were unique and often fascinating. Nevertheless, CAI yielded no significant increases in student learning. In contrast, the simple and relatively cost-free use of 3-minute reaction papers done at the end of each class meeting brought huge dividends in student learning. Finally, I believe an environment of high, yet fair standards will challenge students, and it is the response to this challenge that promotes the most learning. Although cliché, students compete for jobs in a global market so classes must maintain or exceed international standards. To this end, I design my exams to be rigorous and application-oriented. Students are asked to apply concepts in solving problems. Students must comprehend not just memorize the material. Effective teachers maintain academic rigor. Courses Taught ECNS 450: Managerial Economics ECNS 485: Econometric Techniques ECNS 497A: Special Topics ECNS 501: Managerial Economics ECON 002: Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy PSU 007B: Behrend First-Year Seminar * Syllabi are only available online for four semesters. Visit the School of Business for copies of others.