What is an Endowed Faculty Chair?

 

Endowed Faculty Chairs provide an opportunity for selected faculty to undertake professional development projects in their disciplines or in instructional pedagogy through writing, preparing and presenting a special lecture, conducting research, or pursuing other opportunities. The emphasis is on personal and professional growth and is separate from assigned duties, routine work or service to the department (read more).

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What was the proposed title of this Endowed Faculty Chair Award project?

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The proposed title of this Endowed Faculty Chair Award project was, "From Policy to Final Grade: Implementing

Competency-Based Language Teaching in Institutions of Higher Learning."

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What was the proposed abstract of this Endowed Faculty Chair Award project?

 

Language students may pass a class, having demonstrated conceptual knowledge or course content, but may still lack the underlying language proficiency needed for subsequent coursework, possibly derailing students, devastatingly, from their path to success. This project will support our English Language Acquisition (ELA) learners at Kirkwood by developing an alternative proficiency- or competency- based model to address student readiness. Other models emphasize, for example, traditional grading structures or testing of concepts and isolated skills. The CBLT model will

center on developing students’ overall language ability, a shift to knowing and doing. It will steer current policy, instruction, assessment, and grading so that learners are more competent and capable, maximizing their success within

ELA and their major coursework. Once the new model is designed, documents to assist instructors will be created and published, guiding language instructors at Kirkwood and other institutions of higher learning.

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What work was completed for this Endowed Faculty Chair Award project?

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To view a list of work completed specifically for this project, click the following link:

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