University of Wisconsin–Madison

Author: klgrant2

Exploring the Use of the Teaching Dimensions Observation Protocol to Develop Fine-Grained Measures of Interactive Teaching in Undergraduate Science Classrooms

Author: Matthew T. Hora October 2013, 34 pp. Abstract: Detailed accounts of teaching are important in order to shed light on instructional practice, yet few data exist that describe how undergraduate science classes are taught. Current approaches are also limited in their reliance on binary categorizations of teaching (i.e., lecturing versus interactive teaching). In this …

Tool to Evaluate Language Complexity of Test Items

Authors: H. Gary Cook, Rita MacDonald July 2013, 44 pp. Abstract: This working paper describes a language complexity rubric and provides a description and sample rating materials for that rubric. Together, these items comprise a method, or tool, for evaluating the language complexity of academic content achievement test items. This tool aims to inform educators, …

Online Instruction Hyper Textbook as Personal Environment

Authors: Francois Victor Tochon, A. Cendel Karaman, Celile Eren Ökten June 2013, 34 pp. Abstract: This paper focuses on creating an instructional hyper textbook that serves as a personal environment for learning a less-commonly taught language. The study aims to raise awareness of how digital personal learning environments can be used alongside more formal learning …

Collaborating with States on Professional Development Planning

Authors: Daniella Molle, Christy Reveles May 2013, 25 pp. Abstract: This study investigated a 2012 coaching process in which state educational representatives (SEAs) from six states were coached by staff from the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) consortium. The project aimed to improve the quality of the professional development states offer their educators. The …

Exploring the Dynamics of Organizational Learning: How an Instructional Reform Effort Influenced Teaching-Related Organizational Memory Processes

Authors: Matthew T. Hora, Anne-Barrie Hunter April 2013, 24 pp. Abstract: Widely used in the organizational sciences, “organizational learning” is a theoretical framework that refers to the processes whereby organizations change and evolve over time in light of new information. A particularly important feature of this process is how organizations encode, store, and retrieve information …

A Review of Classroom Observation Techniques Used in Postsecondary Settings

Authors: Matthew T. Hora, Joseph J. Ferrare February 2013, 17 pp. Abstract: Classroom observation is a method of directly observing teaching practice as it unfolds in real time, with the observer or analyst taking notes and/or coding instructional behaviors in the classroom or from videoed lessons. In postsecondary settings, instruments for conducting classroom observations are …

The Role of Cognitive Validity Testing to Understand Leadership Practice in the Development of CALL, the Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning

Authors: Mark H. Blitz, Jason Salisbury December 2012, 18 pp. Abstract: The Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) is an online task-based assessment of distributed instructional leadership. In Year 2 of a 4-year grant, CALL researchers piloted the survey in six schools in Wisconsin in order to test and refine the survey instrument. Through …

Value-Added Measurement: What It Is and Is Not

Whether we’re measuring teacher skills or school performance, value-added evaluation continues to shape our definition of successful education. According to researchers at the Value-Added Research Center (VARC) at UW–Madison, a value-added model is simply a statistical formula that estimates the contribution of schools, classrooms, teachers, and other educational factors to student achievement. What makes value-added …

A Situative Analysis of the Relationship Between Faculty Beliefs and Teaching Practice: Implications for Instructional Improvement at the Postsecondary Level

Author: Matthew T. Hora October 2012, 35 pp. Abstract: This exploratory study investigates the relationship between faculty beliefs and teaching, focusing on the role of cognitive and organizational factors in mediating this dynamic. Interviews and observations with 56 science and math faculty are analyzed using thematic and cluster analysis techniques. Results indicate that faculty hold …

Teaching the Way They Were Taught? Revisiting the Sources of Teaching Knowledge and the Role of Prior Experience in Shaping Faculty Teaching Practice

Authors: Amanda Oleson, Matthew T. Hora September 2012, 26 pp. Abstract: Little is known about the origins of faculty knowledge for teaching. In this exploratory study, we interviewed and observed 53 faculty, finding that faculty not only “teach the way they were taught” but also draw on knowledge derived from their experiences as researchers, instructors, …