Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Having spent over twenty-years as an information systems practitioner, I have chosen to pursue an academic career to prepare the next generation of practitioners through teaching and research. To me, teaching is best understood as what I do to provide an atmosphere in which my students can learn. I believe that it is my responsibility to appropriately curate the classroom with a variety of pedagogic activities, e.g. lectures, online discussions, group projects, guest speakers, etc.; such curation is unique for each collection of students. Further, it is each of my student’s responsibility to learn, e.g. attend and participate in classes, study, seek assistance and clarification, integrate knowledge, etc.

As a teacher, I combine my professional experience with knowledge of each subject. While it is important to accurately and meaningfully convey this knowledge, I believe it is more important to spark each student’s problem-solving, critical-thinking, and communication skills because I believe that these are the foundation of a successful professional career. To achieve this goal, I incorporate various activities, as appropriate, including an open-ended question at the start of each class that is taken from current issues of professional magazines and journals, an online discussion on the submitted answers to these questions, student team presentations on a topic (assigned in undergraduate classes, self-selected in graduate classes) during each class, an individual project with a class presentation, and a group problem-solving problem for the end of class assessment. Further, I encourage open discussion during class on topics of interest to the students. These discussions have covered a broad spectrum including emerging technologies and career planning.

Since 1987 when Chickering and Gamson published the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education in the American Association of Higher Education Bulletin, the objective of effective teaching is characterized as

• encouraging student-faculty contact;
• encouraging cooperation among students;
• encouraging active learning;
• giving prompt feedback;
• emphasizing time-on-task;
• communicating high expectations; and
• respecting diverse talents and ways of learning.

This framework is a foundation to my approach to undergraduate and graduate coursework. Further, my experience with using technology in the classroom corroborates Ritter and Lemke’s findings in the Journal of Geography in Higher Education that the internet facilitates the Chickering and Gamson framework. In basing my teaching on the Chikering and Gamson framework and emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication, I judge my success with each student on setting them on the path of life-long inquiry and learning, which I believe is critical to a successful career in the fast-changing technology professions.

Yet, my teaching philosophy is not limited to the classroom, it encompasses the student’s holistic education. I believe that a teacher needs to respect each student and contribute to the success of their academic journey. Therefore, I contribute to developing a positive, enriching, and supportive environment within the institution itself. In this way, students are immersed in an environment that is a catalyst for their growth, discovery, and ultimate excellence. By providing a safe nurturing environment, students excel:  by feeling safe to take risks, students gain confidence; by feeling encouraged to follow their unique interests, students learn more deeply; and by feeling they are respected members of a team, students realize their potential.