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Educating in Fractal Patterns: Exercises in Introspective Reflection

Ed Nuhfer
,
Idaho State University
Author Profile

Summary

This activity is an exercise in helping faculty to access portions of their own affective choices that led them into their discipline and career of teaching. Faculty are most successful when they do what they most want to do, but most have never had the conversation with themselves needed to define this.

Affective Domain Components

What type of affective domain challenges does this activity seek to address?

Choices and actions that are life-changing

Please describe the strategies used in your activity that address the challenges listed above.

Examine origins of values and actions

Do you have results or evidence that the strategies used in this activity have been successful in addressing the affective challenges listed above? If so, please describe them here.

Yes--about ten years of Boot Camp for Profs??? in which hundreds of professors have used this exercise as a prelude to drafting of a formal teaching philosophy.

Context

Audience:

This is for professors rather than students

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered:

How the activity is situated in the course:

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity:

Focus efforts on what you most want to do

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity:

Self-assessment, which is associated with the higher Perry and Reflective Judgment levels of thinking. Self-assessment is the signature of Alverno College, which is one of the nation's premiere undergraduate colleges.

Other skills goals for this activity:

Directed at knowing oneself so that choices center on that outcome.

Description of the activity/assignment

Introspection exercise - metacognitive engagement with self

Determining whether students have met the goals

This is a shorter version of a preparatory exercise to a proprietary program that is a week-long faculty development retreat, founded in 1993.

More information about assessment tools and techniques.

Download teaching materials and tips

Other Materials

Supporting references/URLs

Nuhfer, E. B., 2003, Developing in fractal patterns I: Moving beyond diagnoses, evaluations and fixes: National Teaching and Learning Forum, v. 12, n. 2, pp. 7-9.

Nuhfer, E. B., 2003, Developing in fractal patterns II: A tour of the generator: National Teaching and Learning Forum, v. 12, n. 4, pp. 9-11.

Nuhfer, E. B., 2004, Aikido, faculty development and teaching: Systems in Harmony: Educating in Fractal Patterns VIII: National Teaching and Learning Forum, v. 13, n. 5, pp. 9-11.

Nuhfer, E. B., 2004, Fractal Thoughts on the Forbidden Affective in Teaching Evaluation & High Level Thinking: Educating in Fractal Patterns X: National Teaching and Learning Forum, v. 14, n. 1, pp. 9-11.

Nuhfer, E. B., 2005c, De Bono's Red Hat on Krathwohl's Head: Irrational Means to Rational Ends- More Fractal Thoughts on the Forbidden Affective: Educating in Fractal Patterns XIII: National Teaching and Learning Forum, v. 14, n. 5, pp. 7-11.

Nuhfer, E. B., and Adkison, S., 2003, Developing in Fractal Patterns IV: Unit Level Development -Teaching Philosophies at the Unit Level: National Teaching and Learning Forum, v. 12, n. 6, pp. 4-7.

Nuhfer, E. B., Krest, M., and Handelsman, M., 2003, Developing in Fractal Patterns III: A Guide for Composing Teaching Philosophies: National Teaching and Learning Forum, v. 12, n. 5, pp. 10-11.

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