For those considering adopting team teaching, or interested in reviewing
their own practice, this book offers an over-view of this pedagogy, its
challenges and rewards, and a rich range of examples in which teachers
present and reflect upon their approaches.
The interaction of two teachers--both the intellectual interaction
involved in the design of the course, and the pedagogical interaction in
the teaching of the course--creates a dynamic environment that reflects
the way scholars make meaning of the world. The process naturally breaks
down the teacher-centered classroom by creating a scholarly community in
which teachers and students work together to understand important ideas,
and where students don't just learn content, but begin to understand how
knowledge is constructed, grasp the connections between disciplines as
well as their different perspectives, see greater coherence in the
curriculum, and appreciate how having more than one teacher in the
classroom leads naturally to dialogue and active learning.
Each of the five examples in this book shares the story of a course at a
different institution, and each is designed to reflect a number of
different variables in team-taught courses. They represent courses in a
variety of different disciplines, including the sciences, social
sciences, humanities, and the arts; and at a range of levels, from
first-year seminars to graduate courses. They also illustrate a number
of different models for instructional teams, such as faculty from the
same disciplines, from related disciplines, from two very different
disciplines, from different institutions, and one pairing of a faculty
member and a staff member.
This book provides insight into the impact of team teaching on student
learning and on faculty development. It also addresses the challenges,
both pedagogical an administrative, that need to be addressed for team
teaching to be effective.
