KVCC Faculty Orientation Manual Online
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Academics (Teaching Excellence): Best Practice

Best Practice in teaching is actually somewhat hard to define! The connection between research which would look at the effectiveness of teaching methodology and actual learning results is relatively scarce (when compared to other analyses of psychological processes).


We have a tendancy to teach in the manner that we were taught...much as we raise our kids, for the most part, using the same methods that our parents used to raise us (for better or worse!)

Best Practice in teaching centers around the process of self-analysis as an instructor. We want our teaching to be deliberate and goal-oriented and we should develop practices that help us determine if the methods we are using are actually bringing about the results we want.

We have a tendancy to believe that the failure of a student is due to a lack of effort on the part of the student, or simply, that the material is beyond the capacity of the student to learn. The fact is that learning is a "two way process", an interaction between the teacher and the student.

It remains important to determine how effective your methods are. This assessment procedure is usually a part of the overall KVCC institutional assessment process and you may be asked to engage in activities that look at teaching methodology and effectiveness.

The role of the teacher is to be open to a critical analysis of their own teaching methods and practices, a willingness to replace ineffective practices, and a desire to learn more about the art and science of instruction.