David Changnon
Murali Krishnamurthi
Mona Salmon
Greg Long
Jenny Parker
Keith Millis
Laura Vazquez
Mary Pritchard
Nancy Castle
Lucy Townsend
Lemetra Curry
Desiree Matel-Anderson
Harold Wright
Reminder: The survey on NIU’s campus experience is coming Feb. 11.
by Mark McGowan
Like all parents, David Changnon looks at his child and glimpses the future.
In 11-year-old Ben, Changnon sees a bright boy who already has decided to attend the university where his father is a professor of meteorology. And, like any anxious parent, Changnon wonders about what foundation Ben will have when he graduates in 2018 and takes on the world of work.
“Our kids, 10 and 20 years from now, are going to be out there, prepared and ready for a very different world than when we left college,” Changnon says. “What kind of tools are they going to need?”
Such questions fascinate Changnon, chair of the Task Force on Curricular Innovation.
His group is exploring ideas to improve teaching at NIU in ways that will keep courses current and engaging to best promote student learning. They’re also examining proposals such as the “themed year” and programs such as capstone experiences and general education.
So far, he says, the group members have thought “big” with no limitations. Their brainstorming sessions have been comfortable and relaxed, he says, and faculty from various colleges have lowered their guards for honest and “outside the box” conversations about effective teaching.
This week, however, they will begin to narrow their thoughts to identify clear goals along with initiatives that could create those results and the champions who will carry them through.
President John Peters, Provost Ray Alden and the various task forces will set the ball in motion, he says, but others will need to keep it rolling.
“I’m not the only faculty member who loves this place, wants it to be successful and wants the students to be successful. But it’s not about me. It’s about everyone. It’s about the students, and moving their learning forward,” he says. “I take this personally. It’s been fun to be a facilitator of this. It’s been a great experience. But I’m only as successful as the whole group. The success of this is measured by what the group wants to put into this.”
Changnon, 47, came to NIU in 1992 without any experience in teaching.
He had earned a Ph.D. from Colorado State University in 1991 and, like many of his classmates, embarked on a career in research. He was hired by the Southeast Regional Climate Center in Columbia, S.C., but realized quickly he wouldn’t stay there long. The position entailed managing researchers rather than conducting research; Changnon, who was young and eager, figured that was a job for someone twice his age.
When he heard of an opening at NIU, he applied. Based partly on his strong communication skills and his research and teaching interests in climatology, an offer was made and accepted.
A few years later, Changnon realized he was a natural in front of the classroom. “God’s given me the talents,” he says.
But was he effective? Were students advancing in their learning? He wasn’t so sure.
The uncertainty inspired Changnon to serve on various curriculum review committees and to learn about program assessment. He forced himself to reflect on his own teaching – on his lectures, his classroom activities, his presentation style – and to determine whether students were leaving with not only knowledge of the content but with critical thinking skills as well.
“I have a passion for doing things well. I want to participate,” he says. “There are a lot of people who want to sit on their hands and watch life go by, but I can’t do that. I want to give back.”
When Alden needed a leader for the task force, Changnon seemed a natural.
“We were looking for a faculty member who knew about curriculum, particularly undergraduate, and was really dedicated to looking at those sorts of issues,” Alden said. “David has always been heavily involved in undergraduate education and served a long time on the general education committee.”
Changnon illustrates the task force’s process with his coffee mug, which reads: “Those who can, do. Those who can do more, teach.”
He moves it from one corner of his desk onto his large blotter calendar – “You’ve got to be able to walk away and look from a different perspective,” he says – and later turns the mug 180 degrees as if to view yet another angle.
Consider general education, for example. Its last overhaul occurred in the early 1980s, he says, and the goals were modified about a decade later. What goals should NIU have for general education now? Are they successful? What do we want general education to become? How do we make sure it continues to thrive in the future?
Or what about capstone experiences? Not all departments require them, he says, but should they? Changnon submits that faculty need not limit capstones to research projects, suggesting that internships, study abroad and special classroom presentations all could fill that requirement.
And how should NIU “put all the pieces together” for its students so that they graduate with good oral and written communication skills, critical thinking skills and a solid grasp of the importance of citizenship, diversity and multidisciplinary philosophies?
NIU has “great teachers,” he says, but should professors occasionally visit other classes to watch their colleagues teach? Perhaps the university should launch a “master teachers” institute, he says: “We should all want to be master teachers. That might be a heck of a goal.”
Some companies are spending as many as two years providing skill sets for success to their newly hired college graduates, according to a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article. Colleges and universities need to fix that, he says.
“We’re at a critical juncture in higher education. Big changes are coming. We have to adjust what we do to keep up,” Changnon says. “I don’t care if you’re a parent, a husband or a teacher: If you don’t become reflective about where you are, what you’re doing and how you can improve, you’re missing the boat.”
For Changnon, reflection on his teaching efficacy is both a constant and a “moving target.” He now can say with confidence that he’s a good teacher.
“Ten years ago, no. At this point in my life, I’d say yeah,” he says. “I try to mix content with a lot of application and relate it with how they live their lives. I try to put the student first as much as I can, and I try to put myself in their shoes. We can all learn from each other. That’s one of the great joys in life.”