Voelker, Martin report that UW System faculty-development effort pays off

Associate Profs. David Voelker (Humanistic Studies and History) and Ryan Martin (Human Development and Psychology) are the authors of a major study evaluating the impact of the decade-old Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars program. The program is the signature professional development offering of the UW System’s Office of Professional and Instructional Development (OPID).

For their report, the two surveyed and interviewed nearly 150 former participants as to how the program has affected their own careers as well as their students, institutions, and fields. A striking 96 percent of former Fellows and Scholars reported a positive impact, with 38 percent describing it as a “major impact” and one-fifth reporting a “transformational positive impact.” Many participants commented on how the program helped them move toward student-centered teaching and improved assessments. A significant majority — 62% of participants — reported that they had published articles, essays, book chapters or books on teaching and learning.

Voelker and Martin shared their results at a major national conference earlier this fall; the report is now being publicized around the UW System. It can be accessed as a link off the OPID website at www.uwsa.edu/opid/index.htm.