Faculty Excellence at UMUC

Interviewer:

Please tell us about yourself—what made you decide to teach at UMUC? What kind of work do you do when you are not teaching at UMUC? Are there any life experiences that have influenced your teaching at UMUC? If so, please share one story.

Carol Dolan:

My first experience with UMUC began as a 2 year ‘working travelogue' in the Asia Division, after 6 years of grad school and a 3 year intense post-doctoral research position. Within a couple of weeks into my 1st term at Clark Air base, I knew it was more than that. UMUC was not just my job, it would be my avocation. After a 7 year hiatus in the U.S., I returned to UMUC in Europe in 1997, once again seeking the intensity, the variety, and the challenges of living overseas and teaching psychology to our unique population.

In the years since my first teaching assignment as a graduate student, I have taught at several colleges and universities in the US. I have also worked in a variety of research settings. Some of these positions include: 1) post-doctoral fellowship with a high-powered research group well known for work in cardiovascular psychophysiology, 2) project manager of statistics and evaluation for state government funded Public Health programs, 3) senior researcher in a public opinion survey and market research firm, and 4) research scientist conducting investigations into the physical and psychological health of U.S. Army soldiers with Walter Reed Medical Research Institute. Even while I was working at these organizations, I couldn't wait to get back into the classroom. What I learned in the research world was so very relevant to the teaching of psychology. With lots of concrete examples (and some funny behind-the-scenes stories!) I feel that students can gain a better understanding of the entire process, from initial formulation of a research question to data collection and analysis, to interpretation and publication of results. I find that students tend to filter new information coming in by what they already know and have experienced. I try to offer lots of examples from my own varied experiences, and encourage students to apply the concepts and theories of psychology to their own lives. I guess you could say that all of my life experiences influence my teaching!

Interviewer:

How would you describe your teaching style or philosophy? What experiences or person(s) have influenced your style or philosophy?

Carol Dolan:

The first psychology course I ever taught was in 1982. I had earned my Masters degree and had just entered the Ph.D. program. To this day, I remember my initial terror as I entered a lecture hall with 57 students staring at me. But that initial fright subsided to where I can also remember vividly the first time they laughed at a topic-related joke, and those students who asked lots of questions. In that 16- week term, I put my education, enthusiasm and experience (which was quite limited at the start!) out there for the students, and didn't look back. Since then, the 3 E's (Education, Experience and Enthusiasm) have been my guides.
Education: The more I teach, the more I learn.
It's nice to be the subject matter expert, the one with the Ph.D. However, I am happy to say that I really don't know much at all! I think one aspect of my teaching that is compelling to students is not only that I have a great deal of knowledge and experience in the field of psychology, but that I am always learning more! In addition to research experience, taking courses and keeping current in the literature, I am constantly learning from students. One of my favorite projects to assign and especially to read and evaluate in Introductory Psychology is called Psychology in the News. Students find an amazing array of recent news articles in the popular press that highlight recent psychological research, they then summarize and make connections to material we have covered in the course. Upper level students find current research articles to review, and have opportunities for writing research proposals. I enjoy these assignments, as each student brings in to the work their own way of perceiving and interpreting the world that brings meaning to the scholarly side of the science of psychology.
Experience: I love to apply the knowledge.

Enthusiasm: I really love this stuff! As I tell the Introductory students, I LOVE psychology, and in my teaching, I want very much for them to love it too. A handful of these students may go on to be Psych majors, a smaller number continue on to graduate school, but the for the majority of Introductory students, this may be the only Psychology course they ever take. I feel strongly about offering them a solid, research based course, but one that also helps them understand something about themselves and others or impels them to ask questions and think more critically about human behavior. I have taught some courses dozens of times, but always bring with me into the classroom a great deal of energy, some good examples of what we are studying, and the expectation that students will find psychology as interesting as I do!!

During the past 4 years, I have been teaching online. I think it has challenged me in new ways and has made my face-to-face teaching even better. I was resistant to online teaching at first, convinced that I could not develop rapport and enjoy the energy of the classroom. I am glad to be wrong on this! I really enjoy teaching online, and I think my enthusiasm and humor (even though typed!) still get across cyberspace! As we have witnessed recently, the notion of the 'traditional' student in higher education has changed dramatically, and I believe that the online environment can be shaped to both meet the needs of today's students and offer them excellent classroom experiences. I continuously change my online classroom such that I incorporate techniques I have learned in faculty development workshops. I regularly update the classroom's webliographies and research-related readings, and I spend a great deal of time getting to know the online students, by having their names, locations and biographies incorporated into my desktop roster document. The rapport and energy in the face-to-face classroom is there online too!

Interviewer:

Please explain if you do something special or unique in your teaching and what made you develop this.

Carol Dolan:

I teach Introductory Psychology in a slightly more formal manner, lecture-style, with podium and audiovisual aids such as slides and video. In order to cover the course objectives, the pace is fast, the material is dense. But, having said that, I try very hard to respond to the student's needs. There have been times in which students do not have strong academic skills and are not too well-prepared. I try to offer quizzes and homework assignments that keep students from getting too far behind, help them learn the terminology and work on study skills. For upper-level psychology courses, the delivery is more relaxed, with lots of discussion and questions, examples from research, films when pertinent, and guest experts invited to class when available. One very important element in my teaching style involves providing feedback on student work. I try to return exams to students during the next class meeting (face-to-face) or within 5 days (DE). For all courses, I offer the R&R option: to Revise and Resubmit the first writing assignment after I have evaluated it. That 1st paper gets a particularly thorough review with very specific suggestions for revisions in not only content and style, but grammar and spelling as well. While students are strongly encouraged to R&R if their first attempt was well below average, many B+ students take advantage of the option to R&R, in order to fine tune their written work, and make the few improvements needed for A level work! The act of taking in constructive advice and making the changes to their work provides students a more valuable learning opportunity than a quick glance at the grade on the top and a prompt delivery to the dustbin! I, too, use feedback from both Course Evaluations and directly from students to make changes and improvements in my courses.

Interviewer:

What do you think it is about your teaching style that appeals to students?

Carol Dolan:

I think it is my sense of humor. It's not that I am reading from some psychology joke book, but that I have a style that delivers relevant and humorous examples of often difficult psychology concepts. Not only does humor improve mood, which in turn enhances memory, but it is clear feedback for me that students are actively listening! I think it also lets students know that I am an approachable, warm person who sees the humor in the human experience. I use humor judiciously to enhance the learning experience without detracting from the course content.

Interviewer:

Do you teach face-to-face, online, or both? Do you have a preference between teaching face-to-face and online? If so, please explain.

Carol Dolan:

I teach both face-to-face and online classes. There are some advantages and disadvantages to both. Face to face offers immediate feedback for me on how students are doing, provides the setting for quick rapport, and I feel it is easier to use humor in the classroom. However, I find that the participation of the online students is better — they have time to prepare and think about issues before they type! I have developed good rapport with online students as well. While I can't see the facial expressions, there are ways to 'see' whether or not they get it!

Interviewer:

Please tell us about your chosen discipline-i.e., what made you interested in the area initially? What do you do to stay current in your discipline? What do you like best about teaching in your discipline?

Carol Dolan:

I took my first class in psychology in spring 1976 and fell in love! Human behavior! What could be more interesting? Since then, I have learned more and more, tried various applications, and I am now working toward a MA in counseling. It is still as interesting now as it was 30 years ago!
I stay current in my field by reading journals, e-lists in the subfields that interest me, and Web sites like ScienceDaily and PsychDaily. Also, preparing projects and assignments for my classes and now taking classes also helps me to stay current.

I keep using the word "enthusiasm" — and I guess that's it. I love teaching about psychology — I love the way students respond and think about psychological theory, concepts, and applications.

Interviewer:

What is the most challenging to you in teaching in this area? What teaching strategy do you use when you encounter the challenge? Are there any special challenges in teaching this subject matter online? If yes, please explain what could be done to meet the challenges.

Carol Dolan:

Working with students with poor communication skills is the most challenging. Given our student population and minimal entrance requirements, I am well aware that students do not all have the same level of skills. I make it clear that I will be teaching at a university level and expect university level work from them. I will gladly work with a student who is putting forth effort. I give them the opportunity to revise and resubmit assignments after receiving feedback from me. I refer them to tutors or remedial programs that are available on most military bases.

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to students who are interested in majoring or working in your discipline?

Carol Dolan:

I would urge students not to fear statistics and research methods, as it is the heart of today's psychology, and to embrace the brain, as it is the future of psychology!

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the college of choice for students?

Carol Dolan:

In the military community, UMUC offers both online and onsite courses for the Associates and the Bachelors. While we don't offer everything, there is a great opportunity for military members (and spouses) to work on their college degree.

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the employer of choice for future faculty members?

Carol Dolan:

I think that UMUC's reputation speaks for itself here as well.

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to new faculty who are interested in teaching in your discipline at UMUC?

Carol Dolan:

Be willing to be VERY flexible with and to get to know and understand the specific needs of our unique student population.