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.

Margo Coleman:

In 2002, I became interested in living and working overseas.  Prior to working at UMUC, I had taught for several universities in the United States and loved the experience. Several friends who taught for UMUC, both in the Europe and Asia Divisions, suggested that I apply to teach in one of the overseas divisions. I started with UMUC-Europe in March 2003 with the intention of staying for one year and have been teaching full-time in Germany ever since.

As a Collegiate Professor, my full-time job is teaching classes for UMUC-Europe. In addition to teaching classes, I serve as the psychology faculty peer, Co-Faculty Advisor- Europe for UMUC’s chapter of Psi Chi (International Honor Society in Psychology), and am an At-Large Member of the Faculty Advisory Council. I also regularly give presentations at national, international, and military behavioral sciences conferences and write papers for publication.

As a child, I was fortunate to attend schools that utilized experimental teaching methods. While in elementary school, my classes contained students from multiple age and grade levels representing a wide range of skills, abilities, and learning styles. In order to successfully teach such a heterogeneous group of students, the teachers developed a number of techniques that utilized visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities. These hands-on, interactive techniques were creative and fun. For instance, when I was in the sixth grade (in a class with fourth through sixth graders), we learned about ancient Egypt. As part of the experience, we learned about the mummification process. First, we read and talked about the mummification process. We then mummified an actual chicken using melted resin and linen strips and went to other classrooms to demonstrate the process. Finally, we saw an exhibit on ancient Egypt at the Smithsonian and wrote a paper about the entire process. These methods were so effective that I still remember how to mummify a chicken. They also built important skills in critical thinking and oral and written communication. Most importantly, my teachers and their techniques have served as an inspiration to me regarding how to effectively teach psychology concepts to students with varying skills, abilities, and learning styles.

Interviewer:

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

Margo Coleman:

My teaching style involves a multimodal (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic), hands-on, interactive, and creative approach that takes into account different learning styles. I also make it very applicable to students' own life experiences, since we tend to remember information that has personal relevance best. Most importantly, I believe that learning should be fun. I have incorporated all of these aspects into a variety of exercises that I use to teach complex psychological concepts. For instance, when I teach sampling methods in psychological research, I have students sample fun size packages of M&Ms to determine whether the candy colors are accurately represented. In Sensation and Perception, students watch Speedy Gonzalez cartoons, which utilize Gestalt visual principles involved in perceived movement. In Adult Development and Aging, I have students complete a visual, auditory, and tactile sensory deprivation exercise, so that they can get a better understanding of the experiences of the elderly and other individuals who have sensory losses. Thus, students learn about psychological concepts in a variety of interactive ways that also utilize oral and written communication skills.

During my graduate training in clinical psychology, I specialized in the assessment and treatment of learning disabilities. As part of my training, I worked with children and adolescents with learning problems, as well as with their teachers and parents. I learned about ways to help teachers work with children with different learning styles and problems. These experiences, together with my own experiences as a student in schools with innovative teaching techniques, have influenced my teaching style. 

Interviewer:

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

Margo Coleman:

Since my teaching style is very interactive and addresses different learning styles, students find they are able to understand and apply complex psychological concepts. I break down complex concepts into manageable and easily understandable parts. I also utilize study guides and detailed guidelines and rubrics, so students have a clear understanding of course expectations. Finally, I think that learning should be enjoyable and therefore try to incorporate fun and interesting activities whenever possible.

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.

Margo Coleman:

I teach in face-to-face, online, hybrid, and individualized learner formats. I do not have a preference for any format. They each require different skills and abilities. I find myself challenged to develop effective ways of teaching in all modalities. I particularly enjoy teaching hybrid classes, which incorporate both face-to-face and online components.

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?

Margo Coleman:

I first became interested in psychology in the 9th grade, when I took a high school psychology class. The class was taught by a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student who was very enthusiastic and made the topic come to life. I loved the class and knew by the end of the first term that I wanted to be a child psychologist. I also took a second year high school psychology course with the same teacher, where instead of using a textbook we read the primary source works of individuals who were influential in the field of psychology, including Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. The teacher’s enthusiasm instilled in me a love of psychology and showed me how influential a teacher could be to a student’s choice of majors.

I attend conferences, read journal articles, and am on a number of discipline specific listservs that send out up-to-date information.

I love watching students learn that psychology is a rich and diverse field that involves almost every aspect of human and animal existence. Most students come into an introductory psychology course thinking that psychology is only about psychological disorders and therapy.

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 to teaching your discipline online?

Margo Coleman:

Students do not realize that psychology involves a tremendous amount of biology. Therefore, when I teach biological concepts, I utilize a number of techniques, including online brain and neuron tutorials, which demonstrate the concepts in a variety of modalities. 

Each course presents unique challenges. There is no one thing that can be done to meet the challenges of teaching psychology. 

Interviewer:

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

Margo Coleman:

Students will spend a lot of their time studying a particular topic area to earn their associates and/or bachelor’s degrees. Therefore it is important that students pick a major that they like so that they remain interested and motivated throughout their courses of study. Psychology is a very versatile major, since it can apply to many different types of jobs. For instance, a person who is interested in working in business needs to understand what motivates people.  

Interviewer:

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

Margo Coleman:

As an overseas faculty member, I will speak only about the overseas options. UMUC offers undergraduate face-to-face classes that are not available from other institutions. Students also have the option of including face-to-face courses, along with online and hybrid courses, in their course of study. Students can also take classes with any of UMUC’s divisions in a seamless manner. Thus, UMUC has the flexibility to meet the unique needs of our overseas students.

Interviewer:

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

Margo Coleman:

As an overseas faculty member, UMUC provides the opportunity to work and live abroad. In addition, because of its transfer policy, faculty have the opportunity to move among divisions when there are openings.

Interviewer:

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

Margo Coleman:

Be flexible and adaptive. Students in UMUC’s overseas divisions often experience unique challenges, such as deployments and temporary duty assignments, which require faculty to work closely with them so that they can successfully complete their coursework. Also, enroll in faculty development workshops and ask for a faculty mentor, who can provide useful suggestions and assistance in adapting to teaching in the overseas environment.