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Spring 2002 Courses - John R. Fisher, Ph.D. |
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Contact John Fisher <jfisher@boisestate.edu>
Phone 208-426-2450 |
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Educational philosophy
Carl Rogers reflected my feelings and experience about learning when he stated: "I have come to feel that the only learning which significantly influences behavior is self-discovered, self-appropriated learning. Such learning, … assimilated in experience, cannot be directly communicated to another." He further indicated that "significant learning is acquired through doing" (Barnes, pp. 122-123).
I provide my students detailed expectations supported by written examples. I encourage students to exceed these expectations and many do. I intersperse my instruction with frequent group and individual exercises. I find students pay attention only for so long and so I do not cover everything in class. Part of the time in class is spent explaining and discussing assignments. I believe students learn best by doing so I arrange for my students to do things, in and out of class.
Like Robert Kraft (Barnes, p. 124), I have found students like to work together in small groups. It provides them support and friendship. It allows them to discuss questions together, work on assignments together and prepare for exams together. Every class has a group assignment and part of the purpose of this assignment is to allow students to teach and explain the concepts being presented in the course. They learn by teaching others. I require students journal their group experience and I use those journals as part of my assessment. Part of the time I would normally spend lecturing in class, I set aside for group meetings.
I have authored a book, entitled A Manager's Guide to Listening and Problem Solving, for use in teaching and workshops. It is a good example of my approach to instruction and includes exercises and assignments I have used in teaching interviewing, listening, and management communications. For a better understanding of my philosophy, look at my course outlines and some of the supporting materials available on this webpage.
Reference:
Louis B. Barnes, C. Roland Christensen, and Abby J. Hansen. Teaching
and the Case Method: Text, Cases and Readings, 3rd edition. Boston:
Harvard Business School Press, 1994.