The Ripple Effect: Lessons from a Research and Teaching Faculty Learning Community

Building upon a related 2005 panel presentation at the 25th annual Lilly Conference on College Teaching, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, the authors, several tenure-track assistant professors and tenured associate professors who have participated in a Research and Teaching Faculty Learning Community at Bowling Green State University, share their experiences implementing innovative teaching strategies that they received support for as part of their learning community experience. Each pedagogical approach addressed the participants' perceived inefficiencies in teaching preparation during the "publish or perish" period of their careers. Perhaps the most inspiring and shared concept is what the authors call the "ripple effect": identifying ways to teach more efficiently not only strengthened their research agendas, but also led to more effective teaching.