School of Education 2011-2012 Annual Faculty Assessment Jonathan Becker Assistant Professor Department of Educational Administration April 2012

Dr. Becker presented his 2011-2012 Final Activity Report and Narrative, copies of articles published and in-press, course outlines and student work, student course evaluations, and his 2012-2013 work plan. The materials for 2011-2012 are complete and provide good evidence for reviewing Dr. Becker's work and his contribution to the Department and School. This report covers a Spring and Fall 2011 for teaching and begins with the start of the academic year for the other categories. This timeframe is used because student evaluations for spring and summer were not available in time for last years annual feedback. Faculty members included projected activity through August 2012 in research and service. Demonstrated Quality in Teaching To examine Dr. Becker's teaching, I examined his narrative describing his teaching and student evaluations. I looked at his course constructions online, which is where they reside, and viewed student products online Jonathan taught 10 students in spring and 5 in the fall semester He is currently chairing 15 dissertations, which is where the majority of his teaching occurs. In addition, he is the methodologist in 7 other committees. Of the committees he chairs, three students will graduate this spring and two more are scheduled to defend dissertations this summer. Dr. Becker is the most innovative teacher in the department, trying things others don't and that students haven't experienced. His focus on their learning is exemplary and results in very mixed evaluations, primarily because he pushes them to construct their own learning agendas, with his guidance. His use of connectivist and constructivist learning is, unfortunately out of the ordinary for the students in our program, and some of them resist doing the work. Dr. Becker taught two online classes and much of the feedback and evaluation reflects student discomfort with online learning. For instance, in both classes students made comments that reflect their anxiety with online learning: Make real life connections with students Would have appreciated occasional face-to-face meeting to enrich the course Make things a bit more personable [Provide] opportunity to collaborate with classmates 1

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Dr. Becker taught 15 students and his response rate for the evaluations was 100%. Examining student evaluations of online courses to evaluations of face-to-face courses is somewhat troublesome for me. We dont have enough experience to know whether this is a fair comparison. Nevertheless, to examine Dr. Becker's student evaluation in relation to the evaluations of others on the faculty, I compared by program and total department averages. Students in both programs rate Dr. Becker's courses as more demanding than the overall program or department mean, with M.Ed./PMC students finding their course very demanding. On a scale from Never (1) to Almost Always (5), Dr. Becker was on the positive side (3 and above) on all items in his doctoral teachings and split on his M.Ed./PMC teaching. The mean of the combined ratings are all on the positive side. . Dr. Becker Student Evaluations All Courses Compared to Department All Program Averages Fall Spring 2011 2011 Department All Total ADMS ADMS Programs 647 707 Number of Students 5 10 15 NA Number of Evaluations 5 10 15 NA Demands of Class 4.6 4 4.3 3.51 Preparation 3.6 4.6 4.1 4.62 Availability 4.2 4.6 4.4 4.65 Returned Work Timely 2.4 4.2 3.3 4.63 Presented Course Material in 2.6 3.9 3.25 4.51 Organized Manner Materials Facilitated Learning 2.8 3.9 3.35 4.45 Teaching Techniques Helped 2.8 3.8 3.3 4.44 Learning Encouraged Participation and 4.0 4.8 4.4 4.84 Discussion Treated Students with Courtesy 2.4 4.8 3.6 4.54 and Respect Evaluative Criteria 2.2 4.2 3.2 4.54 Helped Understand 3.0 3.8 3.4 4.52 Professional Expectations Knowledge and Skills Increased 3.6 4.2 3.9 4.54 Students praised Dr. Becker for his availability and responsiveness and remarked on all of the new learning they had about technology and how to use technology as a learning tool. Students in the Ph.D. class rated Dr. Becker higher than did students in the M.Ed./PMC class. These classes had very different purposes, but both used online learning and technology. 2

I think it is important to note that the M.Ed./PMC class. ADMS 647, Educational Technology for School Leaders, is the class that received the most criticism for using technology, an odd response for a class on technology. That class had only 5 students, all of them part of the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) program. The course evaluations were bimodal -- two students really liked the class, two really didn't like the class, and one student went back and forth. Jonathan Becker Student Evaluations M.Ed./PMC and Ph.D. Compared to Program Averages Fall 2011 ADMS 647 5 5 4.6 3.6 4.2 2.4 2.6 2.8 2.8 4.0 2.4 2.2 3.0 3.6 Program Average M.ED/PMC NA NA 3.51 4.78 4.75 4.80 4.76 4.67 4.65 4.76 4.90 4.72 4.78 4.72 Spring 2011 ADMS 707 5 10 4 4.6 4.6 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.8 4.8 4.8 4.2 3.8 4.2 Program Average Ph.D. NA NA 3.59 4.70 4.82 4.72 4.65 4.60 4.60 4.85 4.93 4.62 4.56 4.63

Number of Students Number of Evaluations Demands of Class Preparation Availability Returned Work Timely Presented Course Material in Organized Manner Materials Facilitated Learning Teaching Techniques Helped Learning Encouraged Participation and Discussion Treated Students with Courtesy and Respect Evaluative Criteria Helped Understand Professional Expectations Knowledge and Skills Increased

Dr. Becker taught several class sessions for the Ed.D. students in the three Learning Communities, although it was not part of his load. He worked with them on technology and data analysis. Dr. Becker is doing what I would hope a professor who cares about learning would do he is expecting graduate work from graduate students, he is pushing students to take 3

responsibility for their learning, he is working from a connectivist paradigm, and he is facilitating a process of networked learning using digital opportunities and connections. Dr. Becker provided each class with a full and clear course outline and set of expectations in the online course site. Examples of student work were creative and thoughtful. Assignment descriptions indicated inclusion of writing and attention to social justice issues. Dr. Becker was an active participant in the revisions of the Masters and Post Masters' curriculum. Based upon his willingness to lead the way in experimental teaching methods, his extensive work with Ph.D. students, and his volunteer work with Ed.D. students, I believe Dr. Becker deserves an excellent rating. I want to support risk taking and innovation, particularly when I see that it is high quality development. 2011-2012 Evaluation: Excellent Continuing Scholarship and Professional Growth To examine Jonathans scholarship and professional growth, I examined his publications and presentations. Dr. Becker was active in his scholarship this year, collaborating with colleagues both in and out of the department. As a co-author, he had two manuscripts accepted for publication in peer reviewed journals Immersive, interactive, web-enabled computer simulation as a trigger for learning: The Next Generation of Problem-based Learning in Educational Leadership in the Journal of Research on Leadership Education and The Effectiveness of Simulation-based Learning in a Principal Preparation Program, to be published in Planning and Changing. Jonathan has an additional co-authored publication, a refereed book chapter -Engagement in an online video simulation in educational leadership in Cutting-edge technologies in higher education. Volume 3: Increasing student engagement and retention using immersive interfaces: Virtual worlds, gaming, and simulation. Two pieces of non-refereed but impactful scholarship are Online learning in Virginia: Surveying the Landscape a MERC publication and Scholar 2.0: Public Intellectualism Meets the Open Web, in UCEA Review. In addition, he has had a book chapter accepted in Principal 2.0: Technology and Educational Leadership. As of this writing, Dr. Becker has three articles out for review in peer reviewed journals and is working on two other manuscripts to be submitted in Summer 2012. In addition to his publications, five presentations of Dr. Beckers scholarship were presented at four conferences, all of which are peer reviewed. Jonathan was also selected to present a paper at the VCU Online Learning Summer, May 14, 2012. 4

Dr. Becker continues his digital scholarship, contributing to his blog and creating a new web-based platform, The Virginia Education Report, to serve as an independent source on educational policy in Virginia. Dr. Becker is funded through two grants, one that examines using scientific data about daily life to link environmental issues to ecological processes in the secondary classroom and another to develop a leadership simulation (Project All). The former grant is funded by the National Science Foundation and the latter by the U.S. Department of Education. He currently has a million dollar plus proposal to the Qatar National Research Fund being reviewed. 2011-2012 Evaluation: Excellent Service and Professional Development To examine Jonathans service, I asked for work he had done beyond what is normally expected within the department, the school, the university, and with professional organizations as well as in the community. Dr. Becker spent considerable time in service work this year, way beyond what an assistant professor is expected to perform. Much of his service work is at the University level, unusual for someone at his rank and an indication of the importance of his expertise. School Level: Dr. Becker served on the search committee for the Department of Foundations, seeking a quantitative methodologist. He was also selected for the ad hoc committee on SOE faculty evaluation. University level: Jonathan was one of only 4 tenure-eligible faculty members across the entire university to be appointed to the Instructional Technology Advisory Group, a committee that advises Dr. Marolla. Two additional committees also sought Dr. Beckers expertise on technology -- the Online Learning Advisory Board, and the Center for Teaching Excellence Online Course Development Initiative. Dr. Becker has made a reputation for thinking deeply about the ways in which technology can increase student learning and this perspective is respected across the campus. Professional level: Dr. Becker was elected to an office in the Virginia Professors of Educational Leadership Organization, a group in which he has shown considerable leadership. He was also asked by the University Council for Educational Administration to advise the plenary body on ways to think about publishing given open web and open source movements. Dr. Becker involved himself in considerable professional development including regular attendance at CTE Brown Bat Workshops, attendance at three Unconferences (THATCamp, WordCamp, and EdCamp), and attendance at the SOE Research colloquium. 2011-2012 Evaluation: Excellent 5

Summary Teaching Research and Scholarly Activity Service Summary Rating Dr. Beckers summary rating is Excellent. Dr. Becker's portfolio is strong and is of tenure quality. (4) Excellent (4) Excellent (4) Excellent

Signed ______________________________________ Date: 10 May 2012 Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D. Chairperson, Educational Leadership The faculty members signature below indicates that this document has been read and reviewed. It does not necessarily reflect agreement. If desired, the faculty member may submit response and attach it to this assessment. Signed ______________________________________ Date _____________________ Dr. Jonathan Becker Assistant Professor

yes, attached

no