TEACHING PRACTICUMS FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS

 

Over the past few years, I have had a significant number of past and current doctoral students do Advanced Pedagogy Independent Study Courses with me in my online Master's courses as part of their doctoral program.    

 

Some current and past Ph.D. students (Stacy Creel, Erin Wyatt, Janet Macpherson, and Pok Chin, as examples) have done such courses with me and have found this opportunity to be very valuable toward their future careers in academia.  I am sure any of them would be able to give insights about the experience to you.  As well, Dr. Brian O’Connor can speak to you about the value of such an experience.   I know from my own experience, having direct teaching experience in an accredited LIS-program is a solid addition to your vita and an experience you can discuss in the interview process.   

 

I recently won the University of North Texas Outstanding Online Teacher Award and I enjoy mentoring future professors in teaching.  I am known for having robust courses; novel use of online teaching tools; imaginative and artistic course design; strategic pedagogical content and planning; a warm, professional, and humorous way of teaching online (it can be learned!); and satisfied students who evaluate my courses positively.  

 

Students doing an Advanced Pedagogy Independent Study with me would learn the following:

 

·        Content for a course they may want to teach in the future

·        Use and development of online learning systems

·        Online teaching techniques and strategies

·        Weekly Content Module management

·        Grading strategies for assignments using rubrics and narrative commentary

·        Leading online discussion with student groups

·        Student Advising and Problem Solving related to the course

·        Collaborative team teaching techniques

·        Insight into the "little things" that can be incorporated into online teaching and course content that make  the overall experience richer, more dynamic, and more interactive for students

·        Gain general experience in teaching for both online or real-time courses

 

In Fall semesters, I teach the following courses:

 

1.  Information Access and Retrieval (Reference Services)

http://courses.unt.edu/efiga/FACULTYPAGE/SLIS5600SyllabusInformationPage.htm

 

2.      Storytelling for Information Professionals

http://courses.unt.edu/efiga/FACULTYPAGE/SLIS5440SyllabusInformationPage.htm

 

In Spring semesters teach the following courses:

1.  Storytelling Information Professionals
http://courses.unt.edu/efiga/FACULTYPAGE/SLIS5440SyllabusInformationPage.htm

 

2.  Advanced Storytelling for Information Professionals

http://courses.unt.edu/efiga/FACULTYPAGE/SLIS5611SyllabusInformationPage.htm

 

3.      History and Culture (Ethnography) of Youth Information Services

http://courses.unt.edu/efiga/FACULTYPAGE/SLIS5960.004SyllabusInformationPage.htm

 

In Summer semesters if I am teaching, I teach the following courses:

 

1.  Storytelling for Information Professionals
http://courses.unt.edu/efiga/FACULTYPAGE/SLIS5440SyllabusInformationPage.htm

 

2.  Comics and Graphic Novels for Youth and Adults
Webpage not yet available.

 

If you are interested in an I-study with me in one of these courses, please contact me.  Feel free to explore my Website below.

My Contact Information
I can always be found/reached by calling either the SLIS office toll-free (877) 275-7547 or my direct office line at (940) 565-2187. My office hours for advising are every Tuesday from 12:30 - 4:00 p.m. CST. in room 216 Information Sciences Building.  If Tuesdays do not work, other times can be arranged by emailing me.  My email address is elizabeth.figa@unt.edu

 

Elizabeth Figa, Ph.D.
University of North Texas
School of Library and Information Sciences
Information Sciences Building, Room 205
P.O. Box 311068
Denton, TX 76203-1068
Phone: (940) 565-2445
FAX: (940) 565-3101
http://courses.unt.edu/efiga/Figa/index.htm