Teaching Alone/Teaching Together: Transforming the Structure of Teams for Teaching

"There are many excellent books on college and university teaching, but Teaching Alone, Teaching Together makes a uniquely valuable contribution. Jim Bess has produced a scholarly, intriguing, revolutionary book that could, if implemented, transform higher education in the twenty-first century. It should be read by policy makers and administrators as well as by university teachers."
--W.J. McKeachie, professor of psychology, University of Michigan

The notion that college teachers are only lecturers or discussion leaders has become greatly outdated in higher education. Today, the instructional process is much more complex and demanding--requiring a range of expertise that cannot be expected from any single individual. In this provocative book, James L. Bess and a select group of scholars propose a radical rethinking of teaching and academic work. They suggest a unique team-based academic organization that matches the different talents of faculty members with the distinct, differentiated tasks of teaching. By working together and supporting each other, faculty members can not only build on their collective strengths and knowledge but also improve their practice in such critical areas as:
* Designing and preparing courses
* Lecturing
* Facilitating group work
* Advising students
* Advising and mentoring colleagues
* Assessing learning outcomes
* Researching new techniques and technologies
* Linking academic and nonacademic pursuits


More important, this new model of collaborative instruction will inspire a fresh, enhanced commitment to teaching--one that moves beyond the current practice of isolated classroom teaching. Teaching Alone, Teaching Together is a scholarly, groundbreaking volume that will surely inspire debate and discussion among faculty members, department chairs, and academic administrators.

JAMES L. BESS is a professor of higher education in the Department of Administration, Leadership and Technology in the School of Education and former director of the Program in Higher Education at New York University. He has published eight other books and dozens of articles on teaching and learning and the organization of colleges and universities.