civic engagement in higher education: concepts and practices – by barbara jacoby and associates

Constructivist Instruction: Success orFailure? Edited by Sigmund Tobiasand Thomas Duffy. New York, N.Y.:Routledge, 2009. 376 pages. ISBN0-415-99423-3. $52.00.

This volume examines constructivism asan instructional paradigm. Constructivismhas proved to be an extremely popularpedagogical method across higher educa-tion. But its widespread acceptance hasnot resulted in a transferable set ofinstructional principles that can assistclassroom teachers. This edited volume isan important, and commended, contribu-tion to a growing debate in higher educa-tion about the merits of constructivistapproaches to instruction. The eighteenchapters of this book examine the case forconstructivism and reasons for oppositionto it.

One key issue that emerges in thevolume is how classroom instruction isrelated to the neuroscience of cognition.Sweller argues that a key assumptionunderlying constructivist instructionalapproaches, such as discovery- orproblem-based learning, is that humanslearn complex secondary tasks in the sameway that they learn primary skills such aslanguage. To be sure, language is learnedwithout the need for direct instruction butthis is a reflection of the hard wiring ofthe brain. It is therefore difficult to drawparallels with learning derivative taskssuch as reading or algebra. Advances inthe cognitive sciences point to the needfor direct instruction, especially for taskswhere the learner has little or no previousexperience, a point underscored by Kir-schner. This argument is based on a par-ticular understanding of the relationshipbetween learning and memory. One keyfor effective learning (described here in

very structural terms to be both the incor-poration of information into long termmemory and the ease with which thisnew information can be transferred andaccessed) is the capacity of the learner tofocus on significant aspects of the mate-rial. Working memory is not able to copewith huge quantities of information.Effective learning requires filters toexclude extraneous material. This, ineffect, is what explicit or direct instructiondoes; it allows the learner to focus on thematerial that is most relevant in the learn-ing task and, thereby, to begin to buildneural networks in memory whichfacilitate future leaning.

Much of the supportive evidence fordirect instruction rests on research inteaching mathematics and task-basedlearning. For instance, teaching the appli-cability of mathematical concepts is aidedby worked examples – a prominent typeof direct instruction. This is not an end initself but exposes the learner to a templateof how to proceed and then how to applythese skills to other problems. This analy-sis raises the important empirical questionof whether learners are then able to trans-fer this skill to new tasks or whether whatthe learner retains is a task-specific skillthat is not easily generalized. Tobiaspoints out that one way to resolve thisissue is to consider what happens beforeand after direct instruction. Here thereseems to be some convergence betweenthe supporters and critics of constructiv-ism. Wise and O’Neil argue that many ofthe studies of direct instruction fail torecognize the context in which it occurs.Within a sequence of learning, a keydeterminant of the value of direct instruc-tion is both the timing and scope of theinstruction. Does direct instruction, forexample, serve only as an introduction to

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topics? In the case of a “worked example”in mathematics, does the whole teachingand learning sequence become the presen-tation of worked examples (direct instruc-tion), or is there also opportunity for thelearner to construct connections betweenproblems?

Those who defend constructivistinstructional paradigms (where greateremphasis is placed on student directedlearning) concede that in some areas directinstruction has a role to play. Schwartz,Lindren, and Lewis point out that con-structivist instruction is not ideal in allcircumstances. What is important is theinterplay between direct instruction andconstructivist learning paradigms in taskswhich require higher cognitive skillsor what Spiro and DeSchryver call ill-structured learning domains. In these,high value is placed on student analysisand interaction.

Teaching theology or religious studiesprovides a number of examples whichillustrate well the interplay between directinstruction and more constructivist prin-ciples. Consider, for instance, a pivotaltheological idea such as the Trinity. Whatis the best way for a teacher to proceedwhen presenting this idea to students?Even staunch constructivists couldacknowledge that there is some role fordirect instruction. It is unlikely that stu-dents would have much insight into sucha dense doctrine on the basis of theirown experience and unguided reflection.Understanding and consolidation of aconcept such as the Trinity, however,depends on higher cognitive skills such asthe ability to synthesize information, tomake connections between disparate ideas,and to critique earlier understandings. Atthe same time, some common vocabularyon how the Trinity is understood in theo-logical discourse is necessary for studentlearning to ascend to any higher plane.

There is an interesting overlap in thisdiscussion with the Vygotskian concept

of the zone of proximal development. Inorder to enter the zone where optimallearning takes place the teacher must giveenough assistance so that students do notbecome overwhelmed by the task at hand.This is often described in the Vygotskianand wider literature as providing scaffold-ing for learning. Rosenshine develops theidea that direct instruction can be seen asproviding support to the learner at leastin the initial stages. Once in the zone,however, the teacher’s role changes andthe focus moves to assisting learners toexplore and expand their understanding.To do this they can utilize, amongst otherthings, the tools they have acquired as partof the scaffolding process. I would suggestthat there is some synergy between theconcepts of scaffolding and direct instruc-tion inasmuch as both are best seen as aprelude to more complex and deeperlearning.

The book concludes with a most appro-priate chapter calling for the developmentof a research agenda to build lines of com-munication between constructivism anddirect instruction.

Richard RymarzSt Joseph’s College, University of Alberta

Finding Meaning in Civically EngagedScholarship: Personal Journeys, Profes-sional Experiences. Edited by MarissaL. Diener and Hank Liese. Charlotte,N.C.: Information Age Publishing, 2009.xvi + 222 pages. ISBN 978-1-60752-111-2. $45.99.

Although service-learning can perhaps nolonger be considered a novel pedagogicalinnovation, it still represents an approachthat may not yet be utilized by manycollege and university faculty. For thoseteachers for whom this enterprise isuncharted territory, this collection ofessays can be a useful introduction and a

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compelling appeal to venture into civicallyengaged teaching and scholarship.

Marissa Diener and Hank Liese serveas the editors for a collection of writingsby a group of nine faculty colleagues,from a variety of disciplines, who sharewith each other a commitment to civicallyengaged scholarship. As suggested by thebook’s subtitle, each scholar contributestwo essays, one reflecting “who they are”and the other describing “what they do”(xi). That is, the first part of the book is aseries of personal reflections about whatled each professor to his or her own expe-rience of and experiment with some formof service-learning. The second part of thebook contains presentations of the courseor project that each professor developed.

One aspect that holds the collectiontogether is that all of the contributors, atthe time of their work, were a part of theUniversity of Utah in Salt Lake City. TheUniversity’s Lowell Bennion CommunityService Center receives frequent mentionas an important sponsor and invaluableresource for the faculty members, as doesthe Civically Engaged Scholar Cohort.The Cohort sounds like what ParkerPalmer describes as a “community ofcongruence,” a place where scholarsotherwise divided by discipline or admin-istrative structure find a space for mutualsupport in pursuit of their common com-mitment to, in this case, civically engagedscholarship (Palmer, The Courage toTeach: Exploring the Inner Landscape ofa Teacher’s Life [Jossey-Bass, 1998] 166,172–75).

A variety of terms are used to describethe very different kinds of projects inwhich each professor engaged: service-learning, community-based research, expe-riential education, participatory actionresearch, pedagogy of engagement, and soforth. While this diversity of terminologycould be perceived as a lack of consis-tency, it could also be seen as the beautyof this endeavor, namely, that one can

engage in a broad range of activities inpursuit of civically engaged teachingand learning. Indeed, a wide variety ofapproaches is a natural corollary to thepresence of diverse disciplines: repre-sented here are developmental psychology,political science, education, physicaltherapy, English, social work, business andmanagement, architecture and urban plan-ning. As demonstrated by AAHE’s Serieson Service-Learning in the Disciplines(Edward Zlotkowski, series editor), thiscollection substantiates clearly that civi-cally engaged scholarship is not limitedto professional studies or to sciences orto arts and humanities. Scholars can nolonger use the distinctives of specific dis-ciplines as an excuse not to participate inthis engaged – and engaging – form ofscholarship!

Scholars may discover that it involvesthe forms of teaching and learning theyhave been practicing all along, before dif-ferent labels were crafted. Likewise, thiscollection constitutes a positive argumentfor the practice of civically engaged schol-arship as neither gimmick nor onerousadditional activity but rather as integralto the practice of scholarship, teaching,and research (especially see the essay byLiese, 77–85, and the Conclusion byLiese and Welch, 209–20).

Civically engaged scholarship is adynamic and collaborative partici-patory process in which the richresources of the university and com-munity are combined to integrateresearch, learning, and service inidentifying and addressingcommunity-based issues and needswhile promoting socially responsibleknowledge. Faculty, staff, students,and members of the communityforge relationships as meaningfulpartners in exploring those practicesthat produce tangible outcomesto benefit the partners and their

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communities and that disseminatenew knowledge in a variety of ways.(80–81, cf. 212)

The practice described here combines aninsistence that community engagementbe in service to authentic locally-definedneeds with careful reflection by facultyon their own praxis and positionality. Thecontributors have undertaken the criticallyreflective work of articulating their storyand their experience. It is a form of speak-ing and sharing that is too often absentfrom the university’s discourse andconversations among colleagues.

Indeed, the opportunity to listen in onsuch conversations and to look in on thesecourses proves to be a valuable one. Thecreativity of the courses and the honestreflections on the struggles and successesin these innovative efforts are truly inspir-ing. I found myself enjoying getting toknow this group of colleagues. Thethoughtful practice of engaged pedagogyand the practical value of civic engage-ment are modeled for us here in a waythat is both appealing and empowering.

Shane KirkpatrickAnderson University

Diversity’s Promise for Higher Educa-tion. By Daryl G. Smith. Baltimore, Md.:Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009. xiii+ 333 pages. ISBN 978-0-8018-9316-2.$39.93.

Diversity’s Promise for Higher Education– Making it Work by Daryl G. Smith is agroundbreaking text that highlights diver-sity’s crucial role as a driving force forchange in higher education. Smith pre-sents the idea of diversity as a powerfulfacilitator of institutional mission andas an ultimate societal purpose. In thetwenty-first century, the question thatdiversity demands must be answered is

how to facilitate learning in an inclusivemanner in order to produce salient change.A majority of the book’s content isfocused on scholarly research around thistype of change. A pressing question fortheology and religion faculty might be:How important is it for diversity efforts tobe ingrained in theological institutions andreligion departments?

The book is divided into four parts:Part 1 focuses on the importance of diver-sity in a global sense; Part 2 discusses thereframing of diversity as more than anever ending list of identities – it isemerging as an inclusive and differentiatedframework; Part 3 delves into the researchand how the institutional capacity fordiversity raises by “interrupting theusual”; and Part 4 gives practical and con-ceptual approaches for implementing slowand effective change in strategic ways inhigher education.

Smith’s arguments are supported by herown research and by contemporary schol-arship on the topic. A central concern inevery chapter is the need to foster forma-tion of institutions that benefit from diver-sity as they come to embody a multiplicityof cultures and identities. The book identi-fies “other” discussion as a core concernthat is centered around a plethora of iden-tities based on race, gender, sexual orien-tation, socio-economic status, and so forth.In this discussion, the idea of equity ispushed to the forefront. The book leavesreaders with a host of questions: Who isthis underrepresented “other” – sincenothing is static? Given the context oftheology, what does diversity look like andcould the “other” characterization becomelimited to a smaller group? What should atrue diversity framework look like, andwhat should be included in an institutionaleducational design in order to fully beinclusive? Every institution has to decidewhich strategic issues matter and thereforemust be included in mission statementsand plans.

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By analyzing all of the availableresearch, Smith critiques all the commonreasons why others have argued the casefor diversity including the somewhat naïvenotion that contact between groups ofpeople from diverse backgrounds, espe-cially in educational settings, will producegood results where the groups can learnfrom each other. Smith frankly upsets thenotion of celebrating difference since inmany cases “celebrating” diversity cancause divisiveness and result in many dif-ficult discussions. She claims, “There isa danger that the language of inclusion,while not intrinsically problematic, couldindeed be problematic, if it implies thatwe are all individuals coming togetherwith a requirement to ignore history andcontext” (188).

The primary audience for this volumeis anyone wielding power in higher educa-tion – particularly administrators andpolicy makers who can “interrupt theusual.” Once discussions of commonalitiesand pluralities of human identity areshared, the primary audience has to tran-scend pervasive academic elitism anddevelop a true rationale for implementingdiversity. Hiring processes, job descrip-tions, strategic plans, and program reviewsare all involved in shaping what an institu-tion values and prioritizes. The secondaryaudience this text appeals to are the schol-ars that it seeks to make essential – everyfaculty member, future faculty member,or student in higher education contexts.

The text asks readers to question whydiversity matters in higher education.What does diversity ask of persons whobring a diverse background and life toareas of scholarship like physics, math,and so forth, that are not directly relatedto diversity issues? What areas of scholar-ship – like theology, psychology, andscience – are being broadened by dis-cussions of race, gender, and sexuality?Throughout the book Smith speaks to theimportance of making diversity a priority

from enrollment issues to creating realopportunities that are not limited byover-scrutiny and bias.

Smith’s work makes good use of theavailable research. Although Smithgoes beyond the old equal opportunityemployer language, the book continues tofocus in that direction. When the lens ofdiversity is placed over areas of scholar-ship like theology, many other issues arisethat make race, gender, sexuality, religiousaffiliation, culture, and so forth intersect indisjointed and convergent ways.

This text helps open dialogue amongvarious constituencies in higher education.The conversation is increasingly necessarybecause of changes in higher educationalcontexts across North America. Matteringdoes matter, but matching the Word withmany emerging lifestyles in the twenty-first century may prove problematic in anumber of historically conservative con-texts – this begins the dialogue of conflictnegotiations and “engaging across differ-ence.” The discussions that this book gen-erates will help emerging identity groupscreate knowledge gathering alliances, thatwill result in a change in the climate ofhigher educational institutions, whichis a promise of diversity.

Angela L. McNeillNorth Carolina State University

Comparative Theology: Deep LearningAcross Religious Borders. By Francis X.Clooney, S.J. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell,2010. xii + 182 pages. ISBN 978-1-4051-7974-4. $31.95.

New theological works on comparativetheology and theologies of religious plu-ralism are in big demand as seminariesand divinity schools in North Americaenter the new interreligious era. Inter-religious encounters of dialogue, prayer,and action among seminary students and

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communities of believers from other reli-gions are becoming an integral part oftheological education in many seminaries.As a result, there is an increasing need forworks on methods for learning not onlyabout but also with and from other reli-gions, and across religious boundaries thatare relevant to theological education.

In this context, Comparative Theologyis a timely publication. Francis Clooneyproposes an approach for interreligiouslearning that has been eagerly awaited.The singular contribution of this book liesprimarily in the author’s life-long engage-ment in the field of interreligious learningrooted in a faith perspective. Clooneymakes clear connection between his ownfaith journey and his serendipitous per-sonal encounter with Hinduism and Bud-dhism in Kathmandu in 1973 as a youngteacher of English, literature, and ethics,which, in his words, was where compara-tive theology began for him. It was there,notes Clooney, “that I began to learn howfaith makes possible, even demands, thatwe learn deeply from our religious neigh-bors” (17–18). Since then, Clooney’sserious academic endeavor and prolificwriting have been evolving around ques-tions such as “How do we learn deeplyacross religious borders?” and “Whatcould that mean to our faith journey,community, and tradition?” ComparativeTheology is a unique, innovative attemptat articulating a method that bringstogether in a creative tension the academicstudy of religion and theology through acomparative reading of texts from varioustraditions, in this case Hinduism andChristianity.

Part one of the book consists of anintroduction and a quick historical reviewof the field. The first chapter offers mul-tiple brief definitions of what is and is notcomparative theology, as the author usesthe term. It also includes an auto-biographical background that explainsthe origin of this theology in the author’s

personal journey. Chapter two includes areview of some instances of doing com-parative study of religion, theology, andinterreligious encounters, from colonialtimes through the modern European eraand up to late twentieth century. Chapterthree is a survey of the state of scholarshipon comparative theology. It offers a briefsummary that situates the works ofauthors such as David Tracy, Keith Ward,Robert Neville, Raimon Panikkar, andJames Fredericks, among others. Theauthor recognizes the variety of interpreta-tions and choices when doing comparativetheology, which for him is ultimately areflection on the praxis of the comparativetheologian. Part two of the book is dedi-cated to writing about doing comparativetheology. After an introductory chapter(chapter four) on theory and practice, theauthor offers in chapters five and sixexamples from his own practice of study-ing Hinduism and the contribution of thisstudy to his Christian understanding. Inthe last part of the book, entitled “TheFruits of Comparison” (chapters seven andeight), the author expands on the contribu-tion of this work to the larger discourse ontheology and the responsibility of thecomparative theologian to their homecommunity. The author discusses in thissection questions similar to those raisedby seminary students in my M.Div. class-room concerning the truth and uniquenessof their faith claims. By bringing the con-versation to the personal, concrete level,the author makes his work engaging andaccessible to the general reader, particu-larly to seminary students (113).

For Clooney, comparative theology isnot only an intellectual exercise; it is alsoa transformative spiritual event and anencounter with God. “[I]t is where Godwants us to be today” (152–53). Thetheme of comparative theology and thepersonal journey of the theologian ispicked up again in chapter nine. Clooneyemphasizes in this final chapter that such

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interreligious learning must lead to newself-exploration (155). It is clear to theauthor that doing this kind of theologyis a vocation and it is not for everyone.Clowney notes in the conclusion thatthe new comparative learning and self-exploration, which raise questions aboutidentity and loyalty to one’s own tradition,could lead the theologian to be in a mar-ginal position in their community (161).

Clooney’s work complements agrowing body of literature in this area,such as the work by Gregory Baum onThe Theology of Tariq Ramadan and thetwo edited volumes by Irfan Omar, AChristian View of Islam and A MuslimView of Christianity, on the interreligiouslearning journeys of Thomas Michel andMahmoud Ayoub, respectively. Includingthis genre of emerging literature on inter-religious learning in the theological cur-riculum, however, raises many challenges.How do we deal with the religious dis-comfort resulting from the destabilizinglearning about truth claims and theuniqueness of our own religion created bythe deep learning about another religion?Comparative Theology raises such difficultquestions but maybe does not go farenough in pointing to what comes afterdoing comparative theology. This is anarea in the book that requires furtherreflection. Notwithstanding this lack ofclarity, the pedagogical significance ofClooney’s work, in my opinion, lies inpresenting a model to students and schol-ars of religion and theology of how ascholar rooted in a particular faith tradi-tion journeys into the textual traditionof another faith, not just as a scholar-observer, but as a scholar of faith engag-ing in mutual comparison. According toClooney, it is precisely in such a mutualcomparative theological exercise that deeplearning about both faith traditions takesplace. The author does not limit his meth-odological approach to the particular faithtraditions he explores. He is suggesting

that the proposed method has relevanceacross religious traditions.

Students at our seminaries are moreconscious than ever of the religious diver-sity of the communities in which they arepreparing to minister and teach. I usedthis book in a graduate seminar on under-standing other religions for advancedM.Div. and M.A. theology students. Theresponse to the author’s invitation for“deep learning across religious borders”was positive. Some students practiced ina limited way the proposed method andfound it both exciting and challenging.Clooney makes it clear that there is noshort cut for deep interreligious learning.The high academic standards and life-longdedication required for studying anotherreligion reflected in this work do not makethe author an easy role model to imitate.However, his modesty, humility, and thegentle ways in which he challenges hisreaders encourage them to try this path,even if they are only beginners in thefield.

Michel AndraosCatholic Theological Union

Good Mentoring: Fostering ExcellentPractice in Higher Education. By JeanneNakamura and David J. Shernoff withCharles H. Hooker. The Jossey-BassHigher and Adult Education Series. SanFrancisco, Calif: John Wiley, 2009. ISBN978-0-470-18963-4. $33.75.

“Good” in the title of this book is double:“good” meaning high standards and excel-lence in practice, and “good” meaning“true to the profession’s traditionalmission and code of ethics” (10). Thatdouble meaning anchors the volume’scentral question – how are “orientingvalues and principles uniting excellencewith responsible practice” transmittedthrough mentoring in a profession? (3).

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Posed this way, the question reframes dis-cussions of mentoring, broadening thetopic beyond promoting discreet individualcareers to caring for the quality and integ-rity of professions.

To explore their question the authorscombine Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’ssystems approach, which emphasizes theinterweaving of individual, cultural, andsocial factors in mentoring relationships,with the cultural evolutionary approachof Richard Dawkins, whose concept of“memes” provides the heuristic containerfor identifying particular skills, knowl-edge, standards, ethics, and qualities suchas integrity to be tracked and assessed(15–16). Using this framework theresearchers trace the practices, orienta-tions, and values of “good work” throughthree generations in the lineages of threefounders of genetics: cytogeneticist JosephGall, physician scientist Arno Motulsky,and zoologist Richard C. Lewonton.

After tracing memes through threegenerations within each lineage, and com-paring their presence, significance, andintensity across lineages, the authors con-struct an argument about how orientations,practices, and values are passed on,revised, go extinct, and arise. They portraythe dynamic process by which a profes-sion continues through time with discern-able continuity of tradition, openness tonovelty that is prompted in interactionwith the larger social conditions withinwhich the field operates, and innovationemerging from the creativity of the par-ticular individuals in the field. Crucial tothis process is mentoring.

The last four chapters of the book sum-marize the key findings on the behaviorsand orientations that make for “good men-toring” and make recommendations tothose involved in mentoring. Among thekey findings, the transmission of values,practices, and orientations occurs mosteffectively through “sustained, face-to-faceinteraction,” with courses or books on

professional ethics proving to be lesseffective (156). The environment com-posed by the mentor is as important asdirect exchange between mentor andmentee (156–157). Effective mentoringresults from “cumulative, reinforced”interactions “across multiple occasionsover an extended period of time,” with themodes of influence mutually re-enforcingeach other (157–158). Further, “positiveinterpersonal feelings play an importantcatalytic role, encouraging attentivenessand receptiveness on the students’ part”(158). The quality of relationship betweenmentor and mentee proved pivotal tocontinuity in a lineage and by extension,for professions (192).

Of particular interest from the perspec-tive of humanities disciplines is what theresearchers discovered about how thelineage heads used talk in mentoring.Absent was the Socratic method of closequestioning. Absent too was mentorsgiving frequent critical feedback. Neither“did the lineage heads deliberately tellstories or repeat favorite sayings in order todrive home lessons that they hoped theirstudents would absorb” (160). (All threeof these are stock in trade for many inhumanities disciplines.) Instead, thelineage heads engaged in informalexchanges, either wide-ranging discussionsor “task-focused, one-on-one conversationsabout a student’s work” (160–161).

The most effective mentors provided alarger horizon for their students, a more“global picture,” thereby constructing abridge for the student from where theywere to where they could be. In theprocess they helped their students come toembody the profession in action. Mentors’capacity to provide that horizon in a waythat their mentees could perceive andreceive depended on their conveying aconsistent sense of being supportive. Theresearchers found “six related but distinctcomponents of supportiveness: consistentavailability and involvement, a balance

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between freedom and guidance, an atmo-sphere and resources fostering supportive-ness, frequent and specific positivefeedback, treating graduate students asrespected collaborators, and individualizedinterest in the student” (194). None of thelineage heads or mentors in succeedinggenerations exhibited these characteristicsin exactly the same way, but all werepresent.

This volume raises the stakes onmentoring. Its conclusions reinforceSharon Daloz Parks’s argument for theimportance of mentoring communities(Big Questions, Worthy Dreams, 2000).While faculty in religious studies andtheology will have to translate some ofthe findings and recommendations to theirown fields, the volume’s insights make itworth the effort. Faculty responsible forgraduate students, for new faculty orienta-tion and mentoring programs, and forformation programs in seminaries shouldread this book.

Patricia O’Connell KillenGonzaga University

Improving Learning in College. Rethink-ing Literacies across the Curriculum.By Roz Ivanic, Richard Edwards,David Barton, Marilyn Martin-Jones,Zoe Fowler, Buddug Hughes, GregMannion, Kate Miller, CandiceSatchwell, and June Smith. ImprovingLearning Series. New York, N.Y.:Routledge, 2009. 232 pages. ISBN978-0415469128. $38.00.

Improving Learning in College: Rethink-ing Literacies across the Curriculum ispart of the “Improving Learning” serieswhich publishes findings from projectsassociated with the Economic and SocialResearch Council’s Teaching and LearningResearch Program (TLRP), the U.K.’slargest coordinated educational research

initiative. The purpose of the ImprovingLearning series is to assist education poli-cymakers in making “evidence-informed”decisions to improve learner outcomes.The series is intended for college lectur-ers, providers of teacher education, andprofessional development – people whocan put the ideas into practice.

Improving Learning in College:Rethinking Literacies across the Curricu-lum is based on two research projectsfunded from January 2004 through August2007 as part of Phase 3 of the TLRP. Thetwo research projects are the Literacies forLearning in Further Education (LfLFE)and the Bilingual Literacies for Learning(BiLfLFE).

The book is divided into three parts.Part I (chapter 1) discusses the key issuesrelated to literacies across the curriculumin college education. Part II (chapters 2 to5) is about the outcomes of the researchin which university-based researchers andcollege lecturers cooperated in studyingthe literacy practices of the lecturers’ ownstudents and courses. Chapters 2 and 3reflect on students’ textually mediatedlives, students’ everyday literary practices,while chapters 4 and 5 deal with thetextual mediation of learning. Part III(chapters 6 to 9) examines the implica-tions of the research presented in Part II.Vignettes and pictures taken by research-ers and students enhance each chapter byillustrating points of discussion.

There are many who are predicting acrisis of cataclysmic proportions forWestern civilization as a result of fallingeducational standards and a decliningsystem of education that no longerachieves desired learning outcomes. Afterthorough investigation, however, RozIvanic and her fellow researchers observe:

The crisis narratives are often basedon simplistic interpretations of stan-dardised and problematic literacytest results, yet there are a wide

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range of literacy practices at play inmost people’s everyday lives, ofwhich educators are often unaware.In real life, people do not readand write in a vacuum: they usereading and writing to get thingsdone . . . The threat to the educa-tional establishment may not be theso-called literary ‘deficit,’ so muchas the increasing abundance of textand screen literacies: the rich multi-modality of communicative prac-tices, and their ever-increasinghybridisation, which preciselycannot be reduced easily, if at all, toa single standard against which allliteracy is measured. (14–15)

What does the research tell us? Theresearchers paid close attention to alltypes of reading and writing that studentsdid in addition to their college work. Thereading can be linked to a variety ofdomains of students’ social life, including:family, leisure, work, religion, peer group,and community. The researchers foundthat most students are prolific and sophis-ticated communicators for personalreasons (33). It sometimes annoys educa-tors to see students texting with theirmobile phones; however, there is a posi-tive side to this issue. Students exchangetext messages with a wide range of recipi-ents, and a lot of writing and reading isinvolved – texting is a “ubiquitous literacypractice” (33). It is noteworthy that severalstudents who participated in this researchwere aware of the shortcomings ofdigital media and felt the need for“old-fashioned” letters, greeting cards,and notes.

In the light of these findings lecturerswere encouraged to incorporate someaspects of students’ everyday literaciesinto the curriculum. When literacy prac-tices that are fun, interesting, and relevantto students’ futures were employed, thelearning outcomes of courses were broad-

ened and enriched. “When students couldsee the relevance of reading and writingon their courses, they valued these literacypractices and were more likely to takeownership of the artifacts and the learningwhich was generated” (134).

An interesting chapter (7) deals withbilingual literacies for learning in Wales.Researchers found that students engagedin a broader range of reading and writingin Welsh and English outside college thanthey did in college. These literaciesoccurred in the areas of communication,organizing life, documenting life, findingthings out and taking part, learning andsense-making, as well as reading andwriting for pleasure (147–152).

Chapter 9 asks: What are the implica-tions of this research for learning incollege and beyond? This study reachesthe conclusion that educators need to takeaccount of the relationship between stu-dents’ everyday practices and the formalcurriculum. There is often a gap betweenwhat happens in formal educational set-tings and what goes on elsewhere in life.Learning takes place in real life. The wiseeducator should look at people’s practicesand accomplishments outside the formaleducational setting as potentially richresources for learning, and fold students’everyday literacy practices into the cur-riculum and college life (178–179).

This study focused on the social usesof reading and writing and warns againstformal education that is decontextualizedand not relevant to the needs of students.This critique is not new. An importantrationale for the development of anoutcomes-based approach to the curricu-lum was that it would increase education’srelevance in the workplace. The researchshows, however, that the gap betweenformal education and the end contexts ofuse still exists. Despite all the develop-ments in pedagogy, “literacies are treatedas ‘belonging’ in college or out of college,and students’ everyday literacy practices

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remain untapped as resources for learning.. . . Without continual questioning andfine-tuning of the literacy practices whichmediate learning, educational institutionscould start to become museums ratherthan laboratories for life” (190).

This study is relevant for the teachingof theology and religious studies. Discuss-ing the implications of this research studycould be an excellent topic for a facultydevelopment seminar or workshop.

Petrus J. GräbeRegent University School of Divinity

Civic Engagement in Higher Education:Concepts and Practices. By BarbaraJacoby and Associates. San Francisco,Calif.: Jossey-Bass, 2009. xxii + 265pages. ISBN 978-0-470-38846-4. $40.00.

Beginning in the 1970s and accelerating inthe last decade, there has been a ground-swell of interest in the role of higher edu-cation in preparing students for “civicengagement” and instilling them with“democratic values.” Particularly in theU.S. context, where public confidence inelected officials has recently plummetedto record lows, teachers, scholars, andadministrators are increasingly calledupon to defend the relevance of a univer-sity education for building a civil societyand the role of the university itself as acivic actor.

Responses to this call have variedwidely. Some emphasize the fundamen-tally democratic character of pedagogicalpractices such as deliberative discussionand critical inquiry. Both individualinstructors and institutions of higher edu-cation have turned to service-learning andother forms of community-based educa-tion as a more activist strategy to engagestudents in the civic sphere. Nationalorganizations such as Campus Compact(http://www.compact.org/), the Bringing

Theory to Practice Project of theAmerican Association of Colleges andUniversities (http://www.aacu.org/bringing_theory/index.cfm), and theNational Outreach Scholarship Conference(http://www.outreachscholarship.org/)have sprung up to encourage such initia-tives, to provide resources, and to fosterdialogue. A number of useful resourceshave been published to encourage civicengagement in the university classroom(for example, see Howard, Service-Learning Course Design Workbook [AnnArbor, Mich.: University of Michigan,2001], and Battistoni, Civic Engagementacross the Curriculum: A Resource Bookfor Service-Learning Faculty in AllDisciplines [Providence, R.I.: CampusCompact, 2002]), including at least onevolume dedicated specifically to the disci-plines of theology and religious studies(Devine, Favazza, and McLain, FromCloister to Commons: Concepts andModels for Service-Learning in ReligiousStudies [Washington, D.C.: AmericanAssociation for Higher Education, 2002]).

The present volume does not so muchstand in this movement as above it – andhelpfully so. Editor and chief contributorBarbara Jacoby (University of Maryland)has edited previous volumes on service-learning (Service-Learning in HigherEducation: Concepts and Practices [SanFrancisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass, 1996]and Building Partnerships for Service-Learning [San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass, 2003]), but this work attempts toexamine civic engagement from a widervantage. The first three chapters providean orientation to the topic, offering anoverview of major civic engagement ini-tiatives in the academy (ch. 1, Jacoby),survey data on such engagement amongcollege students (ch. 2, Mark HugoLopez and Abby Kiesa), and the multipleelements and outcomes of the “CivicLearning Spiral” developed by the CivicEngagement Working Group of the

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AAC&U (ch. 3, Caryn McTighe Musil).These chapters candidly address theambiguous definition of the term “civicengagement” itself – often comprehendingnot merely participation in the politicalprocess, service, and social activism, butalso broader personal virtues of empathy,“global citizenship,” and, at least poten-tially, almost any positive value at all – aswell as overturning common assumptionsabout our students. Notably, Lopez andKiesa draw on national survey data tosuggest that “college students are moreengaged and knowledgeable than is gener-ally believed” (33), with higher rates ofvolunteering, voting, and communityinvolvement than those with little or nocollege experience. The issue, then, is notto create engagement where none wasbefore; it is to enhance such engagement,to make connections, and to providefurther opportunities.

Remaining chapters set out to highlighteffective models and practices to do justthat. These chapters are not organizedprimarily by course, discipline, or eveninstitution. Instead, several address theintegration of civic learning objectivesinto different stages or curricular modelscommon to many institutions and verymany students’ experience. Theseinclude chapters on first-year programs(ch. 4, Mary Stuart Hunter and Blaire L.Moody), general education (ch. 5, KimSpiezo), capstone experiences (ch. 7,Kevin Kecskes and Seanna Kerrigan),community-based undergraduate research(ch. 11, Elizabeth L. Paul), and studyabroad (ch. 12, Jacoby and Nevin C.Brown). Others address more specificpedagogical approaches and educationalvalues with applications across the disci-plines, such as interdisciplinary study (ch.6, Nance Lucas), intercultural awarenessand diversity training (ch. 8, Michelle R.Dunlap and Nicole Webster), and leader-ship education (ch. 9, Nicholas V. Longoand Marguerite S. Shaffer). The single

chapter devoted exclusively to service-learning (ch. 10, Marshall Welch), subjectsthis popular teaching tool to a searchinginquiry, profiling a series of programs thataspire to press beyond mere service to“meaningful social change” (192).

This volume is, on balance, very well-conceived and well-executed. The biblio-graphical resources alone commend thework, and the rich fund of specific modelsand institutional initiatives that informeach chapter make it especially usefuland relevant for department and divisionadministrators, as well as instructors readyto take a leadership role. Indeed, the finalchapter, entitled “Securing the Future ofCivic Engagement in Higher Education”(ch. 13, Jacoby and Elizabeth Hollander),provides suggestions for stakeholdersat every level. Less ambitious faculty,looking for suggestions and strategies forthe individual classroom, will no doubtuse the work much more selectively, butthey, their students and – at least poten-tially – the broader societies in which theylive will no doubt benefit from the insightsoffered therein.

Reid B. LocklinSt. Michael’s College,University of Toronto

Learning Online with Games, Simula-tions, and Virtual Worlds: Strategies forOnline Instruction. By Clark Aldrich.San Francisco, Calif.; Jossey-Bass, 2009.134 pages. ISBN 978-0-470-43834-3.$20.75.

Aldrich’s three-part guide to the use ofgames, simulations, and virtual worlds foronline learning provides a well organizedoverview for anyone considering how suchteaching strategies could be a potentialasset for online instruction. Positioninggaming as a natural approach to learning,Aldrich demystifies the use of Highly

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Interactive Virtual Environments (HIVES)and offers an easy to follow guide thatmoves the potential user from understand-ing what games, simulations, and virtualworlds really are, to doing the prep workand making the transition from a tradi-tional learning model to a highly interac-tive learning environment aligned with thecurriculum. The trek includes tips onselling administrators and nurturing aculture of interactivity as well as consider-ations for assessing student learning. Withformal training in cognitive science andextensive experience as a successfuleducational game designer, Aldrich iswell-informed about the subject matterand communicates his knowledge in aforthright, down-to-earth, and at pointseven entertaining manner.

In his discussion of why HIVES aremore successful in producing academicresults than traditional environments,Aldrich directs attention to three argu-ments, including (1) games as an age-oldlearning technique that places one in astate of mental clarity and immersion,known by psychologists as “being in theflow,” (2) context and emotional environ-ment as important factors in the brain’srelease of the chemicals necessary formemory, and (3) participation with contentas a necessary ingredient in the learningprocess. Though Aldrich highlights thesearguments in support of online learning, aselements of cognitive theory they are con-sistent with interactive, student centeredteaching and learning strategies in face-to-face environments as well (Finkle, 2000).His emphasis on nurturing a culture ofinteractivity is relevant to both settings.“In a true culture of interactivity,” he says,“the learning goals are not just the tradi-tional ‘learning to know’ type, but also‘learning to be’ and ‘learning to do’” (15).

In terms of learning to do, Aldrich’sreference to the “God games” – SidMeir’s Civilization series by Firaxis, theSimCity series by Electronic Arts, and the

Age of Empires series by Microsoft –three commercial “off-the-shelf” computergames used primarily for history and thesocial sciences, will be of special interestto religious studies professors. ThoughAldrich does not offer a detailed discus-sion of these games and their potentialuse in the religious studies classroom, theinformation he does provide is sure tostimulate the curiosity of religious studiesstudents and professors, luring them intofurther exploration of the possibilities. Hislisting of additional HIVE websites fromwhich one may garner helpful informationon establishing interactive learning cul-tures will also be valuable. This guide isan excellent starting point for the novicewho is interested in exploring the use ofhighly interactive learning environments,whether virtual or traditional, in the teach-ing of theology and religion.

Velma E. LoveFlorida A&M University

The Perfect Norm: How to Teach Differ-entially, Assess Effectively, and Managea Classroom Ethically in Ways that are“Brain Friendly” and Culturally Respon-sive. By Sharon L. Spencer and SandraA. Vavra. Charlotte, N.C.: InformationAge Publishing, 2009. xvii + 148 pages.ISBN 978-1-60752-033-7. $45.99.

As an educator I constantly try to engagemy students in ways that are effective andculturally appropriate, while also trying todisseminated as much information as pos-sible in the time allotted. It is a struggle tochoose teaching tactics, assess in effectiveand efficient ways, and cover the requiredmaterial, because of the varying learningstyles in a classroom,. Doing this in anethically sensitive way is an importanttask for any educator. The Perfect Norm:How to Teach Differentially, AssessEffectively, and Manage a Classroom

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Ethically in Ways that are “BrainFriendly” and Culturally Responsive is agreat find for educators trying to do thiswork with integrity. The authors help edu-cators at any level understand that theprimary task in the classroom is not justdissemination; it is providing a place forcritical literacy for students. This task isrooted in the reality that some in oursociety have a privileged place in the eco-nomic, political, social, and educationalsystems and that by listening to the storiesof the oppressed educators will betterunderstand the problems of this socialstructure (ix–x).

The structure of this book is helpfuland guides the reader from the theory ofcritical learning as a framework for teach-ing and learning into a development ofboth learning experiences and practicalapplications for the culturally diverseclassroom. Easy to follow assignmentsfor classroom integration are included.Resourcing educators for their best out-comes is one of the book’s strengths. ThePeer Review example of editing studentwork for “clarity, coherence, and gram-matical and mechanical errors” is quitehelpful (65). Additionally, the suggesteduse of rubrics in assignments providesstudents with the clear articulation oflearning and assessment goals from theinstructor. Preparing students for a worldof constant change is imperative andunderstanding how to optimize learningfor that future is vital. Key for this peda-gogical move is providing learning experi-ences that prompt problem-based learningmodels in which students uncover solu-tions. The authors posit that these experi-ences should be engaging and relevant forstudents’ lives, encourage students to col-laborate and innovate, and assess under-standing in authentic and structured ways(118–119). In theological education andfor persons intending to engage in col-laborative contexts of ministry, this isimperative.

The authors provide an excellentresource for educators. While some of thepractical experiences are oriented towardsecondary and undergraduate assignments,teachers at every level will gain practicaland helpful insights into creating an ethi-cally and culturally sensitive classroomthat is geared to diverse student learninglevels and that provides appropriate andeffective assessment. Theological educa-tors creating classrooms that allow for thebest possible outcomes for their studentswill find the text well worth their time.

Karyn L. WisemanLutheran Theological

Seminary at Philadelphia

Harnessing America’s Wasted Talent:A New Ecology of Learning. By PeterSmith. San Francisco, Calif.: Josey Bass,2010. xxvi + 179 pages. ISBN 978-0-470-53807-4. $28.00.

Peter Smith’s provocative book focuses onadult learners’ struggles with higher edu-cation. Examining this demographic, heraises issues that many in higher educationare thinking about: educating nontradi-tional students who are older, comingfrom work situations or the military, andare members of racial-ethnic minoritygroups. Smith argues that traditionalhigher education has become stagnant –has reached an “angle of repose” (4).His question is how can the personal andexperiential learning of nontraditionalstudents be harnessed – learning gained“from the totality of . . . life experiences,including school and formal training”that “creates, deepens, and refreshes” thehuman being throughout life, developingboth marketable skills and shapingpersonal values and attitudes throughreflection and introspection (36).

Smith asks why such learning has not“counted” in the academy. Making it

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count would address the “Law of Thirds”which reveals wasted talent – the realitythat after ten years, about one-third ofall American ninth graders will have notgraduated from high school; one-thirdwill have their high school diploma butno further education; and one-third willhave gone to college, with at least twentypercent completing an associate’s degree(xii ff.).

Smith argues that teaching and learninghas to change to address the problem ofthis wasted talent. Our current system,local and resistant to change, has “maxedout” (29) “psychologically, experientially,physically, academically, and financially”(26–34) and therefore, cannot shape non-traditional talent. Smith’s goals for educa-tion are those we – at least at TheUniversity of Georgia – desire: educationfor self-direction and adaptation, for criti-cal thinking and clear writing, for globalcitizenship. The current college and uni-versity system is not accomplishing thesegoals, Smith argues; therefore, we need toconstruct a “new ecology of learning”(157).

Smith’s solution is what he calls theCollege for the Twenty-First Century(C21C). The colleges will be learner-centered and provide “end-to-endservice,” including ongoing assessmentof the student’s work documented in “acontinuously updated transcript,” availablein electronic form. Course design willbe standardized, setting a “universalcommon denominator for academiccredit” for global portability (149,emphasis Smith’s). There will be highstandards, but students will receive moreinformation on how to learn and willwork at their own pace. Smith offerssome current models of the interfacebetween business and education that heproposes as a key element of the C21C,models in which people get credit forworkplace competencies – but not forgeneral life experience.

With all due respect, Smith’s newecology is what higher education isalready doing. For the most part, theC21C is not new. And, given Smith’semphasis on life learning, there are twolarge problems to consider. First is thearea of credentials, which is difficult toescape: Whose credentialing process willemployers accept? Who and how will theyverify that one has been fully educated fora position or task? Second is the persistentproblem of the learner. The adult learnersabout whom Smith writes may be highlymotivated, but my thoughts return toKevin Carey’s description of the lowerdivision undergraduate,

sitting in the back row of a lecturehall. All she’s getting is a liveversion of what iTunes Universityoffers for free, minus the ability topause, rewind, and fast-forward ata time and place of her choosing. . . She’s also increasingly payingthrough the nose for the privilege.(27)

How, Smith asks, does one help thisstudent to thrive? Maybe we cannot.

Smith’s picture of current highereducation misses the mark in importantways. The model of “lecturing scholar”and “note-taking student,” despite Smith’sreferences to it as normative, is rarethese days. What Smith says we mustdo, we are: the learning-centered C21C’sstrategies are the ecology of currentclassrooms. PowerPoint presentations,assignments that address learning styles,interdisciplinary majors, undergraduateresearch, Wiki pages, and other innova-tions shape the classroom as we try tomeet students where they are. If theplugged-in, bored student tunes out whilesitting in the classroom, she is preparingherself to become one of the adult workersscrambling for a second chance at educa-tion. That said, Peter Smith is right, higher

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education still must struggle with issuesof diversity so that we can do better whatSmith urges us to do: recognize and orga-nize around talent, developing multiplemodes in which that talent may cometo fruitful expression personally and insociety.

Carolyn M. Jones MedineThe University of Georgia

Teaching, Learning and Research inHigher Education: A Critical Approach.By Mark Tennant, Cathi McMullen,and Dan Kaczynski. New York, N.Y.:Routledge, 2010. xiii + 199 pages. ISBN978-0-415-96263-6. $42.95.

A collection of essays by three profes-sors, two from Australia and one fromthe United States, Teaching, Learningand Research in Higher Education: ACritical Approach offers an excellentintroduction to many of the issues facedby college teachers, from brand-newgraduate teaching assistants to seasonedfull professors. The authors weave intothe essays examination of several promi-nent trends in higher education, includ-ing increasing growth and diversity,the rise of market models, adoption ofemerging technologies, and an evergreater emphasis on accountability, buttheir primary interest lies in fosteringamong higher education faculty “a reflex-ive approach, not only as an approach toteaching, but as an approach to workinglife as an academic in higher education”(12).

Despite the tracing of common themes,each chapter could easily stand on its ownand provide the basis for individual reflec-tion or group discussion. Many of thechapter topics, such as “Perspectives onQuality Teaching,” “Teaching for Diver-sity,” and “Learning in the Digital Age,”will be familiar to nearly anyone working

in higher education. Nonetheless, theessays offer effective overviews of thecomplex issues involved in each topicand direct the reader to other resourcesof potential interest. They explicitly orimplicitly encourage professors to stepback from their day-to-day engagementwith the details of teaching and considerlarger issues. The chapter on qualityteaching, for instance, does this exception-ally well, by pointing out some of theways the understanding of who is a “goodteacher” is shaped by evaluation instru-ments like national surveys and teachingaward criteria. Such observations freeteachers to think more creatively abouthow they define teaching excellenceand reflect critically on the relationshipbetween their teaching and the externalassessment measures to which it issubject.

Other chapters take an in-depth look atissues that confront teachers at all levels,such as assessment and teaching online.The assessment chapter is a fine resourcefor professors struggling to meet exter-nally imposed requirements while main-taining a sense of integrity and purpose intheir teaching. The authors address con-cerns about identity and power relation-ships and build a persuasive case thatassessment can contribute far more to thelearning experience than merely fulfillinga requirement to submit paperwork to anadministrator. This essay has the potentialto help educators make peace with anaspect of their work life many findfrustrating.

The authors note in their introductionthat they hope to encourage higher educa-tion faculty to reflect on elements oftheir work life beyond traditional teachingissues, and their broad understanding ofteaching enables them to include thought-provoking essays on the relationshipbetween doctoral students and super-visors and the interplay between teach-ing and research. The chapter entitled

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“Postgraduate Research Education” ishighly recommended for students consid-ering enrolling in doctoral programs,since it examines the many complexfactors that shape the student-supervisorrelationship and brings to light some ofthe potential stumbling blocks in such arelationship. The chapter on “Teachingand Research,” which concludes thevolume, will interest anyone who hasencountered the ongoing conversationabout the respective roles of these twocentral elements of higher education’smission, and the authors provide somemuch-needed perspective on the mythsand realities of this debate.

Among the notable features of thisbook, aside from the generally engagingprose style and the extensive bibliogra-phy, is the inclusion at the end of eachessay of questions and exercises designedfor “enhancing professional practice.”These short sections provide a frameworkfor individual reflection, one-on-one con-versations, and group discussions. Thesuggestions range from writing shortessays about particular aspects of one’steaching experience to critically examin-ing assessment instruments. While somereaders will undoubtedly find these exer-cises silly and unhelpful, they presentan opportunity for those interested inactively developing an ability to criticallyengage their teaching in ways not other-wise considered.

With its rich content, well framed asthe basis for active pursuit of a reflectivepractice of teaching, this book would bean excellent addition to academic librariesof all sizes, as well as to the personal col-lections of graduate students and profes-sors. It is also highly recommended forteaching resource centers, especially thosethat sponsor faculty discussion groups orother learning communities.

Miranda BennettUniversity of Houston

A Guide to Authentic E-learning. ByJan Herrington, Thomas C. Reeves, andRon Oliver. New York, N.Y.: Routledge,2010. xiv + 213 pages. ISBN 0-415-99800-X. $41.95.

Online education is becoming more preva-lent at universities, including seminariesand theological schools. One of the posi-tive aspects of online education is thepotential to reach students globally. Someseminaries are developing online M.Div.programs to accommodate students whoare already in full-time ministry and areunable to leave their lives and work toattend school at a distant seminary. It istherefore important for professors to con-sider the best ways to teach online courseseffectively. Even instructors at schools notplanning to pursue online education canbenefit from some of the concepts pro-moted by online education experts. AsHerrington, Reeves, and Oliver point out,the move toward online education is anopportunity to rethink how we teach.Online education should not just duplicatewhat is done in the classroom. If it is donecorrectly, the authors claim that onlineeducation can be better than traditionalclassrooms at promoting “authenticlearning.”

According to the authors authenticlearning occurs when learning is mademore relevant through realistic activities.Students learn by working on large,complex projects that make knowledgeless abstract and more applicable to othersituations. For example, the bookdescribes “simulated apprenticeships” (17)– in which students learn how to do a taskor project with online guidance from amentor, learning on their own and workingwith peers through online groups.

This style of teaching requires adifferent form of instruction. Unlikea traditional classroom which emphasizeslectures, authentic learning methodsencourage students to focus on a major

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project. The professor’s lectures provideexpert information which the students useto accomplish their task. This is akin toproblem-based learning. Ideally, informa-tion is presented in a non-linear way, sostudents can refer to it as they need itwhile working on the project. The profes-sor provides models for performing agiven task. The students may need “scaf-folded” assistance, meaning that morehelp is given at the beginning and thentapers off as students become more self-sufficient. There is also an emphasis onpeer collaboration to accomplish tasks.For example, a class on theodicy couldassign students to small groups to deter-mine an answer to the problem of evil.Throughout the course, students wouldrespond to various theological argumentsand arrive at their own conclusions. Thisproject would be the focus of the class forthese students, while information and helpwould be provided by the professor tofacilitate their analysis.

In contrast to more traditional assign-ments that have very specifically definedparameters, student projects in onlineclasses should be left more open-ended,allowing students to determine what theyneed to do to complete their project andanswer the question they have posed.The project should allow for multipleperspectives and solutions, not just onecorrect answer. This is different fromhow most academic assignments are con-structed, but closely resembles the sortsof problems students will encounter inreal life.

Assessment will be more subjective inthis style of teaching, since there are mul-tiple right answers. It should be focused toexamine what the students have actuallyaccomplished, and it should be incorpo-rated into the learning process. The resultsfrom this type of assessment may not beas useful for drawing raw data or compari-son with other students. However, as theauthors point out, the purpose of assess-

ment should be to determine the contentstudents have learned, not merely toextract data.

The introduction and first chapter ofthis book present the core concepts, andthe rest of the book mostly repeats anddevelops these same ideas. The secondchapter provides examples of onlineprojects. Many of the examples havecomplex graphics and systems, whichmay require more technical expertise andmoney than many programs have. Yetthese examples also seem low-tech andout-of-date when compared to the graphicsstudents are accustomed to in videogames. It may be difficult for educationalinstitutions to compete with video gamecompanies to provide the latest technolo-gies. Educators should therefore focusfirst on developing good assignments andcontent, instead of high-tech graphics.The graphics that are used should be anintegral part of the learning process.

It is interesting that online education,which is by its nature mass-delivered andseemingly more impersonal and isolating,is actually finding ways through small-group collaboration to increase personalinteractions. As ironic as it may seem, itis possible for online learning to accom-plish these goals. In fact, the authors ofthis book argue that authentic learningtakes place best on a computer at a dis-tance, rather than in a traditional class-room. It is true that many face-to-faceclasses focus on lectures and do notpromote peer collaboration, while manyonline programs encourage more interac-tion through group projects and messageboards. However, many of the concepts inthis book could be applied to a traditionalclassroom as well. If faculty took someof these ideas to heart, authentic learningcould be achieved both online and in atraditional classroom.

Rebecca MillerTrinity International University

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To Delight and Instruct: CelebratingTen Years of Pedagogy. By Jennifer L.Holberg, Martin Bickman, MariolinaRizzi Salvatori, Patricia Donahue,Colin Jager et al. Pedagogy: CriticalApproaches to Teaching, Literature,Language, Composition, and Culture10, no. 1 (Winter 2010). 267 pages. ISBN0-8223-6728-4. $10.00.

This special issue of the journal Pedagogyis dedicated to creating “a new discoursesurrounding teaching in English studies byfusing theoretical approaches and practicalrealities” with a clear emphasis on issuesof pedagogy. The book begins with aneditorial introduction, presents eighteenarticles, and concludes with two retrospec-tive pieces. Some of the articles are spe-cific to texts or topics within the field ofEnglish studies while others are morebroadly applicable to a variety of disci-plines. In this brief review, I will discussnine of the eighteen that seem most rel-evant for the readers of Teaching Theologyand Religion.

Mariolina Rizzi Salvatori and PatriciaDonahue remind teachers to think aboutwho they are teaching rather than whatthey are teaching (“Disappearing Acts:The Problem of the Student in Composi-tion Studies,” 25–33). Although all theexamples drawn are from the field ofComposition Studies, the issues raised areworth pondering, especially the movementtoward greater use of technology and dis-tance education formats. They write,“When knowledge in any field proceedsor advances without questioning how stu-dents learn, knowledge becomes highlyspecialized and exclusionary in terms ofboth its subject matter and its audience”(31). As the rate of change continues toaccelerate, we would do well to rememberthis warning.

The title of Donald Hall’s essay asks,“Can We Teach a Transnational QueerStudies?” (69–78). Building on previous

publications, he sketches the current stateof affairs, highlighting strengths, weak-nesses, challenges, and opportunities.In this complicated issue, his clarity is awelcome addition, adding to the rangeof books and methodological concernsinforming institutional curricula today.

Michael Bérubé tackles the issue oftenure, academic freedom, and teacheraccountability in direct and some wouldsay radical terms (“Threat Level,” 95–105). Recent legal shifts, and the fragileposition of faculty teaching controversialsubjects, raise significant questions abouthow institutions will deal with facultyappointments in the coming years.

Sheila Cavanagh asks professors torethink course content in terms of studentlearning (“Bringing Our Brains to theHumanities: Increasing the Value of OurClasses while Supporting Our Futures,”131–42). In a time of economic “belt-tightening,” many humanities programsin undergraduate colleges are facing cut-backs, and she recommends taking a cuefrom something more traditionally foundin science or social science courses,problem-based learning, as one way torecast course content for institution’sdemanding “outcomes.” This teachingmethod is a practical institutional strategy,but it is also valuable because it cancommunicate and instruct effectively.

Richard Miller offers an insightfulessay on how to engage technology effec-tively, thoughtfully, and creatively (ratherthan simply communicating content)(“The Coming Apocalypse,” 143–51).He extols the virtues of intentional assign-ments and formats that can be leveragedto connect to the shifting student demo-graphic in a rapidly changing culture.

Gerald Graff critiques “courseocen-trism” – the typical way in which facultyusually go about their teaching (“WhyAssessment?” 153–57). The term refersto “a kind of tunnel vision in which webecome so used to the confines of our own

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course that we are oblivious to the factthat our students are taking other courseswhose instructors at any moment may beundercutting our most cherished beliefs”(157). Beyond simply talking to oneanother about which courses should be ina curriculum, faculty must talk about whatperspectives, methods, assumptions, andvalues are being conveyed within thosecourses. He further argues that outcomesassessment provides one helpful (andeven necessary) way to work throughthis common problem.

Harriet Kramer Linkin providesexamples of engaging students inconversations about English Literature(“Performing Discussion: The Dreamof a Common Language in the LiteratureClassroom,” 167–74). Anyone teachingprimary texts can relate to and learn fromher reflections.

Donald Marshall argues that the liberalarts should play a vital role in the curricu-lum of Christian undergraduate schools

because of the long history of dialogue andconversation that has been a core valuefor both the liberal arts and for the Church(“Paradigms, Conversation, Prayer: LiberalArts in Christian Colleges,” 183–200). Hisrhetorical approach to the issue is bolsteredby insightful citations from Augustine,Gadamer, Dostoyevsky, Simone Weil,and Pope John Paul II.

Dànielle Nicole DeVoss helpfully com-plicates and clarifies the current debatesover intellectual property in our digitalage (“English Studies and IntellectualProperty: Copyright, Creativity, and theCommons,” 201–15). Using examplesfrom classroom assignments and reflectingon the history and current state of Copy-right Law in the United States, she raisesserious questions and probes the shiftinganswers in the current academic and legalclimates.

Steven J. SchweitzerBethany Theological Seminary

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civic engagement in higher education: concepts and practices – by barbara jacoby and associates

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