Judith E. Miller, Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Special Academic Initiatives

3rd floor Corner House
Clark University
950 Main St.
Worcester MA 01610
(508) 793-7464

Fax: (508) 421-3700
Email: judmiller@clarku.edu

Judith E. Miller received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Cornell University in 1973, and her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Case Western Reserve University in 1978. From 1978 until 2004, she was a member of the faculty of the Department of Biology and Biotechnology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and from 1996 to 2004 she also directed WPI's Center for Educational Development, Technology, and Assessment. In 1998 she received the Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher award from the Society for College Science Teachers in 2002 she was named the Massachusetts CASE Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and in 2004 she won WPI's Trustees' Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Current Teaching and Research

Judy's recent teaching includes introductory biology and a Seminar and Practicum in college teaching as part of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium Certificate in College Teaching program. She has published and presented extensively on a number of topics in higher education, including pedagogical innovations in first year courses, team teaching, active and cooperative learning, productivity, and outcomes assessment.

Selected Publications

Books:

Groccia, J. E., and J. E. Miller (eds.). 2005. On Becoming a Productive University: Strategies for Reducing Costs and Increasing Quality . Bolton MA: Anker Publishing Co.

Miller, J.E., J.E. Groccia, and M. Miller (eds.). 2001. Student-Assisted Teaching: A Guide to Faculty-Student Teamwork. Bolton, MA : Anker Publishing Co.

Articles:

Gleghorn, J., and J. E. Miller. 2006. Roles for students in instruction and assessment in introductory anatomy and physiology courses. Journal of Student Centered Learning 3 (1): 9-14 (in press).

Clancy, E. A., P. Quinn and J. E. Miller. 2005 Assessment of a case study laboratory to increase awareness of ethical issues in engineering. IEEE Transactions on Education 48 (2):311-317.

Heinricher, A. C., J. Goulet, J. E. Miller, C. Demetry, S. W. Pierson, S. Gurland, V. Crawford, P. Quinn, and M. J. Pinet. 2002. Building interdisciplinary bridges between math, science, and engineering courses. The Journal for the Art of Teaching IX (1): 56-72 .

Heinricher, A. C., J. E. Miller, L. E. Schachterle, N. K. Kildahl, V. Bluemel, and V. Crawford. 2002. Undergraduate learning portfolios for institutional assessment. Journal of Engineering Education 91 (2): 249-253 .

Wright, W. A., and J. E. Miller. 2000. The educational developer's portfolio. International Journal of Academic Development 5 (1):20-29 .

Miller, J.E. and J.E. Groccia. 1997. Are four heads better than one? A comparison of cooperative and traditional teaching formats in an introductory biology course. Innovative Higher Education 21(4):253-273.

Representative Presentations

Peer-Assisted Cooperative Learning

More Student Learning, Less Faculty Work? An Experiment in Educational Quality and Productivity (seminar and workshop)

Cooperative learning (CL) in large introductory courses? Impossible without inordinate demands on faculty time? This presentation describes an experiment in which using undergraduate Peer Learning Assistants (PLAs) to facilitate CL in large introductory courses resulted in improved learning, higher student retention, and reduced faculty time input. This seminar can be delivered by itself, or accompanied by a workshop on how to use PLAs in your specific course.

Outcomes Assessment

Rebuilding the Teaching/Learning Connection through Outcomes Assessment (workshop)

Thanks to accrediting bodies, for requiring outcomes assessment! They are forcing us to shift focus from what courses students complete to what educational experiences produce learning. Participants will choose one learning objective of interest. Working in small groups, they will begin development of a plan to assess the achievement of that objective, and will see new connections between learning and the teaching that promotes it. This session can be delivered in formats ranging from 90 minutes to 6 hours, and is tailored to the assessment needs of the particular group or institution.

Portfolios and Professional Development (Graduate Students and Faculty)

Teaching Portfolios for Future Faculty (workshop)

The Educational Developer's Portfolio: Intersecting Individual, Institutional, and Professional Roles (workshop)

Active and Cooperative Learning (with special expertise in technical courses)

Using Cooperative Learning to Promote Student Learning (workshop)
Task Design for Cooperative Learning (workshop)

Engaging Students through Active Learning in STEM Courses (workshop)

Team Teaching

Integrated Courses for Integrated Learning (workshop)