Profile

Dr. Gregory James Light Associate Professor, Master of Science in Education Director, Searle Center for Teaching Excellence 627 Dartmouth Place Evanston, IL 60208-4180 Phone: (847) 467-2338 Fax: (847) 467-2273

Biography

Gregory Light is the director of the Searle Center for Teaching Excellence at Northwestern University. The Searle Center provides a wide range of programs on learning and teaching for faculty, graduate students and undergraduates. Prior to coming to Northwestern, he was on the faculty of the Institute of Education, University of London in the UK, where he was deputy head and then head (chair) of the department of Life Long Learning. He has taught postgraduate courses in higher and professional education and consulted across the higher and professional education sector in North America, Europe and Asia. His research and scholarship focuses on the theory and practice of learning and teaching in higher and professional education. He is currently the principle investigator or co-investigator on four major research projects studying critical areas of teaching and learning in the sciences, engineering and medicine. His research and his publications are focused on student learning and the professional development of teaching in higher education. He is author of the book Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: The Reflective Professional (Sage 2001, 2009).

Websites

CLIMB

Gateway Science Workshop Program

National Center for Learning and Teaching: Nanoscale Science and Engineering

The Searle Center For Teaching Excellence

Research/Scholarship
Education

Year		Degree		Institution
1995		PhD, Education		University of London, UK
1975		BA Specialist Degree, Philosophy		University of Toronto
1974		BA, Philosophy and English		University of Toronto

Selected Publications

McKenna, A., Yalvac, B. & Light, G. (January, 2009). The Role of Collaborative Reflection on Shaping Engineering Faculty Teaching Approaches. Journal of Engineering Education: 1-10.

Park, E-J., & Light, G. (2009). Identifying atomic structure as a threshold concept: Student mental models and troublesomeness. International Journal of Science Education, 31(2): 233-258.

Light, G. & Calkins, S. (2008). The Experience of Faculty Development: Patterns of Variation in Conceptions of Teaching. International Journal of Academic Development. Vol. 13 No. 1: 17-30.

Light, G., Calkins, S., Luna, M., & Drane, D (2008). Assessing the impact of faculty development programs on faculty approaches to teaching. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Vol. 20(2).

Micari, M., & Light, G. (2008). Reliance to independence: Approaches to learning in peer-led undergraduate STEM workshops.. International Journal of Science Education,: 1–29.

Light, G. (2008). The Puzzle of teaching in higher education: Implications for the structure of academic practice. Ideas on Teaching (Volume 6): Selected papers from TLHE 2006 - Quality in Higher Education : 25-36.

•Light, G., Swarat, S., Park, E-J. & Drane, D. (2008). Student understanding of “surface area to volume ratio” and its relationship to property change in the nano-science engineering context.. The Proceedings of the Research in Engineering Education Symposium.

Light, G., Swarat, S., Park, E-J., Drane, D., Tevaarwerk, E., & Mason, T (June, 2007). Understanding Undergraduate Students’ Conceptions of a Core Nanoscience Concept: Size and Scale. The Proceedings of the International Conference on Research in Engineering Education.

Micari, M., Light, G., Calkins, S. & Streitwieser, B. (2007). Assessment Beyond Performance: Phenomenography in Educational Evaluation. Journal of American Evaluation. Vol. 28 No. 4: 458-476..

Calkins, S. & Light, G. (2007). Promoting student-centered teaching through a project-based faculty development program. To Improve the Academy.

Light, G. (December, 2006). The Puzzle of Teaching in Higher Education: Repositioning Learning in Academic Practice. The Proceedings of the International Conference on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education .

Light, G. & Luna M. (November, 2006). Teaching Teachers: Drawing on Research to Enhance Faculty Approaches to Teaching. Proceedings of the Reinvention Center Conference: Transforming the Culture: Undergraduate Education .

Micari, M., Streitwieser, B & Light, G. (September, 2005). Undergraduates Leading Undergraduates: Peer Facilitation in Northwestern University's Gateway Science Workshop Program. Journal of Innovative Higher Education: Vol. 30, No. 4, fall 2005..

Drane, D., Smith, H.D., Light, G. & Pinto, L. (September, 2005). The Gateway Science Workshop Program: Enhancing Student Performance and Retention in the Sciences Through Peer-Facilitated Discussion. Journal of Science Education and Technology.

Fleming, V. M., Lipscomb, S., Light, G. & Nielsen, B. (December, 2004). Teaching for learning with technology: A faculty development initiative at a research university. Studies on Education (Estudios sobre Educacion).

Swarat, S., Drane D., Smith H.D., Light G., Pinto L. (September, 2004). Opening the Gateway: Increasing minority student retention in introductory science courses. Journal of College Science Teaching.

Hersam, M. C., Luna, M., & Light, G. (2004). Implementation of interdisciplinary group learning and peer assessment in a nanotechnology engineering course. Journal of Engineering Education.

Light, G. (April, 2003). Realizing Academic Development: Embedding Teaching Practice in the Practice of Research in Macdonald, R., & Eggins, H. (eds.), The Scholarship of Academic Development: 152-162.

Light, G. (2002). From the Personal to the Public: Student Conceptions of Creative Writing in Higher Education. Internat'l Journal of Higher Education and Educational Planning, Kluwer Academic Publishers. 43(2): 257-276.

Light, G & Cox R. (2001). Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: The Reflective Professional . London: Paul Chapman Ltd. .

Light, G. (2000). Lifelong Learning: Challenging Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in Hodgson, A. (ed.), Policies, Politics and the Future of Lifelong Learning.

Williams, G., & Light, G. (March, 1999). Student Income and Costs of Study in the United Kingdom. European Journal of Education: Research, Development and Policies 34(1): 23-42.

Light, G. (1999). Conceiving creative writing in higher education. The Proceedings of the Creative Writing Conference: .37-50.

Selected Presentations

Light & Calkins (October, 2008). Research and Teaching: Exploring an Integrated Construct. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL). Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Light, G. (October, 2008). Improving University Teaching Quality: Advancing Learning. German Fulbright Higher Educational Experts Seminar. Evanston, IL.

Park, E.J., Light, G. (June, 2008). Identifying Threshold Concepts in Learning Nanoscience by Using Concept Maps and Students’ Responses to an Open-ended Interview. International Conference in Learning Science . Utrecht, Netherlands.

Light, G., Swarat, S. Park, EJ, Drane, D (June, 2008). Applying Construct-Centered Design to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Development in Nanoscale Science and Engineering. International Conference in Learning Science. Utrecht, Netherlands.

Light, G. , Park, E.J (June, 2008). Identifying threshold concepts in learning nano-science by using concept maps and students’ responses to an open-ended survey. Threshold Concepts Conference, Queens University. Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Park, E.J., Light, G (June, 2008). Exploring the troublesome nature of college student mental models of atomic structure: a bottom up approach to identifying a threshold concept . Threshold Concepts Conference, Queens University. Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Park, EJ, Swarat, S., Light, G., Drane, D (March, 2008). Exploring variation in and developing typology for undergraduate students’ conception of ‘size and scale. National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST).

Light, G., Swarat, S. Park, EJ, Drane, D (January, 2008). Exploring undergraduate students' understanding of size and scale in the context of nanoscience. Engineering Education Research Conference (NSF sponsored), Texas Tech. TX.

Light, G., Swarat, S., Park E.J., Drane D. (January, 2008). How do undergraduate students studying Nanoscience understand 'size and scale'? Results from an exploratory interview study, Online Seminar. National Center for Learning and Teaching (NCLT), Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

Pool, G., Lee, A., Light, G. & Cassidy, A (2008). Practicing what we preach: Applying evidence-based guidelines to conference pedagogy. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Calkins, S., Light G. & Bartlam, L (2008). Connecting Senior Faculty Conceptions of Mentoring and Teaching. Presentation for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference. New York, NY.

Lee, A., Light, G. & Poole, G (July, 2007). The Learning Gap: Differences in faculty's understanding of their own learning compared to their understanding of their students’ learning. Why is it so and what can we do about it?,.

Workshop/paper given at The International Society for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning.

. Sydney, Australia.

Light, G., Swarat, S., Park, E-J., Drane, D., Tevaarwerk, E., & Mason, T (June, 2007). Understanding Undergraduate Students’ Conceptions of a Core Nanoscience Concept: Size and Scale. Paper given at The International Conference on Research in Engineering Education. . Honolulu, HI.

Calkins, S. & Light, G. (April, 2007). Conceptions of Mentoring Among Senior Faculty at a Research-Intensive University. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Annual Conference. . Chicago, IL.

Light, G. & Calkins, S. (April, 2007). Academic Learning: Integrating Faculty Conceptions of Research and Teaching. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Annual Conference . Chicago, IL.

Micari, M., Pazos, P., Light, G., Streitwieser, B. & Linsenmier, K. (April, 2007). Characteristics of Peer-Led Workshop Groups in STEM Disciplines: A Validated Instrument to Categorize Group Functioning. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Annual Conference. . Chicago, IL.

Light, G. (December, 2006). The Puzzle of Teaching in Higher Education: Repositioning Learning in Academic Practice. Keynote address, International Conference on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, National University of Singapore. . Singapore, Singapore.

Light, G., Akerlind G., McKenzie, J., Lupton, M. (December, 2006). Variation in personal histories of the evolution of phenomenography and variation theory.. Symposium at the EARLI Biennial Workshop: Phenomenography and Variation Theory: The Ways Forward, The University of Hong Kong . Hong Kong SAR, China (Republic).

Light, G. & Calkins, S. (December, 2006). Faculty Conceptions of Academic Practice. Paper presented at the EARLI Biennial Workshop: Phenomenography and Variation Theory: The Ways Forward, The University of Hong Kong. . Hong Kong, China (Republic).

Light, G. & Luna, M. (November, 2006). Teaching Teachers: Drawing on Research to Enhance Faculty Approaches to Teaching. Paper presented at the Reinvention Center Conference: Transforming the Culture: Undergraduate Education and the Multiple Functions of the Research University. . Washington , DC.

Roglio, K. D., Light, G. & Coelho, C. (August, 2006). The Reflective Executive: an Architect and Facilitator of New Organizational Structures. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management. . Atlanta, GA.

Light, G. (May, 2006). Key Aspects in the Assessment of Student Academic Achievement. Education Sub-Committee, Board of Trustees, Northwestern University. . Evanston, IL.

Light, G., Calkins, S. & Luna, M. (April, 2006). Understanding Academic Practice: Faculty Conceptions of the Research-Teaching-Learning Relationship. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Annual Conference, . San Francisco, CA.

Streitwieser, B. & Light, G (April, 2006). When Undergraduates Teach Undergraduates – Conceptions of Teaching in a Peer-Led Team Learning Intervention in the STEM Disciplines: Results of a Two Year Study. Presentation for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference. . San Francisco, CA.

Yalvac, B., McKenna, A. & Light, G. (April, 2006). The Role of Collaborative Reflection on Shaping Faculty Teaching Approaches.. Presentation for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference. . San Francisco, CA.

Light, G. (February, 2006). Aligning Learning: Drawing on Research Practice to Enhance Faculty Approaches to Teaching. Talk given at the University of Mississippi. . Oxford, MS.

Streitwieser, B., Light, G. & Godwin, K. (January, 2006). Globalization: A Potential Role for Teaching and Learning Centers. American Association of Colleges and Universities, Annual Conference. . Washington , DC.

Grants/Funding

Year		Title		Source		Period		Amount		Status
2007		Mentoring for Success: Developing Fundamental Skills for Biomedical Research		National Institutes of Health		2007 - 2012		$1.7 million		Funded
PI:
My Role: Co-Investigator
2008		Gateway Science Workshop Program: Study of Impact of Peer Workshops on Students' Experience and Intellectual/Social Development in Gateway Science Courses		Northwestern University		2008 - 2011		$2 million		Funded
PI:
My Role: Principle Investigator
2005		Extended Science Workshop Program		National Science Foundation		2005 - 2010		$500,000.00		Funded
PI:
My Role: Principle Investigator
2004		National Center for Learning and Teaching: Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT)		National Science Foundation		2004 - 2009		$15 million		Funded
PI:

Research Interests

Student learning in higher and profession education , faculty development, faculty conceptions and approaches to teaching, faculty conceptions of learning in research and teaching, variation theory

Teaching/Advising
Courses

MS_ED 405

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education This course addresses the issue of learning. What is learning in higher education and what challenges does it pose to teaching? How can teaching respond? Students will examine different models and theories of learning, recent research on student conceptions of and approaches to learning, the impact of learning on faculty understanding and approaches to teaching.

Service/Recognition
Professional Service

Year		Organization		Position		Description
2008		City Colleges of Chicago, Master Trainer and Faculty Seminar Program		Faculty Consultant
2008		Center for Biophotonics, Science & Technology (CBST)		Member of the External Advisory Board