This past April, Dr. Bob Reiser, a long-time faculty member
in the Instructional Systems program, won the highest teaching award
given at Florida State University, the University Distinguished
Teacher Award. Each year this award is given to one faculty member
at Florida State who has, over his or her career, demonstrated a
record of sustained teaching excellence. In order to be eligible for
the Distinguished Teacher Award, a faculty member must have
previously won an FSU University Teaching Award, which is given to
approximately two dozen faculty each year. Reiser received a
University Teaching Award in 1986.
Dr. Reiser is the nineteenth professor to have won the
Florida State University Distinguished Teacher Award, and he is the
first professor from the College of Education at FSU to have done so.
Candidates for the University Distinguished Teacher Award are
nominated by students and must submit a variety of data in support of
their nomination. Each nominee must prepare a binder that contains a
statement of their teaching philosophy, the syllabi of all the
courses they have taught for the past six years, and the grades they
awarded and the students ratings they received in each course. The
administration also randomly selects 30 students who took courses
from the nominee, and whose grades represent the range of grades he
or she gave out, and asks those students to fill out a form
evaluating the teaching skills of the nominee.
The nominee's binders and student evaluation forms are judged
using a variety of criteria. These include evidence that the nominee:
- uses innovative instructional techniques,
- organizes and presents subject matter in an interesting and stimulating manner,
- challenges students' thinking,
- helps students grow intellectually,
- inspires students to work hard,
- imparts a respect for learning, and
- helps students attain important educational goals.
Reiser will be the featured speaker at this year's Homecoming
Lecture, Thursday, Oct. 12, at 10 a.m. in the Opperman Music Hall in
the Kuersteiner Building. His presentation will be entitled
"Effective Teaching: One Professor's Point of View". He will discuss
some of the criteria that are used for judging teaching effectiveness
and then share some of his techniques for planning instructional
activities, presenting classroom instruction, and providing
out-of-class instructional support. A reception precedes the lecture
at 9:30 a.m.; the lecture and breakfast are free.
Dr. Reiser came to Florida State in January of 1976 as an Assistant
Professor. He served as Department Chair for the Educational Research
Department for nine years from July, 1987 through October, 1996. Reiser
became a full Professor in May of 1985 and has served as Program Leader
prior to becoming Department Chair.
The students, faculty, staff and alumni of the Instructional Systems program and the Educational Research Department join together in saying, "Congratulations"!