Interview with Scott Jones, Dan Kimble Teaching Award Winner for 2001-2002

By Tim McMahon, The Teaching Effectiveness Program

Scott was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and his wife, Kelly is also from there. Prior to beginning his PHD program at UO, he worked for Bank of America and started a property management company. Scott is an avid football fan and loves most outdoor activities, particularly golf, hiking and skiing.

Last year Scott taught “Introduction to Marketing” for non-majors (BA 317) with about 60 students and Sports Marketing for majors (MKT 450) with about 30 students.

What was the toughest part about teaching for the first time?
Deciding what I should cover and what I might not be able to get to. Then trying to establish an order and flow to the material. I had to figure out a logical progression in my own head.

How did you prepare to teach the class?
I sat in on the class the previous term. Mike Dore was the instructor that term and he used lots of video clips and visual aids. He is also generally considered one of the best instructors in the college. I ended up collaborating and sharing resources that I found with him. From watching him teach, I learned to emphasize creativity in both lectures and assignments.

Give us an example of a creative assignment you have used.
I send students to a grocery store with about 25 questions they have to answer, such as: what kinds of cereal are on the top shelf as opposed to the bottom shelf? (The more sugary cereals tend to be on the lower levels where children can reach them. Healthier cereals are on the top shelves.) In marketing, product, price, promotion, and place are all central concepts. Using a grocery store, we can create questions that address all of these issues.

How do you decide on what content to include?
I think it comes down to personal judgment. I ask myself what is the most important material for them to know in the next two years. For non-majors, I try to make the course more practical. Courses for majors are more theoretical. I also add a personal element to the mix—what I think would be more enjoyable and interesting.

How did you overcome the nervousness that is natural for a new instructor to feel?
I would probably worry more if I were not nervous. Nervousness is both anxiety and excitement. I play the role of a professor. I always wear ties and long sleeved shirts. This helps me get into my role because it feels like my uniform. Dressing differently from the students helps me distinguish myself which I think is more important when you’re a younger instructor.

Speaking of separation, how do you maintain reasonable boundaries with the students you teach?
I do this in a number of ways. For example, by how I dress and the way I carry myself in the classroom. I am extra conscious of being assertive and confident in the classroom. I think it helps that I have a loud voice, which I project. Students recognize me as an authority figure. It’s really not something I do consciously; it’s more of my natural style.

How do you assess your students?
I use group projects. They are important in any business school. Students need to get used to them because they will be on a lot of teams in their work world. I create different types of assignments. I mentioned the grocery store project earlier. For my sports marketing course I have students tour the Eugene Emeralds baseball stadium and then go back for a game and answer a bunch of questions about their experience.

What about tests?
At first I used multiple-choice tests out of the book, but this didn't work with what I thought was important. So for the Sports Marketing class, the tests were all short answer. Students got study questions ahead of time and I picked which ones they would answer. I found that for both the multiple-choice and short-answer tests, the students who did well on the other assignments also did well on the tests. I am still trying to find the best approach. I think it falls somewhere between the two I have used thus far.

What about class discussions?
I expect a lot from students during class discussions. Participation is a substantial portion of their grade so I need to do everything I can to create an environment where students feel comfortable talking. This starts with knowing their names. Also, for students who are less comfortable initially, I ask them to email me with questions after class. I reply and ask the student to ask that question at the start of the next class. Students get credit for this. This is a suggestion from Georgeanne Cooper that has worked well.

Obviously learning the names of the students in your class is important. How do you do this?
I ask them to attach a photo to a name card. They get points for completing this assignment. I go through the cards frequently so that by the second class I'll know between half and three-quarters of the students. I tell students I'm trying to learn their names and call them by name during class. If I don't know someone's name, I tell them I will by the next class period.

How do you get students to ask questions?
There are several different things I have picked up from my own experience as a student. Beyond the comfortable environment I attempt to create there are other little things I use to try to emphasize how important participation is. For example, early in the term I may tape a $5 bill to the blackboard. The first person who asks, “What’s that $5 bill doing on the blackboard?” gets the money. This allows me to ask how many other students noticed the bill and wondered why it was there? Many had the same question and now that someone was willing to ask it, every knows the answer.

How do you view your experience as a GTF?
I see my teaching experience here as a “trial run”. This is a good time to take my stuff and find out what works for me and what works for the students. It’s nice to be teaching marketing because it’s everywhere and it’s fun to look at it critically. Plus, with marketing, it’s easy to get students into the ethical issues involved.

What have you learned about yourself through the teaching experience?
I’ve learned that I can develop organizational skills after all (these don’t come naturally to me). I have learned how physically exhausting it is to teach. I walked out of class on my first day of teaching and felt physically and mentally exhausted. I wondered if I would be able to maintain my energy and stamina through a whole term. I had originally scheduled office hours for right after class, so I changed them to right before class. After class I go work out. This gets me refreshed
and rejuvenated.

How do you juggle all your various responsibilities?
I often work 60+ hours a week—this is a reality for most students in a PHD program. I promised my wife that I wouldn’t bring work home, so I stay at the office until it’s finished. This has worked for us. I take time for myself—I work out, I’m a golf addict, and I like to ski.

Any final tips?
To summarize:

 

    Address questions or comments about TEP or this site to:
Georgeanne Cooper, Program Director, 64 PLC
Phone: 541-346-2177 Fax: 541-346-2184
Teaching Effectiveness Program, Teaching and Learning Center, University of Oregon.
Last Modified: 03/18/10