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Teaching PortfolioMohamad Tavakoli-Targhi

Department of HistoryIllinois State University

Table of Contents

I. Teaching Philosophy

II. Teaching Responsibilities

A. Area Studies Courses

1. History 126: Histories and Cultures of the Middle East

2. Students' Assessment of History 126

3. History 271: Islamic Civilization

4. Students' Evaluation of History 271

5. History 378: Islam


B. Historiographical Courses

1. History 296: Historiography and Historical Method

2. Students Evaluation of History 296

3. History 496: Philosophy of History and Historiography


C. Curriculum Development and Other Teaching Related Activities

1. History/English 389.72: Rhetoric and the Historical Imagination

2. Student Assessment of History/English 389.72

3. Independent Studies, Theses, and Dissertations

IV. Future Goals
http://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#philosophy%23philosophyhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#responsibilities%23responsibilitieshttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#area%23areahttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/126/126Spr2000.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/271/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/378/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#historiography%23historiographyhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/296/296_spring01.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/496/fall01/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#curriculum%23curriculumhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#future%23futurehttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#philosophy%23philosophyhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#responsibilities%23responsibilitieshttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#area%23areahttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/126/126Spr2000.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/271/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/378/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#historiography%23historiographyhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/296/296_spring01.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/496/fall01/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#curriculum%23curriculumhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/portfolio/#future%23future


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V. Appendices:

Appendix 1: History 126: Histories and Cultures of the Middle East

Appendix 2: History 271: Islamic Civilization

Appendix 3: History 272: Modern Middle East

Appendix 4: History 296: Historiography and Historical Method

Appendix 5: History 378: Islam

Appendix 6: History 389.72: Rhetoric and the Historical Imagination

Appendix 7: History 496: Philosophy of History and Historiography

Appendix 8. History 525: Interpretive Problems in Non-Western History

Appendix 9: Course proposal for History/English 389.72

Appendix 10: Proposals for "N ations and Narration " and Capstone in History

Appendix 11: A proposal for a New Program of General Education

Appendix 12: General Education and History: A position Paper

Appendix 13: Recent Lectures, Seminars and Conferences

Appendix 14: Recounting the Past

Appendix 15: Popular Student Views of the Middle East

Appendix 16: Series of Lectures and Films on Middle Eastern Women

Appendix 17: Global Review Events

Appendix 18: Students' Review of Public Lectures and Seminars

Appendix 19: Samples of Position Papers

Appendix 20: Samples of Playscripts

Appendix 21: A Sample of Midterm Synopsis

Appendix 22: A Sample of Course Summary
http://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/126/126Spr2000.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/271/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/272/http://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/296/296_spring01.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/378/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/389.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/496/fall01/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/203/IDS203-spring2000.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/126/126Spr2000.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/271/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/272/http://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/296/296_spring01.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/378/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/389.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/496/fall01/index.htmlhttp://www.cas.ilstu.edu/history/mtavakol/academic/courses/203/IDS203-spring2000.html


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Appendix 23: A Sample of Student Self-Evaluation

Appendix 24: A Sample of Internet Search

Appendix 25: Current Students' Stereotypical Views of Islam and the Middle East

Appendix 26: Earlier Students' Stereotypical Views of Islam and the Middle East

Appendix 27: Students' Reflection on Popular Perceptions at the End of the Semester

Appendix 28: Students' Assessment of History 126

Appendix 29: Students' Evaluation of History 126

Appendix 30: Samples of Students' Course-Evaluation



Appendix 33: Dialogical Pedagogy Series, Autumn 1993

Appendix 34: Peer Evaluation of Dialogical Pedagogy Series, 1992

Appendix 35: Peer Evaluation of Dialogical Pedagogy Series, 1993

Appendix 36: Students Evaluation of History 296

Appendix 37: Students Evaluation of History 496

Appendix 38: Students' Assessment of History/English 389.72


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I. T EACHING P HILOSOPHY

I view teaching as a process of empowering students and enabling them to lead asuccessful and fulfilling life. I promote these through an interactive, collaborative, and

inquiry-based pedagogy. My dialogical teaching strategy engenders in students a desireto learn, elevates their self-confidence and self-respect, and encourages them to cooperatewith others.

As an historian, my primary focus is not teaching "mere facts" but to enablestudents to think critically about the production and organization of data into sequentialhistorical narratives. Rather than offering students a pre-programmed account of the past,I challenge them to reflect on diverse patterns of causation and various scenarios andoptions available to historical agents. In my lectures, I redirect the task of explanation tostudents and seek to involve them in the search for plausible explanations for historicalproblems. I encourage them to interrogate authoritative historical accounts, including myown, by evaluating the reliability of sources and how facts are selected, judged, andorganized into a perspectival account of the past. The critical historical thinking skillsdeveloped in my classes are transferable to other courses, disciplines, and the worldbeyond the academy. My colleagues often identify my students on the basis of theircritical historical thinking skills and the foundational questions that they pose.

My concern with students' growth does end with the class. I seek to developopportunities for their intellectual development beyond classroom by organizing campus-wide seminar series and end-of-the semester conferences. In the "Dialogical PedagogySeries," "South/West Asian & Global Studies Seminar Series," and Global Connections

Seminar Series, I have provided opportunities for students to develop a global perspectiveand to sharpen their critical historical thinking skills by interacting with the faculty andinvited guest speakers. A significant feature of my upper level courses is an end-of-the-semester student conference, where students present their research papers in aprofessional setting. By building students' professional portfolio, the biannualconferences have enhanced students' professional growth and employability. Internetbased assignments also help them to develop basic skills that are useful for successbeyond the academy.

II. T EACHING R ESPONSIBILITIES

Since 1989 I have been responsible for the following general education,disciplinary, and multidisciplinary courses at Illinois State University:

1. istory 1!": istories and #ultures of the $iddle %ast

!. istory !&1: Islamic #ivili'ation

(. istory !&!: $odern $iddle %astern istory


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). istory !9": istoriography and istorical $ethod

*. istory (&8: Islam

". istory+%nglish (89.&!: hetoric and the istorical Imagination

&. istory )9": -hilosophy of istory and istoriography

8. istory *!*: Interpretive -roblems in the istory of on/0estern #ivili'ation

hese courses can be divided into either area studies or historiogaphical courses 2for sample syllabi see 3ppendices 1/84. $y epistemological commitment to trans/disciplinary historical research inspired me to develop a team taught course, 5 hetoricand istorical Imagination5 2see 3ppendi6 94. In cooperation with 7r. ebecca Saundersof %nglish I developed another interdisciplinary course, 5 ations and arration,5 whichwas integrated into the 5outer core5 of the new eneral %ducation 2see 3ppendi6 1 4. 3ll

of my courses are writing/intensive and students are e6pected to actively participate inlearning communities and in both on/line and class discussions. In addition to myteaching I have been actively involved in curricular reform in the University and the7epartment of istory. o enhance intellectual interaction among students and faculty Ihave organi'ed the Dialogical Pedagogy Series , South a d South!est Asia " Glo#alStudies Se$i ar Series , Glo#al Co ectio s Se$i ar Series , and biannual conferenceson Rhetoric a d the Historical I$agi atio 2see 3ppendi6 114. 3s the founding editor of ecounting the -ast: 3 Student ournal of istorical esearch at Illinois StateUniversity, I have promoted high ;uality scholarship among our students 2see 3ppendi61!4. 3s an associate editor of #omparative Studies of South 3sia, 3frica and the $iddle%ast and a member of the editorial board of Iranian Studies: ournal of the Society for

Iranian Studies, I have also contributed to the professional growth of younger scholars inmy own area of research.

A. Area Studies Courses

istory 1 (, 1!" and !&1 are classified as eneral %ducation courses and areintended to introduce students to on/0estern cultures and civili'ations. he ma


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these area studies courses in order to provide students with framewor=s for understandingand appreciating the contribution of non/%uropean peoples to universal history and worldcivili'ation. In the following section I e6plain in detail my teaching strategy and students@assessment of istory 1!"A I also outline briefly the structure of istory !&1 and (&8.

%. History %&'( Histories a d Cultures o) the *iddle East

his has been one of my primary teaching assignments since 1989. $y basicob


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3sian Seminar Series. $y students are encouraged to attend these wee=ly lectures andwrite brief summaries 2see 3ppendi6 184. his successful seminar series broughttogether students and faculty interested in the $iddle %ast and Indian subcontinent. heongoing 5 lobal #onnections Seminar Series, which is founded by the >ffice of the-rovost, continues the same spirit. he combination of classroom and campus wide

lectures and seminars offers students opportunities for intellectual interaction withvisiting spea=ers and promotes a deeper understanding of the $iddle %ast and the world beyond the United States.

he large si'e of this class does not prohibit me from promoting active learningand student participation. I engage students to analy'e historical problems in the courseof lectures. Cor instance, I as= them to e6plain why $uslims chose to begin their calendar with the establishment of the first $uslim community in "!! #% instead of the birth of $uhammad in *& #%. In a comparative historical approach, I invite them to imaginehow the #hristian and $uslim rec=oning of time offers insights into the differentialunderstanding of esus and $uhammad in #hristian and Islamic history and theology. In

my in;uiry/based pedagogy students often improvise the outlines of informed scholarlyviews on such historical ;uestions.

o promote a more dynamic class interaction each student writes and e/mails me aminimum of seven 5thought ;uestions5 or 5position papers5 analy'ing the readings,lectures, and+or critical events in the $iddle %ast 2see appendi6 19 for samples4. Imonitor all messages and distribute them to class members via an on/line discussion list.Students are encouraged to read and respond to posted massages. Issues raised on/lineare revisited in class discussions. 3dvance preparation and familiarity of students withrange of views via e/mail has made class discussions highly informed. he addition of on/line discussion has altered the traditional conception of class as a space and as a time

period. #lass members are now capable of interacting with one another all time.emporal and spatial accessibility has improved the ;uality of student participation inclass.

o facilitate collaboration, in the beginning of the semester students are as=ed to


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points in lectures and assigned readings by mid/semester 2see 3ppendi6 !14. Studentshave the option of rewriting their papers for e6tra credit. his option has motivatedstudents to use computers for class assignments. he second synopsis is a criticalevaluation of the ma


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Needless to say, stereotypical views are radically changed by the end of semester(see Appendix 27). For instance Adam Gotlieb, in his self-evaluation in wrote, "The keyidea that I learned is that it is extremely important to remain open to different ideas andcultures and to gather good information before coming to an opinion. As was seen in theOklahoma disaster, it is extremely easy to place blame on a whole group of people,

Middle Easterners, rather than the offenders themselves" (see Appendix 28.1). AmyManafici evaluating the course in wrote, "I now possess a completely different view andunderstanding of the Middle East. One of the ideas that have really intrigued me is thesimilarities between Islam and other religions in the world. Islam has always beenportrayed as something completely removed from all other religions. It is nice to find outthe truth" (see Appendix 28.2) Katrin Walkins wrote, "In this class, I learned to put myprejudice to the side and try to judge other cultures by their own standards . . ." (seeAppendix 28.3).

Commenting on the course, Michelle Scannicchio wrote, "I really enjoyed the class andits organization. Professor Tavakoli was always sunny and energetic. His enthusiasminspired me to also be excited about course materials. I think that the course structure, byhaving major projects due rather than test was refreshing. I found that I learned more andretained more through the process of writing each synopsis than I ever could have from atest. There is the tendency, when being tested to cram facts rather than to learn andexplore concepts. The papers enabled me to grasp at deeper meanings than would haveotherwise been possible" (see Appendix 29.1). Jeremy Balfe, who changed his major toHistory-Education after taking History 126 wrote, "This course had quite a differentformat than what I have been used to. There seems to be a great emphasis onparticipation and class discussion. This has come as a refreshing change. It allows forthe fee-flow of ideas that is able to reach larger audiences . . . An excellent environment

was created from day one" (see Appendix 29.2). Commenting on my teaching approach,Fry added, "I applaud Dr. Tavakoli and his energetic teaching manner--I think that anytime a teacher can present this type of enthusiasm it only encourages the students to getmore involved, as I did" (see Appendix 30.4). Further commenting on my teaching styleRichard Kann wrote, "I have to admit that you are by far the most enthusiastic teacher Ihave ever met. . . . I love how you try to get everyone involved in the class . . . " (seeAppendix 30.5). Ann Mackin stated, "I really enjoyed the class and the way in which itwas established. The lectures, readings, films, assignments and discussions were uniquefrom most other university classes" (see Appendix 30.7). She concluded, "I really feltlike I got my money's worth in this class and would recommend the class to friends" (seeAppendix 30.8). Melissa Orwig stated, "I like your style of thinking of students aspeople and not just Social Security Numbers like every other teacher I have" (seeAppendix 30.9). Patrick Twist concluded, "Dr. Tavakoli is a very brilliant man whoknows the Middle Eastern history from way back before I can imagine. He attempts toget the entire class involved in his discussions and is an excellent instructor" (seeAppendix 30.10).

3. History 271: Islamic Civilization


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This University Studies course is a survey of Islamic civilization from its foundationin the 7th century to the present. It offers a chronological and topical approach to thestudy of Islamic civilization. The main objectives of the course are: (1) to survey thecontours of Islamic history; (2) to familiarize students with a non-western civilization, itsvalue systems, and its contributions to humanity; and (3) to teach analytical methods for

understanding diverse peoples, cultures, and patterns of social identity.

Last semester I experimented with a new course structure. The first half of the semesterwas in lecture format punctuated with discussions. This part was designed to familiarizestudents with the major themes in Islamic Studies. This part was concluded with awritten take-home examination covering the materials included lectures and readings.The second part of the semester was conducted in a seminar fashion. Students weredivided into four learning communities. Each learning community was responsible forleading in-depth critical evaluation of one of the assigned texts focusing on "Women andGender," "Race and Slavery," "Religion and Politics," "Politics and Literature." Inpreparation for class discussion, students were encouraged to dialogue with one anothervia e-mail.

In consultation with me and the members of their perspective learning communities,students wrote a 15-20 page computer generated paper on topics related the themes of thecourse. A short memo-proposal describing the paper topic, with one-page workingbibliography, was due on February 2. Preliminary draft of papers were circulated amongcommunity members by February 28. These papers, in addition to the assigned texts,provided the basis for class discussions in the second part of the semester. The finalcourse grade was determined on the basis of class attendance, examination, learningcommunity presentations and discussions, and research papers.


Evaluating the course one student wrote, "I found this course as a tutor or mentorin my every day life. I was able to take discussion, knowledge & history out of this class& make it work for me. It helped me a great deal, especially at time when I foundmyself lost in life. I'm very happy to learn more learn more about myself & never toquite, or underestimate others" (see Appendix 31.1). Evaluating the course instructor aclass member remarked, "Dr. Tavakoli is a great instructor. He makes sure to presentinformation in an understandable way. Another good quality of Dr. Tavakoli is hiswillingness to help his students. Dr. Tavakoli is always available" (see Appendix 31.2).Another student concluded, "Dr. Tavakoli is a fantastic teacher. I'm going to miss him"(see Appendix 31.3).

5. History 378: Islam

In this course I experimented with teaching about Islam through the discussion of women and gender. This enabled me to introduce and compare both classical and


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feminist reinterpretation of Islam. The class examined carefully a number of revisionisthistorical texts by Muslim feminists. Perceptions of women in the Qur'an and theProphetic traditions were among issues revisited in these texts. We studied personalitiessuch as Shahrzad, the narrator of the famous One Thousand and One Nights stories;Joseph and Zulaykha's Quranic love story, revisionist views on Adam and Eve, and a

feminist reading of the philosophical story of Hai bin Yaqzan. After a carefulexamination of the classical views on women, the class focused on women in the IslamicRepublic of Iran. In order to enhance the quality of class discussion each studentprepared a 1-2 page summary/analysis to assigned readings. Students were encouraged tomake their weekly position-papers available to other students via e-mail prior to classmeetings. The final grade was based on weekly summaries, small group presentations,memo-proposal describing the final research paper, a final research paper, and conferencepresentation.


Student evaluations of this experimental approach to Islam was overwhelminglypositive. On the course evolution at the end of the semester a student wrote, "This coursewas designed in a very original manner which gave me the opportunity to furtherunderstand the complexity of History as a discipline (see Appendix 32.1). One graduatestudent said, "I enjoyed the class and the material we read, and the interaction betweenstudents in class. The class discussions were on a much higher level--moresophisticated--than many graduate courses that I took" (see Appendix 32.2). Reflectingon the content of the course, another student commented, "I thoroughly enjoyed thisclass. It was extremely intellectually stimulating, the course material was quite good, andI can honestly say that never before have I enjoyed a better understanding of women's

issues for which I will be eternally grateful" (see Appendix 32.3). Another studentviewed History 378 as "a very engaging class and highly intellectual." Commenting onmy teaching s/he wrote, "His enthusiasm taught me that learning can be fun regardless of the topic. I hope that his enthusiasm will never die." (see Appendix 32.4) Anotherstudent remarked, "I love the style of this class, interaction, materials, and teaching.Excellent" (see Appendix 32.5). Another student concluded, "This class was one of mymost challenging & stimulating classes in my college career. It was a great deal of work,but worth the effort and time" (see Appendix 32.6).

B. Historiographical Courses

Historiogaphical courses are another significant part of my teachingresponsibilities. I was called upon to teach in this area after the success of myexperimental course History/English 378.72. To prepare students for a productiveintellectual life and fill a serious void in their education, I shifted the content of thesecourses from "the study of representative historians" to the exploration of historiogaphical debates in history and the allied fields. Rather than gatherers of historical facts, I sought to train students in historical epistemology and critical historical


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thinking. This is significant since many of our students are preparing to become historyand social science teachers. To enable these future teachers to become critical readers of historical texts, I supplemented the course work with Dialogical Pedagogy Series andend-of-the-semester conferences.

1. History 296: Historiography and Historical Method

I employed the Dialogical Pedagogy Series as a significant technique in myinquiry-based instruction for History 296. After learning the basic historical thinkingskills, students critically read designated articles written by eight ISU historians whovisited the class. Sessions begin with a student's welcoming address and a brief introduction to the scholarly contributions of the guest historian. Remarks werefollowed by historiogaphical questions posed by students. In these questions studentsexplored the narrative structure, pattern of causation, and historical reasoning anddocumentation used by the visiting historian. These questions become the basis of debateamong students and the visitor. In this manner students learned to apply their criticalthinking skills and to ask sophisticated questions of visiting historian. During the eightweeks of the "Dialogical Pedagogy Series" the classroom was open to the universitycommunitee.

The Series met the goal of enhancing students' critical historical thinking skillsand fostering a closer intellectual interaction between students and the faculty. This wasrecognized in my annual departmental review in 1992, "Particularly impressive was yourcreating of the 'Dialogical Pedagogy Series,' which was a well-received addition to yourcourse in Historiography and Historical Methods (History 296)" (see Appendix 34). Inthe annual review for 1993 it was noted, "your upper-division Historiography was widely

praised. The 'Dialogical Pedagogy Series' which you incorporated into the class whileinviting outside participation received much attention" (see Appendix 35). In the pastfew years I have also made the biannual Rhetoric and the Historical ImaginationConference a significant part of this course.


Commenting on "Historiography and Historical Method," a student wrote, "Theconcept of extensive class participation was useful and very educational. I think moreclasses should be conducted in this fashion" (see Appendix 36.1). Another studentobserved, "I believe that Mr. Tavakoli was a very fine teacher and I have never learned asmuch from one class as I have here. I would highly recommend this class to my fellowhistory students as a must if they want to follow through with becoming a history major"(see Appendix 36.2). Another student stated, "This class was very eye-opening. I feelmore confident about being able to critically read writings" (see Appendix 36.3). Anotherstudent added, "Taking this course has taught me a lot and I will be more aware of reading history and not take it for face value. It has taught me to be more critical. I feelthat anyone who is thinking of taking a history degree should take this course" (see


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portfolio consisting of their original paper, weekly summaries, proposal andbibliography, and the final research paper. The portfolio also included their e-mailcorrespondences with other class members. To enhance the campus wide involvement of students, in addition, I encouraged them to participate in History Department's Student-Faculty Seminar and other public presentations scheduled for that semester. In this

fashion, the critical approaches developed in these courses are fine tuned in theirinteraction with the faculty and guest-speakers.

4. Students' Evaluaton of History 496

Evaluating this course, one student wrote, "Conference, a great idea. A good wayof getting students to their best--as well as a good way to share ideas, etc. Discussionswere always lively and people were prepared for class. Subject mater was often difficultto understand--but in the end it all seemed to come together. Overall M.T. [sic] is one of the best professors in the history dep't and his lead should be exemplified by more in thedep't" (see Appendix 37.1). Another class member, remarked, "Group discussions andpresentations were very stimulating. Very interesting approach was introduced to usingthe information learned, that is rewriting an old paper and developing a new approach.Conference in the end of end of the semester, where the students presented their papers,was very beneficial for me" (see Appendix 37.2). Another student concluded, "Excellentclass. The only sorrow that I have is that I have taken all of Dr. Tavakoli's classes andgraduate next semester. His teaching methods are excellent. The material is tough, but Ihave learned a tremendous amount. Every history major (grad) should take this. Greatexperience" (see Appendix 37.3). As a result of positive student evaluations, theDepartment of History has made History 496 is made a required course for all graduatestudents.

C. C URRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND O THER T EACHING RELATED A CTIVITIES

1. History 389.72/English 389.72: Rhetoric and the Historical Imagination

In cooperation with Catherine Peaden of English, I developed an experimental,multi-disciplinary, team-taught course, "Rhetoric and the Historical Imagination"(History 389.72/English 389.72). This speaking-, reading-, and writing-intensive courseexposes students to the ongoing intellectual debates in the fields of History and Englishbrought about in part by the recent focus on language and rhetoric in relation to historicalnarratives in both fields. The central feature of this course is a student-organizedconference at the end of the course. Students are encouraged to develop a final researchpaper making use of cross-disciplinary research. The papers presented at the conferenceare directed toward a professional audience other than the course instructors. Studentsenthusiasm was mirrored in the participation in the Conference Organizing Committeeand presentation of papers at the conference, which regularly includes students andfaculty from other departments and universities. Some of the papers presented at theconferences in previous years were later presented at professional gatherings. A few


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students submitted their papers for publication. After three successful studentconferences, I have made it a component of all my upper level courses. In addition toProfessor Catherine Peaden, I have taught this course with Dr. Dana Harrington and Dr.Anne Rosenthal.

2. Students Assessment of History and English 389.72

Students have been overwhelmingly positive about "Rhetoric and the HistoricalImagination." Commenting on the interactive and inquiry-based structure of this course,a student wrote: "This course gave me a very high level of understanding of historiography. My other professors have highly complemented the reflections of historiography in my analysis of histories. Other students come to me for advice on theirwriting after hearing my oral presentations in my history classes. I have had a chance todisagree and voice my own opinion. This method of teaching has helped me to developmy own style, unique, but professional. We read a wide variety of authors and theories.The packet was a brilliant combination of historiographers" (see Appendix 38.1).Another class member noted, "I must say that this was one of the best courses I havetaken in my three years of graduate school at ISU. This class presented a real multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural learning experience in terms of students ? and teachers, agoal often talked about but rarely seen" (see Appendix 38.2). Evaluating the courseanother student concluded, "This class is a landmark of my intellectual progress"(Appendix 38.3)

3. Independent Studies, Theses, and Dissertations

In addition to my regular teaching, I have directed independent studies with students

interested in pursuing specialized research. I have also served on M.A. and D.A. thesescommittees and supervised in course honor students. The list of students that I haveassisted in these areas is as follows:

Independnt Studies

Barry Binder Fall 1995

Melisa Monroe Fall 1995

Taher Sandhu Fall 1995

Sara Powell Fall 1995

Issam Nassar Summer 1995

Lea Wood Summer 1995


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Roland Kirkwood Fall 1994

Hossein Birjandi Summer 1994

Isam Nassar Spring 1994

Todd A. Culp Fall 1993

Vssilios Damiras Summer 1992

Adel Al-Bataineh Summer 1992

Nancy L. Lutgens Summer 1992

Ellen Odum Summer 1992

Ann J. Hemming Fall 1991?

Cary Lockwood Fall 1991

Kathleen Steinke Fall 1991

Philip Lee McCall Fall 1991

Ali Gaza Fall 1991

Shickre Andrew Sabbagah Summer 1990

Ali M. Gazah Summer 1990

Anthony James Walesby Fall 1990

In-Course Honors

Sara Powell History 272 Spring 1994

Gregory Mathew Adkins History 272 Spring 1991

Michael Starasta History 126 Fall1990

Theses:

Tahir Sandhu, "Postmodernism: Inter-National/Inter-Closet Relations."

Suzanne Abouchahine, "UN Peacekeeking in Southern Lebanon."


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Linda Smith, "Dialogues Between Europe and Safavid Persia."

Ali M. Gazah, "Stability of Saudi Arabian Regime."

Ann Hemming, "Victorian Women Travellers to the Middle East."

Adnan Kayal, "Syrian and Iraqi Bath Parties."

Nadja Sadeghian, "The Political Economy of Agrarian Reform in Iran."

Tod Culp, "Political Islam: From the Muslim Brotherhood to Hamas."

Dissertations

Gary McKiddy, "Life in Modern Arabian Heartland: A Primer for Teacher."

In addition I am serving as adsivor to D.A. students John Zeigler, HousainBirjandi, Issam Nassar, and Ann Hemming.

D. FUTURE GOALS

Every semester I interview my students and solicit their criticism of my teaching.I have utilized student feedback to restructure my courses and to improve my teaching. Ihave been educating myself about instructional technology and developed one of the firstfaculty homepages at Illinois State University. I am currently restructuring my homepageand intend to develop extensive on-line reading materials for my students and my

colleagues in Middle Eastern Studies. These will include electronic editions of highlyrare Persian newspapers and journals. To enhance the quality of education in History203, "Nations and Narration," I am compiling a library of national symbols, icons,banners, archaeological sites, works of art, newspapers, photographs and maps, as well asrecords of national anthems, that will be available to students on my homepage. I seek toprovide my students with a better education and prepare them for a productive life in aglobal and multicultural world community.

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