Faculty Spotlight | Dr. Abigail Baxter
A Pedagogical Approach: Using Multisource Feedback to Build Self-Evaluation Skills
Dr. Abigail Baxter, Professor in the Department of Leadership and Teacher Education, is best known for her key pedagogical philosophy, “The job of a teacher is not to teach; it is for students to learn.” As a Professor of Special Education, Dr. Baxter believes that all individuals can learn when instruction is thoughtfully designed to meet their needs. Therefore, to support students’ learning, she emphasizes that teachers and professors must explore multiple strategies so that students can master the material as their experience in her classroom will directly impact the students they will teach one day.
Dr. Baxter's most meaningful instructional strategy is employed in a course designed to prepare graduate students for their comprehensive exam. In this course, students engage with essay questions through a two-week peer review cycle that continues throughout the semester. During the first week, students answer a timed-response essay question, like the ones they will see on the comprehensive exam. The following week, students provide constructive feedback to a peer who has answered a different essay question. Their essay responses are graded as it would be on the actual exam, with additional instructor feedback. Dr. Baxter believes this approach effectively engages students with broad content and encourages them to synthesize knowledge gained throughout the entire program. By writing, providing feedback, and interacting deeply with the material, students apply what they have learned across the program in a meaningful and much deeper way.
Through this strategy, Dr. Baxter hopes students not only master course content but also cultivate self-directed learning skills through multi-source feedback. The structured process, receiving feedback from both Dr. Baxter and their peers, helps students to improve their writing and self-evaluation skills. Students have expressed appreciation for this structured process, noting the balance and clarity it provides, as one student wrote: “I enjoyed having the opportunity to write one week and review the next. I felt equally prepared each week, and the alternating assignment pattern was helpful.”
Fun Facts!
Beyond her academic responsibilities, Dr. Baxter embraces the culture of Mobile and enjoys celebrating Mardi Gras. She participates in a parading group with one of her daughters, making the parade and ball night a favorite tradition. She also enjoys attending live music at local venues like Callaghan’s or concerts and music festivals.