The Teaching and Learning Collaborative
- Summer Teaching Institute, June 16-17, 2011. Forty faculty from all six colleges attended, with topics again focusing on the integration of effective teaching strategies, ways to meet the needs of all learners, and the meaningful use of technology. Faculty teaching and mentoring staff were drawn from COF faculty, mainly from 2010 Institute participants. Electronic and physical resources were available to explore independently and with guided instruction. Every participant left with a fully-developed Teaching Action Plan. A mentoring plan to assure support for implementation of action plans developed at the Institute was also put in place this summer. Participants were contacted over the summer to see how they were progressing and whether they needed any assistance. An exhibit of progress will occur at the Fall Teaching and Learning Conference and an end-of-year report and demonstration at the Spring Faculty Reception.
- Pilot Course for Effective College Teaching with Technology Certificate, June 27-July 28, 2011. The online program was launched with a five-week pilot Foundations course for COF faculty only. This initial course was developed and taught collaboratively by six COF faculty and staff. Twenty faculty completed the course. Two face-to-face events established relationships and presented oral or computer-based projects created by each participant as the first part of a portfolio of work to be developed across the four-course certificate program. Progress will also be presented at the Fall Conference and Spring Reception.
Evaluations of the two major offerings include both qualitative and quantitative data. The 2011 Summer Teaching Institute again earned very high ratings and positive comments. The Overall Rating item on the ten-item rating scale was 4.4. There were no ratings below 3 on any item. Comments of “conversations and sharing of knowledge on a one-to-one basis with participants,” and “discussion of my teaching challenges with others” were in response to a request to identify the high point of the Institute. When asked how the TLC could support faculty beyond the Institute, one participant said, “Just keep doing what you’re doing and move forward with ideas and events that have been successful” and another “ The TLC has been a great venue to collaborate with other faculty from various disciplines to enhance my teaching practice.”
The Foundations pilot course for the online teaching effectiveness certificate had high ratings on all items in Participant Expectations, Course Structure and Format; and Course Content and Facilitation categories (e.g., with 15 of 20 participants responding, 93% (69% Strongly Agree and 23% Agree) when asked if “I would recommend this course to a colleague” and 100% (62% SA and 38% A) when asked if “Facilitators were knowledgeable and responsive.” Responses to 9 open-ended items included “You modeled what you wanted us to do, everything that was done…brought us to a culminating project….not sure what I would ‘improve’” and “This course has completely changed my teaching, and…will certainly revolutionize my teaching to be much more learner-centered” and “This was a wonderful and enlightening experience.” We are now preparing to offer the first course to a wider COF and external audience and to develop subsequent courses in the program.
2011 COF Teaching and Learning Conference Registration Link:
http://tlconference2011.eventbrite.com
Suzanne Pasch
Director, Teaching and Learning Collaborative
|
