Here are resources we shared at the Starting the Semester Strong drop in hours. There is a chapter on how to have a successful start to the semester. The handout contains ideas for information you might share about yourself with your students and also for questions that could be included on an introductory survey to help you get to know your students. Please note the link to the workshop on Learner-Centered Syllabus Design. This link contains resources for building a learner-centered syllabus.

Workshop on Learner Centered Syllabus Design

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Here are the and from the 2/17/22 Open Educational Resources Workshop.

The post In case you missed it… Open Educational Resources with the Goddard Library appeared first on Center for Excellence in Teaching, Assessment and Learning.

Here are the slides,, and from the 2/3/22 workshop on Student-Centered Syllabus Design.

Note: Image from 11/22/21 Chronicle of Higher Education.

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Here are the slides and the for the 1/27/22 workshop, “What do we mean by Academic Rigor?”

(Note: If you click on the pictures in the slideshow, you will hear excerpts of recorded interviews on the topic of rigor.)

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1. Retain: Make, own, and control copies of the content (e.g., download, duplicate, store, and manage)

2. Reuse: Use the content in a wide range of ways (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video)

3. Revise: Adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (e.g., translate the content into another language)

4. Remix: Combine the original or revised content with other material to create something new (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup)

5. Redistribute: Share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend)

(Retrieved from: )

The OER movement was introduced with a focus on broadening access to information through the use of free, open content. As Bliss and Smith mention in their breakdown of the history of open education, 鈥�much of our attention focused on OER鈥檚 usefulness at providing knowledge in its original form to those who otherwise might not have access. The implicit goal was to equalize access to disadvantaged and advantaged peoples of the world 鈥� in MIT鈥檚 language, to create 鈥榓 shared intellectual Common.鈥� (, 2017).

Furthermore, the growth and promotion of OER is often motivated by a desire to provide an alternate or enhanced educational paradigm. Not only does OER help teachers by supplementing and adding value to existing curriculum resources, but it also helps students by reducing the cost of education. OERs help students get exposure to a wider range of learning opportunities in different shape and form. According to JISC, learning can benefit from:

• Enhanced quality and flexibility of resources
• Seeing/applying knowledge in a wider context than their course may otherwise allow
• Support for learner-centered, self-directed, peer-to-peer and social/informal learning approaches.

(Retrieved from: )

According to the US Department of Labor, college textbook prices rose 1,041% from 1977 to 2015, over three times the price of inflation. This results in students viewing textbook costs as one of their biggest financial stressors. While OERs helps to ease such financial burden, it is not just about the money. With OER, educators not only increase students鈥� access to materials by removing cost barriers. They become active participants in a new pedagogical movement.

Find and/or Contribute to OERs:

Real-time federated search for OER content.

Openly Available Sources Integrated Search (OASIS) is a search tool that aims to make the discovery of open content easier.

OER Commons offers a comprehensive infrastructure for curriculum experts and instructors at all levels to identify high-quality OER and collaborate around their adaptation, evaluation, and use to address the needs of teachers and learners.

Luminos is the Open Access (OA) publishing program for the University of California Press. It makes digital editions of scholarly books available free of charge to anyone around the world.

AMSER is a portal of educational resources and services built specifically for use by those in Community and Technical Colleges but free for anyone to use.

The Digital Public Library of America empowers people to learn, grow, and contribute to a diverse and better-functioning society. We do this by maximizing public access to our shared history, culture, and knowledge.

(List retrieved from: )

Click to explore 顶级国产视频鈥檚 Digital Commons and browse through the 顶级国产视频 syllabi and OER collections.

 

about OER from 顶级国产视频’s Library: What they are, how they can be of benefit, and how to find them.

 

The post The Power of Open Educational Resources: January 2022 Bulletin appeared first on Center for Excellence in Teaching, Assessment and Learning.

Course Development Grants Available for Fall 2022 courses

The Dean of the College is pleased to announce the availability of course development funds thanks to grants received from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Davis Educational Foundation. Click here to learn more:

Upcoming CETL Events

Additional events may be added as the semester goes on. Notices will be sent about each workshop. RSVP Today!

What do we mean by academic rigor? RSVP

• Thursday January 27th, 12-1:15, Zoom

Syllabus Development Workshop: A Focus on Connecting Class Activities and Learning Outcomes

• Thursday February 3rd, 12-1:15, Hybrid鈥擜SEC 111鈥�
• Scheduled in advance of upcoming UAB deadline for new courses!

Enhancing Equity through Open Education Resources (OER)鈥� (in partnership with the Library)

• Thursday, February 17th鈥�12-1:15, Location TBD鈥�

Creating Healthy Learning Environments (in partnership with Wellness Education)

• Thursday, March 17th 11:45-1:00, Location TBD

Dean of the Faculty鈥檚 Professional Development Day, May 4th, 12-4听 SAVE THE DATE!听

• “Promoting an Ethic of Care and Wellness in the Teaching and Learning Process”

Drop-in Hours hosted by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty

Day/time: Tuesdays 3:00 PM-5:00PM

Location: CGRAS Conference Room in Dana Commons, first floor and by Zoom

罢丑别听Of蹿颈肠别听of听迟丑别听Dean听of听迟丑别听Faculty听will begin hosting听weekly听drop–in听office hours on Tuesdays from 3-5. Members of听the ODOF team (Esther, Jie, Laurie, Hayley), will be available听in听different combinations throughout the spring semester. Once a month, we will have targeted topics that will focus the听office hours consultations, while the remaining weekly sessions will be open. We will be available both听in-person听in听the CGRAS conference room (Dana Commons, first floor) and virtually by Zoom. Feel free to pop听in听anytime; email us if you鈥檇 like to meet via Zoom.

Peer Learning Assistant Professional Development

CETL provides professional development to Peer Learning Assistants (PLAs). Through an asynchronous, Moodle-based platform, PLAs receive development with the following learning objectives:

• Maintain regular communication with and seek feedback from the course instructor
• Integrate active-learning techniques into peer-to-peer instruction and support peers in developing their own active learning practices
• Facilitate learning using online resources including Moodle, Zoom, and Panopto
• Implement practices to foster an inclusive and anti-racist learning environment
• Reflect upon teaching and learning and the choices they make in their PLA role
• Make active use of campus resources, including the library, ITS, Career Connections Center, and accessibility services to enhance student learning

If you would like to enroll your PLA in this course, please send their name to Laurie Ross, lross@clarku.edu听

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Active learning is a pedagogical approach that focuses not only on what students are learning, but on how they learn. Research has shown that the transmission of understanding is not achievable by simply telling students what they need to know (, 2021). Thus, in an active learning environment, instead of passively receiving information from the instructor, students are encouraged to build in-depth knowledge and understanding in response to opportunities provided to them (, 2021). Active learning requires that students write, talk, present, collaborate, problem-solve, and reflect.

Why Use Active Learning Techniques in the Classroom?

The concept of active learning stems from the theory of constructivism. This theory emphasizes that learners build their own knowledge and understanding through social interaction and by connecting new ideas and experiences to existing knowledge(Bransford et al., 1999). There are many benefits of using active learning techniques in the classroom, including enhanced critical thinking abilities; information retention; application of knowledge to new contexts; increased motivation; and improved interpersonal skills. Active learning fosters a level of deep understanding that empowers students.

Studies show a correlation between active learning and student鈥檚 emotional health (Owens, Sadler, Barlow, & Smith-Walters, 2017); active learning techniques help drive student motivation which then moderates attention and memory consolidation (Cavenagh, 2016). Active learning techniques positively contribute towards students’ emotional health in many ways such as increased interest, creativity, motivation to prepare, as well as appreciation for learning (Owens, Sadler, Barlow, & Smith-Walters, 2017). Data gathered from 1600+ colleges and universities by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) show that hands-on, integrative, and collaborative active learning experiences lead to high levels of student achievement and growth (Kuh, O鈥橠onnell, and Schneider, 2017).

How to Incorporate Active Learning Techniques into your Classroom?

The following are some active learning techniques that can be used in seminars as well as in large, lecture style classes (Retrieved from University of Michigan):

• Clarification Pauses: While giving a lecture, particularly after communicating a key concept, take a pause and allow students time to think about the presented information. This grants students time to organize their thoughts and clarify any confusions through questions if needed. In general, it is recommended to pause for two minutes every 12-18 minutes during a lecture.
• Think-Pair-Share: Have students work on a problem that requires higher order thinking. Students then compare their responses with a partner and synthesize a joint solution to share with the entire class. This approach helps students articulate newly formed mental connections.
• Peer Instruction with ConcepTests: This technique makes use of personal response devices such as clickers to pose a concept-based question. Students will then answer to the best of their understanding before turning to their neighbor to discuss. Give students the chance to change their answers after discussion. Revealing the student responses in the form of a graph would act as a stimulus for class discussion. This approach can be facilitated with tools such as Poll Everywhere, TopHat, and TurningPoint.
• Minute Paper: At an appropriate point in the lecture, ask the students to take out a blank sheet of paper and pose a thought-provoking question that related to the information previously presented to them. Ask the students to write their thoughts for one minute. You can further encourage engagement by asking student to share their responses.
• Cooperative Groups: Pose a question for each group, allow time for a group discussion while you circulate around the room instigating engagement. Once done, ask each group to share their discussion points with the rest of the class and provide feedback.

*Read about other active learning techniques .

Why does Active Learning Work?

When it comes to learning a new concept or skill, instruction is essential but practice makes perfect. Traditionally, lectures teach students new concepts, but active learning helps students master them. An active learning environment instills a culture of consistent interaction between the instructor and their students. This permits frequent instructor feedback. Students also learn through collaboration and interaction with peers, engaging at a deeper level with the course content. Such practices makes teaching more inclusive and foster personalized听 learning experiences.

Additional Resources:

The post Active Learning Techniques: November 2021 Bulletin appeared first on Center for Excellence in Teaching, Assessment and Learning.

What is Rigor?

Academic rigor describes scaffolded learning experiences that are increasingly academically, intellectually, and personally challenging. Rigorous learning experiences help students acquire knowledge and master concepts that are complex, ambiguous, or contentious, and they help students gain skills that can be applied in a variety of educational, career, and civic context throughout their lives (EdGlossary, 2014). In a classroom setting, a curriculum is considered rigorous not when it rigidly adheres to a textbook but when it entails high levels of student engagement and learning.

Rigor also is related to the degree of transformation students undergo between their first exposure to new concepts through to their production of a final course product. Less rigorous courses don鈥檛 produce much transformation. In less rigorous courses, the mental work students do tends to be about…

• Capturing information
• Storing the information in their mental warehouse
• Reorganizing the information to make it more stable
• Developing ways to retrieve the information

(Retrieved from: )

Most students can accomplish this with limited time and effort. However, a rigorous course will require students to apply information to new contexts and infer new interpretations of the learned information. In addition to the steps above, they will need to marshal other skills such as abstraction, analyzing, evaluating, etc. This type of听 complex and advanced cognitive work is what is meant by academic rigor.

Freeman et al.’s (2014) meta-analysis of 225 studies of undergraduate STEM teaching methods is frequently referenced at conferences and seminars related to teaching and learning. It concluded that teaching approaches that turned students into active participants rather than passive listeners reduced failure rates and boosted scores on exams by almost one-half a standard deviation.

Faculty show academic rigor when they:

• maintain and support high expectations for student learning (Freeman, et. al. 2014; Tinto, 2017);
• require students to use higher level thinking, rather than lower-level thinking (Braxton & Francis, 2018);
• ensure the curriculum is meaningfully aligned with the values of the institution (Braxton & Francis, 2018);
• employ instructional strategies, such as active learning, that support the students in achieving those high expectations (Freeman, et. al 2014; Weiman, 2014);
• foster a sense of self-efficacy, motivation and belonging (Tinto, 2017)

Cultivating a Culture of Rigor in the Classroom

听 Provide Choice and Relevant Assignments

Students are more willing to challenge themselves when they engage in meaningful work. They want their education to be something they can relate to, something that stimulates their passions, and something they find relevant. To increase rigor, it is recommended to assess the levels of relevance. Incorporating many layers of choice allows students to gravitate toward their own most inspired path and challenges them to engage differently.

听 听Maintain High Expectations

Students in a rigorous class environment will know that it is not just about 鈥済etting it done,鈥� but about seeing how far they can go and how much they can improve. Success is measured not by submitting an assignment, but by showing a deep understanding of the concepts, by challenging the notions, and demonstrating engagement and learning with class materials and beyond.

Additional Resources:

The post Raising Rigor in the Classroom: October 2021 Bulletin appeared first on Center for Excellence in Teaching, Assessment and Learning.

Focus Areas in Colleague Assessment

The post Benefits of Teaching Observations: September 2021 Bulletin appeared first on Center for Excellence in Teaching, Assessment and Learning.

Wednesdays, July 14 鈥� August 11

12:00听PM 鈥� 1:00 PM EST

Student engagement is a crucial component of the teaching and learning experience across all course delivery formats/modalities.听 Engaged students learn more and have improved focus and attention and could even have fun. The benefits are similarly felt by faculty. Links to recordings from our professional development series can be found below.

1. Isn’t Everything Online Now?听 Sifting for Gold in the Information Deluge

Presenters: Andrew Haggarty, Instruction/Reference Library,听Laura Robinson, University Librarian, & Lawrence Bolduc,听Access听and Curricular Resources Librarian

While online searches have made finding resources so much easier (farewell, card catalog), a lack of filtering and barriers to access still remain.听 In consequent, students could be left frustrated, discouraged, or disengaged from the learning experience. 听In this presentation, we offer strategies and tools to support student learning and teaching outcomes through material selection and exploration.

2)听听听听听听July 21:听鈥淯nderstanding Bias in the Classroom: Language, Microaggressions, and Social Justice鈥�

Presenter:听Andrew Stewart, Associate Professor, Psychology

Whether we intend to or not, the impact of our actions in the classroom may impede academic performance and sense of belonging of minoritized students. In this session, we will examine how language communicates our biases and its impact as microaggressions using research from psychology. We will also explore how implicit and explicit biases affect our verbal and nonverbal behavior in different ways and how these biases adversely impact minoritized students, even if we do not intend to. The session also includes activities to examine our own biases and learn how to prevent them.

3)听听听听听听July 28: Keeping the Best Bits: Technology and Teaching after COVID

Presenters: Joanne Dolan, Director, Academic Technology Services

The last year required all faculty to use technology more than ever before and in ways that they never imagined. This workshop talks about how to keep using technology to engage, assess and connect with students but this time, on your own terms.

Open Moodle course:听

4)听听听听听听August 4: Evolution of the College Classroom: Strategic Integration of Experiential Learning 听

Presenter:听Todd Bartlett, Director, Experiential Learning听

Join this session to learn how to bring your classroom to life. 听Experiential learning can lead to improved engagement and greater satisfaction among students and drive a deeper connection with course content by integrating 鈥渞eal world鈥� experiences. This session will provide you with tools and best practices that you can implement immediately to create an educational experience that students won鈥檛 forget.

5)听听听听听听Aug. 11: Running on Empty After the Pandemic:听 Managing Our Own Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing in the Year Ahead听

Presenter: M膿gan Kersting, Associate Dean & Director, Center for Counseling & Personal Growth听

Whether you are teaching students or working with them in a supportive capacity, our jobs here at 顶级国产视频 typically demand a lot out of us.听 The COVID pandemic exacerbated our challenges and effectively pushed many of us to our brink, and our mental health and efforts to take care of ourselves were significantly challenged.听 Thinking about the coming year, how are we going to move forward when we are feeling tired, burnt out, and anxious?听 How can we approach this year with energy and motivation?听 How about our students?听 This webinar will examine the unique emotional challenges we faced during COVID. In addition, we will examine the stress response cycle and how to manage it.听 By improving and sustaining our mental health and wellbeing, we are better poised to support and engage our students.

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