2021-2022
Faculty Academy Archives

9.13.22
Best Practices in College & University Teaching

Presented By: Dr. Amaya Garcia Costas, Biology

What makes for good and effective college teaching?  Can excellence in teaching be taught, and if yes, how?  In this session we will use the book “An Evidence-based Guide to College and University Teaching: Developing the Model Teacher” by A. Richmond, G. Boysen and R. Gurung as a springboard for our discussions of evidence-based best practices in teaching.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1.     Identify best teaching practices within their own teaching

2.     Identify additional best teaching practices that can be incorporated into their own teaching

3.     Understand how to use selected best teaching practices

4.     Explain the challenges and possible solutions to cultivating excellent instructors​

Dive Deeper

References

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., & Lovett, M. C. (2010). How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.


Staats, C. (2016). Understanding implicit bias: What educators should know. American Educator, 39(4) 29-33.


Steele, C. M. (1998). Stereotyping and its threat are real. American Psychologist, 53(6), 680–681. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.53.6.680 


Tomlinson, C. A. (2015). Being human in the classroom. Educational Leadership, 73(2), 74-77.

https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/being-human-in-the-classroom


Quinlan, D., Vella-Brodrick, D.A., Gray, A. et al. (2019). Teachers matter: Student outcomes following a strengths intervention are mediated by teacher strengths spotting. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20, 2507–2523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-0051-7 

4/7/22 Increasing Inclusivity on Campus & in the Classroom

Presented By: Dr. Rick Farrer, Chemistry

What does it mean for a campus or a classroom to be inclusive? What can be done at all levels to create a more inclusive atmosphere on campus? In this session we will use the book What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching by Tracie Marcella Addy, Derek Dube, Khadijah A. Mitchell, and Mallory E. SoRelle to initiate discussions associated with ways to increase inclusivity both in the classroom and on campus.

4/7/22 Inclusive Teaching FA Slide Deck

Slide Deck

3/18/22 Flipped Teaching and Learning

Presented By: Dr. Karen Krepps, Teacher Education

Flipped learning requires a shift in thinking about how information is presented and how students learn. Robert Talbert’s book, Flipped Learning (2017), provides the inspiration and the basis for my presentation. Whole and small group discussions will focus on the philosophy and design of flipped learning. Participants will be encouraged to apply what they’ve learned by creating a flipped lesson from one they’ve traditionally taught.

flipped learning PPT.pptx

2/18/22 Grading for Growth
Viewing Grading Through an Equity Lens

Presented by Dr. Chris Creighton

Grading in the U.S. is a complex educational topic mixed with deep-felt personal beliefs and institutionalized norms. In this workshop, partially based on the book Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman, we will reflect upon our grading traditions by examining our personal grading beliefs, learning about the history of grading, bringing to light equity issues in traditional practices, and ending with a discussion on less traditional (i.e., "alternative") grading techniques. Our aim is to question our beliefs with an open mind to determine if we should make changes to our grading practices to support a more equitable environment on campus.

.Grading for Growth 2-18-22

12/3/21
Effective Teaching Strategies


Presented by Dr. Karen Yescavage
Understanding that when we label students as “at-risk” and “underprepared” for college, we engage in the fundamental attribution error, implicitly blaming them. In this workshop, we shift our attention to the need to teach effective learning strategies and promote a growth mindset. We will discuss the difference between metacognitive learning strategies and study skills. We will then share research-based, interdisciplinary strategies that enable short and long term student academic success. This session is inspired by the book, Teach Students How to Learn, written by Dr. Sandra McGuire a former Chemistry professor and Asst. Vice Chancellor at Louisiana State University. 

10/29/21
Antiracism & Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Presented by Dr. Chris Picicci
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles were first introduced by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in 1984. Over time, UDL emerged as a formalized framework designed to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. In this session, we will explore ways to implement UDL strategies to reduce traditional power dynamics to promote success and a sense of belonging for students with disabilities, English language learners, LGBTQ students, students who experience trauma, economically disadvantaged students, and non-white students through the lens of UDL. Inspired by the New book from CAST.

9/24/21 Diminish Stereotype Threat &
Promote Inclusive Classrooms

Presented by Dr. Bridget Arend
Stereotype threat refers to the risk of confirming negative stereotypes about a student’s racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural group which can serve to reduce their academic focus and performance. However, students who are confident they belong in a learning community and feel valued by their instructors are more likely to participate fully in discussion, build important relationships, be open to feedback and are more likely to persevere in the face of difficulty. In this first Faculty Academy workshop, we will learn how to support students to break free of cultural stereotypes, to promote an inclusive learning environment, and make shifts happen.