Teaching and Learning Center Programs

 

So Many Choices, So Little Time: Which Instructional Technologies Will Work in My Class and Not Make Me Crazy?!

Dates: Monday, June 4th through Thursday, June 7th, Benson Center 410

The goals for this summer program are that faculty will be able to:

1. Identify appropriate technology choices for various pedagogical needs in their classes
2. Evaluate and choose the best technologies for their own purposes
3. Intentionally integrate the technology into the student learning experience
4. Assess the success of their chosen technologies in enhancing student learning outcomes in their classes

Workshop Topics:

1. Improving Student Collaboration: Monday, June 4th
2. Extending Learning Beyond the Classroom: Tuesday, June 5th
3. Assessing Student Learning: Wednesday, June 6th 
4. Utilizing Social Media in Teaching: Thursday, June 7th 

Workshop Schedule: (Workshops will be limited to 15 faculty members per day; registration deadline is the earlier of noon Friday, May 25, or when the class has reached maximum enrollment)

1. Pedagogical Workshops 9:00-12:00

Rather than begin with the “how to” of an instructional technology, these workshops will focus on the “why?” Faculty will review instructional challenges they are facing, and discuss how different technologies might help address those challenges. The focus will be on what kinds of assignments lend themselves well to certain technologies, and how our teaching and course design must adapt to incorporate them.  Workshops will overview different instructional technologies and discuss which ones would be most effective in different instructional situations. Participants will leave the workshops with a better understanding of which technology will work well for their particular instructional goals, and will be ready to begin mastering that technology and implementing it in their courses.

1. Afternoon Open Lab 1:00-3:00 (Optional. Prerequisite: completion of morning workshop)

Having discussed pedagogical challenges and reviewed instructional technology alternatives, faculty will spend the afternoon in an open lab environment working to gain a technical understanding of their preferred technology and begin working on specific projects that utilize that technology in their courses. Instructional technologist will work with faculty in small groups and individually to review, step by step, the “how to” of the instructional technologies of their choice. Faculty will then be able start using this technology and will work with experts on projects that integrate this technology into their class/es. Instructional technologists and TLC staff will be on hand to provide faculty with individual attention, and help them work through both pedagogical and technical challenges.

For more information and to register for one or more workshops, see the Professional Development Center website.

Individual Consultations

Individual consultations can be arranged at any time by emailing or calling Catherine Ross, Managing Director of the TLC, at rossce@wfu.edu or x4559.  What can you do in a consultation? A consultation can be anything from a five minute chat about a specific question or topic, to a meeting to go over student feedback and strategize a pedagogical plan, to ongoing meetings to design/rework a course, and also includes class observations and debriefing for those who want that type of feedback. Consultations are designed to fit individual needs and interests. The important thing to know about these consultations is that they are always non-evaluative and always confidential. We are here to support and nurture your talents and skills as teachers to help you achieve your teaching goals.

Teaching to Go: departments can design their own workshops!

• Choose any topic from the list to arrange a workshop during a regularly scheduled faculty meeting or at your department’s convenience.
• Choose your time frame for the workshop. The workshops can be a quick introduction to a topic (5-10 minutes), an extended exploration and discussion (2 hours), or anything in between.
• Email Catherine Ross at rossce@wfu.edu to request the workshop.

Topics:

1. Formative Feedback: Getting it efficiently and using it effectively.
2. Evaluation of Teaching: Student, Peer and/or Self
3. Inclusive Teaching: What it means in practice
4. Engaging Students
5. Leading discussion
6. Writing and using course learning objectives
7. Designing and using effective rubrics
8. Testing and Grading: The Dark Side of Teaching?
9. Troubleshooting: A general discussion of teaching issues
10. Designing a Better Syllabus
11. Incivility in the Classroom
12. Department’s choice! Don’t see the topic you want here? Just ask!

 

Faculty Funding Opportunities

See our Awards, Grants, and Funding page for information on Teaching and Learning Center funding opportunities available to Wake Forest University faculty, including the Teaching Development Fund. The Teaching Development Fund assists faculty in enhancing teaching skills or in developing innovative teaching projects. Applications will be accepted from August 1, 2011 through June 1, 2012.

Handouts and PowerPoint Presentations from 2011-2012 Workshops

"The Interactive Lecture: Turning Lecture into an Active Learning Experience." Discussed during the TLC workshop, "The Interactive Lecture," January 25, 2012. Andrew Engel (TLC Instructional Developer).

"Learning from Students: Aligning Our Teaching and Their Learning," Catherine Ross (WFU Teaching and Learning Center) and Gabriele Bauer (University of Deleware), September 7, 2011.

2011-2012 National Teaching Conferences

See our National Conferences page for upcoming conferences taking place during the 2011-2012 academic year.

National Teaching and Learning Forum

The National Teaching and Learning Forum contains articles by leading experts who share their ideas on effective teaching. It also covers national teaching conferences.