Center for Teaching Excellence http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/ en Copyright 2009 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:27:39 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.25 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Monthly Article Series - Beyond Boyer: SoTL in the context of interesting scholarly things This article is part of our Monthly Article Series. In this article, Bruce Henderson from Western Carolina University discusses the need for, and merit of, scholarship outside of typical disciplinary scholarship. You can access the article here.

Henderson, B. B. (2009). Beyond Boyer: SoTL in the context of interesting scholarly things. Insight...A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, volume 4. Retrieved October 30, 2009 from http://www.insightjournal.net/Volume4/BeyondBoyerSOTLInterestingScholarlyThings.pdf

Insight...A Journal of Scholarly Teaching is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visithttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/11/monthly_article_series_beyond.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/11/monthly_article_series_beyond.html Monthly Article Series Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:27:39 -0500 New Faculty Resource Guide for Online Teaching The past few years have seen significant growth in the development of online learning in both K-12 and higher education settings. With an estimated four million college students taking at least one online course this year, and forty-four states (including Virginia) now having significant online programs in their K-12 systems, many university faculty are beginning to explore the use of online instruction in their programs and courses. In response to this growing trend and VCU faculty interest, the members of the CTE have developed the Online Teaching and Learning Resource Guide.

This resource guide is designed to help faculty who are seeking to transition their courses from a traditional face-to-face class to one delivered either partially or fully online. It reflects the foundation established in our White Paper from last May entitled "Building from Content to Community: [Re]Thinking the Transition to Online Teaching and Learning." Teaching and learning online is different from traditional forms of education, requiring new practices. This guide will help faculty members reconceptualize their instructional approaches for the online environment.

In "Getting Started", we explore how the web is changing education, what research suggests about online teaching and learning, and how to determine one's readiness to teach online, as well as students' readiness to learn online.

"Course Design" provides resources for translating goals and learning objectives specific to one's course into designs that work online. Specific attention is paid to customizing Blackboard to serve one's learning needs.

In "Teaching Practices," we explore how the role of faculty changes online, the dimension of social presence for both faculty and students, and principles of good practice to meet instructional needs.

"Managing Online Class" covers a variety of administrative areas, such as time management, online routines, icebreakers, academic integrity, accessibility, and support services such as libraries and help desks.

The "Teaching Online Toolbox" explores a wide variety of web-based tools to facilitate instruction, such as blogs, wikis, discussion boards, screencasts, podcasts, and social media. The intent of this section is to help one integrate the right technology that enhances instruction for one's specific discipline.

In "Online Assessment," we look at multiple ways in which student learning can be assessed, both formatively and summatively. Techniques such as concept mapping, active learning, journaling, and testing are covered, as well as specific support applications such as LON-CAPA, Respondus, and StudyMate.

The final section provides additional resources, such as journals and online teaching websites. Faculty can also request additional consultation via a convenient online form in this section.

In this resource guide, we have assembled research-based resources and background articles on each topic, as well as "how-to" processes and best practices covering a range of topics. We hope that the resource can provide VCU faculty with a solid starting point for thinking through the challenges and possibilities of online teaching and learning.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/11/new_faculty_resource_guide_for.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/11/new_faculty_resource_guide_for.html eLearning Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:34:09 -0500 Monthly Article Series - What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? This article is part of the CTE's Monthly article series. In this article, the authors Matthew Koehler and Punya Mishra, from Michigan State University, introduce the concept of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). Building on Lee Shulman's original notion, they offer a framework to guide the integration of technology in teaching.

You can access the article here.

Copyright 2009 by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). [http://www.aace.org] Included here by permission.

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/10/monthly_article_series_-_what.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/10/monthly_article_series_-_what.html Monthly Article Series Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:09:22 -0500 CTE Small Grants Program The Center for Teaching Excellence's Small Grants Program is currently accepting applications. The purpose of this Small Grants Program is to supply the faculty with necessary resources to support their own development as a learning-centered teacher. Especially encouraged are proposals that can demonstrate how the funding will be used to grow a larger project. Applications are due October 30, 2009. For information and to apply, visit here.

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/09/cte_small_grants_program.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/09/cte_small_grants_program.html Small Grant Program featured report Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -0500 CTE Workshops and Brown Bag Luncheons for October

The CTE is offering 14 workshops and 5 brown bag sessions during October. Workshops are an opportunity for faculty to both explore topics and share practices across disciplines. Our Friday Brown Bags provide an opportunity for a more informal conversation to take place between faculty on subjects of topical interest.

Read more below about our October workshops in the areas of Learning-Centered Teaching, Enhancing Teaching with Technology, and Teaching with Blackboard, as well as our upcoming Brown Bags.

For more information and registration, check out our CTE Workshop Calendar.

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/09/cte_workshops_for_october.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/09/cte_workshops_for_october.html Workshops Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:31:29 -0500 Monthly Article Series - The Mindset List This article is a part of our "Monthly Article Series." Each fall, Beloit College publishes a "Mindset List" which helps us identify the worldview of the entering freshman class. The creators of this list, Beloit's Keefer Professor of the Humanities Tom McBride and Emeritus Public Affairs Director Ron Nief, remind us of rapidly changing cultural references for our current generation (http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2013.php).

This year's "Mindset List" can be found here.

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/09/monthly_article_series.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/09/monthly_article_series.html Monthly Article Series Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:23:01 -0500 CTE Brown Bag Lunch Series for Fall 2009

The CTE hosts Brown Bag Lunches every Friday from 12-1:30pm in room 5182, Grace Harris Hall. These informal sessions are designed to generate discussion around topics of interest to faculty across VCU. You are invited to bring your lunch and join your colleagues in exploring a variety of topics.

Registration for specific brown bag lunches can be done at http://tinyurl.com/ksx2eb

The Fall 2009 series includes:

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/08/cte_brown_bag_lunch_series_for.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/08/cte_brown_bag_lunch_series_for.html Workshops Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:39:12 -0500 Welcome New Faculty Welcome new faculty! The Center for Teaching Excellence has several programs and services geared just for you. You might be interested in our Mentorship Program and Small Grants Program. You might be interested in reading our New Faculty Resources Guide or attending one of our many workshops.

If you have questions about the CTE or our services, please contact us.

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/08/new_faculty_orientation.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/08/new_faculty_orientation.html Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:08:27 -0500 Featured Small Grant Reports: Enhancing Student Engagement and Critical Thinking During Chaplin Intern Orientation The CTE is highlighting some of the final reports from our Small Grant Program, 2007-2008. The Small Grant Program supports faculty in their efforts to improve teaching; reports from the participants are due in August, at the conclusion of the grant cycle.

This report comes from Alexander Tartaglia and Diane Dodd-McCue in the Patient Counseling Program in the School of Allied Health Professions. The primary objective of the project was to revise the Chaplin Intern orientation process and align it with the experience-based, action-reflection method already employed within the Program in Patient Counseling.

You can read the full report here.

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/06/featured_small_grant_reports_e.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/06/featured_small_grant_reports_e.html Small Grant Program featured report Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:40:11 -0500 CTE White Paper on Online Teaching and Learning
The delivery of courses online is nearly as old as the web itself, but as with any innovation, some faculty members have been early adopters while others have watched the development with both interest and skepticism. As publishing and managing content on the web has become easier, and as the delivery of online courses has become increasingly more popular, more faculty members have begun exploring ways to offer their courses online.

There is a common perspective that moving a course online is primarily about designing and sequencing course content. While content is important, we also believe that recent changes on the web - toward a more social and interconnected space - have necessitated the rethinking of what it means to make the transition to online teaching and learning. The unprecedented access to information coupled with the ability by anyone to publish online are disrupting how one teaches and learns, raising questions in the minds of faculty as to whether their own practices should change.

cover.jpg

The CTE has authored a white paper, Building from Content to Community: [Re]Thinking the Transition to Online Teaching and Learning, that is intended to serve as a resource for faculty who are teaching online or are considering making a transition. We hope this paper serves as the starting point for conversation, and invite you to share your ideas by leaving a comment.

The paper is linked here. White Paper Online VCU (May 2009).pdf

We look forward to continuing the conversation.


]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/05/cte_white_paper_on_online_teac.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/05/cte_white_paper_on_online_teac.html eLearning Mon, 18 May 2009 15:47:19 -0500 Teaching and Learning with Technology: Perspectives from VCU Faculty Members This episode of the CTE's Teaching and Learning podcast series features a conversation among VCU faculty members Jose Alcaine, Terry Carter, Jen Darragh, John Kneebone, Betsy Nance, Audrey Short and Ruth Westervelt, all of whom were participants in the 2008 Teaching and Learning with Technology Institute. During the discussion they reflect on their experiences using technology in their teaching over the past year, share their views about challenges and successes and offer insights about how their practice continues to evolve as they think about the impact of technology on learning.

The conversation will certainly be of interest to others who are thinking about the meaningful use of technology in education. The episode closes with some particularly relevant comments about why today's faculty members - now more than ever - should seek to enhance learning and engage students through the use of technology.

Show Notes
CTE Teaching and Learning with Technology Institute


You can listen to or download the episode below:


Download file

TeachTechReflect.mp3

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/04/teaching_and_learning_with_tec.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/04/teaching_and_learning_with_tec.html Podcast Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:42:24 -0500 CTE Teaching and Learning Podcast - Writing in Open Spaces: Reflections on Blogging in the Classroom Although much has been discussed and written about the educational use of blogs it remains a topic of interest. Many thoughtful educators continue to explore how writing blogs can be used to support learning, engage students with authentic audiences, and build community in the classroom. Complex pedagogical issues emerge when faculty and students invite dialogue in the blogosphere.

In this episode we explore the perspectives of VCU faculty members, Bonnie Orzolek and Liz Canfield, who have been integrating blogging into their Focused Inquiry courses for the past several years. During the conversation they discuss how blogging supports important learning outcomes in their courses, and also share key insights about how students grow as writers and thinkers in the process. We hope you'll participate in the conversation by sharing your comments.

You can listen to or download the episode below:


Download file
WritingInOpenSpaces.mp3

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/04/cte_teaching_and_learning_podc_5.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/04/cte_teaching_and_learning_podc_5.html Podcast Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:23:26 -0500 Featured Small Grant Reports: Visualization and Computation for 21st Century Junior Engineers The CTE is highlighting some of the final reports from our Small Grant Program, 2007-2008. The Small Grant Program supports faculty in their efforts to improve teaching; reports from the participants are due in August, at the conclusion of the grant cycle.

This report comes from Amy Throckmorton in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering. This study broadly sought to motivate junior engineers to nurture their intellectual curiosity, to be professionals, and to ultimately attain rewarding careers in engineering.

You can find her report here.

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/04/featured_small_grant_reports_v.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/04/featured_small_grant_reports_v.html Small Grant Program featured report Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:25:56 -0500 CTE Teaching and Learning Podcast - Facebook: To Friend or Not to Friend? As students continue to use Facebook to connect and communicate in increasing numbers, it has also become common for faculty members to consider the use of this social networking site to facilitate interaction in educational contexts. One of the perennial questions that arises is whether faculty should accept Facebook "friend requests" from students.

In this episode, we are joined by VCU faculty members Mike Abelson, Melissa Johnson and Stephanie Rizzi who share their experiences with using Facebook and offer their perspectives on the pros and cons of "friending" students. In the course of the discussion they address some of the complexities of faculty members having online social identities, point out some uses that have supported some community building among their colleagues, and offer some meaningful advice to faculty who are new users or who are considering the use of Facebook.

We invite you to continue the conversation by sharing your comments.

You can listen to or download the episode below:


Facebook2Friend.mp3

]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/04/cte_teaching_and_learning_podc_4.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/04/cte_teaching_and_learning_podc_4.html Podcast Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:32:32 -0500 May 2009 CTE Summer Institute on Teaching and Learning We are pleased to announce the May 2009 CTE Summer Institute on Teaching and Learning is now accepting applications. This is one of two institutes offered each summer that offers a unique faculty development opportunity (Watch for information on the June Teaching and Learning with Technology Institute - coming soon). Both institutes fill up quickly each year. This Institute combines a blend of interactive presentations, thoughtful conversations, and meaningful group work. Faculty participants emerge with a more sophisticated understanding of the teaching and learning process, a renewed sense of purpose, a lot of good ideas, and access to a considerable range of educational resources--not the least of which is 19 of your colleagues who share your commitment to high quality teaching.

Please click on the link below to read more about the May Institute and to download the application. Applications will be accepted through Wednesday, May 6 by 4pm.
Applications can be mailed, emailed, or faxed (827-1393)

For questions, please contact Zachary Goodell (zggoodel@vcu.edu) or 827-0562.

http://www.vcu.edu/cte/workshops/teaching_learning/index.htm

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/03/may_2009_cte_summer_institute.html http://blog.vcu.edu/cte/2009/03/may_2009_cte_summer_institute.html Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:28:02 -0500