Developing Instructor Academy
Education isn’t something that you finish. – Issac Asimov
We are thrilled that 151 faculty have completed one of the different strands of this academy since its inception in Fall 2018. Thank you, Jen Anderson, for designing this series, and Timothy Chang, for building on the foundation Jen created. Will you be next to get started in the Academy or complete all three strands soon? Sign up for one strand this quarter; make a plan to complete all 3 over time.
You might be new to college instruction or have been teaching for years – this academy is made for you! We identified key elements of equitable culturally responsive college teaching, learning, and assessment and divided those into 3 strands: Nuts and Bolts of College Instruction, Student Engagement, and Transparent and Relevant Assessment. Participants will come away with both theoretical understandings and practical applications to their face-to-face, hybrid, or online. You might discover an area you would like to dive deeper into in future quarter workshops!
Each strand offers participants the opportunity to earn:
- 25 PD Hours
- $500 stipend available for completing all online work and attending a minimum of 3 remote sessions.
- Completers of the entire Academy will receive a special certificate.
To sign up or to learn more about these workshop strands, please contact Timothy Chang, Developing Instructor Academy Lead.
Nuts and Bolts of College Instruction
Tell me and I forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand. –Benjamin Franklin
Are you new to teaching or do you want to revisit some of the foundations of college instruction as it relates to virtual learning? The Nuts and Bolts workshop strand engages faculty in discussions about the fundamentals of being a college instructor, while making practical applications to our courses. Throughout these sessions, we introduce evidence-based strategies and intertwine equity, cultural responsiveness, and growth mindsets as we discuss our syllabi, course outcomes, lesson plans, assignment creation, and student support strategies in the blended classroom. This workshop is designed to provide faculty with an overview of the topics below. Faculty may discover areas they wish to explore further in more intensive workshops.
In this strand, we explore:
| Culturally Responsive Teaching | Examine how our positionality, implicit biases, and cultural lens impact the students in our classroom. Work to be anti-racist instructors. |
| The Inclusive Syllabus | Examine the role of instructor presence right from the start of the quarter through paying attention to tone and language used in the first touchpoint we have with our students – the syllabus. |
| Connecting Outcomes to Performance | How can we structure our class with the outcomes in mind and meet those outcomes using traditional and alternative assessment strategies? |
| TILT Assignment Framework and Student Success | Use the TILT Assignment Framework to revise one assignment, making the “why and how” behind each assignment clearer for our students. |
| Universal Design for Learning | Share ideas for lesson planning and delivery with a focus on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and explore Equity/Growth Mindset |
| Partnering with Student Support Services | Learn ways faculty can partner with key student service providers on campus (e.g. Counseling, Disability Resource Center, Advising) to be in compliance and to enhance student learning and support). |
| Significance of Reflection | Build student reflection and your own instructor reflection into a regular practice to add depth to learning in the classroom. |
Learning Outcomes:
Participants in this workshop series will be able to:
- Articulate how positionality and implicit bias impact our classroom environment and how to create a more equitable classroom.
- Identify and apply culturally responsive strategies in their classes.
- Identify the components of an inclusive syllabus and construct one for their courses.
- Construct and revise one assignment using the TILT assignment framework to enhance clarity of expectations for students.
- Understand and apply the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to all facets of their teaching and classroom environment.
- Describe the importance of reflection in learning and create reflection activities.
Student Engagement
No matter how long you’ve been teaching, this transformational offering is for you! Why? We know that an engaged student is much more likely to succeed in college. The Student Engagement Strand centers on active learning and community building in the classroom. The strand begins with an interactive investigation of the most current research on how we learn and then uses that brain research as a foundation for workshops on cultural responsiveness, community building, tech tools for engagement, and enhancing one’s presentation style. Collaborate with your colleagues while building your toolkit for engaging your students in their education.
In this strand, we explore:
| How People Learn | Brush up on the basics of how people learn including brain research, UDL, metacognition, and equity. |
| Cultural Responsiveness I | Dive into what it means to be a culturally responsive instructor. We will spend time looking at what we bring to the classroom and how to ensure we are student-centered and equity-minded in all that we do. |
| Cultural Responsiveness II | Continue investigating culturally responsive practices and how to provide an equitable classroom where all students’ voices and experiences are represented. |
| Engagement and Intervention Strategies | Spend time learning about the different strategies and tools in Canvas we can use to monitor student engagement and intervene to promote student success. |
| Implementation and Reflection Work | Time to dive deeper into one of the topics or tools shared thus far and try it out! Reflect on your choice, what you did, and how it went in an online assignment in Canvas. |
| Integrative Lecturing and Making the Most of Tech Tools | Try out a variety of tech tools and the practice of integrative lecturing to engage our students. |
| Facilitating Discussions + Enhancing Your Presentation Skills | Do you have that “magic” when it comes to engaging your students? Did you know it can be learned? We will spend time practicing our storytelling and presentation skills and sharing tips we use to engage our students. |
| Implementation and Reflection Work | Our time together will culminate with a final engagement plan for your classes. |
Transparent and Relevant Assessment
As instructors, we all realize the importance of assessment when it comes to student learning and success. Have we considered, though, the purpose and impact of the traditional grading system, and considered alternatives? Do we take the time to make sure we are assessing what students need to know in a way that is relevant and transparent to our students? The Transparent and Relevant Assessment Strand of faculty development focuses on a variety of creative and relevant strategies to assess student learning. Sessions include how to provide meaningful feedback, write assignments and rubrics that are transparent for our students, use a variety of classroom assessment techniques, including giving students a voice in their education.
In this strand, we explore…
| Assessment Overview, Backwards Design, and Higher Order Thinking | Reflect on our thoughts on the “what” and “why” of assessment. We will spend time learning about Backwards Design and how design your assignments to engage and assess higher order thinking, with a focus on authenticity. |
| The Grading Debate | Explore the history of grades, the impact of grades on learners, and some new considerations to grading such as Ungrading, Mastery Grading, and Specifications Grading. |
| Purpose and Types of Assessments | Differentiate the three purposes of assessments: Assessment of learning, assessment for learning, and assessment as learning. Also, explore the different types of assessments, including diagnostic, formative, summative, and ipsative. All of these could be used to illustrate student learning and needs in the classroom. |
| CATs & Mid-Quarter Surveys | Classroom assessment techniques, or short, low-stakes activities that help you and the students assess progress. Also addressed is a way to democratize the classroom by having students provide formative feedback on mid-quarter surveys. |
| Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) | Learn about the Transparency Framework to reconstruct assignments to maximize clarity of the “why,” “what,” and “how” behind the assignment for students. |
| Rubrics and Quality Student Feedback | Discuss how to design and use rubrics for all assignments. Learn how to provide quality feedback to students that can assist them in their future assignments right from the start of the quarter. |
| Using Canvas Gradebook | The Gradebook in Canvas can allow for a variety of approaches to grading, and because students have access to Canvas it is an ideal tool for transparently and accurately tracking their progress. |
| Reflection as Assessment | Build student reflection and your own instructor reflection into a regular assessment practice. Make plans for what’s next! |
Last Updated November 4, 2022