October | 2016

Archive | October, 2016

Gain TeachingSupport@UMN with One Request

TeachingSupport@UMN was launched this fall as a way to help connect faculty and instructors with teaching and learning resources. With

TeachingSupport@UMN is set up so that instructors, with One Request, can support from the University Libraries, the Disability Resource Center, the Center for Educational Innovation, and Academic Technology by making use of our Get Help Now form.TeachingSupport@UMN

Today we’re share a sampling of the programs provided through TeachingSupport@UMN, which range from faculty showcases, to learning science workshops, to presentations by faculty piloting the Canvas learning management system, to a faculty learning community.

Faculty Showcases

Digital Course Packs

The “Saving Students Money and Improving Teaching and Learning” showcase presenter Betsy (Elizabeth) Wattenberg, with support from expert librarians, created a customized Digital Course Pack (DCP) for two of her classes. Not only does the DCP save her students money, but it also improved the teaching and learning experience for Betsy and her students. She utilized a variety of content including chapters from ebooks already purchased by the University Libraries and government information freely available on the web. Betsy was so thrilled with the results she hopes to repeat the process for all of her classes.

Learn how you can explore affordable content options with expert librarians too.

Workshops

The research on how students learn can inform our teaching in a variety of ways, but the vastness of this literature can be overwhelming. This workshop series will explore four facets of student learning and each will provide concrete strategies for enhancing student learning, whether you teach face-to-face, online or hybrid courses. Each workshop will incorporate the expertise of teaching and learning professionals from the Center for Educational Innovation, Academic Technology Support Services, the Libraries and the Disability Resource Center.

Today’s Topic: Fostering Students’ Motivation to Learn

Most instructors want to teach students who are motivated to learn the content and skills that are integral to their discipline. However, we often encounter students whose learning is motivated by “what’s on the test” or “how to get an A.” In this workshop, we’ll look more closely at factors that motivate people, generally, and share concrete strategies for enhancing students’ motivation to learn in your face to face, online or hybrid course.

Spring Semester topics:

Using What Students Know to Help Them Learn
Metacognition: Strategies for Helping Students Learn How to Learn

Note: You may request workshop materials from any of these workshops
if you would like to access the materials for future reference.

Events

Canvas Experience Presentations

As the University of Minnesota continues with the second year of the Canvas learning management system (LMS) pilot, we have set up a series of presentations so that faculty can learn more about it.

If you are interested hearing about the Canvas learning management system from a faculty perspective, and seeing how Canvas looks from teacher and student perspectives, please join us at two upcoming presentations:

On 8 November: Bodong Chen: Dr. Chen, from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, will talk about Canvas: why he decided to use Canvas, what he likes and dislikes, and how he utilizes the platform for research.

On 15 November: Stephanie Hernandez and Elizabeth Lake: Each of these instructors from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese decided to use Canvas for their courses, and each took a different approach to make the transition. Hernandez will talk about building her courses from scratch on Canvas while Lake will speak about transferring her Moodle course. Their comparison of approaches and overall experiences will be interesting and informative.

Registration Links: Dr. Bodong Chen, Tuesday, November 8, 11:00 am to Noon, and Stephanie Hernandez & Elizabeth Lake, Tuesday, November 15, 10:10 am to 11:00 am

Faculty Learning Community

Participants in the Designing for Learning in the 21st Century FLC will focus on learning science research and effective course design and delivery practices, In exploring effective teaching and learning practices, FLC participants will discuss what the research says about learning and the brain; explore course design frameworks, and learn more about delivery applications, including those making use of academic technology.

UMinnesota faculty and fulltime instructors are invited to apply to be part of this FLC.

Get help now

UMinnesota instructors who would like to meet with consultants regarding teaching and learning topics can fill out the Get Help Now form on the front page of TeachingSupport@UMN.

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