Tag: teaching

Teaching and leading can be challenging

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At some point, many of us find ourselves in roles that cross boundaries between typical faculty work and leadership. This can take many forms from working in the Senate, serving as Department Chair, or perhaps leading a special initiative. In higher education we do not do an especially good job preparing people for leadership. We often fall into the trap of assuming someone will be good at organizing people and projects because they are a good researcher or teacher.

We are working on some leadership oriented professional development in Faculty Development for the Spring. In the meantime, we wanted to share two boundary-crossing resources you might find useful as you develop in leadership and in the classroom.

First, Dr. Jamie Gunderson from the School of Education hosts our Rise, Teach, Learn podcast. We were recently able to sit down with President Perez to discuss teaching and learning. Give the most recent episode a listen to learn about how highs and lows in classroom instruction inform the vision of President Perez.

Second, I continue to be impressed by the variety of professional development opportunities within NCFDD. This archived webinar covers managing dual roles as a teacher and administrator and would be a useful investment of time for those currently in, or considering a leadership opportunity. It is one of hundreds of outstanding resources available after you sign up for NCFDD. Just as a reminder we have a membership this year so it is free to you.

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Where Are Your Students?

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It is that time of year. Today is Halloween. Veteran’s Day and Fall Break are around the corner and students are disappearing. Some of them are sick, others are traveling for school or fun, and others may be homesick. Gazing out into a half-full classroom usually fills me with anxiety on a few levels. I’m wondering how the class is going to go, and I’m also dreading the deluge of emails about making up missed work and class time. 

One remedy to this annual tradition is to consider an alternative format for your classes. Hyflex classes, where a variety of modalities might be implemented, allow students to have more flexible learning experiences. In a recent episode of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast thought leader David Rhoads and Bonni Stachowiak made the point that flexible teaching front-loads instructional work and often saves you as the instructor time in the long run because you deal with far fewer edge-cases where students are not in class. 

You might have tried this during the pandemic and had a terrible experience, or maybe you tried it and loved it, but it seemed like the momentum on campus was back towards traditional face-to-face teaching. Regardless, we have the tools, experience, and now the research on what works and what does not. Join us for a workshop on Wednesday to explore the ChicoFlex modality and why it might be a good fit for you moving forward. 

Why you should attend this workshop and consider ChicoFlex:

  • Expand enrollment in your program by offering flexible arrangements. 
  • Utilize technology that is already available and in rooms all over campus. No need to write a grant to get what you need. 
  • Lower your workload by preemptively building flexibility for students who are sick or traveling. 
  • Research from our campus and around the country indicates flex arrangements maintain or even expand student success.

November 1, 12-1 p.m.
MLIB 045 or Zoom
Led by: Katie Mercurio, Tina Lewis, Kathy Fernandes, and Zach Justus

Professor leading a classroom of students with a chalkboard and computer resources

Figure 1: Professor leading a classroom of students with a chalkboard and computer resources

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Universal Design for Learning: You Are on Your Way Already!

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The main portion of this tip is brought to you by Dr. Jamie Gunderson from the School of Education and a READI Equity Fellow through Faculty Development.

Here’s an interesting insight – chances are you’re already incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into your teaching methods, even if you’re not consciously aware of it. What is UDL? UDL is an educational framework that aims to create inclusive and flexible learning environments by providing learners with options to engage, represent, and express learning. How am I already implementing UDL? Well, consider if you incorporate peer discussions or collaborative group activities in your lessons. These practices promote collaboration and a sense of community, in line with UDL Checkpoint 8.3. Are you using tools like Canvas or other technologies to share information, interact with your learners, or enhance their engagement? This is a form of using multimedia for communication, as outlined in UDL Checkpoint 5.1. The UDL framework encourages us to reflect on how our existing teaching methods align with UDL’s principles, guidelines, and checkpoints to support all learners.

Another aspect of UDL that I find particularly appealing is its commitment to evidence-based continuous improvement. Did you know that the UDL principles, guidelines, and checkpoints are regularly reviewed, revised, and updated based on ongoing research and feedback from practitioners? Currently, there is a strong emphasis on enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, which you can explore further by looking into the UDL Rising to Equity initiative. As soon as the updated framework becomes available, I’ll make sure to share it with our campus community. In the meantime, I encourage you to kickstart or continue your journey towards UDL and equity, diversity, and inclusion by exploring the abundant resources on the Instruction page of the READI Hub, a repository sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development. You’re likely to discover numerous strategies and ideas that will benefit your teaching practices and some that you may already be implementing – kudos! 

For more tips, and resources, or to geek out on all things UDL, please contact Jamie Linn Gunderson at jlgunderson@csuchico.edu.

Additionally, we in FDEV want to highlight another great resource from the NCFDD library. We spend a lot of time as tenure-track faculty working towards tenure and promotion, but not enough time thinking about what happens when you get there. Last Spring NCFDD hosted two panel discussions on what happens after earning tenure and one on promotion to full professor. You have to sign up for NCFDD (which you have free access to for this year), but once you do you will have access to an incredible catalog of useful resources for your classroom and professional development. 

Last thing, remember we have a host of opportunities for faculty this Winter and into Spring. Check them out and find something that will help you.

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Teaching Climate Change & Resilience

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The main portion of this tip is brought to you by Dr. Mark Stemen, from Geography and Planning.

Over Spring 2022, 65 CSU faculty redesigned over 75 courses to include greater engagement of climate change and resilience, immediately affecting the education of thousands of students across the CSU the following year, including over 900 students on our campus alone. 

The CSU Teaching Climate Change & Resilience (TCCR) Faculty Learning Community (FLC) was first offered in Spring 2022 through the Office of Faculty Development. 

Since then, the FLC has been featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education and has received the Campus Sustainability Achievement Award by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and most recently received recognition from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. 

In Spring 2024 the FLC will be offered again, with the support of Chico State’s Office of the President, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and the Office of the Chancellor’s Innovative Teaching & Learning Programs. The FLC will be open to all 23 CSU campuses and aligns with the California State University Sustainability Policy, which “is intended to position the nation’s largest university system as a leader in the teaching and use of applied research to educate climate literate students.” 

This FLC is designed with busy and burdened faculty in mind. The five sessions are only 90 minutes long, and each will help faculty step by step to easily incorporate climate change and resilience into a course they teach. Our goal is to connect faculty with a broad range of approaches and ideas, as well as resources that are well-researched, relevant, and relatable to their discipline; lots of resources.  

The five Zoom sessions on Tuesdays from 9:00-10:30 a.m. 

This FLC also offers the rare opportunity to connect with colleagues across the system. The FLC will be entirely over Zoom, allowing us to organize breakout rooms based on discipline. We found when we used disciplinary breakout rooms, the sessions became more productive and transformative for faculty.  As one participant remarked, “It felt like the department I always wanted. Everyone believed in climate change and they all wanted to help.” 

The FLC application is due by December 15, 2023. All faculty are welcome to apply.
Additionally, we in FDEV want to point you toward a timely NCFDD resource. Many faculty have been personally impacted by the tragic situation in Israel and Gaza. In addition, many faculty are encountering conversations about this situation in the classroom. In 2020 Dr. Chavella Pittman was featured in a webinar on Preparing for Difficult or Controversial Conversations as part of their Empowered Teaching Toolkit. You have to sign up for NCFDD (which you have free access to for this year), but once you do you will have access to an incredible catalog of useful resources for your classroom and professional development.

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Course Materials…Already?

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It is that time of year again! The weather is cooling down and my daughter is changing her mind about a Halloween costume every weekend so it must be…time to select Spring textbooks?

Having the correct course material in place before spring registration in October helps students make course and budget decisions. Reporting your course materials is critical even if you are using library or open educational resources (OER).

Do you know what classes you are teaching?

Are you planning on using the same materials you did last time?

If you answered “yes” to both of these questions you can finish this process in five minutes. Use the Canvas “Account” menu option in the upper left, and then click “Follett Discover”, or you can email your course materials list to wildcatstore@csuchico.edu, and you will be done in a flash.

I know many part-time faculty will not have specific sections yet and schedules can change. However, this is a critical issue for students as they make decisions and early reporting also allows the bookstore time to find lower-priced used materials. I encourage you to consider a department or program-level conversation about selecting predictable materials for classes so the Department Chair can make selections for courses yet to be assigned. 

Speaking of textbooks, if you are looking to find or develop a quality resource to lower costs for students, that also increases the likelihood they will have the materials and read for your class, be on the lookout for our CAL$ application later this fall.  The CAL$ program will run during the Spring semester.

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150

Applications for the Initial Slate of FLCs are Due Today

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We are trying not to clutter your inbox so we are using this week’s tip to simply remind you that applications for the initial slate of Faculty Learning Communities are due today. There is something here for everyone. 

We are excited to bring you the initial slate of Fall 2023 offerings from FDEV and partners. All applications are live now and are due on Tuesday 9/12 at 11:59pm. Applications will be evaluated by members of the FDEV board or sponsoring units.

This group of programs includes Faculty Development programs and offerings from Undergraduate Education and International Education. We collaborated to try and maximize visibility and accessibility, but we want to be sure those programs receive the credit they deserve. Any questions about the programming broadly should be directed to Interim Director Zach Justus.

Collaborative Online International Education (COIL)
Who: Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers
Format: Synchronous and Online
Compensation: $500
Length: Fall Semester
Contact: Dr. Nan Li
Full Description
Application 

International Education and Global Engagement (IEGE) is offering an opportunity to participate in a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) this fall to assist professors with the implementation of Collaborative Online International Education (COIL) as a course component on our campus. COIL engages your classes with students across the world in discussion, group projects, and/or problem solving, and professors have the opportunity to collaborate in teaching with colleagues across the world.  

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Teaching (EDIT)
Who: Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers
Format: In Person
Compensation: $500
Length: Fall Semester
Contact: Dr. Alisa Wade, Allison McConnell, and Zach Justus
Full Description
Application

The Office of Faculty Development (FDEV) in collaboration with the READI Hub will be offering an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) Teaching Series in Fall 2023. The series is led by Dr. Alisa Wade (History) in collaboration with Allison McConnell (TLP). The series includes six workshops, and is designed to offer faculty an introduction to basic concepts of equity, diversity, inclusion, and how they can be implemented in the classroom, to create more equitable and accessible learning environments. 

Quality Learning and Teaching (QLT)
Who: Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers
Format: Asynchronous and Online
Compensation: $750
Length: Fall Semester
Contact: Zach Justus
Full Description
Application

The Office of Faculty Development is partnering with the Technology & Learning Program (TLP) to offer the Quality Learning and Teaching program, which is designed around the QLT evaluation rubric. The course is offered as an asynchronous, self-paced course in Canvas.

STEM Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 
Who: STEM Faculty only (NS and ECC) Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers
Format: Hybrid–all meetings online and in person
Compensation: $1880
Length: Full Academic Year
Contact: Dr. Jamie Linn Gunderson and Zach Justus
Full Description
Application

The Office of Faculty Development is excited to offer an NSF-funded Faculty Learning Community (FLC) focused on the implementation of teaching strategies that support student learning in STEM. 

Supporting Undergraduate Research via Assignment Design
Who: Tenure/Tenure-Track and Lecturers; preference for faculty teaching 100-200 level courses.
Format: in person
Compensation: $250
Length: Three workshop sessions; 2 hours each
Dates: Mondays, Oct 2, 9, & 16 from 9:00-11:00am
Contact: Dr. Kim Jaxon
Application

The Office of Undergraduate Education and Academic Success is offering support for Undergraduate Research. Dr. Kim Jaxon, Coordinator of Undergraduate Research, is leading the workshop series focused on assignment design. These workshop sessions offer an opportunity to design assignments that weave primary research practices into existing courses to support expanded undergraduate research experiences. We know that inviting students to engage in authentic research with faculty is an effective high-impact practice. We also know that mentoring and supporting undergraduate research is time-consuming, often taking place outside the teaching of our courses. We will work with model assignments, design assignments, and support each other as we try out ways to enrich our curriculum with undergraduate research. 

Be on the lookout for additional programs later in the Fall. 

Coming in the Spring
Chico Affordable Learning Solutions (CAL$) with Beth Shook
Teaching Climate Change Resilience (TCCR) with Mark Stemen 

Zach Justus
Interim Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences

Welcome Back Faculty!

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Dear faculty, 

I have greatly missed the energy and conversations that all of you bring to Faculty Development and I cannot wait to start offering programs that facilitate meaningful discussions about teaching & learning, research, and other faculty needs. 

As I welcome you back to campus, I want to share some news about this year, so you can begin reaching out to Faculty Development and participating in our initiatives. 

First, I hope you will start taking advantage of the Rose Garden Room, now that the 4th floor of the library is open again! The Rose Garden Room is located in MLIB 459 and it is open to faculty Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5pm. It is a wonderful space to read, grade, write, and meet wonderful colleagues.  

I also want to share that this semester we will launch a new FDEV Challenge, starting Wednesday September 7th, so check your email for a chance to receive a $50 gift certificate at the end of the semester! 

Lastly, I want to announce a new faculty learning community that we will offer this year, focusing on Universal Design for Learning. We are finalizing the call, and we will send it out in early September. We hope that you will consider applying, so stay tuned for more information! 

Welcome back, dear faculty, I cannot wait to see all of you around campus! 

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Teaching Practices

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Dear faculty,

Last week I was asked by Dr. Zach Justus to have a conversation with teaching assistants in Communication Studies about inclusive teaching practices and how equity and diversity can be brought into the classroom.

The request was both incredibly simple and incredibly complex!

My main concern was being able to condense information in a way that would be comprehensive and yet not overwhelming, and create a set of resources that could capture all the nuances of approaching EDI from a pedagogical perspective.

To be fully honest, I was surprised that I had not come up with such resources before. We have many tools about EDI in Faculty Development, they were just not collected in one place. So, this request was a great opportunity to explore some of our resources and organize them in a presentation that is easy to share. This is by no means an exhaustive and complete list, but I hope it is a good starting point for instructors that want to approach more inclusive practices in their courses.

You can access the slides here, and they will probably morph and grow into something bigger in the next weeks.

If you have used some of these practices, share your experience on our blog!

Chiara Ferrari, Ph.D. 

Faculty Development, Director 

Teaching & Storytelling

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Dear faculty, 

In high school, I had the pleasure to learn from a teacher of ancient Greek and Latin who was as strict and terrifying as he was intellectually stimulating, challenging, and incredibly dedicated to those disciplines. What I remember most about him was his endless love for the Classics and his ability to get students engaged through his storytelling skills (and Greek and Latin literature certainly offered many opportunities for fascinating stories). 

As I became an instructor, I’ve always looked at storytelling as one of the most engaging pedagogical practices to use in the classroom, and a technique that can help students relate to the material more strongly and directly. Storytelling: Bringing the power of stories to your teaching provides some information about the benefits of using storytelling in instruction, while also offering some tips on storytelling techniques. Our University has unlimited access to Learning Through Storytelling in Higher Education: Using Reflection and Experience to Improve Learning, and lastly, “Reflections on operationalizing an anti-racism pedagogy: teaching as regional storytelling” (2019) offers insights into using storytelling as a fundamental tool in anti-racist pedagogy. 

In relation to this topic, I am excited to promote our next FDEV Zine (to be released on Monday, April 5th), which will focus on teaching as a form of storytelling. I hope you will explore the resources above and you will enjoy our next Zine! 

Chiara Ferrari, Ph.D. 
Faculty Development, Director 
Campus zip: 026 
Phone: 530-898-3094 
https://www.csuchico.edu/fdev/ 
Professor 
Department of Media Arts, Design, and Technology
Campus zip: 504 
Phone: 530-898-4647

Teaching in Today’s California

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The theme of the CELT Conference this year is “Teaching and Learning in Today’s California.” The changing demographics of California and the evolving priorities of the State should compel us all to take a moment and consider how the University has changed and will change in the coming years. The 22nd annual CELT Conference is just such an opportunity. President Gayle Hutchinson will be sharing her thoughts in the Awards Luncheon and Keynote on Thursday. The Conference runs 10/6-10/7, is on campus, and is free.

Check out the CELT conference program here.

Register for the conference here.

Top 10 reasons to register for the CELT conference

  1. Looking at teaching posters while eating a breakfast burrito, is literally my perfect morning. Join us on Friday 7:30-9:00am in Colusa for the catered poster session.
  2. Heard the buzz about e-Portfolios, but not sure what to make of them? Check out nationally recognized e-Portfolio leader Kathleen Yancey on Friday at 3pm for a presentation or join her for a workshop 12-2pm, please register for the separate workshop.
  3. Avoid a meeting you do not want to attend with the excuse “I can’t make it, I need to attend a conference.”
  4. Check out the great work of our colleagues from San Jose State who are coming to share their work on a prestigious First in the World Grant on Friday at 1pm.
  5. We are making outreach to our local community colleges a priority, help us make the conference a regional centerpiece by promoting it to your friends at other institutions.
  6. Get better at teaching.
  7. Learn from the successes and mistakes of others in course redesign. Join colleagues from Business focused on course redesign at 9am on Friday. A separate session on Friday at 10am explores the relationship between our own Academy-e Learning and the CSU funded program to support quality online instruction.
  8. Join us for student focused sessions like the Students in Crisis workshop/presentation on Thursday at 9:30am or the Writing for First-Year Students session at 11am on Friday.
  9. Support your colleagues. Most of you know someone who is presenting or invested in one or more presentations.
  10. See and be seen. The CELT conference is the networking opportunity of a lifetime, or at least the best one you will have on Thursday/Friday.

Dr. Sara Cooper has provided addition Book in Common Material. Check out this section of the CELT page for regular synopsis updates, discussion questions, and other resources.

Got feedback on this tip? Got an idea for a tip? Send it along. Check out our new and improved wordpress site here.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Caffeinated Cats podcast! The first episode of the semester is up online. Mary, Tracy, and I explore diversity and protest on campus and off. Link to it on soundcloud, itunes, overcast, or follow the podcast on facebook.