faculty support as part of learner support ~ some best practices christine walti, m.d.e. beijing,...

Faculty Support as Part of Learner

Support ~ Some Best Practices

Christine Walti, M.D.E.

Beijing, ChinaMay 12 -14, 2008

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Overview

Faculty Support @ UMUC

Faculty Development Expectations and Requirements Promoting Faculty Excellence Services and Resources Information myUMUC Other Important Points

Faculty Support as Part of Learner Support ~ Some Best Practices

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Faculty Development

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) provides UMUC faculty with the teaching and training resources they need to succeed.

The mission of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is to promote teaching excellence and enhance teaching effectiveness in order to maximize the quality of teaching and learning at University of Maryland University College (UMUC)


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CTL‘s Objectives

• Create a positive environment for collegial and collaborative interaction on teaching-related issues for all UMUC faculty and administrators • Provide opportunities for faculty recognition and rewards • Promote student-centered pedagogy that results in consistently positive student learning outcomes

• Foster the development of a multiskilled group of faculty members capable of teaching effectively in both real and virtual learning environments


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CTL‘s Services

• Offering a wide variety of professional development programs and training for UMUC faculty and academic administrators worldwide

• Providing structured programs and individual mentoring to provide guidance on basic teaching techniques, specific strategies for enhancing both classroom and distance-delivered courses, and appropriate tools for assessing student learning • Fostering collegial discussion and idea sharing through its peer mentoring program, online symposia and discussion groups, and publications • Supporting and recognizing teaching innovation and teaching excellence through its faculty grant and recognition and award programs


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Preparing New Faculty to Teach

• New Faculty Orientation

• Faculty Training and Certification for Teaching with WebTycho (CTLA 201) - Teaching with WebTycho: Intensive 5-week training to prepare to teach using the WebTycho course management system - Participate in the role of students, learning how to use the various features of the system, such as submitting assignments and working in study groups - Then in the role of teachers, with other trainees assigned to their "class." For this portion of the training, trainees learn how to create assignments, manage online conferences, and provide student feedback. At the end of the training, trainees are evaluated on their attainment of a pre-established set of objectives and are certified upon successful fulfillment of these objectives. - Faculty considering enrolling in CTLA 201 should first be familiar with: - Expectations of Teaching with WebTycho Participants - Understand the technical requirements - Complete the Basic Computer Skills Tutorial

· Requirement to complete sexual harassment prevention training online


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Peer Mentoring Program

• Draw together two professionals in the spirit of constructive dialogue to exchange ideas about good teaching styles, strategies, and general teaching philosophies

• Orient subject-area experts to UMUC's policies and practices as they relate to teaching students worldwide.

• Mentors and mentees receive the Peer Mentoring Program manual and relevant supplements that explain expectations and process. Mentors and mentees are required to submit separate summary reports of their mentoring experiences t and are encouraged to share their reports with each other.


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Expectations for Faculty Teaching at UMUC

• Base-line Set of Standards for Teaching

• Promote Consistent Quality Standards

Expectations are grounded in the UMUC research studies into best instructional practices of the Fleming-Carswell study of the Graduate School and in the Best Online Instructional Practices Study produced by the Office of Evaluation, Research, and Grants (formerly IRAHE). They also draw on the combined experience and expertise of those at UMUC who work closely with online … teaching faculty and reflect extensive input from the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Graduate School, the Faculty Advisory Council, UMUC Asia and Europe, the School of Undergraduate Studies, the Office of Evaluation, Research, and Grants, as well as the Provost's Office.

As a base-line set of expectations, the documents are meant to promote consistent quality standards throughout UMUC. A faculty member's school or discipline may require additional practices or stipulations for teaching, based on unique characteristics of a particular program.


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Major Points

• All faculty members are expected to be familiar with and to adhere to established UMUC and GSMT policies and procedures (Policy Manual)

• Faculty with students who have been granted an accommodation by the officeof Disabled Student Services must comply with the agreement. Furtherinformation is available at umuc.edu/studserv/dss

• Faculty must accommodate students who have legitimate reasons to missassignment and/or examination deadlines in their classes

• At the end of the semester, faculty must submit final grades online accordingto the UMUC grade submission policies and schedules within 72 hours of the last day of class


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Major Points (2)

All faculty members are expected to provide the followingIn their WebTycho classorrm(s):

- Accurate email address - A welcoming announcement - A complete syllabus, including grading information and

course schedule. - How and when they may be contacted and guidelines for

individual consultation - Complete Gradebook setup including all assignment

titles, due dates and weights, totaling 100% - GSMT's "Read Me First" document


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Major Points (3)

Online faculty have additional requirements for classroom setup by one weekbefore the semester starts:

• An up-to-date biography

• Classroom management/"housekeeping" information about the class, including such information as the instructor's preferred file formats, naming conventions for assignment files, location(s) for assignment submission, introductory information about the course, and any required departmental information

• An introductions conference where students are able to post and interact with each other informally

• A clear location where students can ask administrative questions throughout the term about the course and the instructor's expectations. This can be in a dedicated conference or part of another conference


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Major Points (4)

Throughout the semester, all faculty are expected to:

• Respond to student inquiries within two business days

• Provide for student diversity (learning styles, culture, physical ability) in planning and managing the class

– Present key content in more than one format such as by providing lectures, written discussion summaries and/or media-based content along with actively managing the weekly discussions

– Provide an appropriate variety and number of assessments (exams and assignments) to ensure that students can adequately demonstrate knowledge and skill in the subject

– Consider students’ range of visual capabilities when choosing font colors and sizes, layout, etc.

– Provide transcripts for audio/video materials. (Not always necessary, but good practice.)


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Major Points (4 cont.)

• Clearly state the criteria or create rubrics to manage student expectations regarding grading of all course requirements, including assignments, projects, and class participation

• Build use of library resources into class assignments, in terms of reserved readings and/or research assignments, and promote student use of UMUC’s

Information and Library Services

• Provide timely and adequate feedback on all exams and assignments that acknowledges strengths and offers recommendations for improvement and growth

• Post all grades promptly in the Gradebook

• Contact the Assistant Director, Student Relations if they suspect academic dishonesty or plagiarism in student work


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Major Points (5)

• Online faculty have additional requirements throughout the semester:• Be “visible” and active in the classroom several times a week to let students know they are involved and "listening." Activities should include the following: − Post dated class announcements at least weekly. − Post content materials (e.g., text-based and/or media-based lectures) and

conference topic threads on a pre-announced and consistent schedule. − Contribute to classroom conferences

• Manage conferences actively to promote critical thinking, community-building, and idea and experience sharing, treating the conference area as the heart of the WebTycho classroom. To this end, faculty should: − Create at least one content-focused conference for each week or unit of the course − Provide deadlines and clear guidelines for conference participation − Bring their knowledge into class discussions, such as by initiating open-ended conference topics, interjecting as appropriate during the week, and/or providing summary comments


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Major Points (5 cont.)

• Organize class activities to take place mostly in the online classroom, rather than by email, phone, or mail

• Remain aware of all students’ activity levels and privately contact students who are not participating actively

• Report no-show students to the Assistant Director, Student Relations

• Bring their professional expertise and experience into the classroom in terms of the substance and currency of both course content materials and conference discussions• Ensure accuracy in all written materials, i.e., they should be of exemplary quality, free of grammatical and spelling errors, and include accurate due dates and content


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Stateside Faculty Handbook

• Covers issues such as:

- Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

- Faculty Administration

- Classroom Administration and Instruction

- Student, Faculty and Program Assessment

- Teaching and Professional Development Resources

- UMUC Policies

- Communication and Student Resources


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Continuing Professional Development

• Faculty Development Workshops - Workshop Certificate Program (WCP) Faculty can earn Basic and Advanced Certificates

- Sloan Online Workshops The College Pass Membership entitles UMUC faculty and academic administrators to participate without charge in online workshops sponsored by Sloan-C

• UMUC Faculty Forum Discussion Series

• SkillSoft Self-Paced Training 2,180 technical and business skills topics with simulations, references, live

mentors, and other resources

• Professional Development Grant Program - Grant funding to attend and present at professional conferences


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Promoting Faculty Excellence

• Stanley J. Drazek Teaching Excellence and UMUC Teaching Recognition Awards - Recognition of notable teaching accomplishments (Nominations submitted by students) - Honorariums of $1000 and $500

• The Faculty Excellence Interview Series

• Summer Faculty Leadership Institute - Brings together close to fifty faculty from Europe, Asia, and the US to Maryland for an intensive workshop experience

- The purpose is to improve instruction at UMUC and those taking part commit to share what they have learned with their peers


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Services and Resources

• Faculty Consultant Service - Consultants are available to answer questions from faculty members using WebTycho

• Online Teaching Resources - Articles, multimedia self-paced tutorials and podcasts - Teaching Tips - DE Oracle - Self-Paced Tutorials


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MDE Program Examples

• MDE Program Blog

• MDE Faculty Blog

• MDE Faculty Forum using Google Docs

• MDE Monthly Meetings using Adobe Connect


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myUMUC

- Functions - General Information

- Access Class Rosters - Post Final Grades - Forms Incomplete Agreements Travel Reimbursement Form - Resources Audiovisual Equipment Academic Support Program Teaching Assistants

- Services - Copy Requests - Textbooks - Exams and Testing (SUS)


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Other Interesting Points

• Shared Governance-Faculty Advisory Council - Current council, vote, and run in the next election

• Faculty Technology Resources - Technology information resource center for faculty

• UMUC Stateside Faculty Handbook (Stateside)

• Faculty Resources - Information on teaching opportunities, services, computing resources

• Center for Intellectual Property - Resources and information in the areas of intellectual property, copyright, and the emerging digital environment

• Information and Library Services

- Quality resources, services, and instruction


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Questions???

Thank You!


faculty support as part of learner support ~ some best practices christine walti, m.d.e. beijing,...

Documents

faculty recognition

overview faculty support

faculty grant

award programs faculty

teaching excellence

faculty excellence services

learner support

expectations of teaching