ACUE Lunch and Learn Series

Open to All Members of Our Teaching Community

Almost 50 faculty at UMSL were selected to participate in ACUE's "Effective Online Teaching Practices" year-long program that wrapped up in April 2021. Faculty participants from last year's program will host monthly Lunch and Learn meetings in 2021-2022 to share what they found to be successful in their courses. These monthly meetings are open to all UMSL faculty, staff, and graduate students to learn more about the innovative work of our colleagues.

The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) "Effective Online Teaching Practices" program provided faculty with an opportunity to learn evidenced-based teaching strategies, apply, and reflect on what they have learned. We have been featuring faculty from the program who employ practices from the program in our CTL newsletters over this past year. Please check out past issues to learn from the creativity of your colleagues.

You will have the opportunity to continue to learn from and with your colleagues through a virtual Lunch and Learn Series where ACUE credentialed faculty will share strategies that have been successful in their courses and then host discussions about how you can employ those strategies in your own context. All members of the UMSL community (faculty, staff, graduate students) are welcome to attend.

Event Details: 

• Date of the first Lunch and Learn: September 17th, 12:00 - 12:50 PM
• Presenters: Erin Whitteck (CTL and Chemistry and Biochemistry) and Maureen Quigley (Art & Design) 
• Topic: Accountability Groups with Students and Faculty 
• Location: Virtual (see Registration below) 

If you have any questions please reach out to CTL Assistant Director Erin Whitteck (elwbcf@umsl.edu). 

Register for the Fall ACUE Lunch and Learn Series

CTL Summer CAMP (Collaborating to Advance Meaningful Partnerships)

Teaching in-person, blended or online via Zoom this fall? Join the CTL’s new summer CAMP (Collaborating to Advance Meaningful Partnerships) to work within a faculty cohort, student partners, and CTL. This program will run May 24 through June 25, 2021. We will also be available July 12-30 to help faculty with questions, course design, and implementation. Faculty who complete the program will earn an $800 stipend.

During the 4-week program, expect to spend 4-5 hours per week (meeting in your cohort, developing activities and assessments, and testing out technical solutions for your fall class) with your student and CTL partners. Refine and hone your teaching skills in an area you choose to support your teaching goals for the fall and beyond.

Who is this program intended for?

Up to 75 UMSL full and part-time faculty on the Fall 2021 schedule teaching at least one fully in person, blended, or synchronous online course with specific meeting patterns. Please only register once; if you are developing multiple courses it is not necessary to register multiple times. If teaching fully online this fall, contact the Office of eLearning at keeplearning@umsystem.edu for workshop opportunities to develop courses for fully asynchronous online delivery.

What are the benefits of the program?

You will have the opportunity to build your teaching toolbox and learn from others in interdisciplinary cohorts centered around the same area of focus. Time will be set aside for synchronous interactions within the cohort, small peer groups, and one-on-one consultations with your student partner and CTL facilitators. Interested faculty can practice with new technologies and synchronous instruction in the classroom or on Zoom. Upon completion of the program, faculty will submit a plan for the unexpected, syllabus statements that pertain to their teaching goal, and a reflection.

Association of College and University Educators (ACUE)

Through “Scaling Instructional Excellence for Student Success,” a National Association of System Heads (NASH) initiative, and in partnership with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), the University of Missouri System was able to offer 60 faculty members at UMSL with 3 or more years teaching experience the opportunity to enroll in ACUE’s program in Effective Online Teaching Practices.

This grant-funded program was delivered fully online with a cohort of faculty colleagues, and professionally facilitated by two CTL Assistant Directors Dr. Jennifer McKanry and Dr. Erin Whitteck with co-facilitation by Dr. Alina Slapac from UMSL’s College of Education. Faculty completing the program earned a nationally recognized Certificate in Effective College Instruction, which is the only college teaching credential that is endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE). The program addresses all of the core competencies defined in ACUE’s Effective Practice Framework© and is organized into five major areas of practice:

• Designing an Effective Course
• Establishing a Productive Learning Environment
• Using Active Learning Strategies
• Promoting Higher Order Thinking
• Assessing to Inform Instruction and Promote Learning 

This 25-week course prepares faculty in evidence-based teaching practices that have been proven successful and studied through independently-validated research to improve student achievement and close equity gaps. 

Completion of this program also fulfills the Online Teaching Certification requirement.

Blended in 9

Blended learning is the "thoughtful fusion of face-to-face and online learning experiences…such that the strengths of each are blended into a unique experience…Blended learning is a fundamental redesign that transforms the structure of, and approach to, teaching and learning" (Garrison and Vaughan, 2008). In this nine-week course development series faculty produce a high-quality, high-impact course. Throughout the series, faculty design an organized course structure, meaningful learning experiences, and high-quality assessments for both in-class and online learning environments. By the end of the nine weeks, a peer-reviewed course design is ready to go. The group met face-to-face every other week with online activities on the non-meeting weeks.

• Week 1 – Defining Blended Learning
• Week 2 – Course Structure, Dividing up the components by Modality
• Week 3 – Optimizing your Face-to-Face Time
• Week 4 – Designing the Online Component, OER, Copyright, and Accessibility
• Week 5 – Discussions
• Week 6 – Assessment and Rubrics
• Week 7 – Group and Collaboration
• Week 8 – Case Studies and Peer Review
• Week 9 – Feedback and Grading

DYI with a Guide

This was the most advanced offering of the online course development program series, giving faculty an opportunity to design a course in collaboration with an instructional designer in the CTL. DIY offered the flexibility to build a course at your own pace. Workshops, webinars, and consultations were available to support faculty throughout the duration of their time developing.

With the development of UM-System’s Missouri Online, current offerings for online program design and the Online Teaching Certificate Seminar can now be found on their program.

Faculty Learning Communities (FLC)

A Faculty Learning Community (FLC) is a year-long, peer-led endeavor which establishes an interdisciplinary community of reflective and supportive faculty (typically 6-12) that are committed to developing and implementing innovations in their classroom and disseminating their results to the larger UMSL community. This typically involves active, collaborative, encouragement, support, and reflection.

Each FLC focuses on a question, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic. Members deepen their knowledge and expertise in the chosen area by interacting on an ongoing basis. In addition to the shared learning about the topic, all FLC members will work on a personal project that uses what they have learned to improve a specific course or program, and the group members collectively share their knowledge and accomplishments with the wider UMSL community.

Each year, the Center for Teaching and Learning facilitates FLCs on an as needed basis. The list below represents recent FLCs.

• Introductory Statistics Courses - faculty worked together Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 culminating in faculty presentations of their work at the Spring 2021 Spring Forum on Teaching. 
• Foundational STEM Courses - faculty worked together Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 culminating in faculty presentations of their work at the Spring 2021 Spring Forum on Teaching. 

Online in 9

The Online in 9 program was offered by the CTL until 2019. This introductory series efficiently develop or redesign a course for online offering. By the end of the series, faculty have a completely finished course site, confidence with new technologies, and strategies for managing time and students. Offered in fall, spring and summer semesters, this interdisciplinary small group promoted faculty to share ideas and learn new tools and strategies guided by research-based, national standards. The program was offered with both in person and online cohorts.”

With the development of UM-System’s Missouri Online, current offerings for online program design and the Online Teaching Certificate Seminar can now be found on their website.

Online in 9 Advanced

The Online in 9-Advanced program was offered by the CTL until 2019. This nine-week series was for faculty who had already successfully completed Online in 9. It built on what was already learned, introducing advanced level online design strategies to build a next-level, quality-assured online course with carefully integrated technologies and instructional strategies to achieve course goals. The central components of the program are built around Chickering and Ehrmann's framework, Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever. At the end of the semester, faculty participants would have a completely designed, quality-assured course ready to offer students.

Offered in fall and spring semesters, this interdisciplinary small group promoted faculty to share ideas and learn new tools and strategies guided by research-based, national standards. The program met every other week (even weeks of the nine-week program).

With the development of UM-System’s Missouri Online, current offerings for online program design and the Online Teaching Certificate Seminar can now be found on their website.

Resilient Course Design

This flexible nine-week program was offered in Summer 2020 to support faculty in producing a blended course that can pivot to a fully online format quickly if necessary due to changing conditions. Faculty participants were provided with resources and strategies to meet their specific needs. Additional optional enrichment activities were also offered including Zoom meetings, supported work sessions, and individual consultation. Faculty completing the full program including submitting their resilient course design plan and course syllabus received a stipend. Completion of this program also fulfills the Online Teaching Certification requirement.

Part-Time Faculty Orientation (PTO)

• Saturday, August 14: 8:00 – 12:00, Virtual via Zoom (link sent to registered participants)
• Friday, August 20: 1:00 – 5:00, In-Person, Express Scripts Hall 103

The Part-Time Faculty Orientation is a half-day, tailored program designed to introduce new faculty to campus resources and supports for teaching including (1) campus services supporting instruction, (2) student services which can facilitate student learning and success, and (3) supports for the use of academic technologies including Canvas. Faculty participants will have the opportunity to meet and build interdisciplinary networks to engage within the UMSL community. Learn more about the program here.

Full-time New Faculty Orientation (NFO)

• Tuesday, August 17, 2021: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (location TBD) with the Chancellor's Reception immediately following in the Touhill Performing Arts Center at 5:30 PM.

The New Faculty Orientation (NFO) program is a one-day program designed to introduce new full-time faculty to campus resources and supports at UMSL with a focus on the essential resources new faculty need to know right away. New full-time faculty continue in an extended orientation program that brings them together in monthly meetings throughout the 2021-2022 academic year. The goals for our extended orientation include 1) fostering development of active and engaged learning, 2) introducing and reinforcing connections with campus partners, and 3) creating a rich network across the disciplines and campus. Learn more about the program here.

Teaching Assistant Academy (TAA)

• Wednesday, August 18, 2021 (virtual program via Zoom)

The Teaching Assistant Academy (TAA) is a day-long professional development conference for all Graduate Teaching Assistants and Graduate Instructors. The Academy provides resource and development opportunities for teaching assistants across all disciplines. Specialized sessions address the needs of GTA's and GI's for surviving and thriving in graduate school and for successful teaching and learning. The Academy is also a great venue to connect with other new and returning Graduate Assistants. Learn more about the program here.

Attending the TAA will fulfill the Certificate in University Teaching (CUT) requirement to attend the Graduate Student Conference. (For more information about CUT, visit CUT webpage).