New faculty learning community to focus on online teaching
The Center for Teaching and Learning is forming a new Online Faculty Learning Community. Faculty members who are interested in enhancing their online or blended courses are encouraged to participate.
“Our online faculty are committed to high quality teaching, and being part of this kind of professional learning community enables them sharpen their skills and share with others,” said J. Garvey Pyke, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).
This new Online Faculty Learning Community launches at 1 p.m., Friday, Sept. 29, with an introduction and discussion of the first two topics: “Developing Meaningful Self-Assessment” and “Expectations and Enhancement for Your Online Course.” Participants will meet once a month through November. Community discussions can continue in a Canvas online forum, and CTL will offer shared resources for participants.
Faculty members involved in teaching online courses suggested that CTL develop this new learning community to identify best practices and effective strategies to facilitate success among online students.
“Our faculty members have been working hard to design effective online courses, through attending workshops at the CTL, adopting and applying Quality Matters standards and collaborating with instructional designers through the Distance Education Course Development program. As faculty members start teaching their new courses, they sought to form a community to share ideas and best practices,” said Enoch Park, the Quality Matters/online learning specialist in the Center for Teaching and Learning.