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Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs)
About | Semester Schedule | Apply
Faculty Learning Communities, 2006 - 2007
FLC 1: Challenges and Opportunities in Blended Teaching and Learning |
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| Blended (hybrid) courses are those in which there is a mixture of traditional classroom pedagogies and computer-based technologies. This FLC provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to communicate and explore the challenges and benefits of teaching such courses and to network with other colleagues who are experimenting with these new technologies. The FLC will itself also function as a hybrid/blended community through our ANGEL Group site. Participation in this FLC is limited to those who already have experience using the ANGEL course management system, LON-CAPA, or similar software applications and who are teaching or hope to teach blended courses during the 2006/2007 academic year.
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FLC 2: Scientists and Writers: Sharing Our Knowledge of Teaching Writing in the Biological Sciences |
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Are you looking for new ways to help students write better lab reports or research projects? Do you wonder how you can squeeze teaching about writing into your syllabus when it is already overflowing with content that must be covered? As a writing teacher, are you stymied by your lack of knowledge about the conventions of scientific writing? Come join our Faculty Learning Community, where writing teachers and science teachers can come together to learn from each other. Topics include developing writing assignments, responding to student writing, writing in different genres, and using writing assignments to help students learn content. We will also study well-written articles from major journals to discuss ways to make the subtleties of science writing more visible for students. A major goal of this FLC is a reciprocal exchange of information on methods of facilitating student development as writers--writing teachers learning from scientists and scientists learning from writing teachers. The ultimate purpose of the FLC is to facilitate student writing in both Tier I and Tier II courses and to open lines of communication across the disciplines to foster an environment of mutual support. Please join us as we create a community of scholars who will work together to enhance our abilities to foster the development of student writers.
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FLC 4: Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment |
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This FLC is based on the premise that the more we learn about ourselves, the more effectively we can interact with those who are different from us. By sharing experiences and life-changing incidents through activities, guest speakers, special readings and inter-group dialogue, it is anticipated that each person will engage in reflective self-development. It is anticipated that each session will highlight a different but related topic on inclusiveness and/or diversity. Discussions may focus on differences in class, gender, gender identity, race/ethnicity, age, religion, and capabilities, among others. The ultimate goal is that each participant will leave with a toolbox of useful methodologies to integrate productive approaches into their pedagogies as they relate to living in a diverse world.
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FLC 5: Enhancing the First-Year Experience at MSU |
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The Boldness by Design Task Force on Enhancing the Student Experience foregrounds improving the first-year experience as essential to enhancing the overall student experience at MSU. As the Task Force report observes, "The freshman experience is absolutely critical to establishing the foundation for undergraduate education." In the spirit of this initiative, this FLC seeks to foster a culture of teaching and learning that will enhance the first-year experience of students at MSU. The group members will survey the existing scholarship on the first-year experience, investigate effective first-year teaching practices, and explore strategies for promoting first-year student success. We will take a holistic approach to the first-year experience, drawing from and engaging with not only teaching faculty but also student services, residential life, and academic advising professionals.
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FLC 6: Writing Invitations/Writing Responses: Assigning and Assessing Student Writing for Critical Thinking |
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The FLC is open to faculty in the Schools of Social Work and Nursing. The group meets twice monthly to discuss teaching philosophy and the challenges and rewards of teaching critical thinking skills for social work and nursing practice. All members bring writing assignments that they have used or discovered in the field to enhance and assess students' critical thinking and progress in skills building. The workshop approach will help members improve their assignments over the course of the semester; many will be adapted to an online format. David Sheridan and the Writing Center staff provide consultation and assistance in gauging the effectiveness and efficiency of the writing assignments in terms of assessing student progress and making the best use of instructors' time and feedback to students.
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This FLC is currently on hiatus:
Scholarly Discussions on Problem-based Learning (PBL) |
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This FLC, which has been meeting each semester since Spring 2005, is composed of 9 faculty from a wide variety of disciplines and levels of education. This diversity, coupled with the fact that all group members are fairly experienced with PBL methods in their own classes, has made for extremely stimulating and educational discussions during their biweekly meetings. Over the past year, the FLC develop ed a survey to analyze common features of PBL in various settings, and discussions have focused on the qualitative and/or quantitative student outcome assessment tools. In Fall Semester 2006, the survey instrument will be administered to selected MSU faculty who use PBL, and results will be shared with the MSU community (via the FLC website, workshops, etc.) and possibly with colleagues outside MSU as well. For 2006-07, we will focus on an elaboration of the common elements of PBL, as reflected in the survey, and how these various elements are manifest in the various practice contexts represented in the FLC. In addition, we will focus on specific problems or issues associated with implementing PBL in these various contexts, possible ways to address these problems, and methods to assess their effectiveness in our teaching. Email Jon Patterson (patterson@dcpah.msu.edu) or John Dirkx (dirkx@msu.edu) with questions about this FLC. |
If you have questions or comments, please contact Dr. Patricia Payette, Office of Faculty and Organizational Development, at 432-2033 or facdevel@msu.edu.
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Office Of Faculty and Organizational Development
308 Administration Bldg. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1024 Phone: (517) 432-2033 Fax: (517) 432-2069 Email: facdevel@msu.edu | leaders@msu.edu |