YES YOU CAN: Strategies for Implementing PBL & Cases in a Large Class (and Small Ones Too)

Mark your calendar for a seminar on integrating problem-based learning (PBL) and case studies into large and small classrooms. The seminar will be given by Dr. Patricia Marsteller from Emory University. Marsteller has been a pioneer in implementation of these practices in the Life Sciences for decades. The seminar is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. on Friday, October 5th in 5 HHD.

There will be several opportunities to meet with Dr. Marsteller. Message Glenna Malcolm if you are interested in participating in one of the sessions below.

Thursday, October 4

• 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., 30-45 minute meeting time slots
• 6:00 p.m., Dinner (up to 4 people), sponsored by CESE

Friday, October 5

• 8:00 a.m., Breakfast (up to 2 people), Nittany Lion Inn
• 9:00 - 10:30 a.m., 30-45 minute meeting time slots
• 12:10 - 1:30 p.m., Lunch (up to 2 people)
• 1:30 - 5:00 p.m., 30-45 minute meeting time slots
• 6:00 p.m., Dinner (up to 4 people), sponsored by Biology

Special thanks to the Department of Biology and Center for Excellence in Science Education (CESE) for sponsoring this seminar.

Cruz Joins Schreyer Institute for Teaching and Learning

Laura Cruz (PhD, University of California at Berkeley, 2001) joins the Schreyer Institute of Teaching Excellence as an associate research professor of Teaching and Learning Scholarship. Her new role is to heighten awareness of a growing body of research in teaching and learning in higher education, with particular attention to supporting faculty and programs who are interested in turning the work they do in the classroom into published scholarship. Over the years, Dr. Cruz has worked with hundreds of faculty to develop research projects leading to presentations, publications, external grants, and advanced insight into both comprehensive and disciplinary-based pedagogical practice.

Prior to coming to Penn State, Dr. Cruz served as the Director of the Centers for Teaching and Learning at both Tennessee Tech University and Western Carolina University. She has held multiple leadership positions in the field of educational development, including an elected term on the governing board of the professional society for faculty developers and service as editor of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Her extensive list of publications include work in her first discipline (history) as well as the areas of course and program design, educational technology, educational development, and emerging forms of scholarship. She has been a frequent invited speaker in the areas of organizational development, teaching and learning by design, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Her most recent book, Taking Flight: Making Your Center for Teaching and Learning Soar, is currently under contract with Stylus press.

Tool for creating diverse student teams

One of the most common reasons for implementing group or team assignments is that many work environments require employees to work effectively in teams that includes members that may come from across the globe. Students who can work well with others and communicate about it may have an advantage in the job market. Plus, it is far better for them to learn these skills before their salary depends on it!

Dr. Micah Modell, assistant professor in the Department of Technology and Society at the State University of New York (SUNY) Korea, recently posted about his use of Diversity Points to help students create teams that directly address one of the primary reasons that faculty use teams in their courses—the ability to effectively work with team members with backgrounds or experiences, while still giving them some control over the team. Each team receives points for different types of attributes (e.g., state, country, gender, major, age). He lets students create their own teams if they meet a minimum diversity threshold. He uses CoLab.online to preserve student privacy and calculate Diversity Points. He hopes this, along with other methods and content, helps students to actively seek out and value diversity.

Applications Accepted for Research Assistant

The Schreyer Institute has an opening for an hourly (10 hrs/week) Research Assistant for the fall 2018 semester (with a possibility of continuing in spring 2019). This position will focus on supporting the work of the Faculty Development Resources (FDR) working group, which is part of Penn State's Transforming Education strategic goal.

Responsibilities include:

• Conducting semi-structured face-to-face or video interviews (using the FDR interview protocol) with faculty from multiple Penn State locations and varied disciplines
• Reviewing interviews for accuracy (after processing by transcription service) and conduct qualitative analysis of interview transcript data
• Conducting a systematic, comprehensive literature review related to entry points and pathways faculty members take to improve and/or innovate teaching teaching and students' learning (with and without technology and across multiple instructional modes)
• Benchmarking with other institutions, including our Big Ten peers, about whether and how they provide a centralized resource for faculty development information, people, services, and technology
• Supporting the work of the FDR working group, including attending and contributing to group meetings

Visit Penn State Job #82632 to apply. Please include your cover letter describing experience with conducting interviews and analyzing qualitative data, CV and contact information only for two academic references familiar with your research skills. Preference is given to graduate students. Review of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Say “Yes, and” to the new Improv & Pedagogy Faculty Learning Group!

Following the huge response to last year’s SITE-sponsored “Improving Pedagogy through Improv Theatre” seminar, we are pleased to continue supporting the organizer’s efforts through their Improv & Pedagogy Faculty Learning Group!

The group meets three times a semester in 102 Kern from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Fall 2018 dates are:

• Friday, September 14
• Friday, October 19
• Friday, December 7

At these lunches, participants will chat about improv & pedagogy, and you may be invited to perform! This is a no-pressure environment and is a ton of fun.

Lunch is included! Participants can come for all or part of the festivities!

We are pleased to offer funding to support groups of faculty who regularly engage in discussions of teaching and learning topics or issues. Funding is available for start-up or existing groups. Visit our Faculty Teaching Community (FTC) Grant page to learn how to start your own group!

Four Horsemen of the Teaching Apocalypse

Marie K. Norman, PhD and Michael Bridges, PhD, March 1, 2018

The Teaching Professor recently republished this article as a timely reminder for instructors at the beginning of the academic year. Norman and Bridges suggest that four common issues “undermine students’ learning, motivation, and morale” and “compromise the effectiveness of even seasoned teachers.”

In this brief, easy to read article, the authors identify the issues, discuss relevant research, and provide guidance for avoiding these pitfalls.