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News & Announcements

Learn to Engage Students Civically with Dr. Bryan Dewsbury

The Schreyer Institute will host a webinar and an in-person workshop with Dr. Bryan Dewsbury, Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Director of STEM Transformation Institution at Florida International University, on March 18 and March 21, 2024. In his interactive talk, “Beyond Content – Teaching for Civic Engagement and Participation,” Dr. Dewsbury will share his insights on how instructors can help students cultivate the skills that help them civically engage in a socially just world Participants will learn strategies for civic engagement to take back to their classrooms.

Learn about Dr. Dewsbury’s involvement in higher education and educational achievements either on our events page or in PSU’s news article: Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence to Host Speaker on Inclusive Teaching.

Registration for both the virtual March 18 session and in-person March 21 session are now open on our events page.

Small Team Problem-Based Learning in an Interdomain Course 

General Education 2024 Spring Symposium

Join this highly interactive session to engage in a cross-disciplinary dialogue about teaching and learning throughout Penn State's general education curriculum. Even if you aren't teaching general education courses (yet), you are welcome to join us for inspiration, conversation, and community.

On Thursday, March 21st @ 12:00pm, Tim Kelsey, Ph.D., Professor of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, Penn State, will discuss using small teams in a problem-based learning interdomain course.

Tim will share the design and implementation of a large enrollment, inter-domain general education course (CED 102N 'Wicked Problems: What's the Right Thing to Do?'), which focuses on empowering students to wrestle with so-called wicked, or highly complex, global challenges. The course uses collaborative learning models in which small groups are tasked with writing research case studies addressing wicked challenges (of their choice), including topics such as homelessness, small town revitalization, adoption of electrical vehicles, solar energy and farmland loss, and invasive species. Data collected from students in the inaugural offering of the course suggest that desired learning outcomes, such as critical thinking, creative problem solving, and intrinsic motivation, can be reached through scalable, peer-driven approaches to teaching and learning.

Download Flyer

Register here for Zoom link: https://forms.office.com/r/21di3TWs5f

The General Education 2024 Spring Symposium is a collaboration of the Office of General Education and Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence.

Visit the Office of General Education events page.

2024 Schreyer Conference

The 2024 Schreyer Conference will focus on the connections between learning and emotion. On Wednesday March 27, 2024, Sarah Rose Cavanagh will give an interactive presentation “Energizing Learning with the Spark of Emotion” between 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. EST, followed by breakout sessions led by SITE consultants between 1:10 - 2:00 p.m.

Dr. Cavanagh is Senior Associate Director for Teaching and Learning in the Center for Faculty Excellence at Simmons University, where she also teaches in the Psychology Department as an Associate Professor of Practice. Her research considers the interplay of emotions, motivation, learning, and quality of life. Her most recent research project, funded by the National Science Foundation, convenes a network of scholars to develop teaching practices aimed at greater effectiveness and equity in undergraduate biology education.

She is author of four books, including The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion (2016) and Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge (2023). She gives keynote addresses and workshops at a variety of colleges and regional conferences, blogs for Psychology Today, and writes essays for venues like Literary Hub and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Learn more about Dr. Cavanagh on her website: https://www.sarahrosecav.com/ and stay tuned for more information to follow.

The 2024 Schreyer Conference will occur Wednesday, March 27. Register through our events page. Registration will close 1 hour before the event starts. Registrants will receive a Zoom link at least 1 hour before the event.

The Schreyer Conferences are co-sponsored by the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and the Schreyer Honors College.

Visit the Schreyer Conference PSU news article for more details.

Opportunity to Present at the ISSOTL Conference

The International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) seeks perspectives from Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) practitioners for their 2024 ISSOTL Conference. They will examine important questions about how their models and practices have emerged, how those practices have helped practitioners address current challenges in higher education, and how they might evolve to meet future challenges. ISSOTL encourages presenters to draw on Pat Hutchings’s Taxonomy of SoTL questions with a reflective “what was” question.

The submission deadline for presenters is April 1, 2024.

Read more on the ISSOTL Conference webpage: http://tinyurl.com/yc2xrw53

Deadline Approaching to Apply for the Equity and Inclusion Grant Program

If you have a project that has the potential to influence teaching and learning, addresses inequities, and advances inclusion in teaching and learning, then meet with a Schreyer Institute consultant by April 1, 2024, to possibly receive funding for the 2024-25 fiscal year through the Equity and Inclusion Grant Program.

Peer Review of Teaching Grants

The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence (SITE) is pleased to offer grants to support academic units as they update their peer review guidelines as part of the new Faculty Assessment of Teaching Framework. These grants are intended support conversations about possible changes to unit peer review of teaching guidelines, which include integration of the Elements of Effective Teaching.

Requests for support may come from a committee, committee chair, or academic unit head at any Penn State location. Collaborators may include faculty, students, and administrators.

SITE faculty consultants are available to facilitate your discussion as a neutral party, participate, or provide resources.

You may request funds for materials, lunches, or resources on peer review of teaching. Funding is limited, but support from SITE faculty consultants is not!

You may submit your request by email to site@psu.edu. Please include a brief description (~300 words) about what the unit plans to do and how it will advance revision of unit peer review guidelines. Please contact your preferred vendor for actual costs before submitting your request.

We look forward to supporting your efforts this semester.

PSU Shenango’s Roxanne Atterholt Research Article Featured in Latest Issue & Webinar Discussion

Penn State Shenango faculty member Roxanne Atterholt recently published a research article (Shock Waves: Academic Witnessing as Resiliency Practice) focused on the work of their SITE-supported Teaching Community. The article was featured in the most recent issue of the Journal of Faculty Development.

The authors will be discussing the article in a free webinar on February 12th from 1-2pm.

The Journal of Faculty Development publishes research and scholarships on innovation in faculty development that is relevant for administrators, faculty members, and faculty development professionals. The focus of this independent, peer-reviewed scholarly journal is on faculty development in post-secondary educational institutions. It provides support for educators and administrators seeking research studies (utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies) that further explore theory and philosophies related to faculty development.

Learn more: Journal of Faculty Development

Former Schreyer Institute Faculty Fellow Named Distinguished Professor

Professor of Sociology at Penn State Altoona and former Schreyer Institute Faculty Fellow, Nicholas Rowland, recently received the highest professional merit at the University, the status of distinguished professor. The title of distinguished professor, established by the Office of the President, recognizes the academic contributions of current full-time professors. Distinguished professors are acknowledged leaders in their fields of research or creative activity; demonstrate significant leadership in raising the University's standards in teaching, research or creative activity and service; and exhibit excellent teaching skills. Rowland earned the title of distinguished professor by serving as Academic Trustee on PSU’s Board of Trustees, as the chair of the University Faculty Senate and the Advisory Committee of the President, as co-chair for the Commonwealth Caucus of the University Faculty Senate, and by co-authoring 50+ manuscripts, and mentoring more than 100 PSU Altoona research students. The Schreyer Institute wants to congratulate the former faculty fellow on earning this merit.

Read more about Distinguished Professor, Nicholas Rowland, on PSU’s news article: Nicholas Rowland Named Distinguished Professor at Penn State Altoona.

SITE Consultant Beate Brunow Interviewed for a Podcast We Love

Beate Brunow, SITE Instructional Consultant, was interviewed recently by Derek Bruff as part of his Intentional Teaching Podcast. Beate helped develop Penn State’s new Faculty Teaching Assessment Framework, which she talks about in the podcast's episode "Assessing Teaching with Beate Brunow and Shawn Simonson.”

Listen to the “Intentional Teaching” podcast episode featuring Beate Brunow and Shawn Simonson at: http://tinyurl.com/3exh5y4n>.

Addressing Student Trauma, Tensions, and Disruptions in your Course

 

With the rise of tension in the world and awareness of mental health in classrooms, the Schreyer Institute offers the following resources for teaching during times of global tensions, navigating classroom disruptions, and developing trauma informed practices to help you maintain a positive and open learning environment during times of high stress.

Teaching During Times of Global Tensions and Violence

Refer to this resource while planning your interactions with students as members of the Penn State community grieve and cope amidst this tragedy.

Avoiding and Confronting Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia

This resource provides guidance about course discussions about the conflict and how to avoid (or confront) antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Controversy in the Classroom

Developed by Penn State Communication Arts Sciences faculty, this Canvas Commons course offers guidance to help you prepare to meet controversy in the classroom. Canvas log in required. Search Canvas Commons for “Controversy in the Classroom.”

Taking ACTION on Disruptions or Microaggressions

Explore language and phrases for use in responding to disruptions and microaggressions in your courses.

Navigating Disruptions

Explore ways to respond to emotionally challenging situations that can negatively impact the integrity and safety of the learning environment.

Trauma Informed Teaching Practices

This resource offers principles of trauma-informed teaching and recommendations instructors might consider as they are developing trauma-informed practices for their own courses.

Workshops & Seminars

Upcoming Events

3/21/2024, 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
3/27/2024, Noon - 1:00 p.m.
4/17/2024, 10:10 a.m. - 11:25 a.m.
4/17/2024, Noon - 1:00 p.m.

More Events

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