Good morning, and October greetings from the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE)! I’ve so enjoyed meeting, brainstorming, and beginning to collaborate with different members of my new SU community this past month. I’m looking forward to connecting with more of you in the coming weeks.
MIDTERM FEEDBACK
As you prepare to give students mid-course feedback on their academic progress in your classes, consider asking students for feedback about how the class has been going, including reflecting on their own effort, progress, and contributions to the learning environment. One simple idea to help students craft thoughtful and formative feedback is using these prompts: “I like, I wish, I wonder.” Invite students to respond generally (“What do you like, wish, and wonder about our class meetings?”) or more specifically (“What do you like, wish, and wonder about the group project?” “What do you like, wish, and wonder about your individual progress towards your personal and academic goals for our class?”) Another easy-to-implement prompt from CTLE Faculty Development Fellow Jacques Safari Mwayaona: “What is working well for you so far in our class? How can you keep building on that during the second half of the semester?”
You may also find it helpful to utilize the mid-course feedback option in Syracuse University’s online course feedback system. Results are made available to instructors only (nobody else will see or read the student responses). Find instructions for creating your mid-course survey here, and additional information from Institutional Effectiveness (IE) here. You can build and attach your mid-course survey until Monday, September 30 at 11:59 pm, and students will be able to access and complete the survey from October 1 to October 8. The IE course feedback team at coursefeedback@syr.edu can provide further information and assistance in creating and administering a mid-course survey.
We at the CTLE will gladly help you solicit, read, interpret, and respond to any type of student feedback. Just use our online form to request a consultation: CTLE Consultation Request Form. All individual consultations are confidential and voluntary, and only upon request from the individual.
STUDENTS CONSULTING ON TEACHING (SCOT)
One of the best ways to get midterm feedback on your class is by partnering with one of our Student Consultants, trained through the CTLE to facilitate small group instructional feedback, administer early course feedback surveys, and give input after class observations. However space is limited, and all our Fall 2024 consultants are now paired with faculty partners. If you are interested in SCOT, please watch for Spring 2025 sign-up information in future newsletters. For more information about SCOT, contact Jacques Safari Mwayaona at mjsafari@syr.edu.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Check out the CTLE’s new Teaching Resource page on how we can encourage academic integrity in our course design and teaching practices: Academic Integrity. Thanks to George Athanas and Kate Bussell at the Center for Learning and Student Success for their assistance.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Workshop: “Introduction to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)”
In this hands-on workshop, participants will begin by identifying an aspect of teaching and learning that surprises or perplexes them. They will then turn it into a potential research question. After looking at a broad definition and key principles of the scholarship of teaching and learning, we will walk together through the steps of what it would look like to research participants’ questions. The SoTL world is dynamic and inviting. Please join us to explore how it might be a fit for you in the context of your own teaching and academic vocation.
Zoom and on-site/in-person sessions offered, facilitated by Laurel Willingham-McLain
Thursday, October 3, 12:45-2:00 p.m., 550 Bird Library (CTLE)
Friday, November 1, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Zoom
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Lunch and Learn: “Getting Started in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning”
This informal Lunch and Learn is an opportunity to hear how SU educators became interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and to find out more about the different types of SoTL research projects. This program may be of particular interest to Teaching Professors considering how SoTL may be a good fit for their professional goals. Guest speakers will include Ash Heim, Faculty Fellow in Biology, Havva Zorluel Ozer, Assistant Teaching Professor, Writing Program, and Sevinç Turkkan, Assistant Teaching Professor, Writing Program. This event includes lunch from Panera Bread.
On-site/in-person 550 Bird Library (CTLE)
Tuesday, October 8, 12:00-1:30 p.m., 550 Bird Library (CTLE)
Registration required.
Register here by Friday, October 4, 2024
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Workshop: “Closing the Loop: Responding to Student Feedback Effectively”
In this workshop, we will work together to transform student feedback into actionable insights that benefit both teaching and learning. Together, we’ll explore strategies for gathering, analyzing, and interpreting student feedback, develop effective action plans, and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement. Join us to share your ideas and learn from peers how we can collaborate to create classrooms where student voices are valued and drive positive change.
On-site/in-person session offered, facilitated by Jacques Safari Mwayaona
Thursday, October 24, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
Register here by Tuesday, October 22
CONSULTATIONS
The CTLE is available to support and assist you with any teaching-related issues, including but not limited to syllabus review, designing assignments, soliciting and interpreting student feedback, and navigating student biases and stereotypes about professors. All individual consultations are confidential and voluntary, and only upon request from the individual. Contact us via the Consultation Request Form on our website.
READING AND RESOURCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Wondering how to prepare for class meetings in the wake of the presidential election? I recently facilitated a CTLE workshop on using “scripts” that you might find useful. (By “scripts,” I mean a few prepared sentences to help you productively navigate difficult classroom interactions.) View my slides here: Teaching in Tumultuous Times: The Value of Scripts. See Slide #15 for an example of what I say to acknowledge a highly controversial event like the election while also conveying support for students’ wellbeing, and staying on task. For more ideas, I highly recommend this short but insightful article, “Teaching After an Election,” from the Center for Teaching Excellence at Boston College.
On teaching in the age of generative AI, Elon University recently published a Student Guide to AI that would be useful for college students at any institution. Want to learn more about the challenges and rewards of this topic? A new book, Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning, by José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson, is at the top of my reading list and our Meredith Professor Dr. Joon Park, who’s researching generative AI in education, recommends it as well.
STAY IN TOUCH
Thank you to everyone who recently signed up to be on the CTLE mailing list! And thanks to everyone who’s connected with me on LinkedIn. Please share this newsletter with any friends or colleagues who might be interested, and if you know someone who might like to join our mailing list, here’s a link to the sign-up form: CTLE Mailing List Sign-Up.
Jessamyn Neuhaus
Director
janeuhau@syr.edu