The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Faculty Learning Communities

Abstract

Through a series of faculty development programs, the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) at UNC-Chapel Hill has sponsored Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) to help faculty redesign large enrollment courses and implement evidence-based pedagogies to fit disciplinary styles and learning goals. Faculty from professional schools and the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as departmental cohorts, participate in one of two types of FLCs. In one, faculty from different disciplines discuss their progress on redesign or pose questions about their teaching. In another type, faculty from the same department discuss teaching and learning in their discipline. Our research question is: Does type of membership in a FLC influence its members’ motivation, the topics they discuss, or the skills they develop?

Panelists draw on data collected from student and faculty surveys and/or interviews. All panelists will contribute to the three sections of the session: 1) A brief summary of lessons learned from the course redesigns, focusing on student learning and engagement; 2) A comparison of the two FLCS concerning skills developed; discussions about teaching; and faculty motivation and community building; 3) Facilitation of an audience discussion on how to adapt FLCs to sustain fundamental changes in student and faculty learning.

Location

Room 115

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Mar 27th, 10:00 AM Mar 27th, 10:45 AM

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Faculty Learning Communities

Room 115

Through a series of faculty development programs, the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) at UNC-Chapel Hill has sponsored Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) to help faculty redesign large enrollment courses and implement evidence-based pedagogies to fit disciplinary styles and learning goals. Faculty from professional schools and the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as departmental cohorts, participate in one of two types of FLCs. In one, faculty from different disciplines discuss their progress on redesign or pose questions about their teaching. In another type, faculty from the same department discuss teaching and learning in their discipline. Our research question is: Does type of membership in a FLC influence its members’ motivation, the topics they discuss, or the skills they develop?

Panelists draw on data collected from student and faculty surveys and/or interviews. All panelists will contribute to the three sections of the session: 1) A brief summary of lessons learned from the course redesigns, focusing on student learning and engagement; 2) A comparison of the two FLCS concerning skills developed; discussions about teaching; and faculty motivation and community building; 3) Facilitation of an audience discussion on how to adapt FLCs to sustain fundamental changes in student and faculty learning.