Enhancing Teaching Through SIMPLE Faculty Development Groups

Abstract

The presenters are members of a cross-disciplinary teaching design group at Mason including faculty in science, mathematics, engineering, and education. As part of an NSF-funded project focused on improving undergraduate STEM teaching, each member is trying a new research-proven instructional technique in our classes. Most techniques were focused on formative assessment or student engagement in learning. We meet monthly to share our progress and challenges, as well as to discuss relevant literature in education and the learning sciences. In addition, we are each preparing to lead a discipline-focused team starting this fall.In this interactive session, we will share the new techniques we are trying, how the teaching design group has affected our pedagogical efforts, and why attendees might be interested in joining (and perhaps eventually leading) a teaching design group in their discipline. We will ask attendees to consider new techniques they have considered for their courses and to brainstorm about how they might take the first step in implementing such techniques. We'll also ask them to discuss with attendees from similar disciplines in order to form the groundwork for new teaching design teams.