CTL-Services:

Pedagogy, Assessment, and Technology

 

Center for Teaching and Learning

 

PEDAGOGY

 

1.       New Faculty/Pre-Tenure Support

  1. New faculty orientation
  2. New faculty mentoring
  3. Portfolio development
  4. Teaching evaluations

 

2.       Innovations in Teaching

  1. Teaching for multicultural awareness
  2. Integrating writing across the curriculum
  3. Creating Learning Communities
  4. Integrating Service Learning

 

3.       Curricular Innovations

  1. Rethinking General Education
  2. Creating a First-Year Experience for new students
  3. Integrating student academic support services
  4. Preparing undergraduates for PhD-programs (McNair)

 

OUTCOMES BASED ASSESSMENT (OBA)

 

4.       OBA at the classroom level:

 

  1. OBA and course design

(1)   Definition of learning outcomes

(2)   Use of rubrics

(3)   Design of challenging tests and course assignments

  1. Course assessment

(1)   Baseline tests and Òvalue-addedÓ

(2)   Classroom assessment techniques (CATs)

(3)   Student surveys and interviews

(4)   Using technology (BB) for generating course assessment data

(5)   Developing and implementing a course assessment plan

 

5.       OBA at the program level

 

6.       OBA at the school accreditation level

 
Teacher with students

 

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

 

7.       IT for the improvement of classroom instruction

 

  1. Provide better and readily accessible course resources
  2. Help instructors be more organized in their course preparation and course management
  3. Increase studentsÕ active learning involvement, for instance through:

(1)   practice tests and quizzes

(2)   discussion boards

(3)   online posting (publishing) of their own work, etc.

  1. Improve studentsÕ computer- and information-literacy (see Òdigital divideÓ)

 

8.       IT for the improvement of institutional efficiency

 

  1. Reduce students need to commute to campus
  2. Enable students with conflicting schedules to finish their program on time
  3. Enable professionals already in the workforce to complete certificate programs from home
  4. Allow for ongoing data collection to facilitate assessment of classes and programs

 

 

Integrating Technology with Pedagogy & Assessment

 

1.       The current instructional technology has the potentialÑmore than any other instructional innovationÑto reconceptualize education as resources-based learning that reduces the dominating teacher role and emphasizes learner-initiative and accountability. Successful online courses are:

 

a.       Highly interactive: students learn from each other

b.       Project-based: students teach each other

 

2.       If the fully web-based course requires mature students with self-discipline and initiative, then preparing students for that intellectual maturity becomes the goal of a college education.

 

3.       At the same time, teaching a good web-based course requires faculty to change their traditional role to becoming more:

 

a.       Creative in their course activities

b.       Adapt at orchestrating complex student interactions

c.       Willing to coach students individually and in small groups

d.       Skillful at assessing various dimensions of the teaching-learning process

e.       Resourceful at finding or producing helpful instructional materials

 

4.       Given the importance of largely self-directed lifelong learning, and given the potential that web-based IT provides for people to become lifelong learners (without being tied to physical classrooms and set schedules), we should define studentsÕ competence for resources-based learning as a key goal of a college education

 

5.       Given this goal, curricula should be built developmentally with strategically placed steps helping students mature throughout their college years. Students are made aware of these milestones from the beginning.

 

6.       The steps coincide with gradually increasing demands made on students for performing tasks in web-supported courses. By the end of their college years, they will participate in at least one fully web-based course

 

7.       The CTLs function then is to help faculty define and explore these developmental steps and what they imply in different disciplines and programs. The resulting curriculum (and with it, the resulting program assessment format) are likely to be looked at favorably by accrediting agencies.

 

8.       In helping NEIU achieve this goal, the CTL can integrate its functions for supporting:

 

a.       Learning-centered pedagogy: teaching to help students become better learners

b.       Outcomes-based assessment: enabling learners to self-assess their own growth

c.       Resources-based learning technology: technology that fosters studentÕs intellectual maturity through initiative and self-assessment/reflection

 

 

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