ACTL
Greetings from the Center for Teaching & Learning!
Welcome back from what I hope was a rejuvenating summer, to what I trust will be a productive year.
I wanted to share with you a short list of some of the services and activities that ACTL will be offering this year. As mentioned by Ellen Hay at our opening faculty retreat, I will be thinking and talking (hopefully with you!) about Evidence of Student Learning a lot this year. Not only will we be holding workshops and other training activities focused on that theme, but, as Ellen also mentioned, we will be hosting a one-day conference this spring-Making Learning Visible-on April 30th. Much more on that later!
Like last year, ACTL will be sponsoring Teaching Observation Groups (TOGs) each term this year. In these TOGs small groups of faculty from different departments and divisions team up, observe each other's classes and discuss those observations as a group. I hope that you will consider joining a TOG. Watch your email for an announcement of the details.
Following on the success of the Faculty Research Forums, we will be holding Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) Forums this year. Twice per term we will meet to share and discuss SoTL projects planned, in the works or close to fruition. For the fall term, we'll meet Thursday, September 9 (Week III) and Thursday 14 October (Week VIII) from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. in the Dahl room. Please plan to attend.
ACTL will also sponsor a faculty-wide reading group. This year I'd like to read How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning by Ambrose et al. Again, watch your email for an announcement of how you can join in.
Of course, ACTL will be sponsoring or assisting with a lot of other workshops, many in conjunction with Academic Affairs and the LSFY Coordinators. In order to meet your needs and offer the kinds of support that you need in your teaching and your professional development, I ask that you please take a few minutes to fill out the Faculty Needs Assessment Survey, if you haven't already. Your input is really important to us!
Lastly, please stop by the Katz-Harris room of the library to see ACTL's new location next time you're in the neighborhood.
Here's to the start of a great year!
Jon Clauss
Augustana Center for Teaching & Learning