Back to School: Instructors Learn Digital Teaching Skills
Bright and early on the Monday morning after finals had ended, eighteen faculty and staff members convened in Walter Library. Grades were still due; desks were still piled high with papers and exams, yet they were back in a classroom.
But they weren't there to teach. They were there to learn about technology-enhanced teaching strategies by participating in the Digital Media Center (DMC) Digital Teaching workshop. For one week they were members of a learning community that consisted of colleagues and DMC consultants. Three days were devoted to workshop sessions during which participants learned about new technologies and approaches to teaching. The other two days were set aside for individual meetings with DMC consultants to work on resolving issues specific to the courses they would teach in the coming year.
Some were there to improve their online course materials. Tony Seykora had already created practice materials for students in his animal science classes, but students weren't using them. He was pleased to discover that WebVista is an improvement over the previous version. Vista learning modules will help him better integrate and contextualize his practice materials and keep tabs on participation. He also learned about new uses for familiar technologies. UMConnect Presenter is a tool that instructors can use to convert PowerPoint presentations into interactive online learning modules. Because UMConnect "was a UMConnect to use," he commented, "I can update my teaching materials more frequently, which students today not only appreciate, but expect," he commented.
Other participants were there to provide broader access to course materials. Susan Weller from the Department of Entomology wanted to create a course Web site because students need access to lab materials outside the lab itself. "Online access accommodates both students' and instructors' schedules," she explained. "One a.m. is a popular study time that does not match my family schedule."
The workshop also provided participants with an opportunity to reflect on teaching in general. Peg Plumbo, School of Nursing, said that conducting discussions online made her a more effective instructor. "I can give much more thoughtful responses to students' questions. With online discussions, students and faculty can get into greater depth and use the evidence to document their responses."
Weller further observed: "Our roles have changed. When I started teaching professors were considered fountains of knowledge; now we're facilitators of learning. I feel that we're giving students better access to knowledge and are not gatekeepers any more."
Tom Fletcher, a professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences who has used technology for teaching for many years, said technology-enhanced learning has given him new direction in his career. "I spent most of my career focusing on research for my creativity; now I've turned to creating courseware for teaching. I couldn't do that without new technologies."
Related Resources
- See the Digital Teaching Workshop page.
