Welcome to the weekly UTLC Newsletter supporting teaching and learning at UNCG.
Week of September 9, 2024
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TEACHING TIPS
This section is full of timely and evidence-based practices to apply in your teaching
In preparation for submitting midterm grades - submission window runs from September 16 to September 27 - this week's tips focus on preparing to hold mid-semester feedback opportunities just before or after fall break. Check out our Spring 2024 mid-term grades teaching tips for more information about the purpose of mid-term grades and how to discuss them with your students.
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Purpose of mid-semester feedback. We are all used to receiving some end-of-course feedback from students, but why wait until then to hear what they have to say? The Center for Teaching and Learning at DePaul University suggests several strategies for soliciting student feedback midsemester, like exit tickets and surveys, which could be helpful in your courses as we near the halfway mark. The staff at the Faculty Learning Hub at Conestoga University also suggest an inquiry approach to providing student feedback to increase learner independence.
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Stop, start, continue. Stop, Start, Continue is an activity that you can use with students that allows them to share what isn’t working for them (things they would like to stop), what might work better for them (things they would like you to start doing) and things that are working well for them in the course (things they would like to see continue). Angela Danley, Associate Professor in the College of Education at the University of Central Missouri, assigns this activity as a shared digital document for her online course. In her online post, she highlights the benefits of this strategy including its adaptability for use in multiple disciplines, anonymous submission options and the ability to look for patterns and make changes during the semester instead of at the end. This template from the Faculty Learning Hub at Conestoga University or the UTLC's Microsoft Forms template can be used as is or as a guide to create your own document.
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An inquiry approach to feedback. Feedback is often ineffective when it is vague or brief and works best when students have time to reflect upon and refine their learning. When we provide effective feedback, we explicitly tell students what they are doing well and identify misconceptions or gaps in their understanding. This helps motivate them to be independent learners with increased self-awareness. “In inquiry-based learning,” Ada Sharpe, Assessment of Learning Consultant says, the “professor and student are partners in creating the conditions for learning, but the student leads their own learning. Students drive their acquisition of skills, knowledge, and attitudes. Presented with problems and tasks, the student must identify their learning needs, pursue their curiosity, and take responsibility for their learning process.” To learn more, read Dr. Sharpe’s article and view the list of discussion prompts to support this approach to feedback.
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UTLC FEATURED ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Check out the latest updates and offerings from the UTLC.
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| VOISES Panels Return for Fall 2024
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Join the UTLC and Office of Intercultural Engagement for a conversation about key UNCG student experiences in the classroom and beyond. VOISES panels provide a venue for faculty to hear the perspective of students about their experience on campus. These moderated panels give faculty the chance to ask questions while reflecting on ways they can support student success and learning.
Our first panel will feature voices of Latinx students on September 24 as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Register below to get access to full details.
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| Exciting Research Opportunity Related to Accessibility in Online Course Content
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We need your help! ITS: Learning Technology is looking for participants for an exciting research opportunity. Faculty Accessibility Fellows Austin Craven (BIO) and Heather Moorefield Lang (ILRS) are conducting a research project that will examine accessibility in online courses, which is essential for students with disabilities, and valuable for all students. This research will look for a potential connection between accessible course design and overall student success. We're looking for courses where instructional content is provided to students in an online setting – this includes fully online courses and hybrid and in-person courses that have a component of instruction that is taught online. This research project is rather unique because this is a field where limited research has been conducted. Please consider being a part of this rare opportunity!
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| Online Learning Consortium (OLC) membership available through UNCG
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OLC is here to support you with resources to help with your online teaching and learning goals and objectives. All faculty already have a membership through UNCG - all you need to do is explore the possibilities. Here are the top 4 Action Items to get started:
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FACULTY ENGAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT
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Check out these upcoming opportunities from the UTLC and other partners on campus. Additional training opportunities are available at workshops.uncg.edu.
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Upcoming Events, Training, and Workshops
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| 🪖 Green Zone Training | Supporting Military-Affiliated Students
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Green Zone training is for faculty and staff desiring to learn more about the military affiliated student experience. Its goals are to train members of the UNCG community to know more about the issues and concerns faced by military affiliated students and to identify individuals who are available to assist this population. Lunch provided!
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| ✍️ Proactive Practices: Addressing and Reducing Grading Bias in EUC Dogwood
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In this session, we will spend time exploring bias, dive deeper into grading bias, and discuss proactive practices that can be easily implemented by faculty to reduce the risk of bias in grading.
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| ☕ UTLC Coffeehouse co-hosted with the Office of the Provost in the Mossman Building atrium
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Coffeehouses are a space to gather with colleagues. No set agenda, just coffee (or tea), snacks, and great conversation.
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| 📣 VOISES Panel | Latinx Student Experiences
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Join the UTLC and Office of Intercultural Engagement for a student panel discussion centering the experiences of Latinx students as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
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| ✍️ Proactive Practices: Addressing and Reducing Grading Bias Virtual Session
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In this virtual session (via Teams), we will spend time exploring bias, dive deeper into grading bias, and discuss proactive practices that can be easily implemented by faculty to reduce the risk of bias in grading.
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Our Spartan Spotlight series just launched this fall as a way to raise awareness about key programs and offices on campus that support student success. So far, we have featured the Academic Achievement Center and the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement! Click the image below to access their full profiles and learn how to integrate these resources into your course.
If you would like your office or program featured, please email us at utlc@uncg.edu.
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We will continue to feature new Minerva Mentions highlighting instructors who exemplify excellence and innovation in teaching as they are received. To nominate yourself or a colleague, please complete the form at go.uncg.edu/minerva-mentions.
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