News
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TLC & OFA Collaboration Supports New Drexel Faculty
September 2021
The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) and Office of Faculty Advancement (OFA) have teamed up to launch the New Dragons Faculty Learning Community (FLC).
The New Dragons FLC supports faculty who started in a full-time position at Drexel University within the previous three years. Participants explore the crucial role faculty play in supporting Drexel’s mission to prepare graduates of diverse backgrounds to become purpose-driven professionals and agents for positive change. Monthly meetings provide opportunities to network with colleagues and consider tools for balancing teaching, service, and research workloads. Participants also have the opportunity to hear from academic and extra-curricular leaders across Drexel University such as Executive Vice President and Provost Paul Jensen, Senior Vice President and Dean Elisabeth Van Bockstaele, Vice President Lori Doyle, and Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life Katie Zamulinsky. Over 30 faculty from six different schools and colleges joined the 2021-22 inaugural cohort.
FLCs are designed to encourage cross-department and interdisciplinary engagement and professional development. They are cohort-based programs where faculty engage in an active, collaborative, year–long program, structured to provide encouragement, support, and reflection. FLCs have been shown to increase belonging and ease transitions into faculty life or entry into a new institution, as well as provide increased support for faculty research and teaching excellence. The TLC hopes that New Dragons will be the first of other FLCs to be launched in the coming years.
TLC Hires New Manager of Operations, Brittany Robertson
August 23, 2021
The Teaching and Learning Center is excited to welcome Brittany Robertson as our new Manager of Operations. Robertson received her doctorate in education with a focus on higher education from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 after earning a Master’s in Urban Education from Temple University. She previously worked for the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies as an Enrollment Specialist and Academic Advisor, and most recently worked for DiversityInc as a Qualitative Research Analyst. Additionally, she has written articles for several online publication sites.
Robertson will manage the center’s operations, communications, and support TLC’s quarterly and annual programs. Robertson is excited to become the newest member of our TLC team and join our greater Drexel community!
TLC Launches Two New Programs
April 1, 2021
This past winter term the Teaching and Learning Center launched two new ongoing programs!
Thank a Teacher
The Thank a Teacher program provides an opportunity for Drexel University students to publicly say “thank you” to teachers at Drexel who have had a positive impact on their experiences in the classroom and beyond, making a Drexel Difference. In just 10 weeks, we received over 93 submissions. Recipient names and each of the thank you notes are sent to the instructor's department head and dean, as well as the Provost’s office. Students can also opt-in to have their thank you notes featured on the TLC website.
The Drexel Institute for Inclusive and Equitable Teaching
This winter, the Teaching and Learning Center has partnered with the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture to launch the Drexel Institute for Inclusive and Equitable Teaching. The Institute, which is part of the University’s ongoing programming, promotes equitable teaching practices and anti-racist pedagogies through a highly interactive, cohort-based program. It provides faculty with the opportunity to examine their knowledge base, revise course materials and teaching practices, and equips them with tools to competently engage in conversations related equity, diversity, and inclusion in their classrooms. The first annual interdisciplinary cohort members were nominated by their department heads to participate in the program in Winter 2021. To be considered for a future interdisciplinary cohort or inquire about customizing a cohort for your department, school, or college, please contact teaching@drexel.edu.
TLC Welcomes Valerie Klein as New Interim Associate Director
January 15, 2021
Beginning in January 2021 Valerie Klein, Associate Clinical Professor and Program Director for the teacher certification pathways within Drexel’s School of Education (SoE) will serve as the Teaching and Learning Center’s Interim Associate Director. Klein’s previous experience includes working for the Math Forum where she implemented professional development workshops, both in person and online, that provided support to teachers as they worked to develop their own mathematical thinking and implement meaningful problem-solving experiences for students in their classrooms.
In addition to teaching classes in SoE, Klein will now represent the Teaching and Learning Center in her continued work with Teaching Assistants at Drexel. In her new role at the TLC, she will facilitate workshops and book groups, provide individual teaching consultations, and serve as a contributing writer for Teaching Tips from the TLC.
Highlights from the TLC's First Year
September 1, 2020
To find out more about the Teaching and Learning Center's first year of
programs at Drexel University, learn how many faculty participated, and hear
what some of them are saying check out the 2019-2020 Year at a Glance! [PDF]
TLC's Director Contributes to new Course Baseline Practices
July 15, 2020
Faculty are used to hearing about best practices in teaching, but what
practices should be expected for all courses? What practices could help
Drexel courses quickly adapt to new modalities and support students' success
regardless of whether it runs on-campus, in the community, or online? After
the quick pivot to remote teaching in the Spring of 2020, the Provost's
Office created a task force to explore this exact question. The following
recommendations for baseline practices draw from Drexel student survey data
regarding their experiences in remotely taught courses, and nationally
recognized, faculty-driven peer-reviewed standards used to ensure the
quality of online, remote, and blended courses. Implementing baseline
practices in all courses at Drexel University helps us to develop more
resilient and adaptable pedagogies and learning experiences for the
long-term.
Check out the Drexel University Course Baseline Practices [PDF].
Teaching and Learning Center Launches new
Teaching Tips Blog
June 15, 2020
Teaching Tips from the TLC includes brief, practical,
research-based strategies for
improving students’ learning. Topics range from improving
engagement in remote classes to managing highly charged classroom
discussions to engaging in faculty self care.
Teaching Tips from the TLC can be found on
Drexel University's SharePoint site [required SharePoint Login] , but make sure to check back often to as new tips are added every few weeks!
Drexel Teaching Academy Launches
May 6, 2020
The Teaching and Learning Center is thrilled to announce the first annual
Drexel Teaching Academy (DTA) will be held in the 2020 Spring Term!
The Drexel Teaching Academy ignites faculty leaders to be champions for
excellence in teaching across the university. In this 10-week program,
faculty from across the university explore a wide-range of literature and
research on teaching in higher education. Through weekly interactive
workshops, faculty enhance their knowledge of how people learn, expand and
diversify their toolbox of teaching methods, and explore models for designing
effective courses. Alongside other outstanding educators at Drexel, faculty
within the program will consider how to apply this literature to the
development of their own courses, as well as advance these best practices at
Drexel University. This signature program develops pedagogical experts
throughout Drexel University's various schools and colleges and fosters an
interdisciplinary community among faculty who already hold this
expertise.
Drexel Teaching Academy 2020 Cohort [PDF]
Check out what some DTA faculty said about their experience.
Sharepoint Site Created to Support Remote Teaching at Drexel University
March 20, 2020
The Remote Teaching Task Force has consolidated a robust list of resources, trainings, and opportunities for instructors teaching remotely at Drexel University. Drexel faculty and staff can check out the Remote Teaching at Drexel Sharepoint site [required SharePoint Login] for one-stop shopping of information and support!
3-Year Strategic Plan Developed for the new Teaching and Learning Center
February 17, 2020
The Teaching and Learning Center's 3-Year Strategic Plan [PDF] is the product of planning by the envisioning committee that took place
between 2017-2019 prior to the Inaugural Director’s hire, as well as
work completed by the Inaugural Director and newly established Teaching and
Learning Center Advisory Board in the fall of 2019. During this process, input
was also collected from a wide variety of stakeholders. The result is a
plan that is both aspirational and grounded. It includes strategic goals,
practical actions, and metrics to measure progress.
Teaching and Learning Center Begins Programs for Drexel Instructors
October 21, 2019
Learn more about the launch of Drexel University's Teaching and Learning
Center programs in this Drexel Now article "Drexel’s Teaching and Learning Center is Just Getting Started" Inaugural Director Johanna Inman and Senior Vice Provost
Erin McNamara Horvat discuss their vision for the center.
Johanna Inman Named Director of Drexel's New Teaching and Learning Center
April 30, 2019
Inman served as Director of Instructional Technology, and previously as
Assistant Director, for Temple University’s Center for the Advancement
of Teaching. Inman brings significant experience in several areas critical
to launching a new teaching and learning center, including creating and
facilitating a wide range of events and programs, mentoring faculty from
disciplines and ranks across Temple’s seventeen schools and colleges,
and coordinating and managing a 6-credit Teaching in Higher Education
Certificate. Inman is also an active member of the Professional and
Organizational Development (POD) Network and has presented extensively at
both regional and national conferences on teaching in higher education.
In addition to her work in educational development, Inman brings over 18
years of teaching experience. She has taught a variety of courses including
survey, studio, and capstone courses in the visual arts, as well as
writing-intensive courses, first-year seminars and general education
courses. For the last six years, she has taught an online graduate seminar
on innovation, technology and teaching in higher education for the College
of Education at Temple University. Johanna earned her M.F.A., summa cum
laude, from Tyler School of Art, is the recipient of numerous artist grants
and awards, including a New Jersey Council on the Arts Individual Artist
Fellowship Award in 2015 and is on track to earn her doctoral degree in
Higher Education early in 2020.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead such an important
initiative at Drexel University,” says Inman. “I am passionate
about teaching and look forward to continuing momentum for this center
through collaborations with faculty, graduate students, and administrators.
Together, we will create a dynamic center where interdisciplinary colleagues
can engage with research on teaching to improve learning for all Drexel
students. The center will be designed to empower and ignite the great
teachers at Drexel to become even better.”
As inaugural director, Inman will complete the strategic envisioning process
for the center which began in 2017. Her first steps will include completing
a comprehensive needs assessment, proposing a staffing plan for the center,
developing a range of programming for faculty and teaching assistants,
establishing a faculty advisory board, and forging partnerships with
institutional stakeholders.