Semester Support Groups - Teaching Excellence Network

SSG offered during the grant period (2021-2025) are listed below. Some SSGs or similar groups are offered through other units starting in Fall 2025:

OPTIMAL SSG: offered through Rutgers’ TRIAD Coalition
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – Faculty Affinity Network (FAN): Offered through the Faculty Diversity Collaborative

View group formats and structures.

Click below to learn about General Expectations for SSG Leaders and groups that we have held previously.

Participants of semester support groups can generally expect the following:

Periodic meetings during the semester (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)
Active discussion during meetings including: learning and discussing new ideas relevant to the group topic, sharing one’s own ideas/efforts/materials and providing feedback to other group members.
Preparatory reading or work as-needed to actively engage in meeting discussions.

Expectations, meeting frequency, and group outcomes will vary for each group. Please refer to the group descriptions below for details on the group(s) of interest to you.

FAQ

If I sign up to attend, am I committed for the whole semester? No. You can cease participation in the group at any time, without consequence.

Can I sign up for more than 1 group per semester? Yes, you may sign up for as many groups as you like.

Am I expected to attend all scheduled group meetings? Generally it is preferred that you do your best to attend all group meetings. Should you need to miss one or more group meetings due to conflicts, you can work with your group facilitator to stay informed and engaged, for example by letting you know what was missed and planning for next steps.

What will I be required to do for a given group and how much of a time commitment is required? Please refer to the group descriptions for details on group expectations and goals. We will provide a syllabus-like document with plans for each group meeting which we will share before the group first meets.

The TEN Grant team is committed to assisting group facilitators in the following ways:

The TEN Grant team will compensate facilitators with a non-teaching co-ad appointment for their time spent organizing, coordinating, and leading the group
The TEN Grant team will help advertise to potential participants, and
The TEN Grant team will meet with facilitators before and during the group meeting period to provide support.

In the support group facilitator survey you will be asked to provide preliminary thoughts on:

your goals for the group and for yourself as its leader,
the group structure which supports your goals (see the group formats and structures link above for more information),
tentative meeting logistics (frequency, duration, format, etc.), and
other questions, comments, or concerns you may have regarding your proposed semester support group.

Because these groups are funded by an NSF grant, the PI team needs to document the efforts of the grant activities and collect data for both internal decision making and to include on internal NSF reports. To satisfy those needs:

The grant team will observe group meetings 2-3 times per semester.
The grant team requires access to shared meeting notes and documents (e.g., OneDrive, Box, GoogleDrive)
The grant team will request feedback from facilitators and participants at the middle and end of the semester.
The grant team will provide an opportunity for facilitators and participants to agree to include their own data in the research study associated with this grant, but no one is required to participate in the research activities to be part of the group itself.

Previous Groups (Spring 2025)

An interdisciplinary group focusing on evidence-based teaching practices grounded in cognitive science and social emotional learning principles will be led by Dr. Sheila Tabanli, an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mathematics. The goals of this group are as follows:

to reduce the research to practice gap by learning about the instructional framework developed by Dr. Sheila Tabanli that is grounded in cognitive science principles and social emotional learning methods
develop a professional development plan using a SMART goal setting template, and participate in a peer accountability group as it relates to this group’s goals. This development plan can be used in your teaching portfolio as evidence of development
to think critically about current teaching practices and identify two to three research-based strategies to integrate into the classroom
to have the opportunity to conduct a peer observation of a fellow group member using a provided observation template centering on the relevant principles and techniques discussed by the group
Participants will also have the optional opportunity beyond this semester to collaborate with fellow group members and the facilitator on a multi-disciplinary study focused on their (and their students’) experiences with infusing cognitive science into the learning environment.

This group will consist of 4-8 participants who will meet virtually (via Zoom) once every two weeks for 60-80 minutes for the duration of this semester. The group format will follow a SIMPLE Design Framework. If interested, you can find information about the format requirements and expectations on this document. Each member of the group will produce their own 2-page Design Memo as a product of their participation in this group.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on teaching feedback will be led by Dr. Ines Rauschenbach, an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, and Dr. Phil Brown, an Associate Teaching Professor in the School of Engineering. This group will provide a medium for discussion, advice, and sharing of efforts across participants’ course contexts with the following goals:

(1) Learning and discussing current teaching strategies of interdisciplinary colleagues in a variety of course contexts,
(2) Learning and implementing new, low-barrier, evidence-based practices within existing structures and activities,
(3) Provide an opportunity for peer observations using an existing protocol to give and receive specific feedback on teaching and course design.
Optional pair-wise observations will be facilitated within this group using an existing protocol for observations found in this document. Such optional observations are opportunities to provide and receive specific feedback on positive and productive elements of one’s teaching, course design, Canvas design, as well as identifying potential areas of improvement.

The group will consist of 4-8 participants who will meet either virtually (via Zoom) or in-person depending on group consensus and availability, every week for 60-80 minutes. There will be two meeting formats that alternate each week, with one meeting format being discussions of topics of interest chosen by the group participants and group participants presenting materials they are developing to obtain feedback, and the other meeting format being informal check-ins and open discussion.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on peer observation feedback using existing validated protocols (e.g., COPUS or other published protocol) to conduct 2 to 3 peer observations, reflect on received observation feedback, discuss course changes to implement based on feedback, and use observation evidence to document teaching outcomes. This group is led by Dr. Mary Emenike, an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Dr. Marc Muniz, an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Dr. Chaz Ruggieri, an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

This group will consist of 6 to 10 participants who will meet virtually (via Zoom) three to four times throughout the semester for 60-80 minutes (potential meeting days and times are given later in this application form).

This group has been designed to meet the following goals:

Provide multiple opportunities for instructors to be observed and to observe a peer using a published (valid and reliable) observation protocol
Support faculty in the interpretation of observation feedback and identification of potential changes to their classes based on observation feedback
Support faculty in documenting the effects and outcomes after making changes based on observation feedback.
Support faculty in incorporating the observation feedback and outcomes into their teaching portfolios and other documentation relevant to reappointments and promotions.

Participants in this group will have the following outcomes:

be observed by a peer 2-3 times during the semester using COPUS (Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM) or other protocol (e.g., LOPUS, EQUIP, PAITE)
observe a peer 2-3 times during the semester using COPUS or other protocol (e.g., LOPUS, EQUIP, PAITE) and sharing the completed template with the observed peer and the group facilitators
reflect on teaching practices to make class changes addressing an area of interest from the observation report

After completing in the OPTIMAL group, instructors will:

receive 2-3 COPUS observation reports from peers
incorporate visualizations from COPUS reports and document implemented changes and evidences of outcomes into their teaching portfolio
document their experiences with and reflections on being observed and conducting observations within their teaching portfolio

An interdisciplinary academic learning community focusing on podcasts as educational tools led by Dr. Xenia Morin, an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Plant Biology.

Do you love podcasts and wish to learn more about them and how they can enhance your teaching? Come join our new POD-PALs group this Fall. We are a group of science faculty, post-docs, graduate students, librarians, and staff who seek to create a learning community who leverage the more than 900 scientific and cross-disciplinary podcasts for academic learning. Podcasts are one of the few places that capture interviews with academic scientists in a long-format and are generally underutilized resources in teaching.

During the semester, there will be weekly 50-minute virtual (Zoom) meetings during the months of February, and March, wrapping up in April. Potential meeting times are given in the application, but will be solidified after discussing with prospective group members.

This group will focus on the following:

sharing our favorite and current uses of podcasts in our courses
exploring how to document, develop curriculum, and access the fascinating world of podcasts for our courses on Canvas
exploring the educational potential of podcasts by reading relevant educational research papers, and
determining how to assess the value of a podcast for learning

Additional outcomes and products of participation in this group include:

creating a guide on the best practices for use of podcasts in STEM and social sciences learning in higher education, and seeking to publish and/or posting this guide on the Rutgers Institute for Teaching, Innovation, and Inclusive Pedagogy (ITIIP) website
sharing results at the Rutgers Active Learning Symposium (RALS) Conference in May 2025
we also hope to develop a digital microbadge in conjunction with Rutgers Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) staff for science faculty who are interested in learning to use podcasts with assessment in Canvas courses

Previous Groups (Spring 2021 – Fall 2024)

to reduce the research to practice gap by learning about the instructional framework developed by Dr. Sheila Tabanli that is grounded in cognitive science principles and social emotional learning methods
develop a professional development plan using a SMART goal setting template, and participate in a peer accountability group as it relates to this group’s goals. This development plan can be used in your teaching portfolio as evidence of development
to think critically about current teaching practices and identify two to three research-based strategies to integrate into the classroom
to have the opportunity to conduct a peer observation of a fellow group member using a provided observation template centering on the relevant principles and techniques discussed by the group
Participants will also have the optional opportunity beyond this semester to collaborate with fellow group members and the facilitator on a multi-disciplinary study focused on their (and their students’) experiences with infusing cognitive science into the learning environment.

(1) Learning and discussing current teaching strategies of interdisciplinary colleagues in a variety of course contexts,
(2) Learning and implementing new, low-barrier, evidence-based practices within existing structures and activities,
(3) Provide an opportunity for peer observations using an existing protocol to give and receive specific feedback on teaching and course design.
Optional pair-wise observations will be facilitated within this group using an existing protocol for observations found in this document. Such optional observations are opportunities to provide and receive specific feedback on positive and productive elements of one’s teaching, course design, Canvas design, as well as identifying potential areas of improvement.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on peer observation feedback using existing validated protocols (e.g., COPUS or other published protocol) to conduct 2 to 3 peer observations, reflect on received observation feedback, discuss course changes to implement based on feedback, and use observation evidence to document teaching outcomes. This group is led by Dr. Mary Emenike, an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Dr. Marc Muniz, an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Dr. Chaz Ruggieri, an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

This group will consist of 6 to 10 participants who will meet virtually (via Zoom) seven times throughout the semester for 60-80 minutes (potential meeting days and times are given later in this application form).

This group has been designed to meet the following goals:

Provide multiple opportunities for instructors to be observed and to observe a peer using a published (valid and reliable) observation protocol
Support faculty in the interpretation of observation feedback and identification of potential changes to their classes based on observation feedback
Support faculty in documenting the effects and outcomes after making changes based on observation feedback.
Support faculty in incorporating the observation feedback and outcomes into their teaching portfolios and other documentation relevant to reappointments and promotions.

Participants in this group will have the following outcomes:

be observed by a peer 2-3 times during the semester using COPUS (Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM) or other protocol (e.g., LOPUS, EQUIP, PAITE)
observe a peer 2-3 times during the semester using COPUS or other protocol (e.g., LOPUS, EQUIP, PAITE) and sharing the completed template with the observed peer and the group facilitators
reflect on teaching practices to make class changes addressing an area of interest from the observation report

After completing in the OPTIMAL group, instructors will:

receive 2-3 COPUS observation reports from peers
incorporate visualizations from COPUS reports and document implemented changes and evidences of outcomes into their teaching portfolio
document their experiences with and reflections on being observed and conducting observations within their teaching portfolio

An interdisciplinary academic learning community focusing on podcasts as educational tools led by Dr. Xenia Morin, an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Plant Biology.

We will meet in person (with a virtual option) to kick-off this new academic learning community on Friday, October 4th, from 2:00-3:40pm at IFNH, Room 101, on Cook Campus, with an informal reception to follow. During the semester, there will be 50-minute meetings (in-person and/or virtual mode will be discussed by group consensus) held twice per month during the months of October, November, February, and March, wrapping up in April 2025. Potential meeting times are given later in this application, but will be solidified after discussing with prospective group members.

This group will focus on the following:

sharing our favorite and current uses of podcasts in our courses
exploring how to document, develop curriculum, and access the fascinating world of podcasts for our courses on Canvas
exploring the educational potential of podcasts by reading relevant educational research papers, and
determining how to assess the value of a podcast for learning

Additional outcomes and products of participation in this group include:

creating a guide on the best practices for use of podcasts in STEM and social sciences learning in higher education, and seeking to publish and/or posting this guide on the Rutgers Institute for Teaching, Innovation, and Inclusive Pedagogy (ITIIP) website
sharing results at the Rutgers Active Learning Symposium (RALS) Conference in May 2025
we also hope to develop a digital microbadge in conjunction with Rutgers Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) staff for science faculty who are interested in learning to use podcasts with assessment in Canvas courses

Are you interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) or STEM education research, but don’t know where to start? Are you unsure how to go about collecting, analyzing, or presenting data from students, teaching assistants, or instructors? Does the term “IRB” invoke fear and/or consternation? Have you started the IRB process, but given up because of how much work it seems to be? Are you asking yourself right now: “what’s an IRB?” If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, these SoTL groups have been designed with you in mind!

While this group is designed as a continuation of Fall 2023 PASSER group, faculty who have already completed CITI training and have outlined a research project are welcome to join the Spring 2024 iteration of this group without having participated in the Fall 2023 group. If you’re interested but in doubt, please submit an application and we will reach out to you to discuss.

The group goals for the Spring SoTL group are the following:

participants will write and be ready to submit an entire IRB protocol (eIRB system, project description, consent forms, recruitment scripts, surveys, etc.)
participants will form a community around shared interests in SoTL, providing support and feedback to each other as they design their research study and plan for data collection the following year
participants will identify their own needs and be directed to resources and networks around campus for additional support (financial, collaboration, consulting, etc.)

This group will meet approximately 6-8 times during the Spring semester for 60-90 minutes per session (consensus timings and durations will be discussed among group participants), hosted as a virtual Zoom meeting unless group consensus shows a preference to meet in-person.

to reduce the research to practice gap by learning about the instructional framework developed by Dr. Sheila Tabanli that is grounded in cognitive science principles and social emotional learning methods
develop a professional development plan using a SMART goal setting template, and participate in a peer accountability group as it relates to this group’s goals. This development plan can be used in your teaching portfolio as evidence of development
to think critically about current teaching practices and identify two to three research-based strategies to integrate into the classroom
to have the opportunity to conduct a peer observation of a fellow group member using a provided observation template centering on the relevant principles and techniques discussed by the group
Participants will also have the optional opportunity beyond this semester to collaborate with fellow group members and the facilitator on a multi-disciplinary study focused on their (and their students’) experiences with infusing cognitive science into the learning environment.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on teaching feedback will be led by Dr. Ines Rauschenbach, an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology. This group will provide a medium for discussion, advice, and sharing of efforts across participants’ course contexts with the following goals:

(1) Learning and discussing current teaching strategies of interdisciplinary colleagues in a variety of course contexts,
(2) Learning and implementing new, low-barrier, evidence-based practices within existing structures and activities,
(3) Provide an opportunity for peer observations using an existing protocol to give and receive specific feedback on teaching and course design.
Optional pair-wise observations will be facilitated within this group using an existing protocol for observations found in this document. Such optional observations are opportunities to provide and receive specific feedback on positive and productive elements of one’s teaching, course design, Canvas design, as well as identifying potential areas of improvement.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on best practices for maximizing student engagement and motivation in undergraduate learning environments led by Dr. Marc Muniz, an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

This group will meet weekly to accomplish the following goals:

Read and discuss literature that centers on factors which drive student engagement and motivation including:
- the role of desirable difficulties in learning
- meaningful learning theory
- self-regulated learning
- motivational regulation
Learn about and implement low-barrier practices in undergraduate classrooms with the aim of increasing and sustaining student engagement.
Engage with a community of like-minded educators with the common goal of enhancing student engagement in the course.

This group will consist of 4-8 participants who will meet virtually (via Zoom) every week for 80 minutes for 12 weeks during the semester. The group format will follow a SIMPLE Design Framework. If interested, you can find information about the format requirements and expectations on this document. Each member of the group will produce their own 2-page Design Memo as a product of their participation in this group. At the end of the semester, you will have the option of publishing your completed Design Memo on our TEN Faculty Showcase webpage.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on teaching feedback will be led by Dr. Philip Brown, an Assistant Teaching Professor from the School of Engineering and Dr. Ines Rauschenbach, an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology. This group will provide a medium for discussion, advice, and sharing of efforts across participants’ course contexts with the following goals:

(1) Learning and discussing current teaching strategies of interdisciplinary colleagues in a variety of course contexts,
(2) Learning and implementing new, low-barrier, evidence-based practices within existing structures and activities,
(3) Provide an opportunity for peer observations using an existing protocol to give and receive specific feedback on teaching and course design.
Optional pair-wise observations will be facilitated within this group using an existing protocol for observations found in this document. Such optional observations are opportunities to provide and receive specific feedback on positive and productive elements of one’s teaching, course design, Canvas design, as well as identifying potential areas of improvement.

- An interdisciplinary group focusing on evidence-based teaching practices grounded in cognitive science and social emotional learning principles will be led by Dr. Sheila Tabanli, an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mathematics. The goals of this group are as follows:
  - to reduce the research to practice gap by learning about the instructional framework developed by Dr. Sheila Tabanli that is grounded in cognitive science principles and social emotional learning methods
  - develop a professional development plan using a SMART goal setting template, and participate in a peer accountability group as it relates to this group’s goals. This development plan can be used in your teaching portfolio as evidence of development
  - to think critically about current teaching practices and identify two to three research-based strategies to integrate into the classroom
  - to have the opportunity to conduct a peer observation of a fellow group member using a provided observation template centering on the relevant principles and techniques discussed by the group
  - Participants will also have the optional opportunity beyond this semester to collaborate with fellow group members and the facilitator on a multi-disciplinary study focused on their (and their students’) experiences with infusing cognitive science into the learning environment.
  This group will consist of 4-8 participants who will meet virtually (via Zoom) once every two weeks for 60-80 minutes for the duration of this semester. The group format will follow a SIMPLE Design Framework. If interested, you can find information about the format requirements and expectations on this document. Each member of the group will produce their own 2-page Design Memo as a product of their participation in this group.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on assessment design and analysis, homework design and implementation, improving students’ use of textbooks, and creating interactive exam feedback will be led by Dr. Marc Muniz, an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

This group will consist of two tracks. Each track, in turn, consists of two modules – each of which will be explored across 6 weeks (for a total of 12 weeks). Participants may “mix and match” the modules, but it is generally recommended that they stay “on track” throughout the group to get the most out of it:

Track A: Assessment (Exam + Quiz) design module + Feedback module

Module A-1: Learn the basics of evidence-based assessment design (for multiple choice and open-ended questions alike), learn the basics of item response analysis
Module A-2: create a template for readily analyzing student results on exams to help focus in on what content needs the most feedback, learn how to use PlayPosit to create their own interactive exam feedback assignments that they can implement directly with students during the semester.
Discussions will also be had about how to use PlayPosit as a means of carrying out a partial or full-flip of a classroom environment and how results from student interactions with poll questions on PlayPosit can inform real-time adjustment of in-class content.

Track B: Homework design and implementation module + Improving textbook use module

Module B-1: Restructure homework assignments to better prepare students for summative assessments while providing instructor(s) with valuable information about students’ current level of content knowledge.
Module B-2: Incentivize students’ use of textbook problems to set up their own weekly self-assessments that encourage critical reflection and work on timing in preparation for summative assessments in the course.

The group goals for the Fall SoTL group are the following:

participants will complete CITI training (if they haven’t already);
participants will prepare an outline of their proposed research project, including the following:

- identify a set of Research Questions (RQs) they can answer with a research study
- identify appropriate methods for data collection and analysis
- articulate their project in a 250-500 word summary
- create a timeline of research-related activities
- create a list of needed resources

participants will form a community around shared interests in SoTL, providing support and feedback to each other as they design their research study and plan for data collection the following year

This group will meet approximately 6-8 times during the Fall semester for 60-minutes per session, hosted as a virtual Zoom meeting unless group consensus shows a preference to meet in-person.

Format: SIMPLE DESIGN FRAMEWORK

An interdisciplinary group focusing on the infusion of cognitive science principles and social emotional learning methods into instruction will be led by Dr. Sheila Tabanli from the Department of Mathematics.

This group will focus on learning cognitive science principles and social emotional learning methods which are discipline agnostic and may be implemented in any course context. Participants will learn underlying cognitive science principles and associated teaching practices which seek to infuse those principles before, during, and after class meetings.

The goals of this group are as follows:

to reduce the research to practice gap by learning about the instructional framework developed by Dr. Sheila Tabanli that is grounded in cognitive science principles and social emotional learning methods
develop a professional development plan supported by SMART goal setting and peer accountability (which can be used in your teaching portfolio as evidence of development)
to think critically about your current teaching practices and identify two to three research-based strategies to integrate into your classroom
to have the opportunity to conduct a peer observation of a fellow group member using a guided feedback document centering on the relevant principles and techniques discussed by the group
Create a design memo by constructing written responses to provided questions throughout the semester in the group Canvas page. These design memo questions will prompt the participant to (i) articulate the pedagogical principles of the strategy or intervention and its main features, (ii) describe their personal motivation for using the strategy in their class, (iii) describe the benefits to students and to the instructor, (iv) provide a summary of implementation logistics and plans for successful implementation, and (v) provide a reflection on the implementation experience. The group format will follow a SIMPLE Design Framework. If interested, you can find information about the format requirements and expectations on this document.
Participants will also have the opportunity beyond this semester to collaborate with fellow group members and the facilitator on a multi-disciplinary study focused on their (and their students’) experiences with infusing cognitive science into the learning environment.

This group will consist of 4-8 participants who will meet virtually (via Zoom) once every two weeks for 60-80 minutes for the duration of this semester.

The group format will follow a SIMPLE Design Framework. If interested, you can find information about the format requirements and expectations on this document. Each member of the group will produce their own 2-page Design Memo documenting their values-affirmation intervention and disseminating their findings from this experience

An interdisciplinary group focusing on assessment design and analysis will be led by Dr. Marc Muniz, an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

This group will focus on exam design and analysis (or another summative assessment for your course), and learning PlayPosit as a Canvas tool for creating and implementing targeted feedback activities for students to engage deeply with their exam performance and feedback. Participants will extend their use of PlayPosit beyond exam feedback, such as incorporating the tool in pre-existing course activities or resources such that students engage more deeply throughout the course.
More specifically, in this group, participants will:
- Engage in an introduction to the PlayPosit tool led by a Rutgers’ Teaching and Learning with Technology expert
- Experience PlayPosit as a student would by working through PlayPosit examples provided by the group facilitator
- Learn foundational principles of effective assessment feedback and how to implement feedback activities using PlayPosit, focusing on post-exam feedback (or a related summative assessment)
- Create and implement a targeted feedback PlayPosit video based on the first exam or summative assessment
- Learn additional ways beyond exam feedback to implement PlayPosit and boost student engagement in other course activities relevant to the participants’ course contexts.
- Create a design memo by constructing written responses to provided questions throughout the semester in the group Canvas page. These design memo questions will prompt the participant to (i) articulate the pedagogical principles of the strategy or intervention and its main features, (ii) describe their personal motivation for using the strategy in their class, (iii) describe the benefits to students and to the instructor, (iv) provide a summary of implementation logistics and plans for successful implementation, and (v) provide a reflection on the implementation experience. The group format will follow a SIMPLE Design Framework. If interested, you can find information about the format requirements and expectations on this document.

This group will consist of 4-8 participants who will meet virtually (via Zoom) every week for 80 minutes for approximately 10-12 weeks.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on teaching feedback will be led by Dr. Philip Brown, an Assistant Teaching Professor from the School of Engineering.

In a remote or in-person learning environment, teaching happens at several phases including planning, real-time facilitation, and reflective activities. Additionally, students engage with a variety of course materials, activities, and platforms such as asynchronous work on Canvas, synchronous in-person or virtual lectures, labs, and recitations, as well as office hours. Within the context of such complex teaching and learning environments, instructors greatly benefit from discussion with their peers on current methods and materials, as well as feedback for what works well and what could be improved.

This group will provide a medium for discussion, advice, and sharing of efforts across participants’ course contexts with the following goals:

(1) Learning and discussing current teaching strategies of interdisciplinary colleagues in a variety of course contexts,
(2) Learning and implementing new, low-barrier, evidence-based practices within existing structures and activities,
(3) Provide an opportunity for peer observations using an existing protocol to give and receive specific feedback on teaching and course design.

Optional pair-wise observations will be facilitated within this group using an existing protocol for observations found in this document. Such observations are opportunities to provide and receive specific feedback on positive and productive elements of one’s teaching, course design, Canvas design, as well as identifying potential areas of improvement.

You do not need to participate in the observations (giving or receiving) to be a part of this group; however, it is expected that if someone observes your class then you should also observe their class in a pair-wise format. If you do participate in observations, you may be asked to share your completed observation protocol with the grant leadership team for research and grant reporting purposes.

Products you obtain from your work in this group include: (1) written feedback on your teaching via an observation protocol from a faculty peer which you can include in teaching portfolios and/or promotion packages, and (2) in the case where you’re developing materials, you will obtain feedback from peers which will result in higher-quality and more refined curricular materials. As part of the Teaching Excellence Network grant assessment and research efforts, we may ask that you share your group products with the grant leadership team.

Format: SIMPLE DESIGN FRAMEWORK

An interdisciplinary faculty group focusing on Values Affirmation Interventions will be led by Dr. Elin Wicks, an Assistant Professor from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

A Values Affirmation Intervention is a brief psychological intervention that can be implemented in- or outside of the classroom. These interventions have been shown to increase students’ feelings of belongingness and self-identity, and reduce inequitable assessment outcomes for students from historically excluded groups

The purposes of this group are for participants to:

learn about the importance of values affirmation in the classroom and understand the basis/motivation for inclusion of such activities
implement effective teaching interventions that support students’ values affirmation in the classroom, and
form accountability partnerships with other members of the group to support the implementation of values affirmation exercises/interventions in their classes.

The group will consist of 4-8 participants who will meet virtually (via Zoom), every 1-2 weeks for 60-80 minutes.

In this group, participants will review best-practice design of assessment items to create valid, equitable, and reliable assessments. Participants will design an exam (or equivalent assessment) in their course, or use an existing assessment, and learn the theory behind and tools for analyzing exam results to inform revisions to future exams or assessments and provide targeted feedback to students.

Specifically, participants will learn how to use:

best practice for writing multiple-choice as well as open-ended assessment items,
both dichotomous (correct/incorrect) and polytomous (partial-credit or rubric-based) item response theory (IRT) to evaluate the performance of individual items on an assessment, and
where feasible, differential item functioning (DIF) analysis to evaluate whether or not items are equitably assessing students’ understanding of course content.

These practices may be used to construct better items and assessments for future use and to create follow-up assignments (graded on completion or for correctness) such as Targeted Exam Talk-Throughs using PlayPosit on Canvas which focus students’ attention on common mistakes or on items for which student performance was strongly associated with student performance on the overall exam or assessment.

The group format will follow a faculty learning community (FLC) format. If interested, you can find information about the format requirements and expectations on this document.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on teaching feedback will be led by Dr. Philip Brown, an Assistant Teaching Professor from the School of Engineering.

This group will provide a medium for discussion, advice, and sharing of efforts across participants’ course contexts with the following goals:

Learning and discussing current teaching strategies of interdisciplinary colleagues in a variety of course contexts,
Learning and implementing new, low-barrier, evidence-based practices within existing structures and activities,
Provide an opportunity for peer observations using an existing protocol to give and receive specific feedback on teaching and course design.

Optional peer teaching observations will be facilitated within this group using an existing protocol for observations found in this document. Such observations are opportunities to provide and receive specific feedback on positive and productive elements of one’s teaching, course design, Canvas design, as well as identifying potential areas of improvement. You do not need to participate in the observations (giving or receiving) to be a part of this group; however, it is expected that if someone observes your class then you should also observe their class in a pair-wise format.

The group will consist of 4-8 participants who will meet virtually (via Zoom), every 1-2 weeks for 60-80 minutes.

A background in STEM Education Research is NOT needed; however, it is expected that you are actively teaching during the semester for which you participate in this group.

An interdisciplinary faculty group focusing on creating Valid, Reliable, and Equitable Assessments was led by Dr. Marc Muñiz, an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, during the Fall 2021 semester.

The group consisted of 2 participants who met with the facilitator virtually (via Zoom), every 2 weeks for 60-80 minutes.

This group empowered instructors to adopt evidence-based equitable assessment practices and established a community of educators committed to long-term and sustained transformation of assessment in their disciplines.

The goals of this group are for participants to:

Gain familiarity with the basic principles of valid, equitable, and reliable item design,
Master the basic principles of item response and differential item functioning analysis,
Use the principles and skills learned in goals 1 and 2 to transform existing and/or write new assessment items for direct application in their course.

A background in STEM Education Research was NOT needed.

An interdisciplinary group focusing on teaching feedback was led by Dr. Philip Brown, an Assistant Teaching Professor from the School of Engineering, during the Fall 2021 semester.

The group consisted of 8 participants who met virtually (via Zoom), almost every week for 60-80 minutes.

This group provided a medium for discussion, advice, and sharing of efforts across participants’ course contexts with the following goals:

Learning and discussing current teaching strategies of interdisciplinary colleagues in a variety of course contexts,
Learning and implementing new, low-barrier, evidence-based practices within existing structures and activities,
Provide an opportunity for peer observations using an existing protocol to give and receive specific feedback on teaching and course design.

Optional peer teaching observations were facilitated within this group using an existing protocol for observations found in this document. Such observations were opportunities to provide and receive specific feedback on positive and productive elements of one’s teaching, course design, Canvas design, as well as identifying potential areas of improvement. Participation in the observations (giving or receiving) was not required to be a part of this group; however, everyone participated in the peer observation opportunity.

A background in STEM Education Research was NOT needed.

Format: Faculty Learning Community

A Values Affirmation Intervention is a brief psychological intervention that can be implemented in- or outside of the classroom. These interventions have been shown increase students’ feelings of belongingness and self-identity, and reduce inequitable assessment outcomes for students from historically excluded groups.

The group consisted of 8 participants who met virtually (via Zoom), every 2 weeks for 60-80 minutes.
- A background in STEM Education Research was not needed.
The purposes of this group were for participants to:
- learn about the importance of values affirmation in the classroom and understand the basis/motivation for inclusion of such activities
- implement effective teaching interventions that support students’ values affirmation in the classroom, and
- form accountability partnerships with other members of the group to support the implementation of values affirmation exercises/interventions in their classes.
Expected Products/Outcomes
- Each member of the group produced their own 2-page Design Memo documenting their values-affirmation intervention and disseminating their findings from this experience.
- View previous Design Memos

Format: Faculty Learning Community

SNA is the process of investigating social structures through the use of networks and graph theory. It characterizes networked structures in terms of nodes (individual actors, people, or things within the network) and the ties, edges, or links (relationships or interactions) that connect them. For example, Geraldine has started using SNA to determine the centrality in engineering communities for students from minoritized marginalized groups and to quantify engineering students’ access to engineering learning communities to determine if it is a predictor of engineering students’ academic success

The group consist of 6 participants who met virtually (via Zoom), every 1 -2 weeks for 60-80 minutes.
- A background in STEM Education Research was not needed.
The purposes of this group were for participants to:
- learn about, and develop skills in using, SNA to conduct education research and/or study an aspect of community in one’s course or program
- design one or more pilot studies using SNA (these could be collaborative studies, not necessarily individual projects)

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