As new technologies become more widely accessible, universities race to bring those technologies to the classroom. The challenge is to find ways to incorporate technology that genuinely enhance learning. The Office of Support for Effective Teaching provides resources to help UNM faculty meet that challenge.
More than 500 instructors have participated in OSET’s support services since the office formed in fall 2006 as a successor to the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship in Teaching and Learning (CASTL). OSET’s mission is to make teaching and teaching improvement an indispensable part of university life and a key dimension of the professional identity of every faculty member. Part of that mission is helping teachers adapt new teaching tools like clickers, WebCT and ePortfolios to enhance learning.
About 17,000 UNM students are enrolled in Web-enhanced courses. WebCT doesn’t just provide a place to post syllabi, grades and downloadable files; it offers powerful opportunities to increase student learning and motivation.
“Strategies for Enhancing Your Course Using WebCT Vista” will help teachers really enhance Web-enhanced courses by sharing strategies for using WebCT to structure student preparation before class, promote studying and assess learning after class, all in ways that motivate students. The next workshop will be offered Wednesday, March 26, 2- 4 p.m.
Last year, OSET worked with faculty, Media Technology Services, Information Technology Services and the UNM Bookstore to select a single clicker vendor – iClicker – to reduce costs by enabling students to use the same clicker for all classes and to improve support for instructors. Nearly 8,000 UNM students used clickers in their classes this year.
“Teaching with Clickers” explores how to get students actively talking about what and how they are learning – and also teaching each other – even in classes with 100 or more students, and how teachers can get instantaneous feedback on whether students are learning key concepts. The workshop will be held Wednesday, April 2, 2-4 p.m.
Long recognized as effective ways to assess student learning, portfolios are more efficiently generated by students and assessed by instructors now that digital formats have become readily accessible. “ePortfolios – The ‘e’ Makes Things Easier for You and Your Students” will show the results of an ePortfolio pilot project in English 101 and provide opportunities to discuss the potential use of this tool in classes. This brown bag lunch presentation will be held Thursday, April 17, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
For more information or to register for these and other OSET services, visit OSET or call 277-2229.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu