UNM’s only university-wide, free annual conference on teaching and learning, “Success in the Classroom: Sharing Practices that Work,” will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Student Union Building.
English Lecturer Jim Burbank and Office of Support for Effective Teaching Director Gary Smith created the conference, now in its fourth year, to provide a forum for instructors to share insights into successful teaching methods.
Deana Richer, director of Teacher and Educational Development in the School of Medicine, later joined them in organizing the conference and connecting main and north campuses.
Burbank noted a few differences in this year’s conference, including having two concurrent workshops instead of three and giving preference to oral presentations on topics identified in surveys of past participants.
Preference will be given to presentations that fit these four themes:
· How We Know that Students are Learning: Assessment in Courses
· How We Know that Students are Learning: Assessment at the Program Level
· Teaching for the Success of Underpowered Students
· Teaching and Learning with Technology.
A poster session, also new this year, will be open to all topics of teaching and learning.
Another change is that UNM instructors of all ranks, including teaching assistants and adjuncts, are invited to present at the conference. Proposals are due by Jan. 15.
“Presenters should not feel limited to the traditional classroom experience,” Richer said. “The conference title refers to classrooms as learning environments – including virtual, laboratory, online, field and experiential.”
Janice Denton will deliver the 2009 conference luncheon address, “Let’s Talk Publicly About Scholarly Teaching.” Denton is a professor of chemistry at the University of Cincinnati, Raymond Walters College and has chaired the Academic Assessment Committee for more than 20 years. Denton will also present a workshop on Thursday, Feb. 19, on “Scholarly Teaching: What does it look like?”
Reservations are required to attend the conference luncheon, but no pre-registration is required for workshops. To register, contact OSET at 277-2229 or oset@unm.edu. Visit Success in the Classroom for more information or to volunteer to present.