ERIC Number: EJ1313666
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Faculty Learning Communities Facilitated the Rapid Pivot to Online Teaching and Learning
Talyn, Becky; Callori, Sara J.; Cerwin, Karen; Chao, Mike; Cousins, Kimberley R.; Hood, Carol; McGill, Sally F.; Metcalf, Anthony E.; Woodney, Laura
Journal of College Science Teaching, v51 n1 p19-26 Sep-Oct 2021
Faculty learning communities (FLCs), established prepandemic to disseminate and discuss evidence-based teaching practices as part of an NSF-funded project, Investigating Student Success Using Evidence-Based Strategies-eXpanded (ISSUES-X), proved effective at facilitating learning during a pandemic. As our university made the decision to operate primarily online for the 2020-2021 academic year in response to COVID-19, the nine-facilitator ISSUES-X team supported faculty and their online teaching by offering weekly synchronous open-house video conferences and providing a one-week summer institute. The institute focused on applying principles of How People Learn (NRC, 1999) to the online environment, and intentionally modeled these pedagogical practices. Practices included: online approaches and tools to developing rapport with students; asynchronous reading and assignments sandwiched around synchronous active learning exercises over video conferencing; office hours and other support outside of regular meeting times; and routines for metacognitive reflection. Our pre-existing FLC structure allowed us to support many faculty during a time of crisis, illustrating the value of FLCs as a normative practice in academia.
Descriptors: Teacher Collaboration, Communities of Practice, COVID-19, Pandemics, School Closing, Online Courses, Educational Technology, Videoconferencing, Summer Programs, Teaching Methods, Evidence Based Practice, Asynchronous Communication, Synchronous Communication, Higher Education, College Faculty, STEM Education
National Science Teaching Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: https://www.nsta.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1727086
Author Affiliations: N/A