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It is our aim to build this section of the CTLT website into a comprehensive tool for faculty and staff looking for resources on teaching and learning-related professional development in higher education. We envision this project as a collaborative effort; one not entirely dissimilar to the process of building a Wikipedia page. We value your input during this process, so please send an email to ctlt@calpoly.edu if you have feedback, ideas, or questions. We also encourage you to read and follow our blog entitled, "Random Thoughts and Focused Minds" that keeps faculty and staff up to date on a wealth of teaching and learning-related topics.

Academic Advising Council at Cal Poly

Click the link above for specifics on the council.

Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)

The mission of the AAC&U is to make the aims of liberal learning a vigorous and constant influence on institutional purpose and educational practice in higher education. Click the link above for the website.

Academic Ladder

An academic writing coaching group. Click the link above for the website.

Active Learning

Any instructional method that engages students in the learning process (Bonwell & Eison, 1991).

• Generally refers to classroom-based instruction but digital environments changing that notion
• Extensive literature supporting benefits of active learning, yet broad term "active learning" includes expansive list of strategies (see below) and the accompanying factors involved with educational research (i.e., instructor application of teaching method, context, research methods employed, etc.) make it impossible to say simply, "It works" (See Prince, 2004).
• Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231.
• Bibliography of active learning research maintained by

Web resources for active learning techniques for the classroom:

• Active Learning for the College Classroom (Paulson and Faust, California State University, Los Angeles, 1998)
• Some Basic Active Learning Strategies (Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota)
• Recommendations for Making Active Learning Work (Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota)
• Classroom Activities for Active Learning (Center for Faculty Excellence, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009)
• Eric Mazur (Physics), Harvard University, has become an influential scholar promoting active learning in large lectures
  • Short clip on interactive teaching (2 minutes)
  • “Confessions of a Converted Lecturer” (80-minute talk)
  • Edited version of "Confessions of a Converted Lecturer" (5 minutes)

AltMetrics

Creation and study of new metrics based on the Social Web for analyzing, and informing scholarship (see also Bibliometrics, Coercive Citations, Impact Factor).

Resources

J. Priem, D. Taraborelli, P. Groth, C. Neylon (2010), Alt-metrics: A manifesto, (v.1.0), 26 October 2010. http://altmetrics.org/manifesto/

Bibliometrics

A type of research method used in library and information science. It utilizes quantitative analysis and statistics to describe patterns of publication within a given field or body of literature (see also AltMetrics, Coercive Citations, Impact Factor). For more information, see http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/biblio.html.

Center for Community Engagement (Service-Learning at Cal Poly)

The Center for Community Engagement at Cal Poly cultivates reciprocal service and learning partnerships between the university and community partners. The Center for Community Engagement also serves community-based organizations and governmental institutions seeking university support to address unmet community needs. The Center for Community Engagement includes Student Community Services (SCS), Service Learning, Alternative Breaks, AmeriCorps and VolunteerSLO.org. Most relevant to faculty is the service learning component:

• Service Learning is an intentional and structured community service experience that enhances classroom learning. The Center for Community Engagement supports faculty to develop service learning courses, identify appropriate community partners, and place students in local community partner agencies. These courses allow students to engage in service, typically 12-14 hours per quarter, and reflect on their social responsibility.

CESaME

The University Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CESaME) at Cal Poly was created to improve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, teacher education and professional development, and the workforce pipeline in California. Click the link above for the website and more information.

Clickers

Clickers are wireless personal response systems that can be used in a classroom to anonymously and rapidly collect an answer to a question from every student; an answer for which they are individually accountable. This allows rapid reliable feedback to both the instructor and the students (Source: Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia)

• Clicker Resources (Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia)

Coercive Citation Practices (Ethical Dilemma in Publishing)

Questionable practice in scholarly publishing involving encouragement by journal editors to add extra references in order to boost a journal's impact factor (see also AltMetrics, Bibliometrics, Impact Factor).

Resources

Brumback, R.A. “Impact Factor Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.”  Journal of Child Neurology 24, no. 3 (2009): 260-262.

Wilhite, A.W. and Fong, E.A. “Coercive Citation in Academic Publishing.” Science 335 (2012): 542-543. Accessed online 30 April 2012 at http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6068/542

Collaborative Learning

Individuals come together to work on a specific task/goal. There is respect for individual contributions as well as group responsibility for outcomes.

Constructionism

From "Situating Constructionism" by Papert and Harel (1991): "The N word as opposed to the V word–shares constructivism’s connotation of learning as “building knowledge structures” irrespective of the circumstances of the learning. It then adds the idea that this happens especially felicitously in a context where the learner is consciously engaged in constructing a public entity, whether it’s a sand castle on the beach or a theory of the universe."

Constructivism

"Constructivism ... describes learning as a process in which learners construct knowledge and meaning by integrating prior knowledge, beliefs, and experiences. According to this theory, knowledge does not exist outside of the person but is constructed based on how a person interacts with the environment and experiences the world....

"There are two types of constructivism: cognitive constructivism [associated with Piaget] and social constructivism [associated with Vygotsky]. Cognitive constructivism focuses on the individual characteristics or attributes of the learner and their impact on learning. Social constructivism focuses on how meaning and understanding are created through social interaction. Together, they view knowledge acquisition as a means of interpreting incoming information through an individual's unique lens, which includes his or her personality, beliefs, culture, and experiences....

"According to constructivism, memory is continuously under construction as a person interacts with incoming information in unique contexts that require them to draw upon prior knowledge from different sources. Either accommodation or assimilation of new information into existing schemas occurs, which builds deeper levels of understanding and meaning. Transfer involves the use of meaningful contexts that allow the learning to be transferred to a novel situation and applied. Real-world examples, as well as opportunities to solve real-world problems, allow for the greatest opportunity for transfer....

"From the constructivist perspective, learners are not merely passive receivers of knowledge, they are active participants in the learning process and knowledge construction. Instruction should situate the learning in authentic tasks that allow learners to understand why it is important to learn, as well as its relevance to them personally or professionally. Instructors who based their pedagogy on constructivism take on a new role of facilitators rather than lecturer by actively observing and assessing the current state of individual learners and providing learning strategies to help them interpret and understand the context."

Source: Tina Stavredes, Effective Online Teaching (San Francisco: JosseyBass, 2011.)

Contemplative Pedagogy

Teaching methods that foster deep learning, focused attention, and increased self-awareness (Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University)

• The Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University summarizes contemplative pedagogy and provides a starting point for those interested in more resources.

Educational Research (Higher Education)

Interested in teaching and learning-related research? In consultation with Jeanine Scaramozzino (Information Services, Kennedy Library) who is in charge of the Library's educational offerings, we have developed some recommendations for those interested in teaching and learning-related research in higher education and beyond. Here are a few resources to aid you in the process:

• Education Research Central - This Library guide developed and maintained by Jeanine Scaramozzino provides a wealth of resources for searching databases and accessing material (including grants) related to a broad range of education topics.
• Education-related e-journal holdings at Cal Poly - This link provides a comprehensive list of education-related e-journal holdings at Cal Poly. The number of print-only journal sources has certainly diminished in recent years, but we have not yet reached the fully digital era. 
• New education-related books at Cal Poly - This monthly list includes all facets of education including higher education.
• Teaching and learning-related journals for higher education - This extensive list of teaching and learning-related journals specific to higher education and selected academic disciplines is maintained by The Karen L. Smith Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Central Florida. Their site also includes technology-focused teaching and learning journals.
• Teaching and learning-related conferences for higher education - This extensive list is maintained by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Kennesaw State University (updated in January & August every year).

Evernote

A free and simple-yet-incredibly-useful note and information capture tool that lives on your computer or mobile devices. You can save to-do lists from anywhere that can be brought up on a smart phone at convenient moments, capture portions of web pages to read or interact with later, or create checklists to help with personal productivity. Notes can be typed, spoken (audio), or pictures captured by your device or webcam.

IDEA Center

"A nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve colleges and universities committed to improving learning, teaching, and leadership performance. The Center supports the evaluation and development of both programs and people" (IDEA website).

• IDEA Center provides a fabulous set of resources (some that have been linked to specific resources here in A to Z) through their Knowledge Base section and through collaboration with the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network (POD is the leading professional association for faculty developers...i.e., we here at CTL)

Impact Factor

A measure of the average number of citations an article receives in the journal (see also AltMetrics, Bibliometrics, Coercive Citations).
Eigenfactor is an example of a widely used impact factor.

Resources

History of Journal Citation Reports and the Impact Factor. “The Thomson Reuters Impact Factor” Thomson Reuters. (n.d.).
Available at: http://thomsonreuters.com/products_services/science/free/essays/impact_factor

Nature special on the use of metrics in academia. "Specials: Science Metrics” Nature. 16th June 2012
Available at: www.nature.com/news/specials/metrics/index.html

Publish or Perish author citation software - Downloadable software which uses Google Scholar to produce a wide range of metrics. The relative merits of these metrics are discussed in the following article:
Harzing, A.W. (2007) Publish or Perish, available from http://www.harzing.com/pop.htm

Scopus database metrics - Description of Source-Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) and SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) using the Scopus database
Journal Metrics: Research analytics redefined. Elsevier. (n.d.).
Available at: www.journalmetrics.com

Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique

Also known as the IF-AT: "An exciting and revolutionary new testing system that transforms traditional multiple-choice testing into an interactive learning opportunity for students and a more informative assessment opportunity for teachers." Click the link above for the website and resources.

Inclusive Excellence (at Cal Poly)

Click the link above for information on IE at Cal Poly.

Inquiry-Based Learning (Including Cal Poly's own Academy of Inquiry-Based Learning, AIBL)

Instructional Advisory Committee on Computing (IACC) at Cal Poly

"The IACC is a standing committee appointed by the president with the responsibility for advising the university community regarding information technology requirements and activities of the academic community. The primary focus of the IACC is identifying the requirements of instructional programs for information technology, including computing, telecommunications and networking, as well as the expectations for performance in each of these areas." Source: IACC website. Click the link above for the IACC website.

Integrated Course Design

Term that has become synonymous with Dee Fink due to his popular book, Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses (see reference below). Fink indicates that to design any form of instruction, the teacher needs to:

1. Identify important Situational Factors
2. This information should be used to make three key sets of decisions:
   a. What do I want students to learn? (Learning Goals)
   b. How will students (and the teacher) know if these goals are being accomplished? (Feedback and Assessment)
   c. What will the teacher and students need to do in order for students to achieve the learning goals? (Teaching/Learning Activities).
3. Make certain that these key components are integrated (that is, that they support and reinforce each other)."

Source

IDEA Center provides an abridged version of integrated course design by Fink.

• Fink, D.L. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Intergroup Dialogues (IGD)

Link goes to the website for the pilot program at Cal Poly.  IGD was "introduced at the University of Michigan more than twenty years ago, Intergroup Dialogues (IGD) courses bring together members of two different social identity groups (people of color/white people, women and men, high and low socio-economic status, Christians and Jews, heterosexuals and non-heterosexuals), utilizing a guided and structured model to engage members of different groups in face-to-face interactions." (Cal Poly, IGD website)

iTunesU

From the Apple website: "iTunes U gives educators an easy way to design complete courses with audio, video, and other content and distribute them through the iTunes U app."

Just-in-Time Teaching

One of a number of new, "branded" practices that begin with the premise that class time is too valuable for conveying course content. Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT for afficionados) asks students to answer carefully designed questions before class, using a learning management system (PolyLearn for example). 

• JiTT questions should help students build cognitive skills, confront misconceptions, make connections to prior learning, and develop a metacognitive perspective on their own knowledge. The questions should not be easy to answer, requiring students to bridge the space between what they know and what they are trying to learn. Their responses should manifest gaps in knowledge and ability, which instructors can address in class – just in time – using the anonymously presented responses as examples. 
• A JiTT classroom should differ from the traditional lecture in the sense that students come ready to participate, with a sense of ownership that is grounded in the fact classroom activities are based on their own understanding.
• From Simkins and Maier (2010): "'Just in time' may bring to mind a business model assembly line that seeks to minimize the costs of learning. In fact, JiTT pedagogy does just the opposite, helping students to view learning as a process that takes time and introspection rather than memorization of chunks of material the night before a test. Similarly, for instructors, the JiTT approach suggests that the classroom is not an assembly line, but instead a learning environment that needs to be adjusted to what students know and bring to the classroom." (p. xv)

Sources

• Just-in-Time Teaching : Across the Disciplines, across the Academy. Ed. Scott Simkins and Mark H. Maier. Sterling, Va.: Stylus Pub., 2010.
• Novak, Gregor M. Just-in-Time Teaching : Blending Active Learning with Web Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999.
• Patterson, Evelyn T., and Gregor M. Novak. Just-in-Time Teaching Digital Library.

Knowledge Survey

A knowledge survey is a form of indirect assessment that consists of questions covering the content or objectives of a  course. Students do not answer the questions per se; they indicate whether they could answer the questions and with what degree of confidence. Typical answers might be:

• I can answer the question for testing purposes.
• I can answer part of the question for testing purposes, and I know where to find the rest of the answer.
• I I cannot answer the question for testing purposes.

Students take the knowledge survey at the beginning and end of a course at least. Individual results can be averaged across the course to indicate weak areas in student knowledge, which the instructor can address in the design of the course or unit. Comparison of results provides a feedback loop that can guide the progress of the course over a single term or the design of the course over a longer period of time.

Knowledge surveys also encourage the development of metacognition among students, by asking them to reflect on what they do and do not know. 

Resources

Chickering, Arthur W., and Zelda E. Gumon. "Appendix A: Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education." New Directions for Teaching and Learning 1991, no. 47 (Fall 1991): 63-69.

Nuhfer, Edward, and Delores Knipp. "The Knowledge Survey: A Tool for All Reasons." To Improve the Academy 21 (2003): 59-78. Available at http://pachyderm.cdl.edu/elixr-stories/resource-documents/knowledge-survey/KS_a_too_for_all_reasons.pdf.

Nuhfer, Ed. "Knowledge Surveys." Case story in MERLOT ELIXR series. See home page: http://elixr.merlot.org/assessment-evaluation/knowledge-surveys/knowledge-surveys2.

Large Lectures

• Web Resources for Large Lectures - a guide developed by Christine Victorino, former CTL staff member, for 2009 Teaching Well Workshop
• Eric Mazur (Physics), Harvard University, has become an influential scholar promoting active learning in large lectures

• Short clip on interactive teaching (2 minutes)
• “Confessions of a Converted Lecturer” (80-minute talk)
• Edited version of "Confessions of a Converted Lecturer" (5 minutes)

Learning Styles

Proponents of learning styles have espoused the value of considering multiple learning styles as an effective pedagogical strategy. However, recent research has fueled a debate about the efficacy of learning styles.

• The most common learning styles inventory is VARK (Visual, Auditory, Read/write, Kinesthetic).

Lecture Capture

An umbrella term describing any number of technologies which may be used to capture a speaker's voice and optionally their video image, PowerPoint or Keynote slides, computer screen, whiteboard, etc. The recording is usually uploaded to a server automatically where it can be viewed on-demand by students or others with viewing rights.  Most lecture capture technologies also allow for accessibility captioning. At Cal Poly there are two types/brands of Lecture Capture technology in regular use: Mediasite and Panopto.

• Mediasite is a hardware appliance which is generally installed into specific rooms.
• Panopto is a software application which can be installed on any PC or Mac laptop or workstation, or mobile iOS device.

At Cal Poly, please contact Pete Woodworth at (805) 756-7197 for more information about these technologies. (Information compiled by Pete Woodworth)

Lectures

The prevailing teaching method employed in American higher education. Latin origins of word mean "to read" and early manifestation was one borne of necessity; books were scarce, and therefore professors read a chosen text to the class.

• Don't Lecture Me by Emily Hanford - American RadioWorks has made available Don't Lecture Me: Rethinking the Way College Students Learn by reporter Emily Hanford. This is a lively audio look at many of the important issues in the contemporary debate about teaching and learning in higher education: the effectiveness of lecturing, the impact of brain and cognitive science, Eric Mazur's idea of peer instruction, and, last but not least, the appropriate role of the instructor in an exploding world of information. The last of three segments, "Inventing a New Kind of College," profiles how the tiny but new University of Minnesota at Rochester responds to what we now know about adult learning. The sequence is obviously meant for a lay audience, but it's still a meaningful introduction for academics and well worth the 53 minutes. Put it on your iPod and go for a long hike. (Compiled by Bruno Giberti)
• Death of the Lecture? An Evolving Potential Casualty Presented by Powerpoint (CTL blog post by Brian Greenwood)

MERLOT Elixr Initiative

MERLOT "offers a digital case story repository that hosts more than 70 discipline-specific multimedia stories." Many Cal Poly faculty are familiar with the MERLOT "First Day" videos (starring several Cal Poly faculty). 

Multitasking

Many students believe they can multitask and not sacrifice quality in one or more of the activities. A growing body of research points in a different direction

Paper.li

If you use Twitter to curate professional resources through lists, there's a wonderful way to share your lists with your students as a magazine-styled web page. Paper.li uses an RSS-style feed with images and topics, and sorts everything into a pleasing presentation online. To get started with a basic tutorial, go to: http://paper.li/learn-more.html

Performance Pedagogy

A commitment to interrogating critical cultural issues such as power relations, social justice, and inclusivity and the roles they play in educational contexts. By examining how such issues influence our performances as students and teachers, we can begin to understand and potentially unravel our scripts in an effort to promote more just and ethical relationships among teacher, student, and the production of knowledge.

For more information, see the following resources:

• Teaching Positions: Difference, Pedagogy, and the Power of Address (Ellsworth, 1997).
• Performance Theories in Education: Power, Pedagogy, and the Politics of Identity (Alexander, Anderson, and Gallegos, eds., 2005).
• Performing Purity: Whiteness, Pedagogy, and the Reconstitution of Power (Warren, 2003).
• “’You Get Pushed Back’: The Strategic Rhetoric of Educational Success and Failure in Higher Education” Communication Education (Fassett and Warren, 2004)
• The Sage Handbook of Performance Studies (Madison and Hamera, eds., 2006).
• Handbook of Public Pedagogy: Education and Learning Beyond Schooling (Sandlin, Schultz, and Burdick, eds., 2010)

Performance Trends in California Higher Education

Sacramento State's Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy (IHELP) has issued a report entitled, "Consequences of Neglect" that uses national data to take an in-depth look at California higher education performance in relation to other states. Researchers analyzed California’s performance in the categories of preparation, participation, affordability, completion, benefits, and finance. They found it average, at best, and trending downward.

Presentations (PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, Ignite, etc)

• "Death by PowerPoint" has become a "catch phrase" for information overload through long and tedious PowerPoint presentations that has unfortunately become commonplace in higher education. "Death by PowerPoint (and how to prevent it)" by Alexei Kaptarev is a slide show that provides a visual depiction of how to effectively turn the tide.
• Top Ten Slide Tips for effective presentations from consultant Garr Reynolds
• Ignite presentations - 20 slides, 15-seconds per slide (set to auto-advance) = 5 minutes to "ignite" your audience

Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education

"Fosters human development in higher education through faculty, instructional, and organizational development" (POD website, About Us)

• Major professional association for faculty developers (i.e., we here at CTL) - POD provides a wealth of resources to help faculty developers run their centers, but POD also provides a wealth of information to help individual faculty at all levels.

Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL)

PKAL’s mission is to be a national leader in catalyzing the efforts of people, institutions, organizations and networks to move from analysis to action in significantly improving undergraduate student learning and achievement in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in preparation for careers and participation in this increasingly complex, globally interdependent and technologically-driven world. Click the link above for PKAL's website.

Service-Learning

Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Source: National Service-Learning Clearinghouse

For service-learning at Cal Poly, see the Center for Community Engagement.

Stereotype Threat

"Stereotype threat refers to being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's group. This term was first used by Steele and Aranson (1995) in several experiments that Black college freshmen and sophomores performed more poorly on standardized tests than White students when their race was emphasized. When race was not emphasized, however, Black students performed better and equivalently with White students. The results showed that performance in academic contexts can be harmed by the awareness that one's behavior might be viewed through the lens of racial stereotypes." For more information, see ReducingStereotypeThreat.org.

Studio Classroom

The first Cal Poly studio classroom opened in Winter 1998, with the goal of eliminating the boundary between lecture and laboratory and promoting active learning. This was in the Physics Department, where the typical studio classroom accommodates 48 students. Each pair of students uses a computer for activities that are grounded in science-education research and designed to promote conceptual understanding and the lab skills necessary to reach conclusions based on conceptual data. In the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, the typical studio classroom as 64 students.

Studio classes have minimal lecture, meeting in two-hour blocks three times a week. The time is divided between computer-based activities and small-group work. Problem solving is typically done in groups of two to four students. Instructor activities are limited to summaries and exemplary problem solving, with one or two undergraduate assistants available to interact with students. 

For a scholarly comparison of student learning in traditional and studio classrooms, see Hoellwarth, Chance, Matthew J. Moelter, and Randall D. Knight, "A Direct Comparison of Conceptual Learning and Problem-Solving Ability in Traditional- and Studio-Style Classrooms," American Journal of Physics 73, no. 5 (May 2005): 459-62.

Syllabus

An outline of the subjects in a course of study or teaching.

At Cal Poly, Academic Senate Resolution AS-644-06 provides guidelines for the sylabus and can be found at:
http://www.academicprograms.calpoly.edu/content/academicpolicies/course-syllabi

ULO (University Learning Objectives) Project (at Cal Poly)

Click the link above for resources related to the ULO Project at Cal Poly.

Uncoverage

Toward a Signature Pedagogy for the History Survey

Website for Dr. Lendol Carder, associate professor of history at Augustana College, with resources designed to supplement his seminal article of the same name that appeared in the March 2006 issue of the Journal of American History.

WINGED (Writing in Generally Every Discipline)

Faculty professional development course at Cal Poly that has been sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and the Center for Teaching & Learning. WINGED is structured to aid faculty in facilitating more meaningful learning experiences through more effective assignments, exams, and grading.   

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