Fostering Community Building and Student Engagement through Active Learning Exercises
Facilitator: Miriam Rosalyn Diamond, Associate Director, Simmons University Center for Excellence in Teaching
Educational research indicates that novelty, challenge, active engagement, and interpersonal interactions can positively influence learning. In this session, faculty will consider the implications of these findings for their own courses. Participants will have the opportunity to explore some simple in-class exercises (such as icebreakers connected to course content, educational games that support teamwork and foster curiosity, and low-stakes content-based role plays) that connect students with one another while enlivening and bringing an immediacy to course material, thereby creating "teachable moments." Attendees will also consider ways of assessing the impact and value of these lessons
Facilitating Learning Through Team Teaching
Facilitator: Sarah Bunnell, Center for Teaching & Learning
What makes a team teaching experience successful for students? For instructors? What are some of the common pitfalls or stumbling blocks? This session will discuss multiple models of team-teaching and provide concrete recommendations for making collaborative instruction a positive teaching and learning experience. As part of this breakout session, participants will work in small groups to develop a team-taught approach to a class activity that is currently taught by a single instructor.
Collaborative Assignment Design
Facilitators: Riley Caldwell-O’Keefe, Center for Teaching and Learning, and Missy Roser, Research & Instruction, Frost Library
This breakout session provides an opportunity to explore when group-based projects are a good fit to support the learning goals you have for your course as well as how to construct engaging team-based assignments. We will draw on research and specific examples from recently taught Amherst courses for discussion and then we will break out into small teams to get peer feedback on designing or re-designing an assignment for your course.
Collaborative Writing
Facilitators: Jessica Kem and Cassie Sanchez, Writing Center
A group writing collaboratively can produce something beyond the capability of a single writer, and yet the process can challenge even the most well-intentioned, skillful students. Participants interested in teaching students how to write collaboratively will learn and practice strategies for negotiating roles, managing conflict, and balancing power.
Building a Community of Inquiry using Moodle Tools
Facilitators: Jaya Kannan, Asha Kinney, and Andy Anderson, Academic Technology Services
Building a Community of Inquiry (CoI) calls for meaningful integration of teacher presence, cognitive presence, and social presence. This interactive workshop will include:
- A demonstration and discussion of how Moodle features (such as wikis, forums, and namecoach) are being used effectively by Amherst faculty to promote CoI.
- Hands-on activity to design learning tasks using Moodle features (please bring your laptops) and
- Discussion of challenges and development of concrete strategies to apply in your classroom.
Presentation Slides (PDF, AC Login Required)
Moodle site with example activities (AC Login Required)