- "Focusing on Assessment for Improvement: Theory and Practice"
Ambassador Auditorium
- Like any form of assessment, teaching evaluation can have at least two distinct (and often contradictory) purposes. Teaching evaluation can be used to prove whether an instructor’s teaching meets a pre-determined standard of quality. Teaching evaluation also can be used as a tool to improve an instructor’s teaching. This interactive session will explore theories and practices that allow teaching evaluation to be process that contributes to enhance both teaching and learning – for both individuals and for departments.
- Peter Felten, Elon University and Laura Winer, McGill University
Peter Felten is assistant provost for teaching and learning, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, and professor of history at Elon University. His recent publications include the co-authored books The Undergraduate Experience (Jossey-Bass, 2016), Transforming Students: Fulfilling the Promise of Higher Education (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014), and Engaging Students as Partners in Learning and Teaching (Jossey-Bass, 2014). From 2010-2011, he served as president of the POD Network, and in 2016-2017 he is president of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. He also is a co-editor of the International Journal for Academic Development.
Resources:
Laura Winer, PhD (Educational Technology) is the Director of Teaching and Learning Services at McGill University. She has extensive experience in research, teaching, and administration in higher education, and has been at McGill since 1999. Laura has been leading McGill’s online course evaluation system since its beginning in 2004, and has worked intensively on both policy and implementation issues in the broad area of evaluation of teaching. TLS’ mandate spans supporting faculty in developing and enhancing their teaching, creating supportive physical and digital teaching and learning environments, and developing and offering skills development programs for graduate and undergraduate students.
Resources:
Click on a name to reveal speakers bios below session description.
- "Engaging the campus community in online teaching evaluation"
Dillon Hall, Rm. 359
- Strategic communication and education are essential when implementing a new course evaluation framework. This is especially so when this change is coupled with the move to an online course evaluation system. Since 2011, the University of Toronto has been implementing both a new institutional course evaluation framework and a centrally-coordinated online system. In this workshop, we will highlight the 5 most powerful strategies that have helped us engage our community in this change process:
- Supported and informed discussion of teaching and learning priorities
- Establishment of working groups to engage a range of stakeholders in key issues
- Strategic communications – through both central and local (Faculty) channels
- Development and deployment of key educational resources
- Utilization of data for improvement purposes
Workshop participants will be provided with specific examples from the University of Toronto’s experience that will help guide them in preparing a list of key actions for enabling a similar change process in their own institutional contexts.
- Megan Burnett and Greg Hum, University of Toronto
Megan Burnett is the Associate Director of the central teaching support office at the University of Toronto, the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI), where she has been actively involved in faculty development for over ten years. Megan has guided the development of key initiatives at CTSI, such as the annual Course Design Institute, and has led programming, resource development and consultations for faculty members preparing teaching dossiers for the purposes of tenure review, continuing status review and promotion. As Associate Director, Megan oversees a team of staff members who support educational technologies, the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, teaching assistant training and graduate student professional development, and the institutional course evaluation framework and online system. Megan has a Master’s degree in French literature and taught for many years as a sessional lecturer at U of T before entering the realm of educational development.
Gregory Hum oversees the centralized course evaluations at the University of Toronto, working with the course evaluations team and others at CTSI on the ongoing development, analysis, reporting, operation, and implementation of the framework and system. Gregory also provides support and guidance to administrators and faculty on the interpretation and use of course evaluations.
Gregory’s academic background includes a PhD in Educational Technology and Learning Design from Simon Fraser University, and an MA in Educational Psychology from McGill University. Gregory’s work, past and present, focuses on educational development and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Within this, Gregory has a particular interest in the use, interpretation, and communication of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Gregory’s past roles include: Research Coordinator at the University of British Columbia Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, Visiting Researcher at the University of Oxford, Research Assistant with the Teaching and Learning Development Grants program at Simon Fraser University, and high school teacher.
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- "Valuing Teaching through Comprehensive Assessment Frameworks"
Dillon Hall, Rm. 366
- In this session, we will discuss the elements of a robust and holistic evaluation framework for the assessment of teaching during key academic HR processes, including interim, tenure and promotion reviews. Participants will analyze their own divisional/institutional policies in light of these comparisons and identify how to enhance their review processes to ensure a more comprehensive assessment of teaching. We will also explore ways to affect change based on individual roles and responsibilities and identify key considerations when revising policy.
(Please bring a copy of your institutional or divisional policies and/or guidelines for the evaluation of teaching at tenure/promotion.)
- Pamela Gravestock, University of Toronto
Pamela Gravestock is the Director of Teaching Support and Faculty Development in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto. She is responsible for designing, developing and implementing undergraduate and graduate education initiatives and Faculty-wide programs designed to improve faculty life and promote faculty professional development. Previously, she was the Associate Director of the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI) for 13 years. Pam has played a leadership role in the development of an institution-wide course evaluation framework, guidelines for the assessment of teaching, university-wide teaching awards, and a graduate professional skills program.
With Emily Greenleaf she completed, Student Course Evaluations: Research, Models and Trends, published by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (2008). Pam also teaches a course on the University in Canada in the Canadian Studies Program at U of T. She holds MAs in Art History and History and a doctorate from the Higher Education Group at OISE/UT. Her dissertation research focused on how teaching is evaluated for tenure at Canadian universities.
- "Teaching Dossiers: A Kaleidoscope of Divergent Reflection"
Dillon Hall, Rm. 365
- Teaching dossiers are becoming increasingly common in the tenure, promotion, and hiring process. They are seen as an effective tool in conveying faculty's teaching effectiveness and accomplishments, and can play a major role in documenting their strengths for the review process. However, widespread implementation of teaching dossiers – whether required or simply recommended – is not without its problems, both in terms of development and assessment.
This breakout session will explore one university’s efforts to develop programs and initiatives that support faculty in the development of teaching dossiers at all stages of their careers as well as foster a more robust teaching culture that is better equipped to receive, review, and assess them. Participants will have an opportunity to both identify areas of tension and brainstorm strategies to better support and assess teaching dossiers in their own contexts.
- Veronika Mogyorody and Jessica Raffoul, University of Windsor
Veronika Mogyorody is Professor Emeritus in the School of Creative Arts and founder of the interdisciplinary Visual Arts and the Built Environment [VABE] program with the School of Architecture, University of Detroit Mercy. As UofW's Academic Architectural Advisor, she was involved with the design of campus learning environments. Recognized for her educational leadership, Dr. Mogyorody has been honored with a 3M National Teaching Fellowship and awarded the Brightspace Teaching and Learning Innovation Award. She currently is the inaugural Teaching and Learning Senior Fellow at the University's Centre for Teaching and Learning. Her research focuses on learning spaces and environmentally responsible design.
Jessica Raffoul is an Educational Consultant with the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Windsor, Canada. In this role, she contributes to and enhances research, programs, and curricula that support teaching and student learning across the University, with a particular focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), reflective practice, classroom teaching practices, the documentation of instructional excellence, and supporting and mentoring undergraduate researchers. Jessica’s current research interests include educational leadership, entryways into SoTL, and undergraduate research skills and support. She holds degrees and certificates in English literature, creative writing, philosophy, and higher education.
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- "Establishing teaching evaluation frameworks: When reality meets rhetoric"
Dillon Hall, Rm. 367
- Teaching evaluation frameworks offer practical, flexible ways to reflect on and seek consensus about quality teaching, and can enable systematic, transparent approaches to identifying, supporting, and rewarding effective teaching. Two Canadian universities have been working with an Australian framework built with intensive faculty consultation across many disciplines (Chalmers, 2014. Each university is seeking to adapt the Framework to their distinctive institutional needs and to engage faculty with the value of the approach. This session will explore how the approaches taken at the two universities reflected institutional needs, context, and history, looking at both successes and challenges they’ve faced on the way. It will focus especially on important lessons learned about the road from changing documents, to changing practices and cultures, no matter where or why you start the process.
- Nancy Turner, University of Saskatchewan and Bev Hamilton, University of Windsor
Nancy Turner is the Director of Teaching and Learning Enhancement at the University of Saskatchewan. Nancy’s role as Director involves working in partnership with colleges/schools and other units to support the ongoing enhancement of learning and teaching, the development of positive student learning experiences and the provision of quality academic and professional development that enables both of these at the University of Saskatchewan. Nancy provides strategic oversight and leadership to three specialist units; Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning, Media Production, and Student Employment and Career Centre. She also contributes to strategic developments in teaching and learning policy and practice and leads related institutional change initiatives.
Nancy’s work for the past 15 years has focused on strategic leadership of learning and teaching enhancement including initial and continuing professional development of faculty and graduate students, technology enhanced learning, reward and recognition for teaching, sustainability, student engagement in educational change, and open education. Nancy has worked in Canadian and UK Higher Education with previous roles including Acting Dean and Associate Dean of Learning, Teaching and Enhancement at the University of the Arts London and Director of Educational Development at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her main areas of research are development of self belief, professional learning and change in higher education. Nancy has taught for over two decades in Canadian and UK Higher Education in classroom, laboratory and online learning environments and has lead curriculum design and delivery in both National contexts.
Bev Hamilton is the Academic Initiatives Officer in the Provost’s office at the University of Windsor. She undertakes research, projects, and policy development to enhance academic practice and the student experience. She is currently engaged with projects focused on teaching evaluation, institutional leadership capacity, student retention, large-class pedagogies, and new faculty development.
- "Effective use of student evaluation of teaching data"
Dillon Hall, Rm. 368
- Student evaluations of teaching are challenging to conduct, report, and use. Using the data effectively, individually or as an institution, is a whole other challenge.
In this session you will discuss with your fellow participants your 'wish lists', experiences, and challenges using student evaluation data. Laura and Phil will demonstrate a variety of ways to organize and make sense of your numerical scores and written comments using reports, visualizations, and interactive tools developed at their universities.
You and your fellow participants will then identify simple new approaches to using or modifying your current reports. Revisiting the experiences and challenges, you will identify next steps and possible concerns to address, in order to more effectively present results, promote inquiry-based interpretation, and communicate findings, for yourself and for your institution.
If possible, please bring a copy of your survey and sample reports to support the discussion.
- Laura Winer, McGill University and Phil Graniero, University of Windsor
Laura Winer, PhD (Educational Technology) is the Director of Teaching and Learning Services at McGill University. She has extensive experience in research, teaching, and administration in higher education, and has been at McGill since 1999. Laura has been leading McGill’s online course evaluation system since its beginning in 2004, and has worked intensively on both policy and implementation issues in the broad area of evaluation of teaching. TLS’ mandate spans supporting faculty in developing and enhancing their teaching, creating supportive physical and digital teaching and learning environments, and developing and offering skills development programs for graduate and undergraduate students.
Phil Graniero has 17 years of diverse teaching, administrative, and committee experience across the University of Windsor, following 8 years of other academic and private-sector experience in teaching and software development. Drawing on a background of geography and computer science applied to an eclectic mix of natural and human-built systems, he researches the use of 'low-fidelity data', 'shoestring analytics', and data visualization to uncover patterns and insights for better decisions in complex systems.
Phil believes his purpose as an academic is to make the university more human: oddly enough, by better use of numbers. His enjoyment of conversations around a whiteboard, combined with a penchant for computer code, spreadsheets, and a good metaphor helps him pursue that goal. He collaborates across campus to improve scholarly teaching, program development and academic policy, with a focus on student ratings of instruction, student pathways, program structures, and academic planning.
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