Dear colleagues,
As students return to campus, how we deliver an impactful education will be different in our current environment of social distancing and health precautions. With that in mind, the Office of the Provost is rolling out a number of resources to help you prepare for the fall semester.
Virtual Vol Boot Camp: A series of workshops and modules designed for faculty and graduate student instructors of all experience levels that covers topics including Canvas and Zoom essentials, effective online assessment of student learning, online classroom management, inclusive teaching in online classes, active learning strategies, how to implement group work and student collaborations in online classes, and online experiential learning and service–learning. Boot camp sessions have been offered throughout May and will be offered again in June and July as needed.
Faculty Fellows for Technology-Enhanced Teaching: A program to support and incentivize 30 experienced online teachers from different colleges and departments across campus to provide disciplinary-based assistance in technology-enhanced instruction to their colleagues. Fellows will serve from June to October. They will coordinate with staff from Teaching and Learning Innovation, the Office of Information Technology, and the Office of the Provost along with college and department leaders, Faculty Senate, and others to provide the most meaningful and effective assistance possible to faculty. This support will likely include providing one-on-one consultations, synchronous learning sessions, and asynchronous and web-based resources. The deadline to apply is June 3.
First-Year Academy for Faculty: Assistance for instructors who teach first-year students that combines pedagogy and course design support with learning about student characteristics and student success resources at UT. The goal is to equip instructors with comprehensive knowledge and skills to help incoming first-year students have a meaningful experience at UT.
Consultations and trainings: Provided individually and in groups by staff from Teaching and Learning Innovation and the Office of Information Technology, faculty fellows, and others to help faculty members effectively use technology for synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning.
Just-in-time faculty resource library: A suite of synchronous and web-based resources that provide specific “bite-sized” guidance on topics related to technology-enhanced teaching and student success.
You can find more information about these resources as they become available in the coming weeks and months on the Teaching and Learning Innovation website.
Matthew Theriot
Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Strategic Initiatives