Reforming Physics Education: What’s the story?

2015-2016 UNF Physics Colloquium Series presents:

Reforming Physics Education: What’s the story?
by
Dr. H. Vincent Kuo
Teaching Professor of Physics, Colorado School of Mines
Friday, April 8, 2016
2:00-2:50 p.m. 
Science & Engineering Building, Building 50, Room 1202
Refreshments will be provided

 Much has been argued in recent years for the benefits of experiential learning environments, but how are such contexts operationalized? What are the elements that can characterize such reforms? In this talk I will discuss the differences between teaching and learning environments, present some examples of what the physics education and research communities had contributed in this arena, and describe the adaptation that Colorado School of Mines had implemented, as well as identify some of the unintended consequences of our implementation.
All those interested in teaching within the STEM disciplines or those interested in teaching innovations in general are encouraged to attend.

UNF SoTL Symposium - Call for Proposals

SoTL Symposium - Call for Proposals 

The Office of Faculty Enhancement is pleased to announce its 

3^rd Annual Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Symposium.

The Symposium will be held on Monday, April 11^th, 2016, in the Student Union. The SoTL Symposium will be held in conjunction with the 2016 Research Week (April 11^th-15^th), highlighting faculty and student research and scholarship at UNF.

Call for Proposals:

The Office of Faculty Enhancement invites proposals for the 3^rd Annual Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Symposium that fit the theme of “Transformational Learning.”

The deadline for submitting 250 word summaries is March 15^th, 2016.

Submit your proposal summary online athttp://bit.ly/2016SoTLUNFsub

Transformational learning helps students adopt new perspectives, develop complex representations of the world, and find new ways of interacting with others who are different than them. Transformational learning practices may take students to places they had never been before, to see things they had never seen, and to imagine concepts they had never considered. The outcomes of such experiences are integrated connections across disciplinary boundaries, the ability to use complex frameworks, and self-knowledge that supports professional and personal growth. The SoTL Symposium will highlight transformational learning at UNF and invites all faculty who have used these strategies to submit a proposal to present at the symposium. The University of North Florida through the Undergraduate Dean's office has supported Transformational Learning Opportunity (TLO) grants for the past 10 years. Grantees are especially invited to submit a proposal, but receiving a TLO grant is not a requirement to present. Presentations can focus on any area of transformational learning including study abroad, undergraduate research, community-based learning, field experiences, co-op experiences, learning communities, leadership experiences, and others.

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is the systematic investigation of questions related to teaching and student learning characterized by clear goals, adequate preparation, appropriate methods, outstanding results, effective communication, and a reflective critique.

In sum, SoTL is about bringing a scholarly approach to teaching practice and student learning.

The deadline for submitting 250 word summaries is March 15^th, 2016.

Submit your proposal summary online at
http://bit.ly/2016SoTLUNFsub

 

More on SoTL:

Hutchings, P., & Shulman, L. S. (1999). The scholarship of teaching: New elaborations, new developments. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning,31(5), 10-15. 

Glassick, C. E., & Huber, M. T., (1997). Scholarship assessed: Evaluation of the professoriate. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. SF: Jossey-Bass.

http://www.unf.edu/ofe/teaching_learning/SoTL.aspx​

Keep updated with OFE:

Call for Applications - Course Redesign Summer Institute

Call For Applications:

Course Redesign for Effective Learning (CREL)

  

The Office of Faculty Enhancement (OFE) invites full-time UNF faculty to participate in a summer course redesign institute. The purpose of this institute is to provide faculty with the time, resources, information, and collaborative support needed to revise and redesign a selected Fall 2016 or Spring 2017 course (or design a new course) in ways that will maximize student learning.

Deadline for Applications: Tuesday, March 15th, 2016  

Interested faculty should complete the online application at: http://bit.ly/crel2016

  

OFE invites all full-time UNF faculty who are interested in enhancing student learning apply for the CREL program. Such proposals could include student projects, research activities as part of a course, community-based learning, or other forms of engaged learning.

The UNF faculty selected to participate in the CREL and who produce a redesigned product will receive a $1000 stipend.

The dates for the 2016 CREL workshops are Tuesday, June 21^st, Thursday, June 23^rd, and Tuesday, June 28^th.

The Review Process

The proposals will be reviewed by the OFE Director in consultation with the Faculty Association’s Faculty Enhancement Committee.

Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

·                The proposed change represents a significant change to the structure, organization, or activities associated with the course.

·                The proposed change is reasonable given the time constraints.

·                The proposed change is likely to affect student learning positively.

Faculty members who have been awarded summer research and teaching grants are eligible to participate in CREL.  For those who have received a summer teaching grant, the CREL project proposal should involve a different course than that on which the summer teaching grant is based.  Preference will be given to first-time participants in OFE’s course redesign workshops. Applications from a variety of perspectives and methods are encouraged. Selection of proposals will ensure a broad participation across disciplines on campus.

Preparing the CREL Proposal Application

Interested faculty should complete the online application at:

http://bit.ly/crel2016  

The deadline for applications is March 15th.​

Keep updated with OFE:

OFE Launches New Service: The Huddle

Sometimes it helps to put your head together with someone to discuss new ideas and solutions.

The Office of Faculty Enhancement (OFE) announces a new service to support faculty in their teaching efforts. The OFE Huddle is an opportunity to connect with an OFE representative who can help you address issues in your teaching efforts as they arise. To access this service, simply schedule a time that is convenient to you through our online calendar https://ofehuddle.youcanbook.me/ and we will connect using an online video chat according to what works for your schedule. You now have quick and easy access to private consultation about your teaching.

So, what are you waiting for? OFE Huddle 

Get in the game. Plan to win. 

Keep updated with OFE:

Student Success Takes a Coordinated Effort

Each semester, the university admits new students. Oftentimes, students have misconceptions about their study habits and about how to succeed in college. Research indicates that Academic Support Services are particularly helpful for first-generation students, especially in their first year.

The Student Academic Center at Indiana University-Bloomington has prepared a number of videos designed to help students be better prepared to succeed in college courses and to help them navigate college in general. You might consider providing some links for students in your classes to help them succeed.

At UNF, the Academic Center or Excellence has a number o Skill Development Workshops that support students in learning good study habits and time management skills. You might refer your student to these services on the UNF campus.



Keep updated with OFE:

Researchers Seek Civically-Engaged Millennial Faculty

The American Democracy Project (ADP) is currently searching for Millennial Generation (anyone born after 1981) faculty members from across the nation who utilize service-learning techniques regularly in teaching their courses.

Those who meet that description are eligible to participate in a research study conducted by Texas A&M University- Central Texas researchers that will explore how millennials, who tend to be highly civically-engaged. are teaching courses that promote civic engagement, community service, and social justice at the university level. The researchers will also be exploring how the civic engagement of millennial faculty has been influenced by their own undergraduate experiences. This research is important to continue to grow the benefits of service-learning techniques that improve learning outcomes for students and create practical benefits for their communities.

If you are interested, please see the full announcement on the ADP blogsite for contact information!

Florida Faculty Development Fall 2015 Conference

The Florida Faculty Development Consortium (FFDC) is celebrating its 10th year of supporting faculty at Florida colleges and universities.

The Fall 2015 meeting will be held on Thursday, November 12th at the University of North Florida; the topic is 

Reflect on the past, look into the future. 

Registration is open to anyone interested in faculty professional development in higher education. There is no cost for attending. 

If you plan on attending, please register at https://saintleo.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6rgEr4e5CKjFOip.

For travel information and to see the preliminary meeting agenda, please go to the FFDC website at https://sites.google.com/site/ffdcflorida/conferences.

New OFE Social Media Experience

The Office of Faculty Enhancement (OFE) has created a new facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OFEFaculty) and a new approach to connecting with faculty at UNF. Follow the discussion by Liking the page, finding a post that connects with you, and comment. Feel free to share the posts with your friends as well.

The old OFE account will be discontinued, so you will need to connect with the new page to continue to receive notices through facebook.

We will still keep up with our OFE Newsletter blog, thecurrent, for news, announcements, and interesting teaching and learning ideas. We also maintain a twitter page (@OFEUNF) that posts tips and ideas for teaching and learning you might find interesting, mostly from conferences, symposia, and the like.

So what are you waiting for? Join the conversation online.

Regards,
OFE Staff

Higher Order Thinking: Testing Deep Learning with Cognitive Maps

The Office of Faculty Enhancement invites faculty to attend an upcoming workshop on higher order thinking. 

Higher Order Thinking: Testing Deep Learning with Cognitive Maps
Monday, February 9th, 2015, 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Student Union, 58W, 3804
RSVP at ofe@unf.edu
An essential quality of higher education is providing opportunities for students to develop higher order thinking as they approach a variety of topics. Faculty construct assignments that will challenge students to think beyond the obvious and construct complex, evidence-based, and reflective products that demonstrate this higher order thinking style. It can be difficult and time-consuming to detect subtitles of higher order thinking in student work. In this workshop, faculty will share models of assessing higher order thinking through concept maps and structured observation. Come and share your ideas about higher order learning and pick-up some time-saving tools for evaluating complex learning. 
RSVP at ofe@unf.edu

Course Redesign Call For Applications - Problem-Based Learning

Course Redesign for Effective Learning (CREL) –

Problem-Based Learning Institute

The Office of Faculty Enhancement (OFE), in collaboration with Undergraduate Studies, invites full-time faculty to participate in a summer course redesign institute focused on problem-based learning. The purpose of this institute is to provide faculty with the time, resources, information, and collaborative support needed to revise and redesign a selected Fall 2015 or Spring 2016 course (or design a new course) in ways that will maximize student learning.

Deadline for Applications: Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015  

Interested faculty should complete the online application at: http://unf.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3sXvOhEs6L0V7q5

The focus of this year’s course redesign program will be Problem-based Learning (PBL). Problem-based learning is a teaching strategy in which students are presented with problems and issues that need to be resolved. As part of the learning process, students work actively in collaborative teams to address the issue. As a result, students not only learn broad-based content knowledge but develop deep, authentic critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

OFE invites UNF faculty who are interested in integrating problem-based learning into their course or to enhance the problem-based learning already implemented to apply for the CREL-PBL program. Such proposals could include student projects, research activities as part of a course, community-based learning, or other forms of group projects.

The UNF faculty selected to participate in the CREL and who produce a redesigned product will receive a $500 stipend. In addition, OFE will cover travel to the Worchester Polytechnic Institute’s 2015 Problem-Based Learning Institute, scheduled for June 25^th-27^th (travel starting on June 24^th). Faculty must participate in the WPI Institute to receive the stipend.

For information about the Problem-Based Learning Institute, visit the institute webpage at: http://wpi.edu/+2015institute

The Review Process

The proposals will be reviewed by the OFE Director in consultation with the Faculty Association’s Faculty Enhancement Committee.

Applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

• The proposed change represents a significant change to the structure, organization, or activities associated with the course.
• The proposed change is reasonable given the time constraints.
• The proposed change is likely to affect student learning positively.

Faculty members who have been awarded summer research and teaching grants are eligible to participate in CREL.  For those who have received a summer teaching grant, the CREL project proposal should involve a different course than that on which the summer teaching grant is based.  Preference will be given to first-time participants in OFE’s course redesign workshops. Preference will be given to faculty teaching lower division courses and for courses offered as part of the General Education program. Applications from a variety of perspectives and methods are encouraged. Selection of proposals will ensure a broad participation across disciplines on campus.

  

Preparing the CREL-PBL Project Proposal Application

Interested faculty should complete the online application at:

http://unf.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3sXvOhEs6L0V7q5

The deadline for applications is February  3^rd.

Networking Event - International Education Week

Global Engagement Faculty Network
Monday, November 17th, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
International Center, Building 58E, Room 2300
RSVP to ofe@unf.edu
The International Center and the Office of Faculty Enhancement would like to invite faculty from around the campus to come and share ideas on study-abroad courses and international research over some wine and cheese. This event is part of International Education Week. Faculty will share advice and experiences from past study-abroad and international activities. Faculty interested in study-abroad or who would like to know more are welcome to attend. Bring a friend, mingle and enjoy a happy-hour and a half.
Monday, November 17th, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
International Center, Building 58E, Room 2300
RSVP to ofe@unf.edu

Collaborative and Project-Based Learning Workshop

Making Connections: Collaborative and Project-based Learning Workshop 
Monday, November 17th, 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Building 2, Room 2002RSVP to ofe@unf.edu
Have you ever been disappointed in the amount or level of student learning in your course? Have you been frustrated by the apparent lack of motivation and engagement among your students?
Active and collaborative learning strategies have been shown to increase student learning (as compared to lecture formats) and to increase student enjoyment and persistence. Implementing such strategies, however, especially in large classes, can be challenging. Join faculty from across the campus in sharing ideas about implementing collaborative and project-based learning strategies in this interactive session. Bring your best ideas and biggest challenges with collaborative learning and gain insights into addressing these challenges and finding opportunities for success in the classroom. Lunch will be provided to those who RSVP to ofe@unf.edu.
Monday, November 17th, 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Building 2, Room 2002

Community Partnership Conference

Community-engaged research and community-based learning require robust partnerships to support the shared work in the community. Campus Community Partnerships for Health is co-sponsoring an upcoming conference, the C2UExpo, that will highlight campus-community partnerships. Please see the announcement and call for proposals below.

Proposals due Nov 28 for C2UExpo! C2UExpo (Community, College, University-Exposition), is a bi-annual 3-day conference, showcasing the best practices in community-campus partnerships worldwide. C2UExpo 2015 will take place May 26-29, 2015 in Ottawa, Ontario. Click here for information on submitting a proposal. The theme for this conference is Citizen Solutions for a Better World, with a specific focus on community-campus partnerships as key drivers for policy change. As we did in 2013, CCPH is supporting C2UExpo in lieu of our own conference next year. CCPH members will receive a 15% discount on registration fees. If you're planning to attend C2UExpo and aren't a CCPH member, join today.

Report on Recognizing Community-Engaged Scholarship

Image: Loyola.edu

One of the sticky problems with advancing community-based learning at institutions of higher education is that faculty have difficulty finding reward structures that support their important community-based work. Many faculty have mentioned the need for change in the reward structures, but university-wide systems have been resistant to such change. The New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) has recently released a report that addresses these issues in the University of Massachusetts system and provides some guidance for universities who are interested in changing the reward structures on their campuses.

One of the guiding statements from the report is that the, "... policies and cultures that
shape faculty behavior for career advancement have not kept pace with changes in
knowledge production and dissemination."   Please see the note below from the authors of the report. The hyperlink below provides access to the full report.

"It is our pleasure to send you the report The Challenges of Rewarding New Forms of Scholarship: Creating academic cultures that support community-engaged scholarship (http://www.nerche.org/images/stories/working_papers/Challenges_of_Rewarding_New_Forms_of_Scholarship_FINAL.pdf),

which is the result of a meeting of that took place on May 15, 2014 involving over 30 faculty and staff from all five campuses of the University of Massachusetts system. The seminar was funded with a grant from Bringing Theory to Practice and was hosted by the New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE) and Boston URBAN (Urban Research-Based Action Network).

"The purpose of the seminar was to examine a wide range of faculty rewards (including promotion criteria, awards, faculty development support, and policies at various levels) that provide incentives and rewards for faculty to undertake community-engaged scholarship. Community-engaged scholarship focuses academic knowledge to address real-world issues through mutually beneficial, reciprocal collaboration with peers outside the university who have locally grounded knowledge and experience.

"The report provides a set of findings and concrete recommendations for both the system office and the individual campuses for measures that can be implemented to advance community-engaged scholarship.

"Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.  It is our hope that the report can serve as a tool for catalyzing a deeper conversation on campus about supporting and advancing community engaged scholarship. 

Sincerely,

John Wooding and John Saltmarsh

John Wooding

Professor

Department of Political Science

University of Massachusetts, Lowell

John Saltmarsh

Director

NERCHE

University of Massachusetts, Boston"

UNF Innovation Symposium Call for Proposals

Photo by Alvimann

The Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) at the University of North Florida (UNF) has
called for proposal submissions to the 2nd annual UNFIS Innovation Symposium. The theme for this year's conference is Digital Living.

Please see the information below from Deb Miller, Director of CIRT.
The deadline for submissions is August 22nd, 2014.
Find out more information at the conference website: http://unfis.org


UNF Academic Technology Innovation Symposium
2014 Call for Proposals

You are invited to submit an abstract to the 2014 University of North Florida Academic Technology Innovation Symposium. The symposium will be held on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 in the Student Union Building of the University of North Florida. The Academic Technology Innovation Symposium highlights innovative practices by UNF faculty and offers a forum for interactive learning and thought-provoking discussion on both current use and potential for academic technology to support teaching, learning, and research.

Presentations provide the opportunity to share teaching or scholarship practices that make use of information technologies to solve problems in interesting or original ways. New and unique accomplishments, projects, ideas, and initiatives that demonstrate an innovative approach to teaching and scholarship are sought. Research with student co-authors is welcome.

Conference Theme and Topics
The theme of the 2014 Academic Technology Innovation Symposium is Digital Living: Work and Play in Blended Realities. The organizers encourage submissions that approach this theme from a variety of perspectives under three major topic tracks: (1) teaching and learning (2) creativity, innovation, and change (3) academic research.

Abstract Submission Guidelines
Submit an abstract (200 words maximum) at this link http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/unfis/ by August 22, 2014 and indicate your presentation type preference. You will receive notification of status via email by September 9, 2014. A double-blind review process will be utilized for all submissions. Selection of an abstract for presentation will be based on quality of the submission, originality, topicality, relevance and advancement of current thinking on the subject. If you have any questions regarding your submission, please contact: cirtlab@unf.edu

Conference website: http://unfis.org

Difficult Conversations: Starting a Dialogue Across Difference

Join faculty from different disciplines for a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) panel discussion on 

Difficult Conversations: Starting a Dialogue across Difference

Wednesday, April 16th, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Talon Room, Building 16, Room 4202

RSVP for lunch: ofe@unf.edu

Faculty from different disciplines will address how to help students have some of the most difficult conversations across differences, including those tense conversations about group work and the lack thereof, and about differences across social divides. UNF faculty will share research and tips about facilitating these discussions and the potential long-term impact of engaging students in dialogue across difference. Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP at: ofe@unf.edu

Community-Campus Partnerships Award - Call for Nominations

Community Campus Partnerships for Health sponsors an annual award to exemplary partnerships. Please

see the announcement below.

Applications are due Feb 10, 2014 for the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Annual Award! Exemplary partnerships from anywhere in the world that are striving to overcome the root causes of health, social, environmental and economic inequalities are invited to apply for the award, presented at the 13th international CCPH conference, April 30-May 3, 2014 in Chicago.

For more information about the award, please visit https://ccph.memberclicks.net/annual-award

For more information about the conference, please visit https://ccph.memberclicks.net/conference-overview

Questions? Write us at award@ccph.info

Lilly Conference on Teaching and Learning - Call for Proposals

Please see the announcement from the Lilly Conferences on Teaching and Learning.

UPDATE FROM CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS:
Due to the severe weather and travel conditions, we are extending the call for proposals for an additional week - closing on January 13th.
http://lillyconferences.com/bethesda/proposals/ 

For 33 years, the Lilly Conferences on College and University Teaching and Learning have been known as exceptional places to present and to learn from faculty colleagues on effective teaching and learning. This interdisciplinary teaching conference includes faculty, administrators, and graduate students from across the United States and abroad. Participants are given the opportunity to exchange ideas, build a repertoire of skills that can be put to immediate use, and to network with colleagues.

The overall conference theme for the Lilly Conference series is “Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning.” Each of the Lilly Conferences are unique, but they all share the same great Lilly community spirit.

Lilly Spring International Conference Bethesda: May 29 - June 1, 2014 
http://lillyconferences.com/bethesda

Call for proposals will close at midnight on January 6.  
http://lillyconferences.com/bethesda/proposals/

AAC&U Targets Scientific Thinking and Integrative Reasoning

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has provided funding for and has invited The deadline for applications is January 6, 2014.
proposals from scholars who are interested in becoming college campus thought and action leaders around scientific thinking and integrated reasoning. See the information below regarding the award program.



Call for Applications: 2014-2015 STIRS Scholars

As part of its ScientificThinking and Integrative Reasoning Skills (STIRS) Initiative, AAC&U will select as many as six faculty members to serve as STIRS Scholars. STIRS seeks to improve the capacity of undergraduate students to use evidence to solve problems and make decisions. Such capacities are foundational to general education and are critical for all students in all areas of study—the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities—if they are to become engaged and productive citizens.
During their term (2014-2015), STIRS Scholars will: 

• Develop the first generation of STIRS case studies (See the Call for Applications).
• Provide valuable faculty and campus perspectives on STIRS strategies for curricular change and for wider efforts to increase attention to evidence-based reasoning in the undergraduate experience.
• Form a leadership cohort within an emerging community of practice comprising colleagues committed to improving evidence-based reasoning and decision making as an outcome of undergraduate liberal education.
• Help select and mentor a second cohort of STIRS Scholars chosen to begin in early 2015.

Deadline for Application: Monday, January 6, 2014
Announcement of Selections: Friday, January 17, 2014
Faculty members teaching in any undergraduate field at any AAC&U member institution are eligible.

See the callfor applications for more information about the STIRS scholars and about how to apply.

Questions? Contact Kevin Hovland, Senior Director for Global Learning and Curricular Change, at hovland@aacu.org.

UNF Innovation Symposium

Please see the announcement below from
Deb Miller, Director of the Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT). This new symposium at UNF promises to be an excellent opportunity for faculty to share ideas and to pursue rewarding innovations in teaching and research.

The Center for Instruction & Research Technology and the Distance Learning Committee are pleased to be hosting UNF’s first annual Academic Technology

Innovation Symposium highlighting innovative practices by UNF faculty and providing a forum for discussion on current use and potential for academic technology to support teaching, learning, and research. The keynote will be given by Jim Groom, who has been part of a number of exciting projects at the University of Mary Washington, particularly related to digital storytelling, blogging, and the development of online learning communities.  Please visit the symposium website for more information and to register; seating is limited.  http://tinyurl.com/unfis

Dear Faculty,

Due to the overlap with PT dossier due dates, we are extending the deadline for this opportunity to Wednesday, September 25^th, at 5 pm.

Deb Miller
Director, Center for Instruction & Research Technology
University of North Florida
904.620.1416
http://www.unf.edu/cirt/