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ASSETT would like to recognize eight faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences who have been accepted to the Learning by Design program. During this unprecedented time of shifting classes to remote learning, life is quite hectic. Yet these faculty remain committed to improving their teaching practice and finding time to gather online to learn best practices in student-centered course design and active learning.

Please join us in congratulating these dedicated Learning by Design participants who were selected from a very competitive group of applicants:

• Lisa Barlow, Sr Instructor, Baker RAP/Environmental Studies

• Donata Giglio, Asst Professor, Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies

• Kyle Luh, Asst Professor, Mathematics

• Florencia Orosz, Visiting Asst Professor, Mathematics

• Dennis Perepelitsa, Asst Professor, Physics

• Julian Resasco, Asst Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

• Harrison Stalvey, Instructor, Mathematics

• Colin West, Instructor, Physics

This program is available thanks to the efforts of Leilani Arthurs, Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences. She and her team were awarded a $2.3 million grant by the National Science Foundation to implement the Active Learning Academy (ALA), a series of three professional development programs. This series of programs is aimed at building capacity at ¾«Æ·SMÔÚÏßӰƬ for student-centered teaching in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses. Arthurs is the lead facilitator of the ALA, with Amanda McAndrew (ASSETT) and Janet Casagrand (Senior Instructor of Integrated Physiology and an ALA alum) in supporting roles.

The first in the ALA series is the Learning by Design program, which will be offered each fall semester for four years. This is a six-session program that meets every other week (dates to be determined based on applicants’ input). The primary goals of the Learning by Design program are to (a) introduce participants to research-based instructional strategies and course design principles that facilitate active learning in an undergraduate STEM course they teach or will teach and (b) cultivate a faculty learning community that together explores ways to apply active learning to their chosen courses. After the end of the fall semester, participants will have completed and submitted a teaching portfolio for their chosen course, which can be later used for reference in annual reviews, promotion, and tenure. Additionally, they will be awarded a $1000 stipend for their efforts.

Participants who complete the Learning by Design program will have the opportunity to continue their pursuit of teaching excellence in the other two ALA programs. The second in the ALA series is the Follow-Up Mentoring program, which will be offered each spring semester for four years. The third in the ALA series is the Course Re/Design Award program, which will be offered during the summer/fall period for three years. 

For additional information about the Active Learning Academy and its programmatic offerings, please contact Amanda McAndrew, Leilani Arthurs, or Janet Casagrand.