Previous Initiatives

Please enjoy reviewing our past initiatives listed below.

 

  • The Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences invited applications from faculty for the AY 2020-2021 RCHSS Faculty Development Initiative: Designing Critical Reflection Assignments: It’s about Engagement in RCHSS. In support of our college’s plan to implement “It’s about Engagement” (KSU’s QEP), RCHSS provided funds to faculty who participated in the program described below, learned to apply the Critical Reflection rubric and designed assignments and assessment tools accordingly. The critical reflection assignments were implemented in classes the following fall or spring.

    Well-designed reflection activities can help students see the relevance of their high-impact practice experiences as they integrate their new experiences into existing knowledge (Kuh, 2008). Reflection activities also provide a framework for planning new learning by allowing students to simultaneously consider past, present, and future learning experiences. Without this kind of engaged, deep processing, high-impact practices may not extend beyond the course in which they are situated (Bass, 2012).

    In this workshop, faculty will discuss the existing It’s About Engagement rubrics and taxonomies in light of relevant literature on creating reflection assignments for high-impact practices such as internships and undergraduate research experiences. They will then revise or create a reflection assignment for their course, aligning their assignment with the goals of the It’s About Engagement initiative. By making these small changes in their courses, faculty can encourage meaningful contemplation of high-impact experiences and how they fit into the larger picture of students’ academic and life goals.

  • CHSS Student Success Faculty Development Initiative

    The College of Humanities and Social Sciences invited applications from faculty for
    the CHSS Faculty Learning Community for Course Redesign.

    The purpose of the FLC was to bring faculty together during Fall 2019 to discuss the
    literature, share ideas on best practices in teaching and learning, and redesign a course
    with a view to improving student success and reducing D/F/W/I rates. Participating
    faculty then implemented their course redesign in Spring 2020, collected data on
    implementation when they taught, and presented their redesign plan and outcomes to each
    other and then to their departments and the college.

  • Small Interventions to Support Student Retention: Using TILT Framework for Assignment Redesign

    Based on the research conducted by UNLV researchers, the TILT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) method for assignment redesign provides faculty with the tools to make a small intervention in their teaching that will lead to significant gains in student success.  In the Spring 2019 workshops, CHSS faculty participants learned the TILT method for assignment redesign, focusing on clearly identifying the purpose, task, and criteria of each assignment.  When faculty provide greater transparency in assignment design, “students are more likely to experience greater academic success with that assignment, developing the knowledge, disposition, and skills necessary to succeed both at school and in life” (Winkelmes et. al, Peer Review 2016).  (For more information on the TILT method, please follow this link: https://www.aacu.org/peerreview/2016/winter-spring/Winkelmes)

    Please find below some exemplary assignments from the Spring 2019 faculty participants.

    Research and Writing Assignments

    Multimodal Assignments

 

 

 

©