What We Are About!
Ain ShamsUniv., Cairo
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Tufts University
Lawrence University
Utah State
University
University of
Dubuque
College of Idaho
Madison AreaTechnical College
Augustana College
Pacific University of Oregon
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Grand Valley State University
North CarolinaState
University
Purdue University
Ball State University
Ohio State
University
Bethel University
Stillman College
University of
Louisville
UW - Madison
Southern Illinois
University
CIRTL Network MeetingSpring 2014Athens, GA
Earth’s Crust4.368 – 4.380 Gyr
The CIRTL mission is to enhance excellence in undergraduate education
through the development of a national faculty committed to implementing and advancing
effective teaching practices for diverse learners as part of successful and varied professional careers.
CIRTL Mission
Mission
To Advance STEM Undergraduate Learning
The Core IdeasTeaching-as-ResearchLearning Community
Learning-through-Diversity
StrategyPreparing Future Faculty
What Makes Us CIRTL?
The CIRTL Network – March 2014
22% of nation’s
PhD production
Current Focus:Effective and Supportive Evaluation
Goals
CIRTL Core Ideas in action => preparing future faculty
Another lens and dimension for sharing successes Formative improvement of activities and impact
Summative basis for future growth of the Network
Report to NSF and other funding agencies
Learning Outcomes
The Original New Ideas
CIRTL – KnowledgeDescribe and Recognize Value
CIRTL Practitioner – PracticeEngage
CIRTL Scholar – ScholarshipAdvance and Disseminate
Associate Fellow
Learning Outcomes
The Original New Ideas
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
Taking a synthetic, holistic view ….
Preparing future faculty capable of implementing and advancing effective teaching practices.
Ultimately this is the outcome that matters most.
The CIRTL hypothesis has been that future faculty will embrace [] research-based high-impact approaches to teaching by doing teaching-as-research, having learning community experiences, and experiencing learning-through-diversity—and furthermore, that their self-discovery will lead to deeper understanding and engagement with these ideas.
- NSF proposal
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
The core ideas are the CIRTL path to such future faculty.
Taking a synthetic, holistic view ….
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
Evidence that CIRTL core ideas prepare such future faculty.
Suppose that you are preparing to teach some scientific concept from your discipline (e.g., the nitrogen cycle, amplitude, redox reactions). Describe the steps that you will take.
Taking a synthetic, holistic view ….
Assessment & Evaluation Classroom Research Learning Outcomes
Literature Teaching Improvement
Teaching-as-Research Pillar Being Part of a Community
Classroom Environment Community (general)
Group Work Learning Community Pillar
Benefits of Diversity Diverse Instruction
Diverse Learners Diversity (general)
Equity and Social Justice Inclusive Teaching
Learning-through-Diversity Pillar Cognition, Learning & Development
Active Learning* Communicating with Learners
Generic Learning Knowing your Learners
Career Planning Teaching Philosophy
Teacher's Role
LC
-Rel
ated
Con
cept
s L
earn
ing
& L
earn
ers
0 50 100 150 200 250
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
Taking a synthetic, holistic view ….
Current education research (Ambrose et al., 2010; Svinicki & McKeachie 2010; Weimer 2002) supports the argument that the national goal of advancing STEM undergraduate learning will be advanced by STEM faculty who characterize and engage in their teaching similarly to the future faculty in this study.
- NSF proposal
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
Taking a synthetic, holistic view ….
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
The Learning Outcomes are our framework to realizethe CIRTL path to future faculty capable of implementing and advancing effective teaching practices
Our evaluations need to provide data on both the learning outcomes and the future faculty themselves.
Taking a synthetic, holistic view ….
Our evaluation approaches and instruments need to includeboth analytic and synthetic components.
Synthetic - Suppose that you are preparing to teach some scientific concept from your discipline (e.g., the nitrogen cycle, amplitude, redox reactions). Describe the steps that you will take.
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
Extremes
Analytic and synthetic approaches to evaluation
Analytic - Implement one or more LC strategies for students in a teaching experience.
Summative goal of our evaluation plans and instruments
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
Demonstrating that CIRTL participants will be STEM future faculty capable of implementing and
advancing effective teaching practices.
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
1400
700
100
Associates
Practitioners
Scholars
Outcome Level
Ann
ual G
oal
Closing thought on roles and responsibilities
Closing thought on roles and responsibilities
Trees and Forest – Some Meta-Thoughts
1) The Learning Outcomes describe what a CIRTL participant at a particular level is able to do.
2) Each institution has the freedom and the responsibility to decide how to prepare their CIRTL participants to do these outcomes.
3) Each university has the freedom and the responsibility to judge whether a participant has achieved a given level of capablity.
Associate, Practitioner, ScholarLearning Outcome Levels YesProgramming Framework UsefulGoals for our Participants ?
A bit of history
We have never attracted students by marketing our labels; we attract students by marketing who they become.
(With certification being all to the better … from student perspective …)
Some Thoughts on Marketing
Benefits of Involvement in CIRTL Networkfor (Senior) Future Faculty
“You’re interviewing for the academic job of your dreams … they ask for evidence of excellence in your teaching. What will you say thatdistinguishes you from the crowd?”
• I am part of a national learning community of graduate students, post-docs and faculty who are advancing ways to integrate research, teaching, and learning.
• I have been exposed to and worked with undergraduate teaching and learning at diverse institutions across the nation. These institutions serve a wide range of students, much like your diverse student body.
• I have presented my teaching-as-research results across the nation.
• I am a player in a national movement to improve research, teaching, and learning in STEM.
• The CIRTL Network will continue to serve as a national forum for easy dissemination of my
disciplinary and teaching-as-research work. And I can connect you to the Network too.
III. Demonstrated skills in teaching and learning...
Curriculum Vitae
Your University
Your Name
i) Knowledge and skills in evidence-based, high-impact teaching and learning
ii) Experience in developing, implementing and evaluating new ways of teaching
iii) Ability to apply research skills to the improvement of student learning
iv) Leadership in a learning community focused on teaching and learning
v) Awareness of how to promote successful learning with diverse student audiences
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Network Exchange Program
Obtain funding to present and conduct your disciplinary research and your teaching-as-research projects across a national network of universities.
Apply for funding to develop, implement and evaluate your teaching-as-research ideas, at UW and throughout the CIRTL Network
STEM Education Scholars
Prepare for diverse teaching roles through a summer immersion experience for early faculty, postdocs, and senior graduate students
Graduate Seminars
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO
Howard University Washington, DC
Texas A & M University
College Station, TX
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
The CIRTL CaféBuild professional connections and collaborations through this online portal for the national CIRTL Network learning community
Learning-through-Diversity in ActionLearn from the successful learning-through-diversity practices implemented across the CIRTL Network.
Contact: www.cirtlcafe.net
Explore and develop your skills in teaching with graduate students, postdocs and faculty from diverse research universities across the nation
Seed Grant Program
The CIRTL Network:
Your National Connection to Future Faculty
DIVERSE by Design
NATIONAL in Purpose
Connection to Your Future Faculty Career
CIRTL @ [Your University] !
Network Expansion Process – 20112016
80% Ph.D.’s
108 Research Universities
2-yr College
Liberal Arts
Masters University
Comprehensive University Research
University
Undergraduate Education
CIRTL Strategy
• BOTTOM LINE – Preparing a significant number of future faculty to have dynamic and effective faculty
careers that integrate research, teaching and learning based on the three CIRTL pillars.
• BOTTOM LINE - Institutionalized local CIRTL programs that continue to accomplish above.
• BOTTOM LINE – Understand the impact of cross-Network activities on future faculty preparation
• TARGET GOAL - Expansion of the CIRTL Network to increase above.
What Represents Success for our prototype CIRTL Network?
(from 2009 meeting)
In order to have a major impact on future STEM undergraduate education, we presume that CIRTL needs to influence future faculty preparation at substantially more graduate schools than those of the current six universities in the prototype CIRTL Network.
Thus the prototype CIRTL Network must expand
We also presume that the timescale for national change in STEM faculty is longer than timescales of NSF funding.
and become independently sustainable.
Premise of this Meeting(from 2009 meeting)
2002 NSF funds CIRTL
2003 Delta Program opens as prototype
2005 FAST Program at MSU
2007 NSF funds CIRTL Network
2010 Growth Plan for CIRTL Network
2011 Recruitment for Expansion to 25
35 applications
2016 Recruitment for “Last” Expansion
N applications
A Bit of CIRTL History
Fall 2014
Iowa StateAmes IA
October 9-10, 2014