Faculty Learning Communities

Building Effective Student Learning Communities to Increase Engagement in Online/Hybrid Courses

Online/Hybrid Faculty Learning Communities meet throughout the semester to focus on improving teaching and learning in distance education at Grand Valley State University.

The eLearning team and GVSU faculty gather to form Online/Hybrid Faculty Learning Communities to:

  • Support new and experienced online/hybrid faculty through dialogue and samples
  • Explore best practices associated with online/hybrid teaching and learning
  • Identify emerging technological needs to support online teaching and learning
  • Share collective expertise across disciplines

Recently the focus was on the Community of Inquiry Framework (CoI).  Participants in the Online/Hybrid Faculty Learning Communities spent time discussing and sharing specific examples of how to build “Teaching Presence, Social Presence and Cognitive Presence” in courses.

Couldn’t attend the Online/Hybrid Faculty Learning Community meetings? Don’t worry, we have you covered! Here is a recording of the October 17, 2019 Pew Campus Learning Community session, facilitated by Kim Kenward, Instructional Designer in IDeL group in eLearning and Emerging Technologies:

Pew Campus Online/Hybrid Faculty Learning Community Recording

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Additional Resources

Online and Hybrid Faculty Learning Communities – Fall Topics Identified

onlinehybrid faculty learning communitiesWhether you’ve been teaching online or hybrid courses for several years, or just getting ready to start developing your first course, all levels of expertise are welcome to join our Online & Hybrid Faculty Learning Communities!

Teaching at GVSU? Please contact Kim Kenward (kenwardk@gvsu.edu) to be added to our Blackboard Organization for meeting reminders, agendas and resources.

ALLENDALE CAMPUS

Meeting Thursdays 11 – 12:30pm in 4454 KHS
(September 19, October 24, November 14, December 5) 

  • Discussion Topics: 10/24 (4454 KHS 11am – 12:30pm)
    Preparing to teach hybrid/online for the first time, including considerations of strategy and prudence (e.g. what courses are best suited, how do we best support students).
  • Discussion Topics: 11/14 (4454 KHS 11am – 12:30pm)
    Panopto – Taking it to the next level. Best practices and advanced video creation suggestions. Tips for creating more professional looking videos which include standardized intros, closings, departmental branding..etc. Tips/tools for student-created video projects.
  • Discussion Topics: 12/5 (4454 KHS 11am – 12:30pm)
    Discussion Board best practices and pedagogical approaches and technologies to support group work.

CHS/RFH CAMPUSES

Meeting Wednesdays 1pm – 2:30pm and rotates between RFH and CHS (September 18 CHS211, October 16 RFH351, November 13 CHS211, December 4  RFH351)

  • Discussion Topics: 10/16 (351RFH 1pm – 2:30pm)
    Student engagement strategies, pedagogical approaches/technologies which support student-to-student engagement, teacher-to-student engagement, student-to-content engagement and student-to-world engagement.
  • Discussion Topics: 11/13 (211CHS 1pm – 2:30pm)
    Best practices and advanced video creation suggestions. Tips for creating more professional looking videos which include standardized intros, closings, departmental branding..etc. Tips/tools for student-created video projects
  • Discussion Topics: 12/4 (351RFH 1pm – 2:30pm)
    Supporting student group projects through Blackboard Collaborate, Google sites and other technologies. This will also include a discussion regarding group contracts, group norms and other approaches for keeping students on task as well as grading approaches to group work.

PEW CAMPUS

Meeting Thursdays 10:30 – 12pm in DEV 225E
(September 19, October 17, November 14, December 5)

  • Discussion Topics: 10/17 (225E DEV 10:30am – 12pm)
    Social presence best practices/pedagogical approaches/technologies which support student-to-student engagement, teacher-to-student engagement, student-to-content engagement and student-to-world engagement.
  • Discussion Topics: 11/14 (225E DEV 10:30am – 12pm)
    Best practices and advanced video creation suggestions. Tips for creating more professional looking videos which include standardized intros, closings, departmental branding.etc. Tips/tools for student-created video projects.
  • Discussion Topics: 12/5 (225E DEV 10:30am – 12pm)
    Strategies and tips for revising online/hybrid courses. Supporting student group projects through Blackboard Collaborate, Google sites and other technologies. This will also include a discussion regarding group contracts, group norms and other approaches for keeping students on task as well as grading approaches to group work.

ABOUT ELEARNING AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

CZnzUuCt_400x400Our eLearning and Emerging Technologies team is on mission to supporting faculty pursuing innovation in teaching an learning.

Our team provides a wide array of services and resources designed to facilitate digital learning at GVSU through supporting faculty in delivering high quality, innovative teaching.

We support faculty, contribute to teaching excellence, and enhance student success through:

Join an Online/Hybrid Faculty Learning Community

cqqdn0eu8aeermsWelcome back and Happy New Year!

If you are teaching an online or hybrid course this semester we would like to extend a personal invitation for you to considering joining our GVSU Online & Hybrid Teaching Faculty Learning Community.

The initial group began meeting in January 2015 and we now have three learning communities (one per campus) located at the Allendale, CHS or Pew campuses where we meet once a month for 90 minutes to:

  • Support new and experienced online/hybrid faculty through dialogue and samples
  • Explore best practices associated with online/hybrid teaching and learning
  • Identify emerging technological needs to support online teaching and learning
  • Share collective expertise across disciplines

Sponsored by IDeL (Instructional Design for eLearning) and the Pew Faculty Teaching & Learning Center, these learning communities provide a venue for faculty-led dialogue and to share collective expertise regarding online/hybrid instruction at GVSU.   During the winter semester we will be meeting at the following dates/locations:  

  • Wednesday(s) meeting at CHS
    1pm – 2:30pm 1/17 (CHS127), 2/14 (CHS209), 3/14 (CHS209), 4/18 (CHS209)
  • Thursday(s) Meeting on the Pew Campus
    9:30am – 11am  1/18, 2/15, 3/15, 4/19 (302E DEV)
  • Friday(s) Meeting in Allendale
    11:30am – 1pm 1/19, 2/16, 3/16, 4/20 (KHZ4402)

We will use our first meeting to introduce members, share technology updates, review discussion topics and assign various faculty to act as lead facilitators for subsequent meetings.  In addition to monthly meetings, a Blackboard organization has been set up to provide access to new resources/meeting agendas and minutes related to online & hybrid teaching.  If you’d like me to add you to this Bb organization so that you can be part of our email distributions (even if your schedule doesn’t allow for meeting attendance) we are happy to add you. 

Please contact Kim Kenward if you are interested in joining our Online/Hybrid Teaching Faculty Learning Community and best wishes with your winter semester preparations!

Kim Kenward, Instructional Designer
kenwardk@gvsu.edu
Grand Valley State University

kenwardk_150tThis eLearning post comes to you from Kim Kenward, Instructional Designer in IDeL. Kim holds a Masters in Information and Library Studies from the University of Michigan, and joined GVSU in 2000 as an instructional designer. In addition to her instructional designer duties, she is also responsible for facilitating university-wide and department specific faculty development workshops and coordinates the Online & Hybrid Teaching Faculty Learning Communities.  

Faculty Learning Communities highlight Innovative Teaching Practices @GVSU

The Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center provides Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) to bring faculty together to foster a 1-2 semester-long conversations on a topic of mutual interest and to encourage an application of the knowledge gained.

The eLearning team supports Online & Hybrid Faculty Learning Communities through facilitation by IDeL with the purpose of engaging faculty in a variety of innovative teaching practices and topics to enhance teaching and improve student success.

Compiled by Kim Kenward, Instructional Designer in IDeL, the following topics are being highlighted in the Fall semester:

Allendale Campus Learning Community (KHS4402)
Friday’s 11:30 – 1pm

  • October 20 – Discussion Topics
    Maximizing Blackboard
    Presenters:  Sherry Barricklow, Vince St. GermainEngaging Students in Hybrid/Online Courses (Padlet, FlipGrid, Video Reflective Journals, etc)
    Presenters: Janel Guikema and Lisa Hammer
  • November 17 – Discussion Topics
    Multimodal Learning in the Online Classroom
    Presenter: Julia VanderMolenBadges, badges, badges!
    Presenter:  Matt Roberts
  • December 1 – Discussion Topic
    Amazon Alexa and AI in Education
    Presenter:  Szymon Machajewski

CHS Campus Learning Community (CHS209)
Wednesday’s 1 – 2:30pm

  • October 18 – Discussion Topics
    Peer assessment tools, Best practices for facilitating group work and team-based learning, and Adaptive Release, Bb Goals, and Bb Achievements
    Presenters:  Raymond Higbea, Lara Jaskiewicz, Vince St. Germain (and others)
  • November 15 – Discussion Topics:
    Video/Audio (tools and best practices) Ensemble dropbox, Collaborate Ultra, lightboard, PlayPosit, Flipgrid, and other tools, and ADA/UDL Considerations
    Presenters:  Erika Bailey, Kristin Vu, Scott Truskowski (and others)
  • December 6 – Discussion Topics
    Course organization & design considerations to Maximize Learning (Show-n-Tell of Bb sites) and Quality Matters Standard 1
    Presenters:  OST Hybrid courses and other departmental samples including Educational Leadership NHA cohort

Pew Campus Learning Community (DEV302E)
Thursday’s 9:30 – 11am

  • October 26 – Discussion Topics
    Student Readiness for Online Learning/Academic Integrity (Samples from Math), Supporting Online Students (GVSU University Libraries and GVSU Writing Center), Supporting Students with Technology Requirements, and Adaptive Release/Peer Feedback
    Presenters:  Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra, Writing Center representative, Amanda Forslund (Math), Meagan Knoll and Kim Kenward
  • November 16 – Discussion Topics
    Creative uses of Video in Online/Hybrid Courses, Synchronous Best Practices,
    and UDL/ADA considerations
    Presenters:  Justin Melick, Hunter Bridwell, Jeremy Robinson, Rosemary Cleveland
  • December 7 – Discussion Topics
    Alternative Technology/Assignments & Tips for preparing for Winter Semester
    Presenters:  Pam Page, Lissa Brunan, Coeli Fitzpatrick and Kim Kenward