Meeting+Minutes

Meeting Minutes
Following each gathering of the Foundations CoP, a summary of discussion points will be posted here. Check it out.

A handful of faculty came out today - the start of week four of the term. We discussed a number of issues which are outlined below.
 * October 4, 2011**

The benefits of soliciting student input was discussed. Most striking was the sense from students of how little such feedback is solicited from them and how much they appreciate being asked to comment on how things are going in the classroom. It was also noted that asking for student feedback mid way through the term allows one to respond to issues and concerns and make change in a tangiable, meaningful way. Not only that, but implementing a midsemester feedback tool provides a mechanism to collect written students comments which the end-of-term evaluation administered by the university (via each person's department) does not. Keep in mind that the completion of such tools by students is voluntary and should be anonymous (unless a student chooses to add their name). I ususally pitch to students the importance of their feedback, why it is being collected and how it will be used. This usually creates a context that students are open to and therefore willing to particpate. Note too that Educational Development offers a free confidential service to adminster midsemestser feedback tools in classes, including the preparation of a summary of written students comments. If you are interested in this service, please contact Educational Development at mneil@wlu.ca or ext. 3507 (519 884-0710).
 * Mid-semester Feedback**

In sharing different examples of active learning (e.g., [|think-pair-share)], we discussed the importance of finding activities/strategies that reflect the audience at hand, the course context, and the instructor's comfort level with the activity. There was recognition too that active learning can become more challenging in larger enrolment courses (e.g., takes longer to implement, extra attention to planning neeed) and that in these cases, starting small with low-risk activities such as a think-pair-share activity may be best. The resource pagefrom the Teaching Larger Clases CoP has several resources that may be of interest. Another book that may be of interest is //Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty// (Barkey, Cross & Howell, 2005 - LB1032 .B318). Finally, it was acknowledged that you need to let students know about and create an expectation for active participation in classes if you intend to take such an approach (e.g., setting the tone and expectation from day one, being consistent in the implementation of such activities, reinforcing their value, and connecting them to the real world).
 * Active Learning**

We also chatted about navigating relationships with department colleagues especially those in positions of power (e.g., tenured vs CAS or tenured vs. tenure stream) and how best to go about this navigation process. While we did not come up with a decisive answer, we strategized a few options to explore (e.g., finding out more from colleagues how a given individual operates and the best way to work with him/her; talking with a respected, experienced faculty mentor about the situation; knowing yourself in terms of what you can let slide and what you cannot).
 * Faculty Relations**