Beyond the Choir: Reaching Faculty Where They Are
Brief Abstract
When faculty professional development is optional, teaching and learning centers need to be innovative in the way they deliver training. This lightning session will discuss the how and why of several programs that we have implemented in the past few years to reach beyond the usual suspects.
Extended Abstract
Everyone’s time is at a premium these days, which means professional development is not always at the forefront of faculty members’ minds. In order to be effective, centers for teaching and other faculty development groups on campus need to think critically about what, when, why, and how we deliver training and resources.
- How does our audience prefer to consume content?
- Are our sessions at times that are convenient?
- Are they in formats that are accessible to everyone?
- Are we asking faculty to give up too much time?
- Are we providing support for instructors at all levels, from beginner to expert?
- Do faculty understand what we are offering?
- Why have we chosen the topics that we do?
- What topics could we present in a more concise format?
This is just a small sample of the questions we asked during the critical review our center has undergone in the last few years resulting in several new and dynamic programs. This session will walk through our reflection and the resulting programming changes to help spark fresh ideas for faculty development that the audience can take to their home institution.