First Virtual Global Faculty Institute a Success - DE Oracle

DE Oracle @ UMUC An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty Center for Support of Instruction First Virtual Global Faculty Institute a Success Susan Pollack Instructional Support Specialist Center for Support of Instruction Published: September-October 2012 Category: » University-showcase » Conference-presentations UMUC's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) recently sponsored the first Virtual Global Faculty Institute for UMUC faculty worldwide at the end of July. This three-day professional development event, themed Effective Faculty, Successful Students, offered a variety of informational sessions for both graduate and undergraduate faculty to assist them with their teaching skills. The institute was conducted entirely online via WebEx, the university's synchronous communication platform. Sessions were held throughout the day each day, and several sessions were offered multiple times to accommodate faculty living in a variety of time zones. Kimberly Stott, Executive Director of CTL, noted that over 300 faculty from all around the globe attended the event. Session offerings included: Giving Useful Feedback Building Social and Teaching Presence with Instructor-Created Videos Designing Effective Online Discussions Technology Showcase Insights on Teaching Hybrid Courses Assessing Graduate Student Learning The Theory and Practice of Student Success: Practical Tips for Faculty. Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer Marie Cini delivered the keynote presentation, The Importance of Faculty in the Learning Equation, and Cynthia Davis, Acting Dean of The Undergraduate School, and Robert Goodwin, Interim Dean of The Graduate School, led school-specific plenary sessions that focused on aligning faculty capabilities with institutional priorities and current research. Additionally, representatives from the Office of Information Technology discussed UMUC's upcoming transition to a new learning management system, and Dan McCollum from Institutional Effectiveness reviewed a variety of strategies to promote greater faculty effectiveness online and in the blended classroom. According to Stott, the institute "was the work of over 50 people from many of the UMUC divisions, stateside and overseas, who gave their time freely to help plan, support, and deliver the event." All of the sessions allowed participants to ask the presenters questions via the WebEx interface, which were moderated by CTL staff and other volunteers. Technical support issues were handled by staff from the Center for Support of Instruction as well as Information Technology. Follow-up questions, discussions, and activities were made available to attendees after the institute in a specially designated classroom within WebTycho to continue the engaging conversations. Previous iterations of this event, often known as the Summer Institute, had been hosted onsite in Maryland, and only a select few faculty or academic administrators could attend. This year, participants near and far welcomed the opportunity to connect and collaborate with their colleagues. "The feedback we've received to date has been overwhelmingly positive—with people sharing that they First Virtual Global Faculty Institute a Success - DE Oracle Contact Site Manager Created and Maintained by the Center for Support of Instruction © University of Maryland University College Powered by ArticleMS from ArticleTrader.com found the material useful and that they were pleased that UMUC hosted a conference that all faculty, regardless of location, were able to attend," said Stott. "Our experience with this institute opens the doors to many future synchronous Web-based events." Please see the CTL Web page (http://www.umuc.edu/ctl/) for additional professional development opportunities that are available throughout the year. About the Author(s) Susan began her career at UMUC in 1998 as a digital communications specialist in the Center for the Virtual University and the Center for Media & New Technology. She joined the Center for Support of Instruction in 2007 as an instructional support specialist. With a bachelor's degree in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Distance Education from UMUC, Susan brings to the table a wealth of experience in online communications and learning. Her life before UMUC included five years in the educational publishing industry at the McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center and several years in print publishing and editing for newspapers, a law firm, and several nonprofit organizations. Susan considers herself a lifelong learner who is always eager to try new things. She is continually on the lookout for learner support and communication issues. She is also an advocate of accessibility in online learning applications. Rating: Not yet rated Comments No comments posted. You must be logged in and be a member of the UMUC community in order to comment. If you are a member of the UMUC community and do not have an account, please register for a FREE one. If you have a guest account but are Faculty/Staff of UMUC please send an email to the DE Oracle Site Manager (mailto:degrad@umuc.edu?subject=Please Update my DE Oracle Guest Account) so that your guest account can be updated. First Virtual Global Faculty Institute a Success - DE Oracl