An Introduction

 

 Dr. Larry Gould, Provost 

 

 

 

For most of us who acquired our degrees in the 20^th century, it did not take long to understand that learning was intended to be a more or less individualized process. Our graduate school experiences and selection of a specialized discipline were strong reminders of an individualized culture of learning. Those who could conduct research on our own were recognized as “scholars” and ultimately rewarded with advanced degrees.

 

The strange irony is by the time we acquired our first teaching positions, we found out that learning was really a social phenomenon. As faculty, we soon learned that sharing and exchanging syllabi, grading practices, pedagogical approaches and other teaching resources was not only expected but essential. These early disciplinary face-to-face (F2F) “communities of practice” eventually evolved into wider interconnected communities across disciplines and campus. It was not long before we understood that the individualized practice of learning acquired in graduate school had to be eclipsed by a more collective learning experience if were to develop a rich and powerful teaching capability. 

 

For several years, the Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning Technologies (CTELT) has facilitated “teaching and learning communities” and helped to enable  teaching excellence by providing all kinds of opportunities for Fort Hays State University (FHSU) faculty to share and exchange information about effective practices for both traditional and virtual learning environments. These faculty enhancement efforts are a direct reflection of the CTELT mission:

 

The mission and role of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning Technologies (CTELT) is to improve the overall institutional effectiveness, quality, and creativity of Fort Hays State University by fostering the growth and development of individual faculty and staff. CTELT recognizes that institutional change begins with the multiple roles and responsibilities faculty must fulfill in the constant remaking of the structure, culture and needs of the higher education community.

 

Today, however, it is important that CTELT build on its early successes in facilitating the work of faculty by helping to enable the campus revolution in mobile teaching and learning. The value of using mobile technologies to enhance teaching and learning is already underway in the form of the university’s new “soft” mandate that all students must eventually have tablet computers. Podcasting, videoblogging, smart phones and innumerable other devices are already being tested. CTELT’s role is to enable this revolution by augmenting the social dimension of the faculty learning process. As one way of enriching knowledge and discussion about mobile teaching and learning opportunities and techniques, CTELT has developed this “wiki.”  According to the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, a wiki is “described as a ….discussion medium, a repository, a mail system, and a tool for collaboration, wikis provide users with both author and editor privileges.” From my perspective, it is the latest manifestation of learning as a social phenomenon that will help greatly to enable the collective success of the university’s mobile teaching and learning.

 

 

 

Introduction

Active Learning

Collaborative Learning

Classroom Management

Enhanced Feedback

References

 

 

 

 

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