Skip to Main Content

Faculty Development: Faculty Development Sessions

Source for your MSU Faculty Development Needs

Faculty Development Center Sessions

 

 

 Welcome to the Faculty Development Center!
We look forward to learning with you during our sessions soon!

The Faculty Development Center provides opportunities for ongoing discussions about pedagogy and instructional design. These are accomplished in one-on-one and group settings through faculty consultations, classroom visits, faculty learning communities, workshops, and conferences. We collaborate with people and programs on Murray State’s campus and beyond to support the advancement of engaging pedagogy and effective instructional design. We support the university’s core mission of teaching excellence by helping cultivate an institutional climate that values, promotes and rewards teaching excellence at Murray State University.

We look forward to working with you!

The Faculty Development Center

FALL WRITING GROUP CHALLENGE!

FALL WRITING GROUP CHALLENGE!

 

Fall is in the air, and it is the perfect time to work on your publications or other writing projects! 

Are you interested in joining other faculty to work consistently toward your writing goals in a quiet virtual space? 

Consider joining the FDC's Writing Group to get your important work done in a space with like-minded individuals! Whether you need to work on your articles, books, grants, book chapters, or other writing projects, you will be challenged to commit to your most important goals and receive encouragement, accountability, and much more along the way.

Facilitator: Dr. Firm Faith Watson, Director, Faculty Development Center

When: Tuesdays, October 15, 29; November 12, 26; 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.         

Where: Via Zoom

Register:  https://forms.gle/XuCUwwahqPZUAsz37
 

DEVELOPING A PURPOSE-DRIVEN PRODUCTIVITY PLAN TO HELP YOU SUCCEED!

DEVELOPING A PURPOSE-DRIVEN PRODUCTIVITY PLAN
TO HELP YOU SUCCEED!

 

 

Do you often struggle to manage your teaching, research, service or administrative responsibilities, while keeping up with the demands of academic life? Does your desire to achieve work-life harmony seem to be on a shelf?

Join us in this life-changing session to gain practical strategies that will help you align your daily habits with both your immediate priorities and long-term academic ambitions. We will explore meaningful productivity techniques and resources that will help you optimize your time while maintaining harmony across teaching, research, service, important/administrative responsibilities, and personal well-being.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify your most important goals for this season.

  2. Create a personalized productivity plan to achiever your teaching, research, service, and other important commitments/administrative responsibilities.

  3. Incorporate productivity techniques, such as time-blocking, to enhance focus and efficiency.

  4. Leverage technology tools to streamline tasks and manage your time more effectively.

  5. Consider strategies that support well-being while sustaining a high level of productivity.

Facilitator: Dr. Firm Faith Watson, Director, Faculty Development Center

When: Wednesday, October 16, 1:30 - 2:20 p.m. 
            Thursday, October 24, 2:00 - 2:50 p.m.        

Where: Via Zoom

Register:  https://forms.gle/XuCUwwahqPZUAsz37

SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING (SoTL) SERIES

 

SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING (SoTL) SERIES 
 

Session 2: SoTL Under the Hood: Practical Examples

What does SoTL (the scholarship of teaching and learning) look like in my discipline? How do I know what is SoTL and what is not? Is SoTL really evidence-based? 

This session will build on the basics discussed in Session 1: SoTL Over Sandwiches; however, it will not be necessary for you to attend that session to benefit from this one. Join the facilitators for a conversation about what research and inquiry looks like when it is systematic and evidence-based while focusing on enhancing pedagogical expertise for student learning. Participants will learn what to look for when reading SoTL scholarship and will engage with some of the most important questions and concerns about adopting a SoTL stance in one's own inquiry.

Objectives: 

  1. Identify basic characteristics of SoTL research

  2. Review examples of SoTL research in different disciplines

  3. Evaluate key questions around conducting and using SoTL research

Presenters: Dr. Zachary Garrett, Assistant Professor of English
                     Dr. Melony Shemberger, Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications
                   
When: Thursday, October 17, 11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.

Where: Face-to-Face at Waterfield Library or Via Zoom

Lunch will be provided for those who register to attend in person.

Register: https://forms.gle/XuCUwwahqPZUAsz37

Session 3: Designing Effective SoTL Projects: A Systematic Approach to Enhancing Teaching and Learning

Do you need guidance in designing your SoTL research project?  

The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is a systematic, evidence-based approach to improving teaching and learning. Examples are comparing assessment results, administering student surveys, and practicing a different instructional approach. A SoTL project is no different from a research project in your discipline, but practicing SoTL research helps you to assess better what is working in your courses and publish your findings. This session will help you to design a preliminary research plan for a SoTL project.

Objectives: 

  1. Consider at least one idea for a SoTL research project.

  2. Design a preliminary approach for a SoTL research project.

Presenters: Dr. Melony Shemberger, Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications
                     Dr. Jana Hackathorn, Professor and Chair, Psychology
                     Heather Johnston, Academic Coordinator of English as a Second Language

When: Wednesday, November 13, 2:00 - 2:50 p.m.

Where: Face-to-Face at Waterfield Library or Via Zoom

Bring: Your laptop, and possible ideas to begin designing your SoTL project!

Refreshments will be provided for those who register to attend in person.

Register: https://forms.gle/XuCUwwahqPZUAsz37

Session 4: Time to Share: Joining the SoTL Conversation 

Where do I present or publish my SoTL work?  

You are working on a SoTL project, or you have completed one. What’s next? Submitting it for a conference or publication to make it truly SoTL! In this session, we will examine the conversation around the scholarship of teaching and learning and include discussion on how to identify where, when, and how to share your work in the field.

Objectives: 

  1. Consider methods of sharing SoTL research.

  2. Identify conferences and publications that focus on SoTL research

Presenters: Megan Wilson, Research and Instruction Librarian
                     Dr. Melony Shemberger, Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication   

When: Thursday, December 5, 9:30 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.

Where: Face-to-Face at Waterfield Library, Room 211 or Via Zoom:

Register: https://forms.gle/XuCUwwahqPZUAsz37

The Faculty Development Academy

 

THE FACULTY DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY

 

Good news! We have organized the Faculty Development Academy (FDA), a virtual space (via Canvas) for you to access on-demand professional development resources in areas that include, but are not limited to, the following: Strategies for Teaching and Learning, Teaching Well With Technology, Scholarly Activities, Promotion and Tenure, Leadership, Wellbeing and Work-Life Balance.

What else is in this FDA for me?

In this self-paced academy, you have opportunities to do the following:

  1. Access on-demand resources (e.g., session recordings and handouts)

  2. Reflect on your learning (including personal application or plans to apply what you learned), and earn badges and certificates

Access the FDA featured sessions and more by self-enrolling in the FDA via  Canvas: https://murraystate.instructure.com/enroll/WTGYHH

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  ANNOUNCEMENTS  

 

 

Are you interested in learning about being a Canvas Certified Educator (CCE)? Do you need additional help to make your course stronger and amp up your instructional techniques?

Good news! Our very own Dr. Melony Shemberger is a Canvas Certified Educator! She now helps facilitate courses in the CCE program and can help you!

Contact: Dr. Melony Shemberger
                Department of Journalism and Mass Communications
                211 Wilson Hall
                270-809-6874
                mshemberger@murraystate.edu

SELF-PACED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  SELF-PACED PROFESSIONAL  DEVELOPMENT  

RUBRIC REHAB: DESIGNING AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR INSTRUCTORS AND LEARNERS

RUBRIC REHAB: DESIGNING AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR INSTRUCTORS AND LEARNERS

How would you evaluate the quality of a student's work? If you were to judge a chocolate chip cookie contest, how would you determine the winning cookie? 

Most likely, you would be given a rubric to help you. Just as a rubric is important in deciding the best cookie, a rubric also can be instrumental in assessing a student's work. This micro-learning training will guide you through the main parts of a rubric and how to create a rubric in Canvas. 

Session Objectives:

  1. Identify the main parts of a rubric.
  2. Apply the elements of a rubric to a student assignment.
  3. Create an effective rubric using the Canvas rubric tool.

Presenter:  Dr. Melony Shemberger, Associate Professor, Mass Communication 

When: This is a self-paced multimedia video.

Where: This micro-learning opportunity was created in Adobe Captivate and uploaded in a Canvas course for participants to self-enroll at this link: https://murraystate.instructure.com/enroll/7G3KMT.

ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY RESOURCE SITE

 

ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY RESOURCE SITE

 

Murray State subscribes to Quality Matters (QM), a non-profit organization that is focused on helping faculty with continuous improvement of online and blended courses. 

QM created a research-based rubric to help faculty determine the quality of their online and blended course design. 

The QM rubric standard number 8 indicates that "The course design reflects a
commitment to accessibility and usability for all learners."

To help you meet this standard, the QM community built the Accessibility & Usability Resource Site that addresses key accessibility and usability concerns such as:

  • Universal Design
  • Alternative Text
  • Video captioning
  • Accessible MS Office products
  • …And more

The resource also includes forums that provide you with the opportunity to connect directly with accessibility experts. It also includes videos with step-by-step guidance to help you increase the accessibility of your course.

If you do not yet have a QM account, please follow the steps below.

  1. Click on the MyQM link (located at the bottom of the Quality Matters home page) 
     
  2. Enter your Murray State e-mail address.  If you have an existing account, you may sign in or request a new password if needed. Alternatively, you may check "No, I am new here" and follow the prompts to create an account. 

FDC OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES AND SERVICES

  FDC OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES AND SERVICES

QM

Murray State University has subscribed to Quality Matters (QM), a non-profit organization focused on helping faculty with continuous improvement of online and blended courses.

Quality Matters created a research-based rubric to help faculty determine the quality of their online and blended course design.

Subscription Benefits includes (but are not limited to):

  • Access to the QM fully-annotated higher education rubric.
  • Access to the web-based automated rubric tools, for informal (unofficial/internal/ self) course reviews for the development and improvement of online or blended courses.
  • Discounts on QM professional development, official QM-managed course reviews, conferences, and events.
  • Ability to create MyQM accounts which gives all faculty and staff access to our tools and resources and their personal QM Activity, including certificates of training and/or course certification.

Access the QM Automated Rubric Tool

Faculty may conduct self-reviews of their online courses using the QM’s self-review tool. These reviews will be seen by only the faculty who conducts the self-reviews (unless the faculty decides to share the reviews).  There is no limit on the number of self-reviews that each faculty may conduct. To access the self-review tool, complete the following steps:

  1. Visit www.qualitymatters.org  
  2. Create a MyQM account: Click on the MyQM link (located at the bottom left of the Quality Matters home page)
  3. Enter your Murray State email address. If you have an existing QM account, you may sign in or request a new password if needed. Alternatively, you may check "No, I am new here" and follow the prompts to create an account.
  4. Once your account is created, you may access the self-review tool by clicking on the following links that are located on the left menu: My Tools → Course  Review System, and then select Start a Self-Review (from the bulleted list below the Welcome message).

SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTIONAL FEEDBACK (SGIF)

SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTIONAL FEEDBACK (SGIF)

Need feedback to improve your students’ learning experiences and potentially improve your end-of-course ratings? ​

You might be interested in participating in the FDC's Small Group Instructional Feedback (SGIF).

About SGIF: SGIF provides the opportunity for faculty to work with a facilitator to gather feedback from groups of student in their course (for about 25-30 minutes) about what is helping them learn and what could be improved. It also places extremes student opinions in context which, in turn, increases the validity of students' feedback and improve students' motivation.

Facilitator:  Firm Faith Watson, Director, Faculty Development Center

When:   Midway in the semester 

Register:  https://tinyurl.com/SGIF-Registration

View Flier: https://tinyurl.com/SGIF-Flyer

1-on-1 Consultations

1-on-1 Consultations

 

Do you need individual help (e.g., to design your face-to-face, online or blended courses)?

Please reach out to Dr. Firm Faith Watson to arrange one-on-one virtual  consultations at fwatson2@murraystate.edu. 

 

FDC TO YOU

 

Does your department have a need that the FDC could help you to meet?
The Faculty Development Center offers customized sessions that cater directly to your department's needs. Contact Dr. Firm Faith Watson at fwatson2@murraystate.edu to make arrangements.