Nurturing Faculty Use of Technology through Learning Communities

Submitted By: hunterk
Lead Presenter: Kim Hunter
Co-Presenter: Andrea Han, Educational Technology Coordinator/Center of Online Learning Coordinator at Miami University
Scheduled For: Tuesday @ 10:00 AM in Water Oaks I
Session Type: Session - Presentation (includes keynote & business mtg)
Preferred Paper Track: Regular (non peer-reviewed) Paper Track
Target Audience: faculty development professionals/instructional technology professionals/faculty

Abstract:

The work of Alexander Meiklejohn and John Dewey in the 1920s and ‘30s gave rise to the concept of a learning community. Increasing specialization and fragmentation in higher education caused Meiklejohn to call for a community of study and a unity and coherence of curriculum across disciplines. Dewey advocated learning that was active, student centered, and involved shared inquiry. A faculty learning community (FLC) is a cross-disciplinary faculty and staff group of 8 to 12 members engaging in an active, collaborative, yearlong program with a curriculum about enhancing teaching and learning and with frequent seminars and activities that provide learning, development, interdisciplinarity, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and community building. Learning communities address the teaching, learning, and developmental needs of faculty and staff combating the isolation, fragmentation, or chilly climate in the academy. (Miami University's Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching. 12 January 2009. .). The College of Mount St Joseph has had a wireless network and a mandatory notebook computer requirement for traditional, full-time students since January, 2001. We regularly offer technology training classes, one-on-one sessions and best practice workshops for faculty. While these efforts are somewhat successful, we found that Learning Communities are an excellent way to keep faculty motivated to explore and implement technology in their teaching. Miami University began facilitating Faculty Learning Communities in 1979 and has had similar findings. Miami is currently hosting three learning communities that address the intersection of technology and learning. Managing Learning Community membership and meetings, ideas for initiating quality discussions, the importance of a strong facilitator and assessment measures and successes and challenges will be discussed during the presentation.

Presenter Bio: Kim Hunter is Director of Instructional Technology at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio. She earned a BBA with a major in Computer Information Systems and MBA from the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio. Kim taught programming, database design, systems analysis and design and business systems courses for 17 years. She is also an experienced computer programmer/designer and system analyst working with several Fortune 500 companies.