CTEI Announces Recipients of Teaching and Learning Grants 2022-2023

January 20, 2023

Submitted By: Lydia Chiappetti

The Executive Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation and Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies are pleased to offer faculty grants to promote innovations in teaching and learning to the following recipients:

Cindy Thomas-Charles (Assistant Professor), Laura Enzor (Assistant Professor), and Bin Zhu (Professor) from the Biology Department in A&S, will use this grant to collaborate on a project to promote inclusive and equitable learning in BIO122: Introductory Biology I. They will create a series of mini-workshops focused on best practices for effective studying of an introductory course. Specifically, they will curate materials that help students to effectively use the chapter learning outcomes to design intentional study sessions and to clearly understand the depth of knowledge needed to be successful. They will also design materials to help students bridge concepts throughout the course and develop study techniques based on their learning types. In addition, they will develop a guide to help students effectively use peer and professor-led help resources. The final goal is to develop strategies every student, regardless of their background or previous knowledge, can use to examine their approaches to studying and ultimately develop new approaches to learning and preparing for assessment.

Sundeep R. Muppidi, Professor of Digital Media and Journalism in A&S will use this grant to support the development and incorporation of UIS course assignments that require students to engage in deliberate inquiry and analysis, related to the course topics. The specific learning outcomes that this project intends to develop/impact are the critical thinking cognitive competencies of the individual student. Students will learn to read materials critically, evaluate the evidence, and be able to make the decisions on the veracity of the materials presented accordingly.

Solaleh Miar, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering in CETA, will initiate an experiential learning technique within the Biomaterials course to introduce different hands-on aspects of Biomaterials Science in Biology, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, and Tissue Engineering in the course BE402. The study plan consists of four modules paired with lectures: Module I: Biomaterials preparation based on different techniques. Module 2: Biomaterials characterizations, Module 3: Mechanical characterization, and Module 4: Biological characterizations and Tissue Engineering applications. The experience gained from the designed modules will assist students in developing the skillsets they will require during their capstone projects, industrial internships, and research in academic settings.

Song Wang, Assistant Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical Engineering in CETA, will use this grant to attend the Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) workshop organized by American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). ASCE is one of the nation’s largest and oldest engineering society, and ExCEEd program provides various faculty development opportunities tailored specifically for civil engineering faculties to improve their teaching abilities. Professor Wang will implement the methods and models learned from the workshop to all the civil engineering classes, as well as general engineering science classes in CETA, to enhance students’ learning experience and styles.

Jacqueline Lubin, Assistant Professor of Special Education in ENHP, will use this grant to help foster intercultural competence through an Internationalization at Home (IaH) project. This project includes an online collaboration between undergraduate students in the Integrated Elementary/Special Education Program with K- 12 students, parents, and teachers in the international community to create Individual Education Programs (IEPs). Undergraduate students will learn about IEPs in the US and will use that knowledge to develop IEPs for students in a different culture in another part of the world. They will be required to make data-driven decisions to develop IEPs taking into consideration culture and context. Lastly, undergraduate students will compare their US experience of creating IEPs to the international experience and discuss the impact on their knowledge, skills, and disposition. The ultimate goal is that this IaH project equip students with the skills/competencies needed to work with diverse populations in the global community.

Barb Haines, (Associate Dean of Online and Continuing Education, University & Online Studies, Division of Graduate and Professional Studies in University Studies) and Judy Wyman Kelly (Associate Director, Faculty liaison and Curriculum Content, Instructor in UIS) will implement a new discussion board platform, ActiveClass, in two online classes during spring semester. ActiveClass has a social-media-like feed that allows students and instructors to post easily, react, comment, share, chat, and even go live--all within Blackboard via an LTI connection. This format will feel more familiar to students and, as such, will facilitate increased engagement and pave the way for a more connected community of inquiry. Part of the grant will make ActiveClass free for all students in the course, thus supporting the goal of equal and equitable learning opportunities.