CTL Happenings - Message #612

Busch, C. A., Bhanderi, P. B., Cooper, K. M., & Brownell, S. E. (2024). Few LGBTQ+ Science and Engineering Instructors Come Out to Students, Despite Potential Benefits. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(2), ar17.

LGBTQ+ undergraduates in science and engineering have high attrition rates and perceive that having LGBTQ+ instructors would benefit them. This article reports on two national studies that uncovered how instructor disclosure impacts student perceptions of and rapport with the instructor, aspects which impact attrition.

Looking for a quiet, comfortable space on campus to focus on your grading? The Faculty Crossing, located in the Center for Teaching and Learning (University Library, UL 1125M), is available to use during business hours over the next few weeks for end of semester grading. Coffee is available to help fuel your work!

Instructors are welcome to drop in whenever the space is not reserved. To check availability, please view the Faculty Crossing calendar.

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Ronda Henry and Dr. Carol Hostetter as our newest Faculty Fellows. Dr. Henry, Professor of English and Africana Studies at IU Indianapolis, is a champion of inclusive teaching and undergraduate research, and a recent recipient of the CTL Champion for Teaching Excellence Award. Dr. Hostetter, Professor Emerita in Social Work, is a nationally recognized leader in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, with numerous teaching awards and a FACET career award named in her honor. Learn more about their work on our Faculty Fellows webpage.

A “transparent” course design enhances student confidence and belonging, which we know leads to increased persistence and higher grades. Join our institute (call for applications opening soon) to make your course more transparent: showcase your course’s relevance and real-world applications, present learning tasks with greater clarity, and specify evaluation criteria to guide student learning. Start the fall semester with practical strategies to improve course completion and student retention!

Join us for "Accelerating to Excellence" - our interactive, Indianapolis racing-themed Teaching Assistant Orientation!

Sponsored by the Graduate School and the Center for Teaching and Learning, TA Orientation will take place on Friday, August 22 at 8:30 a.m. at the Campus Center. All first-time TAs are required to attend this high-octane event designed to fuel your success in the classroom.

Learn more and register.

Are you an associate faculty member (part-time faculty, adjunct faculty) at IU? Join us on Zoom for the Associate Faculty Welcome! Connect with colleagues over presentations and discussions on teaching and learning. Be inspired by a keynote address on building a vibrant culture of care in teaching by CTL Director, Marie Brown.

Friday, May 2 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Debbie Oesch-Minor & Rachel Swinford and Presenter: ePortfolio Grant Recipients

Join us for an engaging webinar where recent ePortfolio Grant recipients share their real-world experiences of implementing ePortfolios into their courses. Faculty will discuss both the successes and challenges they encountered while integrating this high impact practice, offering valuable insights into the process. Learn practical strategies for overcoming obstacles, enhancing student engagement, and leveraging ePortfolios for deeper learning. This webinar provides an opportunity to hear diverse perspectives, ask questions, and gain inspiration for your own ePortfolio initiatives.

Tuesday, May 6 | 3 - 4 p.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Daniel Janicki and Presenters: Eric Brinkman, Daniel Janicki, and Howard Fooksman

Gradescope is an enterprise tool freely available to all faculty at IU to help grade your assessments, replacing the functionality of Akindi and Scantron. This session a representative from Gradescope will demonstrate how to set up a grading assessments in the platform: how to design and setup assessments, and how to use Gradescope to improve your assessments by reviewing statistics.

Three 60-minute meetings on May 13, June 3, and June 17: 10 - 11 a.m. | Online - Zoom
Register » Organizer: Anusha S. Rao and Presenter: Carol Hostetter

Are you curious about how Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) can enhance your teaching and research, and support your promotion and/tenure efforts? Join the virtual Summer SoTL Journal Club, led by CTL’s SoTL Fellow Dr. Carol Hostetter, to explore SoTL literature in a collaborative, interdisciplinary setting. Participants will engage in structured discussions, critical analysis, and reflections, focusing on an article each meeting. Participants will leave with ideas for their own SoTL study as well as ways to enhance their disciplinary research. Open to all IU campuses, those new to SoTL and experienced SoTL scholars are welcome to join!

Schedule:

• The Summer SoTL Journal Club will meet virtually on three Tuesdays - May 13, June 3, and June 17 - from 10 – 11 a.m.

Participation Incentives:

• For a Deeper Dive into SoTL: The CTL has purchased free eBook copies of two highly reviewed SoTL books. All journal club participants will have free access to these books:
  • Chick, N. L. (Ed.). (2023). SoTL in action: Illuminating critical moments of practice. Taylor & Francis.
  • Yeo, M., Miller-Young, J., & Manarin, K. (2023). SoTL research methodologies: A guide to conceptualizing and conducting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Taylor & Francis.
• Access to the Assessment Institute: Journal club participants who attend all three meetings and submit their reflections will be eligible to receive 1 of 5 complimentary registration to the 2025 Assessment Institute. All participants will be eligible to receive the early bird registration rate for the conference. The Assessment Institute in Indianapolis is the nation’s oldest and largest event focused on assessing and improving higher education and a fantastic venue for disseminating SoTL work.
• Opportunity for a conference presentation: Three to five participants will be invited to serve on a panel to share their journal club experiences and outcomes at the 2025 Assessment Institute!

Articles:

• Article for the first meeting: Hostetter, C. (2013). Community matters: Social presence and learning outcomes. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 13(1), 77-86.
• Articles for second and third meetings will be chosen based on registrants’ disciplines. Articles and an empty outline with discussion prompts will be shared with participants two weeks in advance.

About Carol Hostetter:

Carol Hostetter is Professor Emerita from the School of Social Work at Indiana University, having joined the faculty in 2001.  She has won many teaching awards, including the top teaching award for all eight campuses of Indiana University. Dr. Hostetter has been a leader in Indiana University’s teaching academy, FACET (Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching) as well as in Indiana University’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) program. Her SOTL grants, presentations and publications focus on social presence in online courses, high-impact practices and learning analytics.  Carol serves as CTL’s SoTL Fellow this summer.

This event aligns with the following IUSM Academy of Teaching Scholars program competencies: Assessment Methods and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (A)

The IU Indianapolis Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research is currently accepting applications for a Faculty Fellow in Community Engaged Research. This internal opportunity is open to any tenure- or non-tenure track Faculty member with an advanced degree and a demonstrated portfolio of community-engaged research and scholarship. View the job posting.