Many faculty have shared that scheduling conflicts interfere with their ability to participate in some CTL events. They also expressed diverse interests with respect to the topics they’re most interested in exploring further. Meeting in a small group about a topic of shared interest would allow people to set their own schedules and develop their own goals with support from the CTL.
What is a Learning Community? A learning community is a small group of faculty and staff who are interested in deepening their knowledge about a particular topic and/or working together to develop a project or community of practice. They would read, meet, discuss, plan, and possibly share what they learn with the broader community. This could take place over a semester or an entire academic year.
What would CTL provide? The Cromwell CTL can help coordinate scheduling of the learning communities, provide lunch tickets so participants can meet and discuss over a meal in Hodson, and provide funds to purchase books or other materials relevant to the topic.
What would the learning community share at the end? Participants could share their findings in a number of (low stress) ways. They could report out at a CTL Bitesize or lunch-and-learn event; they could write a blog post for The Catalyst or create a short video or podcast about the topic; they could communicate findings and suggestions regarding the topic to relevant committees and campus leaders. Participants could also list on their annual review materials and/or CV their participation in a “Cromwell Learning Community.”
For Fall 2023, here are some Cromwell Learning Communities getting underway. (If interested in learning more about these, contact the point-persons identified).
- Alternative Grading (Dylan Poulsen and Sean Meehan)
- Civic and Community Engagement (Pat Nugent and Emily Steinmetz)
- Data Across the Curriculum (Jordan Tirrell)
- Faculty/Staff Writing Group + Discussion of Work in Progress (Rachel Rodriguez and Sean Meehan)
Other Topics for a Learning Community You Might Organize (Please contact us and we will help you get started)
- Book Club (you select the reading)
- Classroom Discussions
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging
- Faculty/Staff Career Development
- Faculty/Staff Wellness
- Interdisciplinary/Transdisciplinary Teaching and Research
- Mind, Brain, and Education: Lessons from Learning Sciences
- Open Educational Resources (OER)
- Universal Design for Learning