By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL Jon Bull decided to make using open educational resources (OERs) a priority for his work at VU in order to help with student retention. That is why Jon instituted the OER Development Awards. This program, now in its sixth year, awards faculty from $500-$2,000 to move their […]
Tag: Curriculum
Collaborative Spaces: One Size Does Not Fit All
By Ed Finn, Executive Director, CITAL Collaboration can happen almost anywhere; we see it all the time. Whether it is students sitting underneath a tree on a fall afternoon, or faculty members engaged in discussion at Grinders, the need to congregate and discuss big ideas is ever-present on a college campus. In this short article, […]
Getting Your Students Excited about Learning
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL Two proven ways to get students excited about learning are research and philanthropy. In the article below, you will learn about how the students of Kristi Bugajski (Biology) are raising money to combat malaria. You will also hear about two alumni whose introduction to research at Valpo […]
The Green Campus and Eco-Pedagogy
By Cynthia Rutz, Director, Valparaiso Institute for Teaching and Learning (CITAL) Would you like to see VU become more sustainable? Then read on to learn about some green initiatives on campus. Alberto López Martín (WLC), VU’s first Faculty Development Fellow, has spent the last year working on eco-pedagogy with a faculty learning community co-led […]
Beyond Exams: Other Ways to Measure Student Learning
By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development, CITAL Do you ever wonder whether your tests, exams, and assignments are really developing the skills you want your students to learn? What would you like them to retain five minutes after your class ends? Five months later? How about five years later? Your colleagues Salena Anderson (English) […]
Five Ways to Make Your Syllabus Awesome!
by Jen Gregory, Director of Instructional Design Spend some time planning (or reviewing) the course Imagine you signed up for an African safari. You were told that you’d see lions, elephants, giraffes, rhino and zebras. But at the end of your trip you only saw lions. Your safari leader apologizes and explains that he […]