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About the FDC:
Faculty Development Center
109 Bruce T. Halle Library
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
Email: aavp_fdc@emich.edu
Ph: 734.487.2530
Donations are made through the EMU Foundation by specifying:
01429 - Bruce K Nelson Faculty Friends Development Fund
Services
Our services are individually designed to meet your teaching, learning and research needs. We have listed the most common services that we provide below. However, if you would like us to consult with you, your department or college on a different subject, please feel free to Contact Us. None of the FDC staff report to Academic HR, nor do the FDC staff participate in faculty or lecturer evaluations. All services are provided in a strictly confidential manner.
We offer the following services:
- Portfolio Reviews
- Mid-Term Student Feedback
- Consultations
- Instructional Computing
- Technology Training
Portfolio Reviews
You may bring your teaching portfolio to the FDC for a confidential feedback session. Or, you may select specific materials, e.g., an audio or video tape, for review. For more information on teaching portfolios, see Resources.
Mid-term Student Feedback
Mid-term feedback is useful both to check whether students are learning what you intend for them to be learning (so there will be no unhappy surprises at the final exam, for example), OR to check in on their satisfaction with your teaching style (so there will be no unhappy surprises in the final evaluation forms).
Just as with any other activity with your class, start by asking yourself, "what outcomes do I want?" Do you want information that will help you catch any problems mastering key concepts or skills? Do you want to know if a particular assignment or teaching method helped them? Do you want to know if they would like to cover material more slowly or quickly? First decide what it is you want to know; then devising the evaluation will follow naturally.
This process can be done with more or less involvement of the FDC, as our time permits. At the simplest level, a quick email or telephone exchange can help you clarify your questions and vet your process for any possible glitches. You are also welcome to come in for a consultation or to ask an FDC consultant to conduct the evaluation with you or for you.
It is essential that you explain clearly to your class why you are doing the evaluation and, most importantly, what you will do with the results. Will you share and discuss them with the class? Will you adjust your teaching style? If you take their time to gather their responses and then do not show any change, you will lose their trust.
Sample feedback questions can be found on the web, or you could select questions from this sample feedback form, but remember: start by asking yourself what it is you need to know, and then derive the questions from that need.
Consultations
Consultation on teaching/learning issues is offered to all faculty & lecturers (individuals, small groups, departments and colleges) on a completely voluntary and confidential basis. Sessions are arranged by appointment only. Consultations may include:
- Discussion of classroom-related concerns and course evaluations
- Course, program or curriculum review and redesign
- Review of course materials (syllabi, assignments, exams, feedback from students)
- Observation and feedback on class instruction
- Developing leadership and/or professional development plans
- Review of teaching portfolios or other faculty evaluation instruments
Consultation may be provided in several ways:
- You invite a consultant from the Faculty Development Center to observe your class. You discuss, in advance, any particular teaching skills that you wish for the consultant to observe. The consultant takes notes during the class. At the end of the class, you plan a feedback session with the consultant. At this session, the consultant provides you with the only copy of the notes, and discusses what was observed. A plan can then be devised to build upon your strengths.
- You invite a consultant from the Faculty Development Center to videotape your class. At the end of the class, you may a) take the video tape, review it yourself first, and then meet with the consultant, or b) review the videotape together with the consultant, or c) review the videotape by yourself. In all cases, the videotape is yours to keep.
- You request a colleague or staff person to videotape your class. You may then review the tape with a consultant at the Faculty Development Center, either alone or together with the person who has done the taping. (This works well when you have two faculty who are beset with the same challenges-e.g., the same group of students in two different courses, or two sections of the same course.)
- You invite a consultant to attend a meeting where the aims of the proposed consultation are discussed. You develop a plan for how to proceed with the consultant. The Faculty Development Center has access to resources both within and outside the university which may be used to provide you with the best solutions to your challenges.
Instructional Computing
During regular business hours a student assistant is available to assist you with questions about the software available in the Center. If you believe that you need more time or a more complicated answer, please email us with the nature of your challenge, and we will assist you in finding the correct person to work with you. If you have a group of colleagues with the same problem, we would be happy to set up a small class for you. We can connect you with personnel skilled in critiquing PowerPoint presentations, posters for professional meetings, layout and design of web pages, as well as teach you the basics of the various software programs available at EMU or in the FDC.
There are computers in the FDC that can be used by faculty for data collection and analysis. Software packages include SPSS, N-Vivo, and SNAP 8, along with access to Survey Monkey; a web based survey design, collection and analysis tool. The FDC also has a high speed .pdf / slide scanner that can be used for scanner-based data collection. Training and consultation is available for all software packages for faculty.
Additionally, the Division of IT offers over 300 courses online in a wide range of topics including: Leadership, Communication, Project Management, Operating Systems, System Technologies, Enterprise Data Systems, Web Design and Microsoft Office. Log in to Skillport via eTraining: http://etraining.emich.edu/login.cfm. For more IT training options, check this page http://it.emich.edu/training.
Technology Training
Part of the FDC mission is to connect faculty and lecturers to other useful offices and resources across campus. Such partnerships help create better development and growth throughout the university.
- Interactive White Board Training: An Instructional Technologist can provide one-to-one instruction on how to use and maximize the environment offered by an interactive whiteboard, demonstrate the resources available using the SMART Board, as well as attend classes and deomstrate the features and functions of the SMART Board and the Notebook software that is used with the SMART Board. For demos or questions contact Diane Lawrence, 734.497.3995 or email diane.lawrence@emich.edu.
- i>clickers Training: Benefits and features of using i>clickers include: Automatic grading, accounts for each student in the classroom, reliable, affordable, flexible, and easy to use with PowerPoint, Word, or similar software. The FDC has i>clickers available for checkout. For demos or questions contact Arnold Barr, 734.945.6696 or email abarr@emich.edu.